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Beginner's Guide to Outdoor Survival SKills
In today’s world, you probably won’t need to hunt for food or start a fire with sticks and stones on a daily basis.
Still, having a basic set of outdoor survival skills can make any adventure — from a simple hike to a weekend camping trip — safer and more enjoyable.
Even experienced hikers and travelers sometimes find themselves in tricky situations: sudden storms, unexpected injuries, or getting lost on a trail. Knowing how to handle these moments can prevent a small mishap from becoming a major problem.
I realized the importance of these skills when I took a basic survival skills workshop, and it completely changed how I approach outdoor trips.
Water is the most critical element in any survival situation. Humans can survive weeks without food, but only hours without water in extreme conditions.
So if you find yourself lost, one of your first priorities should be finding water. But water is useless if it’s not safe to drink. Here are some tips for locating drinkable water:
- Water flows downhill. Look for streams in valleys or low points.
- Listen for water and follow that sound.
- Observe signs of life. Animals and insects often gather near water.
- Beware of stagnant water, as it’s likely to be full of bacteria that can lead to a far worse situation.
- Purify water before drinking by boiling, filtering, or using purification tablets. Even flowing water can sometimes contain harmful parasites.
- Digging for underground water should be your last option.
2. Starting a fire
After finding a water source, your next priority should be to start a fire. In the wild, a (controlled) fire is one of your most valuable tools. It provides warmth, helps purify water, allows you to cook food, can deter animals, and may even be used to signal for help.
- Gather dry tinder: twigs, sticks, dry grass, etc. The drier, the better. Avoid anything that looks even remotely green.
- Start small with kindling, then gradually add larger sticks once you’ve got a fire going.
- Use a lighter, matches, or fire starter if available. You can also practice friction-based methods like a hand drill.
- If you have a magnifying glass, or anything similar, you can use it to concentrate sunbeam to ignite your tinder.
- Be patient and don’t easily give up. Even a small spark can become a life-saving flame.
- Always fully extinguish the fire when done.
3. Building temporary shelter
If you can’t make it back before nightfall, a simple shelter can protect you from the elements and wild animals. Depending on the kind of environment you’re in, here are some common shelter types you can build:
- Lean-to: branches leaning against a natural structure, such as a rock face, a wall, or a fallen tree trunk.
- Teepee: branches leaning together to form a conical shape.
- Ramada: a shelter with a roof but no walls, or partial walls.
- Other environmentally-dependent shelters, such as igloos, debris huts, and snow caves.
4. Hunting and foraging for food
If your situation lasts more than a day, you may need food. Basic tips:
- Learn to identify edible plants and avoid potentially poisonous ones like brightly hued plants or mushrooms.
- Fishing is an option near water if you have basic equipment.
- Trapping small game using materials you can find in the forest can supplement your diet. Click here to learn how.
- If you attempt hunting, make sure you have the skills or tools necessary.
5. Basic cooking
If you’ve caught or foraged food, you need to cook it properly to avoid illness:
- Unless you’re absolutely sure which parts are safe to eat, remove ALL innards, especially the digestive tract.
- To be safe, it’s better to overcook than undercook — even if you like your steak rare!
- Once you’re done with cooking and eating, dispose of food waste safely to avoid attracting wildlife.
6. Navigating & reading a compass
If you go hiking on your own, knowing where you are and where you’re going is crucial:
- Learn basic compass use and map reading. The biggest advantage of using a compass is that it will continue to work when your other devices fail.
- Though not always necessary or practical, climbing to higher ground can help you locate trails or settlements.
- Use the directions of sunrise and sunset to orient yourself.
- If possible, follow rivers downhill. Even if you don’t find civilization along the way, at least you will have constant access to drinking water.
7. Tying knots
Tying different types of knots is a skill commonly used in activities like sailing, camping, rock climbing, and rappelling.
It’s also incredibly useful in survival situations. Knots can help secure hunting traps, fishing lines, bandages, and temporary shelters, and can even be used in rescue situations.
There are dozens of different knots, each designed for a specific purpose. Start by learning a few basic ones.
8. Basic first aid
The worst situation is being lost and injured, as this can severely limit your ability to cope outdoors.
Knowing basic first aid is essential to reduce pain, blood loss, and the risk of infection. If you’re injured, these are the key steps to take:
- Close the wound.Use a bandage or plaster to stop bleeding and protect the wound. Clean it as thoroughly as possible before dressing it. A tourniquet should only be used as a last resort, as improper use can cause serious damage.
