Top Survival Skills Everyone Should Know

7 replies

Jbeaves44 · 5 years ago

Hinestly, how to garden. Know how to grow food... in dirt. Too few people know this.

3 upvotes on reddit

semillanegra · 5 years ago

You know of any reliable source to learn??

1 upvotes on reddit

Jbeaves44 · 5 years ago

I took agriculture in high school. Just learned the basics. But it’s not rocket science. A quick google search can tell you how to properly till a garden. What tools you may need (there’s not much to get started). And more specific things like seed spacing for specific vegetables. It’s honestly easy as long as you have a decent patch pf dirt. My last garden was 30 x 30 feet and yielded a decent amount of food. To be fair, I should have prefaced my comment by saying I’m nowhere near an expert on the subject. It’s just something I’ve done and see as a valuable skill that more of us should know should shit hit the fan.

3 upvotes on reddit

Soakitincider · 5 years ago

Learn to tie some basic knots.

3 upvotes on reddit

SlayzorHunter · 5 years ago

breathing through your armpits

3 upvotes on reddit

spoonacc · 5 years ago

Bullshit detecting

3 upvotes on reddit

l_loven37 · 5 years ago

I agree with learning how to tie knots and gardening, but hunting and finding non-poisonus food is important too depending on the situation

2 upvotes on reddit

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r/Survival • [2]

Summarize

What are the top 5 survival skills?

Posted by Nova_Dark- · in r/Survival · 5 years ago

5 skills you'd need in a post-apocalyptic world?

15 upvotes on reddit

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lochaberthegrey · 5 years ago

completely depends on the specific apocalyptic scenario.

But, probably anything that would make you useful to others. Social skills.

After that, probably something like first aid, growing/foraging food, finding/purifying clean drinking water.

10 upvotes on reddit

Nova_Dark- · OP · 5 years ago

Social skills. - Like the ability to talk yourself out of anything?

1 upvotes on reddit

War_Hymn · 5 years ago

Great social skills can be a borderline superpower.

My father-in-law ran a business in a third-world backwater, and one of the things he did was befriend and network with the local cops and gang members. When civil war broke out his network gave him ample warning on trouble in-town, and a gang boss buddy even dropped off a rifle and crate of ammo for him once the looting/razing of foreign-owned businesses started.

4 upvotes on reddit

ww3lads · 5 years ago

Indeed, completely depends upon what you're faced with surviving, the environment, duration, etc. With that, how do you cover the Rule of Threes.

3 upvotes on reddit

ToadBrews · 5 years ago

Bare hand martial arts are not even in the top 50 skills I would value in a survival situation.

6 upvotes on reddit

doom-patroller · 5 years ago

How to make friends.

How to make allies.

How to make things people need.

How to make things people want.

Self health care, avoiding things like scurvy and infections.

7 upvotes on reddit

VXMerlinXV · 5 years ago

Post apocalyptic world? Water purification, gardening, hunting/fishing, medical care, something marketable.

7 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 5 years ago

Avoiding situations you might not survive

21 upvotes on reddit

SegwaySteven · 5 years ago

Getting out of town to a secure location before you have to start sneaking around people in the first place

2 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 5 years ago

That could be part of it, but I was more thinking about realistic risk assessment and critical thinking.

7 upvotes on reddit

VXMerlinXV · 5 years ago

Seriously, or are you kidding? There are more effective forms of unarmed training, but something is better than nothing.

1 upvotes on reddit

ToadBrews · 5 years ago

Making fire, acquiring food, purifying water, building/modifying shelters, maintaining your gear.

7 upvotes on reddit

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r/Survival • [3]

Summarize

Easily Practiced Skills

Posted by Super_Negotiation530 · in r/Survival · 1 year ago

I'm curious to see what you folks think are some essential/practical survival skills that can be practiced and developed on any given day. I have hit a bit of a rut in terms of my own development and as such I am looking for some new ideas.

Thanks in advance.

