Can you survive in the wild with nothing? You might wonder if it is possible to do that. However, at some point, you may already know one of the survival skill you will use when you find yourself stranded in the wild.  At times, you may find yourself with nothing on the journey, and you are far away from any possible help. To survive better in the wild, there are some basic tips you need to learn. Some of them include not going to the woods without a watering can, knife and a rain jacket. But if you don’t have the things named above, there are other survival skill to help you survive. Here’s how to survive in the woods with nothing.

Check out our Hiking 101 Beginners Guide here.

How to survive in the woods with nothing:

Stay warm by building a shelter

The most common cause of death in the woods is not dehydration and starvation. It is hypothermia. Hypothermia kills more people than starvation and dehydration. During the wet weather, the situation is even more dangerous. Creating a shelter help keep you warm during the cold night and protect you from rain if you find yourself stuck in the woods. But you don’t only need shelter during the colder months, even during summer shelter offer you the best way to protect yourself from dangers in the woods.

A rocky outcropping or a downed tree that has dry ground underneath can make a great place to build a shelter. The most important thing to keep in mind when finding a dry shelter is looking for a dry ground. Also, insulation should be considered. Once your body is well insulated against wind, open air and cold ground, then you can survive perfectly in the woods.

Find water

Water is another thing you need to stay healthy. A healthy human being can only stay for three days without water, but extreme dehydration may lead to death or even severe problems even if the rescue comes in time. Finding water in the wild should be your next option. Fortunately, there are streams or creeks where you can find water in the wild. If you can’t find these places, there are other ways to find water. Though they might need a lot of patience, finally you will have something to drink. These ways are:

• Dig for water: digging for your water. Try a place like areas with lots of lush foliage or dried up streams.
• Collect dew: use the plant near you to collect dew. Some people use the raincoat or shirt to collect dew and press it to release water into their month or water bottle.
• Follow ants: if you can follow ant going up a tree, then it’s the best place you can find cache of water.
• Check the mountains: if you are in a mountainous region, travel parallel to the mountain, and you will usually get a stream where you can fetch water. Mountains are likely to have streams.

Consider starting a fire

Although it is possible to stay warm in your built shelter, you can stay warm by creating a fire. Temperatures in the woods can drop quicker than you can imagine. When it comes to the most important things to do in the woods, creating a fire to keep you warm is something you need to consider. It’s as important as finding food or water.

But without a match and lighter in the woods, you might find it hard to make fire. However, there are different ways of making a fire in the woods without even the need of a matchbox or a lighter. Some of the methods to make a fire in the woods include:

• Friction-based fire making
• The hand drill
• Fire plow
• Bow drill
• Flint and steel
• Lens-based methods among others

Find the food sources

You can’t live without food just the same way you can’t live minus water and shelter. Fortunately, there are many food sources in the woods. Now that you have water, shelter, and fire to keep you warm, you can survive for weeks in the wild. Although humans can live for weeks with no food, it’s important to know where you will get your next meal to avoid growing weak. Food provides you with valuable energy. You need this energy to survive. It will help make your body warm and give you the strength to focus on your cause in the wild, create the tools you need and even improve your shelter in the process. Finding food is one of the top tips on how to survive in the woods with nothing.

To help you find food, look for:

• Nut trees: spend your time to know your location and the kind of trees available where you are. Some of the trees that are available in the woods are nut trees. These trees will offer you a supply of food that will give your health benefits and keep you going for weeks.
• Search for berries: berries are great for survival in the wild. Berries are in abundance in the wild. However, be careful to avoid the poisonous ones. The natural sugar in the berries is best for your energy.
• Get to know trees with edible inner bark: you most probably have heard this, there are trees with edible barks that you need to know in the woods. This means you should have the survival skill and at least know about these trees in time. The survival skills will come in handy.

There are many ways you can find food in the wild. If there stream and water places, you can fish. Also, know edible flowers and salad greens, and you will never go hungry in the woods.

Conclusion

There is a primal link between the wild and man. Knowing how to survive in the woods with nothing is essential. Knowing how to make shelter, find food, find water and making fire are essential survival skill of surviving in the woods with nothing. If you ever get lost in the wild and find yourself with nothing, following the above tips on how to survive in the woods with nothing to help you survive for as long as you can. With the tricks and tips, getting lost in the wilderness with nothing should not be something to worry.