Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
You don't have to look too far behind today's headlines to discover life-and-death stories of survival. Extreme weather has forced people into sudden dire situations from mountainous terrain to wind-swept beachfronts and from dry desert-like tinderboxes to flooded city streets.
Although you probably have heard the advice to have several days of supplies on hand in your home and car in case of an emergency, the reality is that that amount may not be enough. Or, you could experience a natural or human-made disaster when you are not at home or in your vehicle.
In these cases, you may need to rely on your wits and skills to stay alive. This article explores 20 primitive skills you should learn and practice before it's too late.
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1. How to find and purify water
We all know clean water is necessary for survival. But what do you do if your public water supply is cut off, your well has run dry, or you are stuck in the wilderness without water? Knowing how and where to locate water is a skill our forebears mastered, and you can learn from their example.
This article describes how to find water in the wilderness. And this article introduces the use of a solar still for purifying the water you find.
2. How to start a fire
A fire is necessary for warmth and cooking when you are stranded. But how many of us can start a fire without a lighter or matches? This video, How to Start a Fire in a Survival Situation, is from Wired. Or we like the steps and various methods outlined in this article from Family Handyman.
3. How to build a shelter
Protecting yourself from the elements is a crucial factor to survival. Experts recommend staying in your vehicle if you are stuck on a snowbound road, for example. But do you know how to build a shelter in the woods?
This article from Outdoor Life shows you 15 shelters you can build from the materials on hand. Or check out this simple shelter you can make without tools and only what you can gather on the floor of a wooded area.
4. How to fish
Now that you have water and shelter and know how to start a fire, you need to think about food. Fishing with a rod and reel and a full tackle box is one thing, but what do you do if you have none of those things? Here's an article from Bass Pro Shops on how to fish in a survival situation.
5. How to make traps
 If you are not near a water source for fish, you'll need to look for other means of getting food. One of the least demanding ways of hunting for food is by creating animal traps. You can watch this video to learn how to make basic traps and snares for small game.
6. How to forage
Another way to find food in the wild is by foraging. But how do you know where to look for food, and how do you know what's safe to eat? This article offers an introduction to this complicated but essential survival skill. And this book gives a more complete look at the topic.
7. How to make a spear
You may need a spear for fishing, trapping, or defending yourself. This video shows the steps for making a survival spear. Or check out the detailed information in this Outdoor Life article.
8. How to sharpen tools
Whether it's that spear you just fashioned or that pocket knife you've used to do everything we've mentioned so far on this list before that, you'll need to know how to sharpen a blade. This article offers tips for sharpening a blade in the wild.
9. How to identify animal tracks
Knowing how to identify animal tracks will not only help you hunt game, but it is also a skill that could save you from a wild animal attack. Here is a track identification guide to help get you started on this topic.
10. How to clean and process food
Fishing, trapping, and hunting is the first step. But now you need to know how to prepare your food for eating. This video demonstrates how to prepare wild game and preserve what is left over. And here is a written Field Dressing and Handling of Wild Game and Fish Guide from the Penn State Extension Service.
11. How to cook over a fire
We discussed building a fire earlier in the list, but what about cooking over an open fire without supplies? It's a separate but related skill to learn. This article provides instructions for different methods of survival cooking.
12. How to tan animal hides
If you've been trapping or hunting for food, you'll want to make as much use of your prey as possible. Animal hides can be used for warmth and protection. Learn how to tan hides in this article and in this video.
13. How to make a torch
You want to conserve the battery life of any electronics you have with you in an emergency. That means you'll need to find other ways to have light in the darkness. Building a torch is another primitive skill to master. Here are instructions for making a torch in the wilderness.
14. How to tie knots
Do you know how to tie knots? This skill comes into play in many other survival situations, including fishing, building a shelter, and hunting. Here is a video demonstrating four simple knots for beginners. And this Outdoor Life article explains 20 knots that can save the day in some survival situations.
15. How to make a slingshot
A slingshot is a simple weapon that you can use for defense or to hunt small game. Fortunately, slingshots are relatively easy to make if you know how. Here is a video that shows how to make a survival slingshot in the wilderness.
16. How to navigate
Our ancestors could navigate by the stars. And yet many of us today do not even know how to read a compass. And our reliance on GPS systems has put many people in dangerous situations. This article details 12 ways to navigate without a compass. And you can learn how to use a compass in this REI video for beginners.
17. How to recognize and predict weather patterns
Here is another skill that is essential for survival when you are cut off from modern conveniences – weather predicting using nature's signs. Here are 17 signs Mother Nature gives us about the weather. And this article offers some additional tips for predicting weather patterns when you're in the wilderness.
18. How to tell the time in the wilderness
During an emergency, you may need to know how much daylight you have left to build a shelter or how much time you have before sunrise. Nature also gives us tools to tell the approximate time of day if we know where to look. Here is a Reader's Digest article on how to tell time without a clock. Or check out this Scout Life video.
19. How to perform basic first aid
Making a splint or stitching a wound are some of the emergency first aid skills you may need in a survival situation. Here are some guidelines for beginners. You may want to take a wilderness first aid class, such as this one from the Red Cross, for more detailed knowledge.
20. How to make cordage
Rope is a valuable commodity in any survival scenario. Therefore, knowing how to fashion cordage (thread, string, or rope) with natural material is an important skill to have. We like this article from Mother Earth News. And here's a video that demonstrates how to make cordage using the fibers you find in your natural setting.
Why is it important to learn survival skills? Although most of us have the luxury of living in homes with all our basic needs met, we have witnessed how natural and human-made disasters can take those luxuries away in as little as an instant. By learning these basic skills, we can not only help ourselves but also help others who may need us during an emergency.
Here are some other survival skill resources to consider.
- The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival by Jason Knight
- Bushcraft 101Â by Dave Canterbury
- SAS Survival Handbook by John ‘Lofty' Wiseman
- Survival Hacks by Creek Stewart
- 100 Deadly Skills by Clint Emerson
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