The Survival Guide Extreme

Welcome to the Survival Guide Extreme where I will put all the epic information for surviving to the extreme. Most of this stuff I picked up from Scouts or from Youtube. This is for backpacking btw, regular camping is whateva.

Table of Contents (it's clickable)

Packing Lists

If going alone, be sure to grab all the things under "Group List" as well

Individual List:

GEAR

CLOTHING

SLEEPING

NUTRITION / water

PERSONAL HYGIENE

OPTIONALS

Group List

Make sure that as a group you have these things.

Food Making

Navigation

Gear

Toiletries

Other Optional Fire Things

Gear/Packing Explanation

There is a lot of dense information in this section so don't get intimidated. Only the group as a whole should know all this stuff. A lot of this will get picked up naturally as you go on excursions. If you blindly follow the packing list then you'll be ok.

Backpack

This ain't your ordinary backpack, unless you're just doing regular camping. This thing has to be BIG. Look up "Backpacking Packs" to get started looking, but I recommend finding one for around $50 on Facebook or some shit when starting out. There are 2 types of backpacking packs:

External Frame

These SUCK!!! The framing for the pack (cuz it so big) is on the OUTSIDE so you get metal pipes jamming into your shoulder

Internal Frame

These are dope and comfortable. Get this one.

Clothing

Socks

Socks are actually one of the most important clothes!! With socks there are 2 things to say

Always go to bed with a fresh pair of socks on!

No kidding. I've been told that changing socks before going to bed raises your temperature 10 degrees. Might be false, but your cold, wet socks are not going to dry as well as you think within a confined sleeping bag.

Tight socks prohibit blood flow

When it's colder you might be tempted to put on some tight socks to be 'warmer', but this is dead wrong. Tighter socks make it harder for fresh, warm blood to make it to your toes
Consider getting Wool Socks if you hate cold/wet feet
This also goes for most other types of clothing. Cotton doesn't retain heat when wet, but wool does. Don't worry about buying some though unless you're going on a long trip or you really give a shit.

The Layers System

Clothing can seem self explanatory, but there's a system to it. It's called the 'layers' system. When you're chilling, it could be cold, so you put on a coat. However, you start walking with 50 pounds on your back and you're going to start overheating. When you notice yourself overheating you take off a layer, kinda like switching gears on a bike. The real takeaway from the system is the fact that

you cannot have a single layer be too thick/impactful.

If I just have a t- shirt and a winter coat on I'd be chilling at fall temperatures, but as soon as I start walking I'll overheat. What if it's too cold with the coat off? Then you got yourself a problem.

The point is to have many small layers that you can take on and off as you please to always be in an equilibrium state.

That's why the list contains not only a T-shirt, but also a long sleeve, a hoodie, and MAYBE a coat.

Sleeping Gear

mummy sleeping bags are just better.

Sleeping Pad Importance

sleeping pads are just as important as sleeping bags.
The reason is that your sleeping bag will most likely be "Puffy". The heat retaining properties of your bag is actually due to the fact that it is puffy (for some reason idk). The bag will properly puff everywhere except the bottom cuz your ass is on top of it! This is why what's under you is so important. If the bare ground is cold af then you will feel it. Get a pad.

Sleeping Bag Ratings

sleeping bag ratings are for SURVIVAL!!! NOT FOR COMFORTABILITY.
This is a weird one. If you get a sleeping bag and the rating on the side says "20 degrees F", then that means you will SURVIVE at 20 degree F. NOT be comfortable. So beware. Bring a light blanket if your bag rating is around the lowest temperature for the night, or you can juggle with wearing your hoodie/jacket to sleep (try not to get it wet then!).

Food and water

You gotta bring as little food as you can, it be as light as possible, but also as nourishing as can be, while making sure that you bring a little extra in case things go bad. If the terrain is mountainous then bring 50% more food

Starting out it's not bad to grab some freeze dried food (just add boiled water). Pretty much anything that you 'just add boiling water' to is good. Dried food like beef jerky and dried fruit is good too.

Focus on getting complex carbs and protein.
Bread is tricky. It can get easily squashed and takes up a lot of space. Better to grab something already squashed like tortillas/pitas, but bringing simply flour and yeast is the best (premix a recipe for pizza dough without water).

good food ideas:

There's a Recipe Section at the bottom of this document

cold soaking

Did you know you can make ramen noodles by simply soaking the noodles for an hour? It's called cold soaking and it's an easier way to get around not having access to boiling water. Boiling pasta/carbs is essentially a fast way of making the dried food soak up the water. With time, the dried food soaks up water naturally, essentially 'cooking' your noodles in around half an hour. Do this trick with INSTANT FOODS like: Ramen, instant rice, couscous, oatmeal, quinoa, etc.

water bottles

Gotta have 2 water bottles or a water bladder bruh. A water bladder is one of those water bags that got a hose coming out with a mouthpiece. Most backpacking backpacks will have bladder compartment. You could have one of them hooked up with the mouthpiece right by your goddamn face while you walk if you want to fork up the cash. Otherwise, 2 smart water bottles will do or anything you got lying around. Smart water bottles are the best shape and have a screw on lip that's compatible with lots of water filters. No bottles with straws, just a regular water bottles.

