SURVIVAL SKILLS. (UNIT THREE)

Survival skills are skills that may help everyone to survive dangerous situations (such as storms or earthquakes), in dangerous places (such as the desert, the mountains and the jungle). Useful skills include lighting a fire, finding shelter, making water safe to drink, finding and identifying food, treating injuries, climbing, swimming and using specific or makeshift tools.

Each type of wilderness challenges a person with a different range of dangers (see hazards of outdoor activities). An environment may be dry, wet, hot, cold, high altitude, low altitude, desert, rural, urban, wilderness, subterranean, or an island. There are four basic necessities of life which apply in all of these cases: shelter, water, fire, and food. A fifth one is oxygen for high altitudes and subterranean environments and also specific survival situations, such as drowning and landslide/avalanche.

Survival skills used on a more permanent basis, or as a component of daily life are referred to as bushcraft.

Developments in outdoor equipment and survival techniques may be very useful and absolutely necessary, but there is nothing to replace experience in a survival situation. Those who are most prepared, physically and mentally, stand the greatest chance of survival.

Mental Preparedness

It should not be overlooked what the will to live means in a life and death situation. All the training and tools in the world will prove of little or no use without the desire to live. Stories of heroic feats of survival by regular people with little or no training are not uncommon. Even with a strong understanding of the way we may be mentally affected, even a trained survival expert may feel the crushing effects of psychological strain during duress. In order to overcome these effects, it is important to study stress and how it may affect us.

Studying stress will reveal that stress can have a good and a bad side. It presents a real challenge, and it is a good way to show us how far we can "bend without breaking". Stress sometimes has a nice way of pointing out that things could get much worse. On the other hand, too much stress can be an awful thing. Too much stress can lead to lack of memory, increase mistakes,decrease energy, provoke rage, and carelessness. Survival situations raise strong emotional reactions. There are a few emotions that often accompany this situation.

There are 6 emotions that must be overcome to have the chance to survive:

1. Fear - Once you are in a survival situation, the initial reaction is fear. Although it is a common normal reaction, it should be kept under control. It drastically lessens our ability to make clear decisions.
2. Anxiety – Typically anxiety and fear go hand in hand. It can be easily out of control and it is very difficult to take decisions when experiencing it.
3. Anger – It is inevitable that in a survival situation we will have to face problems. With the endless possibilities of things that can go wrong and probably will anger will only make it worse. So, we should try to relax and think clearly about what to do next, instead of having a fit. Finding other ways to overcome the situation will prove more useful than losing one's temper.
4. Depression – This is a not uncommon feeling. Being alone in the wilderness trying to survive is almost certainly bound to arise depressed mood. Overwhelming depression can lead to shutting down ot the body and you may give up hope. Being positive is one of the best "weapons" you can use to survive.
5. Guilt – This is another feeling that people may experience, especially if they didn't plan the trip properly or if they made some mistake. Even if you feel responsible for it, there's no point in torturing yourself about it. You better think of what you can do right now!
6. Loneliness – This is another "side affect", if you are alone you may feel really sad. You should keep yourself as busy as possible, so that you can think clearly about you next step.

Source: Wikipedia. If you are interested in reading more about survival or want to feel ready for anything...have a look at Wikipedia! you only have to type "Survival skills" and you will be able to survive in the Amazon forest, the Sahara desert or the Himalayas mountains! But yopu have to be very careful with tha language, this encyclopaedia is made by ordinary people and it may contain English mistakes or unreal information. I have just corrected the one above!