Adventure Essentials: Outdoor Survival Skills

Adventure Essentials: Outdoor Survival Skills

I. Finding Directions: 
1. Locate the North Star (at night) 
2. Plant identification: Vegetation on the southern side is lush, and pine trees exude more and larger resin. 
3. Watch: Point the hour hand of your watch toward the sun; the bisector of the angle between the hour hand and 12 o'clock points due north. 
4. Stick method: Place a stick upright in an open area; the stick will cast a shadow. Mark the tip of the shadow as point A. After about ten minutes, the shadow’s tip will move to another location—mark it as point B. The perpendicular bisector of line AB indicates the north direction, and the side facing the sun is south. 

II. Finding Water Sources and Purifying Water: 
1. Methods for finding water sources: (1) Use water-containing plants, such as cacti; (2) Follow valleys downhill; (3) Collect rainwater using tarpaulins, umbrellas, or raincoats when it rains; (4) Cover plant leaves with a plastic bag to collect water; (5) Set up plastic sheeting at night to collect dew (especially effective in forests). 
2. Water purification methods: (1) Water filter; (2) Alum; (3) Purify by filling a bamboo tube with charcoal, soil, sand, and gravel (arranged from top to bottom). This method can also be used to purify urine when no water source is available—the filtered result is drinkable. 

III. Choosing a Campsite: 
1. Near a water source; 2. With fuel available; 3. Sheltered from wind, rain, and insects; 4. Away from riverbeds and valleys, on flat and elevated ground with good ventilation; 6. With fewer mosquitoes and wild animals. 


IV. Knowledge on Hiking with a Loaded Pack: 
1. Wear durable, flexible-soled shoes suitable for movement; wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants in the jungle; 
2. To prevent blisters, wear shoes you are accustomed to and avoid wearing nylon stockings; 
3. Stick to paths when possible, paying attention to coordinating your pace and breathing rhythm; when no path is available, walk along ridges, not valleys; move vertically, not horizontally. 


V. Packing Items in a Wilderness Backpack: 
1. Place frequently used items on the surface or in side pockets, such as a camera, raincoat, notebook, binoculars, water bottle, etc.; 
2. Put lighter items at the bottom, heavier items on top, maintaining left-right balance. 

VI. Outdoor Clothing: 
1. Allows ease of movement; 2. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants; 3. Clothes should have many pockets; 4. Shoes should fit well and be durable; 5. Hat should be brightly colored and highly visible. 


VII. Fire-Making Methods: 
1. Bringwaterproof matches; 2. Use a magnifying glass (convex lens) to start a fire; 3. Use the bulb and battery from a flashlight; 4. Use the reflector cup from a flashlight. 

VIII. Protection Against Insects, Snakes, Leeches, and Bees 
1. Protection against mosquitoes: (1) Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants; (2) Apply mosquito repellent, such as “Mosquito Don’t Bite”; takevitamin B2orMultivitamin tablets(3) Avoid staying in damp areas; (4) Burn mugwort leaves, Artemisia apiacea, and cypress leaves around the tent; (5) Apply cooling oil. 
2. Snake prevention: (1) Wear long sleeves and pants, and make noise by rustling grass to scare snakes away; (2) If a snake is on your body, hold your breath and do not move; (3) If a snake is approaching head-on, do not run—throw an object to distract it first, then escape. (4) Carry snakebite medicine. 
3.Snake bitesTreatment methods: 
(1) Tie a band 5 cm from the wound toward the heart, apply ice packs for cold compresses, and loosen every 30 to 40 minutes to allow blood circulation. 
(2) Immediately rinse the wound withsaline solutionor cold water; preferably use a 1:5000 potassium permanganate solution. 
(3) Use a blade or sharp small knife that has been heated over a flame to make a cross-shaped cut at the wound to let the venom drain out; or use a cupping glass to suck out the venom (prepare cotton and a blade). 
(4) Take medication. 
(5) Reduce movement and seek medical attention promptly. 
4. Leech prevention: (1) Wear long sleeves and pants; (2) Apply lubricants such as soap on your shoes; (3) If you find a leech attached, sprinkle salt on its suction disc or burn it with fire (such as a cigarette) to make it detach—never pull it off with your hands; (4) You can apply garlic juice to your shoes and socks. 
5. Bee prevention: (1) Do not startle bees; (2) If bees attack you, never run—immediately lie down still where you are and cover any exposed skin.

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