If you are the parent of a boy scout, you are probably familiar with the seven priorities for wilderness survival. The Boys Scouts of America requires that scouts attempting to earn their Wilderness Survival Merit Badge know and understand these priorities. The priorities are easy to understand, are built on common sense, and can easily be taught to young people whether they are boy scouts or not. Listed in order of importance, these priorities are: keep a positive mental attitude, first aid, shelter, fire, signaling, water & food.
Keep a Positive Mental Attitude: If they panic and lose control, they are likely to make the situation worse. The best thing to do is to adopt the S.T.O.P. rule. Stop, think, observe, plan. Explain this concept to your children as it is a good one and can be used during any crisis situation.
First aid: If anyone in the group is critically injured, first aid becomes the next priority. Teaching children basic first aid is a crucial wilderness survival skill. Topics to cover would be minor health issues including insect bites, blisters, dehydration, hypothermia, cuts, scrapes, and bruises. You can also cover larger health problems such as broken bones and snake bites. The Red Cross is an excellent resource for first aid training. JM Cremp’s also sells a waterproof Pocket Guide to First Aid that is an excellent addition to any backpack.
Shelter: The third priority is to find or create shelter. The ability to protect yourself from the elements is crucial in any survival situation regardless of the weather. The next time you are out with your children, ask them how they would find or build shelter. What materials would they use? How would they build it? You can learn more about finding shelter in the book Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties: The Classic Guide to Building Wilderness Shelters.
Fire: The ability to build a fire in a survival situation is critical. Fire provides warmth, can cook food, purify water, can be used as a signal device, and will most definitely boost morale. Show your kids how to build a proper fire in the woods and you will teach them a skill that will last a lifetime.
Signaling: The most effective tools for signaling are a signal whistle and a small mirror. Teach them that three blows on the whistle means “help”. The mirror can be used to signal aircraft, helicopters, or people far away.
Water: A human being can survive approximately three days without water. Teach your children how to find a clean water source, how to purify water, and how to draw moisture from the ground. The book, Essential Survival Skills, is an excellent resource for all of the topics discussed here including how to procure safe drinking water.
Food: People can go several weeks without food in survival conditions. Knowing what plants to eat in the wilderness requires some more extensive training. The book, The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants is an excellent learning resource. Also, if you are a family that hunts and fishes, use that hunting and fishing time to discuss procuring food in a survival situation.
As always, JM Cremp’s is an excellent resource for survival gear for kids and adults of all ages.