Next in the Sacred Order is fire. Having a lighter or matches with you is very handy, but if you don’t you will need to know how to fashion and use a bow drill or hand drill to make fire. To make a bow drill or hand drill and using them requires skill and a great deal of practice. I suggest you spend time on this at home so that if you find yourself in a survival situation you will already possess the skill necessary. You will need to know what to collect for your bow drill, what kinds of wood will work, how to assemble it, and how to use it. You will need to know what to use for a tinder bundle for getting your fire started and how to keep it going. Materials for your tinder bundle should be dry and light. Lint from your beamng, dried grasses or leaves, and shredded dry cedar bark are good for tinder. Make sure you have all your kindling and firewood gathered before lighting your tinder bundle.
Now that you have your shelter, water and fire, it is time to focus on food. What is available depends on your terrain and season. Humans can survive several weeks without food, still, it is good to know some wild edibles. Cattails are edible. The young shoots can be cooked like asparagus, the corms can be cooked and eaten like small potatoes. Pine needles can be boiled and drank and are rich in vitamin C. The inner bark of the pine tree can be scraped, dried and used for flour to make a kind of bread. All grasses and grass seeds in North American are edible. Grass seeds can be boiled to make a hot cereal. No, it won’t taste like the foods you are accustomed to, but it will keep you alive! There are also many poisonous plants around. Never eat anything you aren’t sure of.
These are the basics that can keep you alive in a survival situation. I recommend learning more advanced skills such as making traps, running a trap line, making a fish trap, making basic tools and cordage, making utility containers for cooking and eating, tanning hides, making beamng, and advanced shelters.
In my experience and opinion, having a spiritual connection with our Earth Mother is the most important skill of all. I have always found that when I sit quietly and ask her a question, she will show me what I need to know. Learn her voice and how to communicate with her and instead of surviving, you will flourish.
It is important to learn and practice the skills prior to needing them. If you remember to think instead of panic, follow the Sacred Order, shelter, water, fire, food, you will significantly increase your ability to survive. For more how-to specifics please refer to:
write by Jena