Top 10 Survival Tips Every Bushcrafter Should Know

Bushcraft is more than just a hobby—it is a skill set that allows individuals to thrive in the wild with minimal gear and maximum know-how. Whether you are an experienced woodsman or a beginner looking to enhance your outdoor abilities, knowing the right survival techniques can make all the difference in a tough situation. These ten essential bushcraft survival tips will help you stay prepared, comfortable, and safe in the wilderness.

1. Master the Rule of Threes

Understanding the Rule of Threes is crucial for prioritizing survival tasks:

• You can only survive three minutes without air and blood flow.
• You can only survive core body temp in extreme weather.
• You can only survive optimally for three days without water.
• You can only survive three weeks without food.

This guideline helps bushcrafters stay focused on their most immediate survival needs. Keep in mind this is a general understanding of these needs, and variables such as terrain, experience, and weather all play a role in determining the actual needs in order. 

2. Learn to Build a Reliable Shelter

Exposure to the elements is one of the fastest ways to get into trouble. A well-built shelter provides protection from wind, rain, cold, and excessive heat. Some key shelter types include:

• Debris Hut – Good for shielding against wind and rain, the debris hut offers excellent overhead protection but provides minimal insulation from ground heat loss. Building one solo can be labor-intensive, requiring a significant amount of time and physiological resources (energy, sweat, calories).
• Lean-To Shelter – Quick and easy; good for blocking wind from one primary direction, when built well, can serve as a heat reflector as well. Built with others is a great way for groups to set up in a survival situation.
• Tarp Shelter – Lightweight and versatile; perfect for minimalists. Choosing the right location is also critical—avoid low areas prone to flooding and places where dead trees could fall.

3. Fire-Making Skills Are Essential

Fire is necessary for warmth, cooking, purifying water, and signaling for rescue. Bushcrafters should master multiple fire-starting techniques, including:

• Lighter – it is not cheating, it is survival, carry a lighter in your pocket and one in your pack as backup. 
• Ferro Rods – Reliable as a backup to the backup. Leave the flint and steel home for historical re-enacting and love of history (I do). Practice with them before you need them. 
• Bow Drill or Hand Drill – Primitive method that works with practice. Study history and know what Indigenous cultures used and the materials they sourced in your region. 
• Natural Tinders – Cedar Bark, birch bark, grasses, and fatwood are excellent natural fire-starting materials. Know how to identify and source them. 

READ MORE: The Best Bushcraft Knives Under $100

4. Water Procurement and Purification

Dehydration can quickly become life-threatening, so knowing how to find and purify water is necessary. Ways to obtain and treat water include:

• Finding Natural Sources – Water from the sky can be used with little concern for health detriments. Melt snow before consuming. 
• Filtering Methods – Filtering removes sediment and some bacterial contaminants.
• Purification Methods – requires chemical additives to help with other bacterial and viral contaminants.
• Boiling – time killer and uses resources but works well for most contaminants.

Notice I did not suggest that any of these fix all contaminant issues. The best solution is a multi-tiered approach. Gear fails regularly, mitigate risks with backup plans. 

5. Knife and Tool Use

A good survival knife is a bushcrafter’s best friend. Learning how to use and maintain your knife is just as important as owning one. Key skills include:

• Carving and Feather Sticking – For fire preparation.
• Notching and Trapping – Useful for shelter-building and making snares.
• Knife Sharpening – A dull blade is dangerous and inefficient.

Additionally, learning how to use saws and axes safely will expand your ability to process wood efficiently.

6. Navigation Without a GPS

Technology can fail, so mastering land navigation is vital. Learn to use:

• A Map and Compass – Know how to orient a map and take an azimuth.
• Natural Navigation – Sun position, star patterns, and in a very general sense, tree growth indicators can help determine direction.
• Tracking and Trail Marking – Always leave markers if venturing into unfamiliar terrain. Study tracking (disturbance vs. baseline) with a qualified instructor. 

READ MORE: The Perfect Bushcraft Kit

7. Master Wild Edibles and Foraging

Food is not an immediate survival priority, but knowing what you can and cannot eat in the wild is a valuable skill. Eating from the land by your own hand is an incredible morale boost. Basic rules include:

• Know the Universal Edibility Test is Mostly Garbage – Most everyone in the field of foraging may have used this early on, but we quickly left it behind for a solid study of plant systematics. 
• Learn to Identify Common Edible Plants – Such as cattails, acorns, and wild berries (in season).
• Avoid Poisonous Lookalikes – Study plants with dangerous doppelgängers like poison hemlock and false morels.

8. Trapping and Fishing for Food

For long-term survival, learning how to catch food is crucial. Effective methods include:

• Simple Deadfall and Snare Traps – Work well for small game.
• Fishing with a Survival Kit – A few hooks, some line, and some bait can go a long way. Some of the same snare traps for game animals can be adjusted easily for fish as well.
• Improvised Spearfishing and Hand-Lining – Alternative techniques when no fishing rod is available.
• Gathering Traps – traps that allow water critters to swim or otherwise move through but not out the other end are high probability and low effort methods of catching fish and other aquatic food sources. 

9. First Aid and Emergency Care

Accidents happen, and being prepared for medical emergencies can mean the difference between life and death. Essential first aid skills for bushcrafters include:

• Wound Care – Cleaning and dressing cuts to prevent infection.
• Splinting and Improvised Braces – Using sticks, cloth, and duct tape to stabilize broken bones. Ditch Medicine is a term I like to use. Which is first aid with an eye towards using what is available and at hand when it is needed. 
• Hypothermia and Heat Exhaustion Prevention – Knowing the symptoms and treatment for both.

Knowing how to make do with what is available is good, but carrying a well-stocked first aid kit is always better. 

10. Signaling for Rescue

If lost or in distress, knowing how to signal for help can save your life. Methods include:

• Fire Signals – Three fires in a triangular pattern signal distress. Three of anything is the international symbol of distress.
• Whistle Blasts – Three short blasts repeated at intervals are a universal distress signal. Sound waves from a whistle carry farther and louder than the typical person’s voice. Especially someone under duress. Bonus – they use less energy than yelling does. 
• Reflective Signals and Bright Colors – Using a mirror or shiny object to catch sunlight and alert rescuers. Fluorescent colors vary from typical environmental colors, so carry them on a sit pad, bandana, or similar. 
• Building Ground Signals – Large SOS messages made from rocks, logs, or stomped-out grass. This should be your last consideration. Close to 80% of all lost-person events utilize ground searchers, not air assets.

Final Thoughts

Bushcraft is about more than just surviving—it is about thriving in nature using skill and knowledge. Mastering these ten survival techniques will prepare you for any challenge the wilderness throws your way. Whether you are planning a weekend trip or preparing for a long-term stay in the wild, these fundamental skills will help keep you safe and self-reliant.

By honing these skills through practice and experience, you can build confidence in your ability to handle any survival situation. The more you learn, the better prepared you will be to face the great outdoors with skill and resilience.

Craig Caudill is the Director of Nature Reliance School, where he leads in-person and online training in wilderness survival, bushcraft, tracking and disaster readiness. He is the author of multiple books on outdoor skills and has been featured as a consultant for the US Government, national television, and survival programs. With decades of experience, Craig is dedicated to teaching others how to interact responsibly with nature while building self-reliance. Learn more at www.naturereliance.org.