Wilderness Survival
From Mizahar Lore
Wilderness Survial is the skill of being able to survival in the wilderness of different climates. Survival in the wilds of Mizahar is not an easy task. While centers of civilization are isolated and distant from one another with life falling into different levels of difficulty, survival outside of these cities is deadly at best. To effectively survive outside of civilization requires knowledge of one's surroundings, current and potential situation, personal physical and mental condition as well as available equipment. One cannot expect to find everything they need to survive in the wild.
Always being prepared for a survival situation is the key to survival. Being prepared is having the required knowledge if not equipment at all times.
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Always Be Prepared
When in a survival situation, use your senses of hearing, smell, and sight to get a feel for the environment; determine the pattern of the area and get a feel for what is going on around you. Become familiar with animal and bird noises; movements and the sounds that insects make. If you have any injuries or health problems, attend to those first and remain aware of such things no matter the situation. Keep track of the equipment on hand and be sure it is functional. When you are familiar with these elements, you may then make a plan of survival which includes the basic physical needs of water, food and shelter. Do not act in haste at any point of the survival process else you risk injury, loss of equipment or other mishap that can threaten survival.
Know Where You Are
One of the most important things that cannot be expressed enough is that you know where you are. If you have a map, find your location and relate it to the surrounding terrain. If there are others with you, make sure they also know where they are in relation to the environment. When working in a team, always know who in your group and who has a map and compass, if anyone. In case something happens to the person with the map and/or compass, you will have to get them from him. Always pay close attention to where you are and to where you are going. Do not rely on others to keep track if you are in a group. Constantly orient yourself. Always try to determine how your location relates to that of enemies or dangerous obstacles, potential food and water sources as well as areas that provide good cover and concealment.
Improvise
Improvisation is also key. Learn to improvise. Take a tool designed for a specific purpose and see how many other uses you can make of it. Learn to use nature and the objects it provides for different needs. An example is using a rock for a hammer. No matter how complete a survival kit you have with you, it will run out or wear out after a while so you must be able to replenish it with materials you have access to.
Know Your Natives
Learn about the natives, if there are any. This includes native humanoids as well as animals of a region. Learn how they have adapted to their environment. When and what do they eat? When, where, and how do they get their food? When and where do they go for water? What time do they usually sleep and wake? Animal life in the area can also give you clues on how to survive. Animals require food, water, and shelter just as you do. By watching them, you can find sources of water and food. Do not however rely upon animals as a complete guide to what is safe to eat and drink. Many animals eat things that may be deadly to others. If in a friendly area, one way you can gain rapport with the natives is to show interest in their tools and how they get food and water. By studying the people, you learn to respect them, you often make valuable friends, and, most important, you learn how to adapt to their environment and increase your chances of survival
Keep Your Wits About You
Some people with little or no survival training have managed to survive life-threatening circumstances. Some people with survival training have not used their skills and died. A key part to survival, regardless of where you are or what situation you are in, is the mental attitude of the individual(s) involved. Having survival skills is important but having the will to survive is a necessity. Someone in a survival environment will face many things that can affect their state of mind. These stresses can transform a confident, well-trained person into someone who is indecisive and ineffective and who is less likely to survive in the wilds. That is of course unless they know how to handle such stress. Thus, one must be aware of and be able to recognize the stresses one may encounter during survival. In addition, it is unconditional that you be aware of your reactions to the wide variety of stresses associated with survival. Even minor stressors can become major ones. As the body's resistance to stress wears thin or the stressors grow in strength, exhaustion can ensue. Anticipate potential sources of stress and cope with them before they become unmanageable. Address potential stressors such as injury, illness or possible death, uncertainty and lack of control, troubles of hunger, thirst and isolation before they become deadly.
Plan For It (Survival Kit)
The environment is the key to the types of items you will need in your survival kit. How much equipment you put in your kit depends on how you will carry the kit. A kit carried on your body will have to be smaller than one carried on your horse. Always layer your survival kit, keeping the most important items on your body. For example, your map and/or compass should always be on your body. Carry less important items on your horse or in your wagon. In preparing your survival kit, select items you can use for more than one purpose. If you have two items that will serve the same function, pick the one you can use for another function. Do not duplicate items, as this increases your kit's size and weight.
Your survival kit need not be elaborate. You need only functional items that will meet your needs and a something to hold the items. For the container, you might want to use well crafted pouch or pack. This should be--
- Water repellent if possible.
- Easy to carry or attach to your body.
- Suitable to accept various-sized components.
- Durable.
In your survival kit, you should have--
- Basic first aid items.
- Fire starting equipment.
- Food procurement items.
- Emergency waterskin
- Shelter items.
Some examples of these items are--
- Flint and steel
- Snare wire.
- Small compass.
- Fish and snare line.
- Fishhooks.
- Candle.
- Blanket.
- Needle and thread.
- Knife.
Include a weapon only if the situation so dictates. Consider your personal need and the environment in which your unit will operate. Then prepare your survival kit.
Find Shelter, Get Water, Start A Fire
Shelter
A shelter can protect you from the sun, insects, wind, rain, snow, hot or cold temperatures, and possible enemy observation. It can give you a feeling of well-being. It can help you maintain your will to survive. In some areas, your need for shelter may be more important than your need for food and possibly even your need for water. To find or build a shelter you would have to find trees, caves, a big boulder and dug up ground. To make a shelter you need big woods or rock,