32 upvotes on reddit

9 replies

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The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival - Full Summary

9 replies

knightkat6665 · 1 year ago

Basic first aid and cpr
Cardio & strength training
Basic mechanical repair (bike and small engine maintenance)
Morse code and ham radio operation
sewing and patch repair for clothing/tents/shoes
knitting
cooking (learn to make a wide variety of things in a fire/bbq)

It really is pretty wide open, there are so many possible useful survival skills depending on what / where you need to survive.

7 upvotes on reddit

Final-Albatross-82 · 1 year ago

Knots are incredibly easy to practice anywhere and everywhere

35 upvotes on reddit

jjwylie014 · 1 year ago

Definitely agree, when I first started getting serious about prepping the first thing I did was to memorize ALL essential knots.

2 upvotes on reddit

ImprovementKlutzy113 · 1 year ago

Keep a 3 feet piece of rope and practice while you watch TV or at work if you have a job that you be able to. Don't try to learn every knot there is. You can probably get by with 4 or 5. Learn to tie those very proficiently. VS be able to tie a dozen half assed. Also study map navigation skills. If using a GPS or Navigation app on your phone learn to use it proficiently. Not while your trying to find your way darkness is only 2 hrs away and your running your battery down trying to figure it out. This happened to a guy I know very well 🤣

5 upvotes on reddit

jjwylie014 · 1 year ago

I remember being sick as a dog with the flu. All I did for a week was lay in bed watching survival YouTubes while I practiced knots

3 upvotes on reddit

Gravefiller613 · 1 year ago

Knots and pioneering(bushcraft with rope), 1st aid, gear maintenance, cooking, hygiene, whittling, and navigation would be where I start.

6 upvotes on reddit

No_Sympathy_1915 · 1 year ago

Making fire

Making shelter

Making a container to boil water

Finding water

Land navigation

16 upvotes on reddit

carlbernsen · 1 year ago

The most important survival skills are the ones you use before you go outside.

Assessment of risk, planning, preparation and risk reduction/mitigation.

I think the best way to practise those skills is to look for real life examples of people who have survived and not survived being lost/stranded/injured/trapped etc and work out realistically how you would have avoided that situation.

Not how you would have coped once you were in their shoes, but how they and you could have avoided it entirely with some realistic risk assessment and planning.

14 upvotes on reddit

No_Sympathy_1915 · 1 year ago

I think this should be a top comment. There's a quote about "fighting without fighting", which means to avoid the situation if at all possible. If not possible, then be able to kick butt.

Your approach is valid, and I think it's something overlooked too often.

4 upvotes on reddit

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r/SurvivalistGear • [4]

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🚨 Survival Skills You Need to Know 🚨

Posted by differspective · in r/SurvivalistGear · 8 months ago

Ever wonder if you have what it takes to survive in the wild? 🌿 I just shared a summary of Jason Knight's The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival on Medium, and it’s a must-read for anyone interested in outdoor survival.

The book breaks down everything you need to know to handle the unexpected:
🏕 Crafting reliable shelters from natural materials
💦 Finding and making water safe to drink
🔥 Starting fires in challenging conditions
🌲 Identifying wild food sources
🧭 Navigating with or without a compass

If you’re into bushcraft, prepping, or just want to know how to handle yourself outdoors, this guide is a great place to start. I'd love to hear what skills you think are most important for survival. Drop your thoughts below!

9 upvotes on reddit

1 replies

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1 replies

TrainingWelder · 8 months ago

The book is very practical- it fully concentrates on the essential survival skills

1 upvotes on reddit

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r/OZPreppers • [5]

Summarize

What’s the #1 survival skill or item you think most people overlook?

Posted by SurvivalStorehouseOZ · in r/OZPreppers · 1 month ago

We’ve been working on building a simple, clean resource for preppers and outdoor folk — a survival wiki and app that lets you cache info offline so it’s there when you need it, even if the internet isn’t.

But keep coming back to this question: it’s easy to think of food, water, and fire… but what’s the overlooked thing that actually makes the difference when SHTF?

•	Is it knowing how to sharpen a chainsaw?

•	The ability to stay calm under pressure?