Keep the wound clean. Change bandages regularly, since a dirty dressing can lead to infection.
Stabilize broken limbs. Immobilize the injury to prevent it from worsening. Use a straight, sturdy branch as a splint and secure it with rope or cloth. Do not attempt to reset a broken bone unless you are medically trained.
9. Emergency preparedness
Outdoor emergencies don’t have to be dramatic to be serious. A wrong turn, sudden weather change, or minor injury can quickly disrupt a trip.
Being prepared means thinking a few steps ahead — knowing how to call for help, how to make yourself visible, and how to handle unexpected delays until help arrives or conditions improve.
- Share your plans: Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return.
- Know how to signal: Carry a whistle or headlamp; three short blasts or flashes signal distress.
Pack a small emergency kit: First aid, extra food and water, a light source, and basic fire-starting tools.
Know when to stop: Turning back early is often the safest choice.
Stay calm: Pause, assess, conserve energy, and stay visible.
Taking a survival skills workshop
In 2018, I had to admit something to myself: I didn’t have the first clue about surviving outdoors. And that’s a pretty embarrassing thing to acknowledge for someone who prides herself in being an independent woman.
I had gone camping before, but only in situations where everything was prepared for me. Porters carried the gear, meals were prepared, and the hard parts were conveniently taken care of.
I realized that, had I learned some basic survival skills earlier, I could have explored many more places on my own. It would have saved me money, given me more freedom, and spared me the social obligation of moving in groups.
So I signed up for a basic survival skills workshop.
We started with the basics: what to pack for a short trip into the forest. I surprised that cordage was so important on a camping trip.
Next came fire-starting. Reading about fire-making techniques is one thing. Trying to keep a fire alive long enough to actually use it is another.
We learned both traditional methods and modern alternatives, and it became obvious very quickly that theory alone doesn’t translate into success. Fire demands patience, attention, and practice.
At one point, the instructors mentioned a group of children from an international school who had taken a similar course. What surprised them was that the seven-year-olds already knew most of what we were being taught.
Meanwhile, there we were — a group of adults struggling with things that, in theory, were supposed to be kiddie stuff.
I didn’t grow up learning these skills. Like many city kids, I spent most of my childhood indoors, focused on school and academic achievement. Practical outdoor skills simply weren’t part of my upbringing.
That realization explained why I felt the need to seek out this kind of experience later in life.
One of the more memorable moments came during a practical challenge: cooking rice inside a coconut using only simple tools and materials.
Each of us was assigned a partner. I was paired up with the youngest member of the group, a teenage schoolboy, who didn’t seem very eager to do the challenge. Honestly, I wasn’t very eager either, knowing that I had to be the “adult” in the team.
Each pair was given a coconut, some rice, a knife, and basic fire-starting supplies.
Our first task was to gather wood for the fire. While my teammate handled that, I looked for pandan leaves and wet clay, punctured holes in the coconut shell, and added the rice. The clay was meant to coat the coconut and prevent it from cracking.
Starting the fire wasn’t difficult. I managed to light the cotton balls on the first try. Keeping it going, however, was another matter. The flames kept dying out, we ran out of cotton, and the wood we had collected simply refused to catch.
We only succeeded when the instructor stepped in to help. After that, we placed the coconut over the fire and waited for it to cook, occasionally prodding the embers and hoping for the best.
After about half an hour, the instructors went from team to team to check our work. The pandan leaf gave the rice a lovely aroma, and combined with the coconut juice, it almost smelled and tasted like nasi lemak.
My team’s rice, however, was the only one that ended up inedible. It was my fault — I hadn’t coated the coconut shell with enough clay to protect it from the heat. The shell cracked, letting the juice seep out and leaving the rice hard and half-burnt.
In the end, we had to rely on the generosity of others to spare us a bit of rice for lunch.
After lunch, we practised setting up an emergency tent using a tarp — a perfect time to put our knot-tying lesson to use.
We also learned the do’s and don’ts of choosing a safe spot to camp.
Next came a river-crossing exercise. We formed a line, linked arms, and attempted to cross together without breaking the chain. First, we went straight across, then upstream.
The current wasn’t strong, but the rocks were slippery, even in hiking boots. Guess who fell down?
After soaking in the river, we went on a short forest hike to learn about edible and medicinal plants.
The class wrapped up around 6 p.m., but there was one last surprise: the instructors had prepared a charcoal paste to paint on our faces as a “graduation gift” before handing out our certificates.
