Basic Survival Techniques That’ll Help You In The Apocalypse

Basic survival isn’t an issue most of us have to worry about nowadays. Whether via electricity or plumbing, supermarkets or rental properties, society has developed numerous methodologies and conveniences to fill all our basic needs.

But what happens if society collapses? In an apocalyptic event – like the pandemic in upcoming video game Days Gone, which follows former biker Deacon St John through a post-apocalyptic world – such systems are likely to break down, leaving hapless survivors to fend for themselves. Fortunately, there are a few simple skills you can learn to help you survive the aftermath.

Water

Unlike Deacon, whose main concern is access to weapons, the first and most important resource you’ll need in the wasteland is water. You can survive weeks without food, but only days without water.

Ideally, you’ll want to find a small stream of clear, running water, as stagnant water is more likely to host bacteria that can make you sick. You can also use a tarp to collect rainwater, though this weather-dependent method shouldn’t be your only water source if you can help it.

Once you have your precious, life-giving liquid, you’ll need to purify it so it doesn’t make you sick. There are numerous ways to purify water, but the simplest is simply boiling it for one minute, or three if you’re at an elevation higher than 2000m.

If you aren’t on the run from bloodthirsty monsters and can stay in one spot a while, you might also try solar water disinfection, or SoDis. Clean a clear plastic bottle that’s smaller than 3L, fill it with the water you want purified, then put it in direct sunlight for a minimum of six hours. If the sky’s cloudy, you should leave the bottle in the sun for two consecutive days.

If it’s the water that’s cloudy, you’ll need to filter it before you attempt SoDis. Though, even if it isn’t, filtering is still a good idea because it remove fouls tastes.

To build a water filter, take a plastic bottle and cut the bottom off. Cut a small hole in the cap as well. Turn the bottle upside down and layer around 10cm of grass cuttings, 10cm of sand, and 10cm of charcoal inside it. Then, alternate layering in 7cm of fine sand, 7cm coarse sand, another 7cm of fine sand, and 7cm of gravel. Pour cloudy water in, and clear water should, in theory, flow out.

---

Fire

You didn’t have time to raid BCF for a fire-starting kit before fleeing the city, the box of matches you grabbed just ran out, and you have neither Deacon’s skills nor the materials to make a Molotov cocktail. It’s time to rub some sticks together.

Using friction is one of the most well-known fire-starting techniques, though it takes significant patience and energy. There are numerous methods you can use, but two of the most common are the hand drill and the fire plough.

The hand drill requires you to cut a small notch in a dry piece of wood, place the end of a stick in it, then roll it with your palms at high speed until heat from the friction creates embers. The fire plough also uses friction, but instead rubs the stick back and forth along a trough in the wood.

For both methods, remember to place some dry tinder for the embers to latch onto, and gently blow on it to provoke a flame. It’s tiring, painful work, but necessary. Fire is essential to survival, allowing you to boil water, cook food, and keep warm.

If this all sounds too difficult, starting a fire is a lot easier if you’re farsighted and wear glasses – or can scavenge a pair. Simply place a drop of water on one of the lenses, then hold it over some tinder on a sunny day. The water and glass will focus the sun’s light, creating a beam of heat hot enough to start a fire.

Of course, the usual fire safety advice applies. There aren’t going to be any fire warnings in the apocalypse, so it’s up to you to use good judgement. Keep the fire small and contained, clear away anything that could be ignited by a stray spark, and never leave it unattended. The last thing you need during the end of days is a bushfire.

---

Shelter

In a post-apocalyptic world, you’ll want to leave the city as soon as possible. Not only will the services that make these spaces liveable no longer operate, but having many people packed into a small space increases the spread of disease. With no running water to maintain hygiene standards and no doctors to help if something goes wrong, you need to do everything you can to stay healthy – especially when there’s a Days Gone pandemic turning people into mindless cannibals.

Setting up camp isn’t as simple as finding a clear patch of ground soft enough to drive a few tent pegs into. You’ll want to be careful in your choice of campground, ensuring not only that it’s flat, but that you’ll be located in close proximity to water, food, and wood sources.

Don’t camp too close to the water’s edge though, in case of erosion or flooding, and check that there isn’t anything above you that could fall. It would suck to survive the apocalypse only to be killed by a rotten tree branch.

Hopefully scenarios like that in Days Gone remain firmly in the world of fiction, and you’ll never have to use any of these skills. However, if you do, knowing them will put you in good stead when society begins to rebuild itself.

—

Days Gone launches exclusively on PlayStation 4 on April 26, 2019.