•	Having barter items like AA batteries?

•	Or just keeping the family comfortable

with something simple like long-life biscuits?

Curious what you all think — what’s your underrated essential?

Wiki link for anyone curious: wiki.survivalstorehouse.com

i.redd.it

2 upvotes on reddit

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https://defibsplus.com.au/

3 replies

Austechprep · 1 month ago

I've always found radio comms to be overlooked, perhaps more aligned with the prepping for Tuesday scenario, but theres been multiple times where I've used Walkie talkies because I was outside phone reception on a road trip or camping trip and just needed a convinient way to communicate with my partner. It also doubles as an FM radio etc.

2 upvotes on reddit

AussiePrepper · 1 month ago

Personal health. I’ve known a few people who claim to be preppers but are obese. Heart attack is a shtf scenario most likely to hit a lot of preppers.

3 upvotes on reddit

Austechprep · 1 month ago

Ah heart attack reminds me, you can get cheap enough CellAED, I think for around $600 and will last for two years. If you're the right age etc, its a great bit of insurance and could easily save a life.

1 upvotes on reddit

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r/Survival • [6]

Summarize

What are top ten essential skills every outdoorsman should know.

Posted by brainhairinsoup · in r/Survival · 5 years ago

193 upvotes on reddit

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12 replies

draven2626 · 5 years ago

First aid/CPR, map and compass, how to start a fire, how to make a basic shelter and my personal favorite as a former boy scout, be prepared. Have a survival bag in your car for emergencies, carry a bag with you when you hike etc. If you live in a place where Winters are harsh throw some sand or kitty litter in the back of your car, being prepared is a skill by itself.

20 upvotes on reddit

booksandrats · 5 years ago

How to start a fire, how to purify water, how to sharpen a blade, how to find food, how to build shelter, how to identify dangers around you (terrain, animals, weather), how to treat common accidents (first aid), how to field dress a kill, how to improvise tools, and how to keep entertained with what you have on hand. That's all I have.

232 upvotes on reddit

appsecSme · 5 years ago

That's a nice list, but I would elaborate on the shelter to include a Tom Brown style debris hut. They aren't the most comfortable, but they can be built quickly, and can be much warmer than other shelters, even without a fire.

Oh, and one other thing. Field dressing is probably not sufficient. You will need at least some rudimentary processing skills.

2 upvotes on reddit

burny65 · 5 years ago

Good list. I would add navigational skills to this.

100 upvotes on reddit

Oaken_beard · 5 years ago

Thah is a great list, I would also add how to not sleep directly on the ground if possible, but that could probably be rolled into dangers around you.

9 upvotes on reddit

PlowUnited · 5 years ago

Could be considered in the category “how to build a shelter”

8 upvotes on reddit

MrWrightTime · 5 years ago

Literally read "how to keep entertained when you only have one hand".

17 upvotes on reddit

just_that_michal · 5 years ago

"Bottom 10 essentials" list right there my friend.

2 upvotes on reddit

nwhiker91 · 5 years ago

How to maintain a calm positive attitude in any situation. How to start and keep a fire in all conditions. Know when to shelter down or keep moving.

I live and grew up in the northwest when it’s wet and cold and your lost as shit or stuck in the woods it’s not thinking that will keep you there. Everything can be an opportunity to aid yourself.

35 upvotes on reddit

Pretend_Experience · 5 years ago

> How to maintain a calm positive attitude in any situation.

absolutely key. there's no situation so bad that panic will not make it much worse. a calm head will find a way out.

7 upvotes on reddit

tikkunmytime · 5 years ago

How to poop in the woods.

17 upvotes on reddit

artmobboss · 5 years ago

Don’t forget, every outdoorsman should know a haunting melody to bellow while lost in the brush..

24 upvotes on reddit

See 12 replies

r/TwoXPreppers • [7]

Summarize

Prepping doesn’t just mean items

Posted by Plutos_A_Planet2024 · in r/TwoXPreppers · 9 months ago

So a lot of things I see on here are what items to buy, stashes to make and resources to accumulate.

