Survival Rule Of Threes

            Way to often, when people think of wilderness survival, they picture themselves in a marathon situation. They envision building log cabins, setting snares and trying to survive for weeks at a time. In reality, most emergency survival situations are more likely to last a couple of days or less.

            Every time you go afield you should take the time to inform someone of your planned destination and expected time of return. This way they will know where to send the Search and Rescue team if you don’t return on time.

            If you find yourself lost, here are some basic guidelines to remember that could save your life, even when it’s 12 below

                                          The Survival Rule Of Threes

            Rule Number One

            You can survive three minutes without oxygen. Although breathing is not usually a concern in a wilderness survival situation, this rule reminds you that any needed first aid should be addressed first. If you are injured in any way that could reduce your ability to stay alive, apply first aid as soon as possible. Treat any fractures, sprains or cuts before moving to the next step.

            Rule Number Two

            You can survive three hours without shelter. Your need for some type of shelter will vary depending on weather conditions, terrain, your physical condition or the length of time you expect to be stranded.

            Hypothermia is the number one killer in the outdoors and can render you helpless very quickly. I will go into more detail on hypothermia in another post, but the bottom line is that building a fire and some type of shelter should be a priority in any survival situation. Again, I’ll go into more detail on shelter building in another post.

Rule Number Three

            You can survive three days without water.

            Staying hydrated is key to being able to function in a survival situation. Dehydration can cause severe headaches that will make it difficult to think clearly and perform needed tasks.

            You should always carry water with you and it’s wise to have some method for water purification available. My survival kit contains a metal water bottle and bread pan that can be used to boil water. I also carry a filter straw. 

            Although water is important, remember that if you are only stranded for a day or two, you can survive without it. Drinking unsafe water in an attempt to stay hydrated might actually have the opposite effect if you get sick with diarrhea.

            Rule Number Four

            You can survive three weeks without food

            Although a full belly will definitely make you more comfortable, finding food should be way down on your list of important things to do. You should certainly take advantage of any opportunity presented to obtain food while you work on a fire and shelter, but these two tasks should be completed before you expend energy looking for a meal. Again, if you told someone where you were going and when to send in the troops, you’ll be home long before food becomes an important issue.