Why Survival Skills Matter — Even on Organised Trips

You might think survival skills are only for extreme wilderness expeditions, but even a straightforward camping trip can throw unexpected situations at you. Bad weather, a wrong turn on a trail, a lost piece of kit — these things happen. Knowing the basics means you stay calm, stay safe, and actually enjoy the experience more. Competence creates confidence in the outdoors.

Skill 1: How to Start a Fire Safely

Fire provides warmth, light, the ability to cook food, and a morale boost when you're cold and wet. Here's the basic method:

  1. Gather tinder: Dry leaves, birch bark, or small wood shavings that catch quickly.
  2. Add kindling: Small dry twigs, roughly pencil-thin.
  3. Use fuel wood: Larger logs that keep the fire burning once it's established.
  4. Build a structure: A teepee shape around your tinder allows airflow and is easiest for beginners.
  5. Light it low: Apply your match or lighter near the base of the tinder.

Always: Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby. Never leave a fire unattended. Fully extinguish before sleeping or leaving.

Skill 2: Finding and Purifying Water

You can survive weeks without food, but only days without water. In the wild, never drink from streams or rivers without purifying first. Options include:

  • Boiling: The most reliable method — bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
  • Purification tablets: Lightweight and easy to carry in a pack.
  • Filtration bottles: Squeeze-through filters are a brilliant piece of kit for any camping bag.

Skill 3: Basic Navigation Without a Phone

Phone batteries die, signal disappears, and screens crack. Knowing how to navigate without technology is invaluable:

  • Compass basics: Learn how to take a bearing and follow it. A basic compass is cheap and lasts forever.
  • Reading a map: Understand contour lines, grid references, and how to orientate a map to the land.
  • The sun: In the northern hemisphere, the sun rises roughly in the east and sets in the west — useful for a general sense of direction.

Skill 4: Building an Emergency Shelter

If you're stuck outdoors without a tent, knowing how to build a basic shelter could be genuinely life-saving. The simplest option is a lean-to shelter:

  1. Find a long, sturdy branch and prop it between two trees at shoulder height.
  2. Lean smaller branches against it at a 45-degree angle on one side.
  3. Layer leaves, bark, and foliage over the branches to create insulation and weather protection.
  4. Build a thick layer of dry leaves on the ground as a sleeping mat to reduce heat loss.

Skill 5: Basic First Aid in the Field

Cuts, twisted ankles, insect stings, and burns are the most common camping injuries. Every outdoor adventurer should know:

  • Wound cleaning: Clean with clean water, apply antiseptic, cover with a plaster or bandage.
  • Sprain treatment: Rest, ice (or cold water), compression, elevation — remember RICE.
  • Blister care: Don't pop blisters. Cover with a blister plaster and change footwear if possible.
  • Knowing when to get help: Deep wounds, suspected fractures, signs of heat stroke or hypothermia all require adult help or emergency services immediately.

Practice Before You Need It

The best time to learn these skills is before you need them. Practice fire-starting in a safe backyard setting. Try map reading on a local walk. Build a mini shelter just for fun. Skills learned through play become second nature — and that's exactly when they're most useful.