Do you know any survival skills or tips for men?
Today, we are living a very easy life thanks to science and technology. However, it doesn’t take time for a situation to turn worse. What if, like in movies, the zombie apocalypse starts suddenly while you are sleeping? What if you are stranded and helpless in the middle of the forest? Unlikely, but possible!
In such emergencies and worst situations, your survival skills are only your best weapon. They will keep you alive and kicking. Moreover, you want to and must protect your loved ones in a time of crisis. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with learning some surviving tips.
So, are you ready to learn some surviving skills for men?
Page Contents
18 survival skills for men
Analyzing the situation
It is common to panic when you are stranded or lost track in the middle of nowhere. However, that is the worst thing to do in such a situation. If you want to survive, you need to remain calm and analyze the situation. Until and unless you are composed, you won’t be able to reason. Otherwise, you will only make your circumstances even worse.
People who panic are always the first ones to die. So, the best way to combat an uncertain situation is to be aware of the environment and plan ways to get through.
Gathering food
You won’t have the luxury of departmental stores or restaurants in the wilderness. You have to gather food and take care of yourself. Without anything to eat, you won’t be able to survive for long. Besides, it is one of the basic survival skills that you need to know at any cost.
Moreover, if you know how to hunt or fish, then you can’t ask for more. Also, you can use different traps to capture animals. Plus, you will have a limitless amount of edible fruits and plants, if you learn to identify them. You just need to differentiate safe from poisonous vegetation. So, learn about plants and animals when you have time.
Cooking
Once you have gathered foods, you need to know how to cook them. You can’t eat them raw every time, excluding some fruits and plants.
It is crucial to cook meat before eating. It kills harmful bacteria preventing food poisoning and infections. Moreover, it will be easier to digest and safe to eat.
Finding and purifying water
Water is one of the basic necessities needed for survival. Without water, a man can survive at most two to three days. However, in the wild, that can be only a dream since you will be climbing, walking, running, hunting, etc.
You won’t be getting any tap water. So, you need to find the water source yourself, which we don’t think is difficult if you are in the middle of the forest. What you need most are the techniques to purify the water.
The best and safe option is to boil water before drinking.
Crafting a weapon
Don’t think you will have it easy after finding food and water in the wild. There is the constant threat of wild animals and poisonous insects. You are just prey in the wilderness.
While fire can protect you from most creatures, you need a weapon to defend yourself. Not only animals, but you also need to protect yourself from people that are looking for a chance to harm you.
You can craft a weapon using a thick stick. Make one of the ends sharp and pointy. This way, you will be able to hunt and defend.
Building a weapon is crucial in the wild.
Finding a suitable location
You can’t stay anywhere you like. The location you are in can be the territory of wild animals. What you need is a safe place. If you can find higher ground, it is the safest option.
You need to make sure that you don’t follow the track of wild animals and invade their place. And when you find a safe location, ensure it also protects you from sun, rain, and wind.
Building a shelter
You have food, water, and weapons. You don’t have to trouble yourself about anything now. Really? What about shelter? Even if you find a safe location, you need a place to call home. You need a roof to stay in.
If you have a tent, luckily, then you can use it as a shelter. If not, you can use different leaves and woods to build one. And make sure the foundation is off the ground. You don’t want insects and crawlers to invade your home. This way, you will have a better and safer chance to survive. Moreover, it will keep you warm and protect you from extreme weather and other threats.
Starting a fire
If you have lighters, then you don’t need to worry about starting a fire. However, they are not limitless. At some point, they will be of no use. And you can’t buy them in the wild. So, your best choice is to learn to create a fire without matches.
Moreover, you will be safer and comfortable. You will have a way to protect yourself from wild animals. Fire will help you survive the most critical situations. So practice different techniques to start a fire without matches.
Check out How to start a fire without matches?
Navigating
Google Maps have made it easy to navigate around places. But, in the wild, if you don’t get internet connections, such technology will not help you at all. Even if there is such a facility, your smartphone’s battery will drain out within a few hours. And if you have a compass and map, it will be easier for you. Otherwise, you need to learn to navigate without maps and compasses. This way, you will be able to traverse even an unknown and extreme environment.