While that’s all fine and great to have, I feel like a huge part of prepping is being overlooked on this sub. Skills!

You need to know so many different skills to actually make your prep worthwhile. If you don’t know how to cook those 100 pounds of squash you grew and stored, it’s going to rot and all that time and effort will be wasted.

Obviously cooking is probably one of the biggest things to know, but there are tons more, I’ve listed some of the most important ones I use regularly. Can you add any more?

And don’t forget, prepping skills means learning and MAINTAINING your skills! Keep them sharp!

Cooking, hand sewing, hand laundering, first aid, knife sharpening, canning, drying, gardening.

(Sorry for format issues, I’m on mobile)

22 upvotes on reddit

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12 replies

optimallydubious · 9 months ago

Common skills/hobbies that overlap with prepping:

Backpacking
Production gardening/propagation/seedsaving
Plumbing/Electrical/Automotive/Carpentry
Basic first aid/sanitation/basic epidemiology theory
Disaster emergency response training
Wildcrafting
Cooking from the pantry and garden, particularly legumes, whole grains, winter squash, potatoes, alliums, fruit
Food preservation methods: dehydration, water bath canning, pressure canning, root cellaring, freezing, typical crop storage needs

7 upvotes on reddit

ChainsmokerCreature · 9 months ago

Agriculture and animal husbandry or livestock production can be very useful, depending on your location and circumstances.

Leatherworking, woodworking, blacksmithing, some plumbing and electrical knowledge.

Hiking and camping are hobbies that involve some useful skills. Orientation related skills, things as simple as properly reading a compass and map, are usually overlooked.

Driving in difficult terrain. Weaving baskets out of willow. Fire making. Drying, smoking and salting food. Tracking. Hunting and fishing. Field dressing an animal. Butchering.

The basics of masonry and construction.

There's probably thousands of skills that can come in handy. We can't learn everything. But I agree with you that we should cover as many bases as we can. I still have a lot to learn about many things, usually because I pick stuff that I find enjoyable and neglect things I don't like.

8 upvotes on reddit

EastTyne1191 · 9 months ago

I've been gathering many of these as a byproduct of home ownership.

Being able to build stuff is incredibly helpful. I built a greenhouse a couple of years ago and I'm glad I did.

One thing that I'd add is mechanical skills. I can do everything from making cheese from scratch to tiling a floor by myself but I am incredibly intimidated by the maintenance and repair of vehicles. I can change my oil and swap a flat tire but everything else is super scary to me...

3 upvotes on reddit

ChainsmokerCreature · 9 months ago

Same! We don't own a home, but I lived in a few homesteads (and a stone hut 5 days a week when I was a shepherd in my early twenties), and both my mom and dad still do! I definitely picked up a lot of skills from that!

And yes, mechanical stuff intimidates me!

1 upvotes on reddit

Willing_Society_898 · 9 months ago

Ugh yes! Thank you for this,, especially your last paragraph,, I'm new to prepping and I get so overwhelmed especially in the skills department, my brain has been like a pin ball machine. It always felt like I had to learn everything, but now I've got a list of things I want to learn, but I'm picking out a couple things to start with and put energy into and add onto that over time.

2 upvotes on reddit

FoamboardDinosaur · 9 months ago

Take a free CERT class thru your fire department and become part of the network. They teach fire safety, triage, building damage assessment, leadership, ham and two way radios, how to set up various go bags and a lot more.

You often get free supplies, from gauze to light sticks. Your local CERT community has meetings thru out the year, to share favorite and most effective tools, ideas, new uses, better techniques.

You do not have to be in firefighter shape. This is about managing an emergency, so all manner of people are needed. Age or fitness level do not matter if you have a good radio voice, can stay calm during emergency assessments, take notes or coordinate logistics or many other skills that don't involve pulling people from collapsed buildings.

8 upvotes on reddit

GiaStonks · 9 months ago

I took the CERT class with my neighbor about 15 years ago. It was GREAT! I keep a CERT pack in my car and another in the basement. We learned so much. The triage training was excellent.