food dish

Food dish shouldn't be a plate. Get a metal bowl of some sort. Best luck is to just thrift one. Glass bowl will probably break. Bring any spoon and only bring a fork if you really want to.

cookware

There are lightweight cooking pots and pans out there. You can thrift those too. Cast iron is best but only bring those if you're regular camping.
Pay attention to the coating that is on the cooking gear that you buy.
Some coatings, like non-stick, should not be scraped by metal utensils as the coating will flake into your food. Some non-coated straight metal gear is also not safe for food. If you get non-stick gear, don't bring metal spoons/forks.

stove

Backpacking stoves are pretty cool, but pretty damn expensive. The only good reason to get is if you can't get a fire going. This can be due to no fire ring in the backcountry, or you're on the trail. Plan out where you'll have each meal and how you'll make it.

Hygiene

Bring what you need and leave what you want. You need to brush your teeth by the way. You don't need to smell good. Leave the soap and deodorant and all that. You gotta wipe your ass so the group should have toilet paper. Make sure that it doesn't get wet. Hand sanitizer should be brought to neutralize your hands after touching standing water or literal poop.

poop.

Yeah sometimes there will be no bathroom. That's what the trowel is for: a poop hole. Dig one out of sight, and dig the hole 200 feet from any water source. You can measure this out with 1 step - 1 yard, so roughly 70 steps from any water source. Bury that shit too. Toilet paper is biodegradable.

toiletries smell good

Watch out for toiletries like toothpaste and deodorant (If you brought it for some reason) because they smell good. The problem with things that smell good is that a raccoon or bear doesn't know it's toothpaste. They think it's food, so all that stuff needs to be put in the "Bear Bag" (so animals don't raid your bag or camp at night).

Fire

I'm not gonna tell you how to make a fire, or maybe that will be another section written by Michael cuz he's really good at that, but here's different fire starters

Fire Starters

Flint and Steel
this one is the OG and really fucking hard to pull off. NEVER bring this as your
only option unless you are confident as fuck as fuck. Bring it as a gimmick to test
or as an emergency backup.
Steel wool + 9 volt battery
Dope way to get some sparks. Holding the steel wool at the end of the battery
produces some sparks. A little easier to pull off than the last one
Lighter
Just bring a lighter
Matches
I always forget about matches. There's special waterproof matches that you can
stick in the wet ground and watch it boil. Not a bad option.
magnifying glass
alright stop playing, probably just as hard as flint and steel if not harder

Tinder

Yeah tinder is a real thing for making fire and is very important. It's the first thing that sparks and here's some different things you can use.
dry grass / leaves
This is the OG, if it's dry it's perfect. squish it around to make a bird's nest
paper products
paper towel, newspaper, etc. Good ole paper. Guaranteed dry.
alcohol / gasoline
hand sanitizer is actually a good firestarter, could use lighter fluid, or even bug spray if you don't care about your health.
fire starter brick
They sell these things at camping stores. Little cubes of things that light without
anything else. Great to have just in case it's wet out.
dryer lint
The best DIY one to bring. This shit burns good as fuck and you got some I know you do.

Mixing some of these things together and placing it in a tin can could be a good little temporary stove or homemade firestarter. Look some of that up on the webs.

First Aid

First Aid is important because it can save your life. We can all be more well informed on life saving practices such as: how to make a splint, how to stop artery bleeding, etc. Some things (like a tourniquet) are excessive if each person has one, but everyone needs to have some bandaids. Make sure if you're traveling alone you bring everything under "Group Kit"
resource for first aid practices: https://sbbchidaho.org/PDF/FirstAidManual.pdf

Personal Kit

note: some of these you can get by if someone else in the group has them. Some things you can leave out. Maybe you'd rather always use gauze and tape instead of bandaids, or maybe you'd rather rip your shirt than bring gauze at all. I've seen some people replace moleskine with sports tape. All up to you.

Group Kit (on top of personal)

note: It seems that there is no replacement for a tourniquet. Some say that you can use a longer bandage/shirt and a stick, but if the situation requires one then you don't have the time to find a stick at all.

Gear

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a compass to navigate yourself. For one, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. If you can't pinpoint where you are on a map at all times then you're already fucked. Natural markers will tell you exactly where you are looking at all time, unless you're in the city. A map is all you need.

shelter

Backpacking tents are expensive coffins, but they are lightweight and convenient. A group of people could unpack a tent from its bag and distribute its contents somewhat evenly, then everyone sleeps in the one tent. This is a great option if you don't have the time or energy to build a shelter every night (week long trips or evening departure). For most trips we will have all day to set up camp, giving us ample time to build an epic tarp shelter and hone our building skills and knot abilities.

Don't skimp out on your tarp. A flimsy dollar tree tarp will keep the bugs out, but rip as soon as it gets caught on anything. Spend money on something large and durable. Not too large though, maybe about 6x8 feet.