You need to learn to navigate the way people in the past used to do it. They used to see the sun, moon, stars, follow the rivers, etc.
Either take a compass and map with you before going into the wild or learn to navigate without them.
Rope skills
Most people might miss this skill. But, it is a must. You will need it every time. Tying knots, fishing, building shelter, making weapons, etc., are some of the places where you will require it.
What if you have to stay longer in the wild? In such a situation, you won’t get modern trendy clothes. You will have to make your own. And this is where your sewing skills come in handy. Moreover, you don’t want your shelter, weapons, etc., to fall apart when you need them the most. So, better learn some rope skills to strengthen your options.
Knowledge about plants and animals
It is crucial to know about plants and animals if you want to survive in the wild. You need to be able to separate edible and poisonous vegetation. Sometimes, tasty-looking fruits can also be life-threatening.
Moreover, you need to know how to act when encountering wild animals. Such knowledge will help you survive the life-death situation. Knowing about even a small gesture can help wild animals to get scared and stay away from you.
Learn about plants and animals when you have time since it is one of the crucial survival skills for men.
Moving stealthily
Have you ever walked on your toe not to make any noise to get out of the house? It is pretty useful, right. You need similar actions to survive in the wild.
It is obvious that you will be encountering animals in the wilderness. In a sense, you will be surrounded. Even a slight sound can attract wild creatures. You need to minimize the noise as much as possible. And this is where moving stealthily will help you get through.
Defending yourself
We don’t need to say this since you already know it. You always need to be prepared to defend yourself in the wild. If you know some martial arts, boxing, etc., it will help you protect yourself from bad people and also from some wild animals, but not every time.
You need weapons like spears, bow and arrow, etc., for better protection.
Keeping yourself warm
It doesn’t take time for the weather to take an extreme change in the wild. Even if it is summer, the night won’t be as warm as expected. Either it is a hot or cold season, you always need to keep yourself warm. It won’t be long before you suffer from hypothermia and face a life-death situation. So, it is crucial to keep yourself cozy and comfy as much as possible.
Start a fire as soon as possible when you are in a safe location. Build a shelter and keep more leaves beneath you while sleeping to keep yourself warm.
Learning the basics of first aid
Cuts, bruises, scratches, etc., are normal in the wild. However, it won’t take time for such wounds to become bigger. You need to prevent them from being infected. For this, you need to learn the basics of first aid. You need to know how to tend to wounds and keep them as minimum as possible.
You will be able to take care of wounds, burns, etc., and stop the bleeding if you have basic knowledge about first aid. Besides, you need to know about herbs that will help you survive critical situations.
Learn about first aid and prevent complications. Never take this survival skills for men lightly.
Learning about signals to give location
If you want to stay forever in the wild, then it is okay. Otherwise, you need to learn about signals to let people know about your location and rescue you or find people just like you.
Either you write SOS in open ground or start a fire or give smoke signals, or launch flares, do whatever you want to send a survival signal.
You need to learn what to do and how to send survival signals.
Marking the location
Learn to mark the location in case you don’t want to get lost in the wild. Moreover, you don’t want to circle the exact area like a maze. Mark an arrow or write something on the trees for easy navigation. Moreover, it will also help people know your location, which will be a life-saver if they are not dangerous ones. It is one of the crucial survival skills for men, which is not to be missed.
Disposing waste
Disposing of waste might sound like minor surviving skills for men. But, you should always do it. Otherwise, it will attract wild animals to your shelter. Not only this, but it will spread a lousy odor, hampering your health. So, always dig a hole and bury the waste in it. Also, remember to close the pit with soil.
In Conclusion
Situations may not remain the same every time. It might take a worse turn any time. The circumstances may or may not change but you need to be prepared as hell. Either you are on a hike or a camping trip, make sure you have every gear, tool, and essential you need.
Even if you get stuck in a critical situation (which we don’t want), always remember the 18 survival skills for men mentioned above to get through in the wild. With the aid of these tips, you will know what to do, how to face, and handle the circumstances pretty easily.
Image Credits: Markus Spiske from Unsplash