Do's and Don'ts - attention young and or inexperienced !

[Lamewolf]

In light of a recent post about someone very young eating a poisonous plant to hopefully become immune to it and not die from it, I decided to start a thread that hopefully some of the more experienced folks on here would add to. Your list of do's and don't will hopefully help the young (and old) inexperienced folks, to do things properly and help them survive. Feel free to give us your input, here's my list.

DO's:

Remember, shelter, air, and water is far more important in a short term survival situation than food. You can last 3 to 4 weeks without food, but only about 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, and 3 minutes without air. So these are your main priorities !

Remain calm, think things through.

Treat any injuries first.

Stay in one place unless you know 100% for sure where you need to go - if you are lost, stay put or at least close enough to that spot but still have access to shelter, water, and fuel for a fire.

Keep a basic kit that helps provide shelter, SAFE water, and fire.

Remember, if you must eat, make sure you stay well hydrated to help aid in digestion and remember that most 6 legged bugs, 4 legged animals, freshwater fish, and birds are much safer to eat than any plant you cannot safely indentify but always cook them well before eating to eliminate parasites.

Always tell at least 2 people where you are going and when you plan to return.

Know how to do things right, practice skills so that you know how to do them right before the need to use them happens !

DON'Ts:

Do not eat any plant that you cannot safely indentify as it may be poisonous and may kill you !

If you know a plant is poisonous, stay away from it, don't touch it or eat it. Eating it could be your last meal !

Mushrooms are for the experienced ONLY, do not take chances with them as some can kill you in minutes and they really don't have much food value anyway being mostly fiber and water - water that may contain dangerous poisons ! LEAVE THEM ALONE !

Don't make camp or build shelters under standing dead trees. Dead trees have a nasty habit of falling and crushing anything they land on !

Thats my list for now and I've only touched the surface and I hope it will in someway help many. So, lets hear from some more of you more experienced old farts !

[Rick]

Good stuff!!!

If you are going to be gone for any length of time it's always a good idea to leave a detailed plan with someone you trust. To make that easier, here is a document you can use.

[Rick]

Here's a lesson on camping under dead trees.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...t=widow+makers

[RandyRhoads]

Idk about any mushroom killing in minutes but good post. Mushrooms are risky. Especially in a survival situation where macro nutrients are needed more.

[MamaBear]

Well-put, thank you!

[hunter63]

Good post.

You can not run away into the wilderness with just your knife and survive.......unless you are at Disney Land....have a lot of money, and leave your knife home.
Seems we get a lot of folks...mostly young, some maybe not so much....that think that we here at WFS have a "secret list" that allows this to happen....when Mom is getting on you.......

News flash...The is , but we won't tell you......Bhoohahahaha

[Lamewolf]

Another addition to my "DON'T" list:

Don't believe everything you see on TV survival shows as the correct thing to do. I've seen a certain urine drinking survival guru do some mighty stupid things and it always makes me cringe thinking kids are following his advice !

[alexpeacock200]

I am not sure if you are talking about bear grylls or not, but he really does do some very stupid things. For instance, eating live, raw animals and insects.

[Wildthang]

Always take a compass heading before you leave your car, base camp, or trail head. It is hard to find your way back unless you know what direction you went in to begin with!

[Lamewolf]

Always take a compass heading before you leave your car, base camp, or trail head. It is hard to find your way back unless you know what direction you went in to begin with!

And don't forget to first learn how to properly use a compass ! I've seen folks with a compass and the only thing they know about one is that it points to north.

[Lamewolf]

I am not sure if you are talking about bear grylls or not, but he really does do some very stupid things. For instance, eating live, raw animals and insects.

Yep, and squeeze water from elephant dung where you could get a serious parasite infestation. Build camp next to a moving stream that shows evidence of raging flash floods that could wash you and your camp away. Then hiking back into the woods to find dry fuel for a fire, then build the fire and burn you hands trying to carry the fire back to camp. All in the name of entertainment !

[payne]

All in the name of entertainment !

But entertainment is a big part of the psychological part of survival!
/doing it wrong

[Winnie]

Do wear the appropriate clothing for the time of year and circumstances.

[Wildthang]

Never take off onto the wilderness naked! Like that show on TV, you just don't do that!

[Lamewolf]

Never take off onto the wilderness naked! Like that show on TV, you just don't do that!

Why not ? It was good enough for Adam and Eve until they went astray !

[Rick]

'Zactly. You'll either draw cops or flies or both. Not a good idea. You might go astray as well.

[natertot]

Don't be afraid of taking a few items of convenience with you, such as TP and a BIC.

[Rick]

Just don't use them together.

[crashdive123]

Or get them mixed up.

[Wildthang]

Or get them mixed up.

Could burn hong