Today, I’m going to share 24 of Les Stroud’s best survival tips with you.
Les Stroud was more than just the star of the popular TV show “Survivorman.” He was the real deal who knew what he was doing and actually followed his own advice.
Les Stroud Survival Tip #1: You can create an easy smoke signal in a hurry by dumping damp wood chips over your fire. Always have some handy so you can quickly get the attention of potential rescuers.
Survival Tip #2: Smear mud over your skin to repel mosquitos. The mud will mask your scent and make you less desirable to those pesky bloodsuckers. Smoky clothes also help keep insects away. Smoke them over your campfire for extra protection.
Survival Tip #3: Always carry a good multi-tool with you. A good multi-tool should take up very little space and provide enough utility to make it worth carrying.
Survival Tip #4: If you’re short on water, eat less food. Digestion requires water, so don’t put extra strain on your body by eating more than necessary.
Survival Tip #5: If you have easy access to water, then you should take a drink every half hour. This will flush out contaminants from your body and will also curb your hunger.
Survival Tip #6: You’re more likely to be found by rescuers within the first 24 to 72 hours, so it’s especially important to make signals during that time frame.
Survival Tip #7: Never let yourself sweat during cold conditions. Your body will have to work harder just to keep you warm. Instead, stop and let yourself dry off.
Survival Tip #8: Breaking branches can be dangerous. Snap them between trees rather than with your hands to avoid accidental injuries.
Survival Tip #9: If it’s not possible to boil water in a container, you can boil water by heating up rocks and adding them to water.
Survival Tip #10: Remember the 5 W’s of survival: Know the weather in your area, how much wood is available for fires and shelter, watch out for wigglies that can bite or poison you, watch out for widowmakers, which are anything that can kill you, and know where to find water.
Survival Tip #11: During cold weather, heat rocks in your campfire and then place them around you while you sleep to stay warm.
Survival Tip #12: Find which direction most moss grows in. The direction with the most amount of moss has a higher chance of being north, though Les admits using a compass is a more reliable method to determine direction.
Survival Tip #13: Use a vegetable peeler on thin branches to make an endless supply of fire-starting wood shavings.
Survival Tip #14: Check your boots for “wigglies” regularly. Wigglies are any insects that could harm you. They can sneak into your boots and other openings in your clothing.
Survival Tip #15: Pee before you sleep so your body isn’t forced to keep that extra liquid warm.
Survival Tip #16: Build your shelter as close as possible to a water source so it takes less effort to get to it.
Survival Tip #17: Try to learn useful skills before a survival situation happens, such as foraging, fishing, and hunting.
Survival Tip #18: Eat something before your sleep. Your body burning fuel will keep you warm at night.
Survival Tip #19: Always be on the lookout for rescuers. Tying torn cloths to tree branches is a great way to alert potential rescuers that you’re in trouble.
Survival Tip #20: Scope out the general area before you commit to building a shelter. It might lack a critical resource that would ruin your chance of survival.
Survival Tip #21: Use your fingers to determine the time until sunset. Hold them between the sun and the horizon and count the fingers that fit between them. One finger is equivalent to one hour.
Survival Tip #22: Use large rocks and twigs to set traps for small animals like squirrels and rabbits.
Survival Tip #23: Eat as much of the animal you catch as possible to prevent malnutrition.
Survival Tip #24: Always have a backpack with some survival essentials in it, things like a knife, multi-tool, compass, flashlight, and waterproof matches.
To learn more survival tips, you can stream every episode of “Survivorman” on his site.