
"This is less a bad tip and more of a glaring omission, but I haven't seen a lot of wilderness survival guides say the obvious first step:
Call 911.
"But it's *wilderness* survival! The phone won't work!" People have internalized that idea, especially millennials and older. Coverage is *surprisingly* common in the backwoods these days.
That's doubly true when you're calling 911. Phones get some extra mojo when they're making emergency calls, they can use other networks they usually can't. Even if it looks like you don't have reception, a 911 call might go through.
Point being, when you have that "oh s**t, I'm *lost* lost." moment, give the cell phone a shot before you start dragging branches together for a lean-to. It's not a guarantee but it might save you a whole lot of pain."
I hope the assholes who downvoted you get mugged, sodomized and shot by some Monkey-Poxed Haitian someday. They probably look like my avatar.
Yes but warms up to usable temps in your hand or mouth. (Alaskans are actually trained to always have a lighter and a knife).
My Jr High did survival training on a mini island in Alaska, I got "Best solo survivalist".
1. Air
2. Water
3. Shelter
4. Warmth/fire
5. Food
6. (I forget) maybe communication or tools?
7. Entertainment (very important to survival alone or with others)
Hard to tell if some of these are meant as Do's or Don'ts, but I can say, don't do deadly dangerous things for low value items. I've known a trained Coast Gaurd who drowned while trying to retrieve a fishing hook stuck on a bouy, while stupidly fishing off a beach in waders during a rainstorm.