The word “survival” means a lot of things. To some it means being prepared for anything while for others it means doing whatever it takes to keep moving forward. For the U.S. Army Survival Manual it’s an acronym that covers the basics of survival itself.
By knowing what SURVIVAL stands for, you can be a better prepper and be ready for when the SHTF.
S – Size Up
The first step in getting out of dodge or just preparing for survival is to size up everything that’s going on. Emotions can overpower you and force you to make bad decisions, but if you take the time to size things up, you’ll have a better idea of what’s going on and what you need to do.
Size Up the Situation – It’s easy to take off running or jump right into a survival plan, but first you need to size up the situation. Writing down everything before you take action helps. You may remember something that you would have otherwise forgotten. List all the parts of the disaster or problem that you know of.
Size Up Your Surroundings – No matter whether you plan on bugging in or bugging out, you need to assess your surrounding before doing either. Get a feel for what’s happening around you. If you’re staying in place this is important for obvious reasons but if you’re bugging out you still need to know where you’re coming from. You could be missing valuable supplies or reasons to stay where you are.
Size Up Your Physical Condition – Before things get any worse or you start moving, pay attention to yourself. It’s easy to overlook injuries due to adrenaline, which is why you need to take the time to give yourself a once-over. Drink some water, remember when you ate last and eat if you should, and most importantly, bandage any wounds now. Infection is a silent killer.
Size Up Your Equipment – Just as with your physical wellbeing, you need to take inventory of what you have with you before things get worse. In the heat of battle/fear/escape it’s easy to forget something or damage something you didn’t know about. Take inventory now and you’ll know where you stand for later.
U – Use All Your Senses
Don’t act for the sake of taking action. Even though time matters and you’re in a survival situation you need to use all your senses to assess what’s going on. The U could also stand for Undue Haste Makes Waste, which when dealing with limited supplies, is a very big deal.
It’s hard to be “always on” in these situations, but at least in the beginning you need to utilize all your senses to keep yourself alive.
R – Remember Where You Are
Knowing how to use a map and compass is a basic skill that everyone needs to know. Better yet, knowing how to navigate without these is even better.
(Photo courtesy of flickr)
If you’re with a group of people, remember who has the map and compass, as you’ll need to get them from that person in case they have an issue or accident. If you’re not the person with the map and compass, make sure to keep your own bearing and always pay attention to where you’re going. Don’t rely on anyone else 100%.
V – Vanquish Fear and Panic
You might think that the bad guy with a gun or the lack of food are your biggest enemies, but you’d be wrong. The biggest enemies you have in terms of survival are fear and panic. Left unchecked, these two can collapse a survival plan by draining energy and willpower from you quicker than you’d think.
The best ways to vanquish fear and panic are to first be prepared and second, have confidence in yourself that you’ll make it through.
I – Improvise
How is it that our grandparents could build a house and replace the engine of a car with a simple toolbox, yet many of us have tool chests taller than we are and can do half as much as they could?
The reason they got more done with less was their ability to improvise. Survival in and of itself is a practice in improvisation, as you have to take simple supplies and live off of them. Instead of using 2x4s and brick to build a wall you have to use downed trees and branches.
(Photo courtesy of flickr)
Learn to use everyday objects for improvised tools, medicine, and personal care items and you’ll be a lot farther ahead than the guy with a giant kit with what he thinks has everything in it.
V – Value Living
Right now you have to put very little thought into living. You don’t have to plan out where your next meal will be, or how you’re getting water today. If you run into an issue you can’t solve you look it up on the Internet, in the library, or just go buy something that solves it for you.
It’s this soft living that makes many of us not truly value life. This isn’t to say that you’ll want to off yourself as soon as the going gets bad, but when there’s no end in sight to the problems you’re having, it’s important to stay stubborn and focus on the value your life has. Living is pretty great and until you’re actually responsible for it you may not value it as much as you should.
A – Act Like the Natives
This is a two-fold tip. First, the native people and animals in an area are familiar with it. They know what water is good and which streams make them sick. They know where dangers like and which paths are the easiest.
Pay attention to how the native people and animals in an area live and act, and while it might not be perfect for you; you’ll at least have an idea of what to do.
The second part to this tip is about blending in. If you’re escaping something or someone and you happen across a community that you’re unfamiliar with, blending in can be your biggest lifesaver. If you have an Army hat and a rucksack on and everyone else is dressed in summer clothes, you’ll stand out like a sore thumb.
If you’re in a new area, talk to the natives and learn about them and the area Be friendly and hopefully you’ll make a friend or two. Remember, the more you fit in, the less likely you are to cause issues and the fewer enemies you’ll have.
L – Live by Your Wits
Training is why McDonald’s doesn’t make the best burger, but instead the best burger-makers. It’s why Army bootcamp exists, and why you’re reading this article. You’re only as good as your training is an old military saying and it’s true for more than just the battlefield.
(Photo courtesy of flickr)
Learn survival skills now when you don’t need them instead of when your life depends on it. In baseball it’s said that you play how you practice, and in the survival world you live like you practice.
Above general training, you need to learn about the area you’re in and the areas you’ll be spending time in. If you’re going on vacation for a week, learn about issues in the area and make sure to have a map for it.
If you’re staying in a dry climate like a desert, you should know how to survive in a desert in case you are forced to.
Bu following SURVIVAL, you’ll start to have the skills you need to survive and just like someone who has run a marathon before must train again for the next one, even if your survival skills are good, applying the SURVIVAL acronym can only make you better.
(Header photo courtesy of flickr)