3 upvotes on reddit

They_Live_Nada · 9 months ago

YMMV. Ours teaches only CPR. Nothing else. Nice that other areas offer this service tho!

1 upvotes on reddit

Biblio_Ma · 9 months ago

Thank you. Personally investing in cooking with accessible ingredients, reading more nonfiction, politics, history, medical text, self defense and weight training.

17 upvotes on reddit

Plutos_A_Planet2024 · OP · 9 months ago

Weight training is so overlooked.

When you live where “prepping” is a requirement, life is often a lot heavier than it is today. Can’t buy veggies in the store, have to grow them? Bags of soil or soil amendments frequently come in 50+ pound bags. That, or to get it delivered in a truck means shoveling buckets/barrows of the stuff weighing much more to wherever you want it.

Same goes with firewood - it’s heavy! Heck, even kitchen aids are heavy! And even if any one thing you use a lot in your day isn’t “heavy” you will be lifting or moving a lot more weight in total throughout the day than you would be used to.

Get and keep your muscles ready! Even if you never need them it can only ever benefit you!

11 upvotes on reddit

oh_helllll_nah · 9 months ago

Maintenance of good mental hygiene is also a skill, and not one that many of us do a great job at prioritizing.

You need emotional resilience. Skills-building is a great way to achieve this, though! I would maybe add journaling... it's definitely a skill to express yourself in a manner that more-or-less objectively documents things as well as achieving a little bit of catharsis. Since these "unprecedented" times began, I have tried to make it a point to journal as though someone might find and publish them one day. To be factual, reflective, etc. rather than simply emotive.

It's been good for me, but hard to keep up with it, especially in this day and age when our attention spans and cognitive abilities have often been damaged by tech and exposure to shit like Covid/air pollution/etc.

5 upvotes on reddit

Tatooine16 · 8 months ago

I have a fire blanket too. I'm taking a Technician radio course next month to prep for the Technician exam. It's taught over zoom for under $100.

1 upvotes on reddit

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r/AskReddit • [8]

Summarize

What are some basic survival skills everyone should know?

Posted by [deleted] · in r/AskReddit · 2 years ago

7 upvotes on reddit

8 replies

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8 replies

Cortharous12 · 2 years ago

Always have a friend that runs slower than you.

4 upvotes on reddit

DocSaysItsDainBramuj · 2 years ago

Remember: you always have a lifetime supply of food and water.

1 upvotes on reddit

No_Violinist_6577 · 2 years ago

So when I was at my first unit, my sergeant in charge of our section was not the best runner but needed to pass his pt test to go to a school to become a sergeant because, at the time, he was still a specialist. Anyways, you can ask someone to run with you to pace you, and I was in the best shape at the beginning of my enlistment. So I helped him barely make it to the cut-off time, and I could tell he was having a hard time throughout the run, but in the end, it made me feel good to help him.

3 upvotes on reddit

Notcho_Mekhanic · 2 years ago

How to make a shelter and a fire.

3 upvotes on reddit

Yunatunathelogger · 2 years ago

How to tell which direction is which(North, East, West, South) depending on the sun

3 upvotes on reddit

Appropriate-Bug9877 · 2 years ago

Don’t try to swim again a current if you are caught in a riptide, instead you should swim parallel to the shore

2 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 2 years ago

Everyone should know how to swim.

7 upvotes on reddit

EvenHair4706 · 2 years ago

I tend to agree, but not so necessary in the inner city

1 upvotes on reddit

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r/DecidingToBeBetter • [9]

Summarize

What are some skills one should definitely know by the end of their 20’s?

Posted by pyaarapotato_ · in r/DecidingToBeBetter · 2 years ago

Any skills that are absolutely necessary in today’s world.

4 upvotes on reddit

7 replies

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7 replies

MyNameIsSkittles · 2 years ago

How to cook. Theres really no reason anymore not to learn how to cook, it's incredibly easy with all the resources there are now

3 upvotes on reddit

tespree · 2 years ago

How to self-soothe. How to validate yourself. How to prioritize yourself. How to take care of your mental health. How to set boundaries. Good communication. Managing your money.

