
Day or weekend camping trips are a highlight for every summer. However, these trips can become dangerous when the attendees are not properly prepared for all that nature has to offer. Before your next expedition, educate yourself on basic survival skills like building a shelter, starting a fire, and administering first aid to prevent any serious accidents.
How to Build Shelter
Building a shelter will protect you from wildlife and environmental elements out in nature. According to Outdoor Life, depending on the environment, there are a variety of shelters that can provide relief. If you are near trees, it is best to find a tree with a branch slightly taller than you and long. You can use this as your roof and stack other dead branches, leaves, and foliage against it to insulate and protect you. Having a tarp with string is also handy to protect you from wind, rain, and sun. Practice building a variety of shelters before your next excursion to keep you safe.
How to Start a Fire
Knowing how to start a fire will help keep you warm, protect you from wildlife, send help signals, provide light, cook food, and provide many other advantages. When starting a fire, it is important to clear a circular space on the ground and line it with large rocks. This will prevent the fire from spreading and burning anything, it is not supposed to. Make a platform with small twigs and sticks for the fire to burn. Then place dry grass and leaves to act as immediate fuel for your fire. Finally, light the fire with a lighter or matches. After you start your fire, continue to add tree branches to fuel the flames. According to Limitless Hiker, you should only use tree branches that have already fallen for your fire.
Basic First Aid
No matter how prepared you are, accidents happen. When you are out in nature, it is often difficult for emergency services to reach you. According to Mossy Oak, the severity of the injury and its effects on you will be entirely dependent on your ability to administer basic first aid relief. Basic first aid knowledge should include administering CPR, treating burns, stabilizing limbs, controlling bleeding, and knowing how to clean wounds to avoid infection.
Exploring nature is a wonderful adventure. Avoid dangerous situations by practicing your survival skills before you are stuck. Protect yourself from the elements by knowing how to build a shelter, start a fire, and administer basic first aid.
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