Wilderness survival skills should be something that everyone should practice or at least have a basic knowledge of, as you never know when you may find yourself lost or stranded in the wild. Developing these skills will require patience and strategy, but eventually, you may be able to set up camp and survive for days on end.

Having this knowledge and skillset ensures you can effectively take care of yourself until help arrives. Knowing how to survive in the wild with average military gear will help you rough it with the best of them.

Always Carry Enough Water

This is the most crucial part of survival that you absolutely cannot go without. And while water is indeed important, you will also need a canteen or vessel to carry your fluids in while you’re on the go.

The more bottles and canteens you can keep on your person, the better off you will be. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, you need to hydrate at least once every 20 minutes. This is especially crucial when hiking or out in the heat, as you will need to replace the water that you expelled.

Pack Nutrient-Rich Food

As much as you will want to splurge and eat while you’re out walking around and being active, you will need to reserve as much of your food as possible. As time goes on, your food supply will become a huge commodity (unless you plan to hunt, fish, and forage for food).

Snack occasionally and try to have one solid meal per day without gouging your supplies. If you can, ration everything that you have and separate it in such a way that you know how many calories you will have each day. Take note of the amount of food you are allowing yourself to consume at any given time.

Carry a Knife

The most essential of all your tools will be your knife. It will be your friend when no one else is around, as it will serve as protection and a handy tool.

There’s nothing that you can’t make with a knife. You might need to cut out the framework for your camp to make shelter, or you may need to cut your rope for other applications. If you have any flint or magnesium on hand, you can use the blunt end of your knife to strike the flint to create sparks and start a fire if needed.

Learn How To Use Rope

There is a multitude of uses for rope that can easily save your life. You can make what’s called a life cord with your rope, in which you tie all your essential tools to the rope. You can also wear it around your waist or tie it to something like a tree to keep everything together.

You can also create a harness and rappel with rope if you have enough of it to work with. You can erect an A-frame tent with a pair of sticks, a sheet, and rope if you need to. You can even use part of your rope as a wick, allowing you to burn candles as emergency lighting for long periods of time.

Stock Up on First Aid Supplies

No matter what, you should always carry a first-aid kit. This should consist of a few things. You will need bandages, gauze, and tape; you will also need a tourniquet to stop heavy bleeding in the event that you cut a main artery or sustain a significant injury.

Antibiotic cream and saline will be essential to carry with you as well, as they play a crucial role in cleaning and sterilizing wounds. A needle and stitches will also be necessary in case you have a deep wound that needs repair. Aloe vera will also be wise to carry for burns.

Understand Common Signals

You might think that picking up military gear for sale—such as a megaphone or signal flares—is necessary to signal to someone from a remote area, but that isn’t all that you can do. If you are in an open space that isn’t too heavily wooded, you can make characters on the ground with sticks and stones to send an aerial message.

You can also build a large fire to get a signal from someone. It may take days to get a response, but once you start a large enough fire and if you keep it contained and fueled, you will likely be spotted. From there, help will soon be on its way.

Keep a Lighter on Hand

A lighter should be something that you always have on your person. This will save you the time and effort it takes to build a fire, enabling you to more easily get your camp set up before nightfall.

A lighter is also important because it will protect your camp from wild animals who have a tendency to snoop around at night. Most creatures are afraid of fire, and these flames will serve as a natural deterrent. A steady fire will also enable you to see things coming long before they make it to your site.

Have Repellent at the Ready

Certain areas of the world are heavily infested with bugs and critters that will attack you the moment you enter their domain. When you carry repellent on you, you create a barrier between your clothes and body and these pests.

But this isn’t the only option that you have. Simply being in the environment long enough provides you with a natural deterrent in the form of dirt and sweat. After a time, your scent will no longer appeal to these pests, as all the perfumes and sweet-smelling fragrances will have worn off. This will naturally help to keep bugs at bay.

Being stuck in the wilderness isn’t ideal for anyone, but what you must keep in mind is that you must make it your own. Just like moving into a new house or trying to get comfortable in an unfamiliar situation, you must take control of your environment.

With some practice, you will have the ability to create a habitable space in a world that was previously untamed. Being wilderness savvy means knowing how to survive in the wilderness with average military gear and knowing how to apply it in emergency situations.