2 upvotes on reddit

behestrequest · 2 years ago

• Able to establish your own boundaries • Learn more about yourself through experiences (helps with establishing boundaries too) • Daily things to prioritize health and hygiene (sleeping more, drinking enough water, having the right nutrients, no toxic friends/family if it can be avoided) • Cooking • Keeping your space clean and organized (which also can impact mental health)

2 upvotes on reddit

ForTropicalUseOnly · 2 years ago

Learn to say No. Sleep on important purchases. Know your limits. Anytime someone challenges your opinion, it isn’t personal. Make a budget and stick to it.

9 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 2 years ago

How to grow your own food and/or hunt for or fish for it. We are just a World War away from there being major food shortages.

Oh, and start investing in getting solar panels on your house....become self sufficient.

3 upvotes on reddit

Quadirtad · 2 years ago

You’ve posted this comment two times

2 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 2 years ago

I wanted to double the awareness

3 upvotes on reddit

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r/Survival • [10]

Summarize

What are all the types of survival skills i need to learn to survive in the woods and mountains like every different type i need?

Posted by [deleted] · in r/Survival · 2 years ago

41 upvotes on reddit

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Troll-life22 · 2 years ago

Do a quick google search in your area and you will most likely find people offering survival classes on weekends. There is a class for almost every skill you may need including basket weaving. They usually charge something but it sounds like you could use the help. Just google “survival classes” and “survival schools”.

5 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 2 years ago

Building a fire in any conditions. Finding and Purifying Water. Building different types of Shelter. Hunting, Gathering and Preserving Food. How to field dress a hunted animal and how to use all the parts. More than basic first aid. Identifying materials and crafting tools. Making and using a sling, sling shot, and bow (with arrows). Knowing the animals and their behaviors wouldn’t hurt. Maybe learning the use of a firearm. Being physically able.

58 upvotes on reddit

Pairofsai · 2 years ago

I agree with the list however it depends where you are and what you want to learn? The style of fishing I would use in a survival situation I have never used because it illegal so I know how it works however never practiced it.

2 upvotes on reddit

PoopSmith87 · 2 years ago

Trapping too.

Trapping is an incredibly reliable food source for survival. It's not my favorite thing tbh, it can be kind of brutal... But a well set trap is almost a sure thing if you've studied the target animal and know its habits.

Since you need to get a license to do it anyway, it's also not a bad side gig. Basically no matter where you live in the USA there is a demand for licensed nuisance wildlife trapping, which is necessary for the benefit and safety of animals and humans... and good survival practice.

10 upvotes on reddit

HomeSavvy_Handyman · 2 years ago

This is all very good, but I'd also add crafting and use of an atlatl. It's an often overlooked hunting tool that's easier to make than a bow, easier to use that a sling (in my opinion), and capable of taking fown larger game than slings and slingshots.

4 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 2 years ago

“Helping to slay mammoths since 300,000 BC!”

4 upvotes on reddit

foxtrot90210 · 2 years ago

So basically your saying I’m dead?

14 upvotes on reddit

BrandtCharlemagne · 2 years ago

Find a good book on edible/medicinal plants for your neck of the woods. Study it. Take it out with you and forage some for practice.

10 upvotes on reddit

cascadian_gorilla · 2 years ago

Elevation, vegetation, weather, game, methods to harvest game, water, distance to people/cities, etc etc etc.

If you want a general list of "survival skills" just think about what you need to survive.

If you actually want to survive and are looking to develop those skills you need to identify the environment in which you intend to survive.

8 upvotes on reddit

jtnxdc01 · 2 years ago

Start here, all laid out for you. https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/read-this-before-starting.27539/

9 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 2 years ago

No problem. Im sure there are other skills that I couldn’t think of on the spot.

4 upvotes on reddit

cascadian_gorilla · 2 years ago

Which mountains?

Appalachians are vastly different than the Rockies.

6 upvotes on reddit

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