Final thoughts
By the time the workshop ended, I didn’t feel like a survival expert. But I did become more conscious of how fragile comfort can be outdoors, and how quickly small mistakes add up when you don’t know what to do.
Some of the skills — like knot-tying and identifying edible plants — I had promptly forgotten almost as soon as the lesson was over.
I think they only truly stick when you practice them — when you camp on your own, pitch a tent, tie the knots, struggle with the fire, and make mistakes you won’t forget.
Otherwise, the only thing I’m going to remember is how not to cook rice in a coconut.
Very interesting story … good to join this sort of class for who love hiking and other sorts of adventure trip.
Yes, Fas. And even for those who don’t. You never know, these skills might come in handy someday.
This is very good info. Benda ni basic yang kita kena tau. Kalau kita tak travel pun kita boleh apply bila kita terdesak. Iza patut join jugak class just untuk tambah ilmu.
Betul tu Iza. Tak rugi kita menambah ilmu pengetahuan ni. Walaupun kita rasa ilmu tu mungkin tak perlu untuk kita buat masa sekarang, setidak-tidaknya kita boleh turunkan pada orang lain, contohnya anak-anak kita sendiri. Dan siapa tahu, mungkin apa yg kita pelajari tu satu hari nanti boleh menyelamatkan nyawa kita sendiri atau orang lain.
Dulu zaman U, ada pergi camping. Diorang ada ajar cara-cara ni. Hidupkan api, ikat tali. Memang interesting
Beruntung Marina dapat belajar benda2 ni sejak muda lagi. Masa saya study dulu, tak pernah join aktiviti outdoor. Jadi, kurang kesedaran terhadap kepentingan belajar ilmu ikhtiar hidup ni.
This reminds me when I was young, I enrolled in a Brownies club where they taught us all the basic surviving skill like tying knots and all and yes, just like you I don’t remember how to todo any of those. Sad isn’t it guess I have to sign up for such courses again
Oh, you’re so lucky, Kak Su. I wish I had the chance to learn all these when I was young. Instead our parents and education system these days seem to only care about us getting straight A’s. For those like me, we have to create that opportunity ourselves by joining classes like this one. And just like first aid courses, we should keep repeating it every once in a while to make sure that we don’t forget.
Good info! Memang kena ada basic macam ni if nak masuk hutan. At least kita tahu
Betul tu, Marshaliza. Pengetahuan ni wajib ada, sama ada kita selalu masuk hutan atau tak. Sebab kita tak tahu bila perkara2 yang tak diingini boleh menimpa kita atau orang lain di sekeliling kita.
These are all very important skills that will prove to be useful one day. Being an avid campers when I was younger, reading this post really brings back lots of fond memories.
That’s right, Tekkaus. These skills are important and will come in handy at some point. I was never an avid camper, so I felt like I was really missing out. Glad that I took this course to educate myself. You’re lucky for having learned this from young.
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Kawan ada ajak camping dan jungle tracking, tapi sebab perkara ke semua di atas tu Sis tak mahir dan takut… makanya memang Sis tak berani nak sahut cabaran.. kecuali pergi dengan kelompok yang ramai.. sejenis seriau dengan keadaan panik huhuhu…
Takpe, sis. Cuba la dulu pergi berkumpulan. Tak pun, cuba sis ambik kursus yang macam ni untuk tingkatkan keyakinan diri. Saya pun masih tak berani lagi masuk hutan kalau tanpa guide.
This is an interesting course, right! Important skills for everyone as a preparation for the worst.. Back in school, we had to go through this but after so many years, i tend to forget those skills now.. maybe it’s time for a refresher 🙂
That’s right, Kitkat. These are important skills for everyone to learn. Always be prepared for the worst. You’re lucky to have learned them in school. But you’re right — we’ve got to take refresher classes every now and then. I’ve already forgotten how to tie those knots.
Thank you for sharing such knowledge! I remember the last time I learn all these when I am in girl guides, I think I have already forgotten, but thanks for reminding me.
You’re welcome, Jen. I’ve already forgotten some of what I had learned too. I think it’s important for us to repeat the course every few years or so to refresh our memory.
Nice tips. Boleh guna nanti in future kan.Belajar dkt sekolah dlu lepastu tak praktik lupa dah huhu
Thanks, Ika. Ilmu kelangsungan hidup ni kita kena selalu renew, sebab kalau tak praktikkan memang senang lupa.
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