Twine / Rope / Cord

Twine is thin rope and can be made from anything from hemp to plastic. I prefer to buy hemp-twine as it's biodegradable. You can even try making some with dead plants. Rope and Cord are pretty much the same thing. You can bring some separate from twine for the bear bag or stronger knots, but you could also make some from twine itself. It just takes a little finessing.

Purifying water

Water is kinda a big deal. You gotta make sure it's clean. Always have 2 methods for sanitizing water: filter, pot, or sanitizing tablet. Most water filters nowadays filter down to 0.1 microns, making any water safe to drink (the smallest microbe is 0.2 microns). If you get sanitizing tablets, then be sure to read the directions. Some of them take 2 hours to be safe and some only 30 minutes.

Bear bag / bear canister

We don't have to worry about these here, but it's good practice for the real thing. We do have to worry about wolves and racoons so use them. Every night and while you are away from your campsite put all your food and smellables into the bear bag / canister. The bag is hoisted in the air via a cord (stronger than just twine) away from the camp. Animals can't get into the bag and should have a hard time just getting to it. Bear canisters are an indestructible capsule that achieves the same purpose. These should also be kept outside the camp. Some northern camps provide canisters for you and are required to use.

Misc. gear

flashlight: try to find something that takes AA so you don't want to kill yourself
extra batteries for them flash lights: Unless you battery test your battery like a weirdo you'll never know when you'll run out.
pocket knife: some pocket knives come with nice belt holders. I like those. Make sure it's sharp and don't buy a camo one like Nathan or you'll never find it after you drop it.
camp chair: not your bonfire chair cuz those are heavy. Specialist hiking and backpacking chairs that fit in small packs.
hiking poles: only get these if you're geriatric, otherwise find a stick
personal bug spray / sunscreen: get one as small as possible, for sunscreen they make small bottles of sunscreen lotion that goes a long way and don't waste any space.

How to's: before adventure

Packing your bag

Packing your bag is a science. Carrying a big ass heavy bag around means you'll be more sensitive to its gravity and which way it sways. It won't be fun if your bag is constantly pulling you backward, forcing you to constantly flex your core. There are 2 rules to follow when packing:
Keep the heaviest items closest to the middle of your back.
Keep constantly used items in outer pockets for convenience.
This can be a 2 way battle and always depends on what you got. If you have a water bladder then store that right against your back, but if you have just 2 water bottles then put those in your side pockets so you don't have to set your bag down every time you need a drink. In general you can follow these lists:
Things to keep on the outer regions of your bag / on your person

Things to keep within the depths of your bag

Everything else you got can be ordered at your discretion, but always try to keep heavier items toward the core. It's wise to unpack your sleeping back completely so you can snake it around to fill up space. Same goes for other loose gear that comes in sacks.

How to's: during adventure

Knots!!

Each knot serves a specific purpose, of which there are 5 basic knots that you would use while camping. I'll describe them by their purpose and maybe in the future include a picture of it or a diagram that shows how to make it.
combining ropes / closing a loop
use the "Square Knot". This is where you do the first step of tying your shoes but in the opposite direction the second time.
loop that closes/moves easily (easily adjustable loop)
These loops are great for wrapping tightly around an object.
"Two half hitches" this is the most basic knot ever but do it twice in a row.
Matthew's favorite.
"running bowline" bowline but it moves? Liam uses this at work.
loop that is adjustable, but stays still when under tension
This loop is great for tying stakes and what-not. Instead of pulling the stake as
taut as possible before sticking it down, you can make this knot and slowly make
the line tighter.
"taut line" like 2 half hitches but you loop around an extra time.
loop that NEVER moves
My scout master said this is the one you use when they hand you one end of the
rope while you're stuck on a cliff. Great for a handle that doesn't squeeze your
hand.
"bowline" create a loop and stick the rope end through the loop then around the
rope and back through the loop again.

Getting drinkable water

Finding Water

You should have a map with you that shows where public water and streams are. Always plan ahead on where you will get water for your camp. If you get water from nature, then be sure to take the correct steps to make it drinkable. If information on the whereabouts of water is unavailable, then remember: Water moves down. So look in valleys and areas of low elevation. Some maps will have elevation information, use that to your advantage. Also, water makes noise.

Filtering Water

There are 2 types of water you can get: Still Water, and Moving Water. Always go for moving water if you have the option, it's going to be safer to drink from the get go (moving water is harder for bacteria and shit etc.).

Safety

It's important to keep things that touch dirty water and things that touch clean water separate to avoid cross contamination. A pot filled with dirty water once boiled is now clean, so don't worry about that. Most pumps have a 'dirty' tube and a clean tube. The dirty tube is usually kept in a separate pouch within the bag. If you collect dirty water using a water bottle, then by golly never drink anything from that bottle for the rest of the trip.

Making a Shelter

Tent

Tarp Shelter

![][image1]
Arrowhead is my favorite and can easily be made with just a tripod, great for one person and you can cover up the entrance with your bag or some shit.
Remember, the only point of a shelter is to protect from rain and/or wind.
None of these protect from bugs or wild animals. If you want to protect yourself from bugs then bring a bug net and set it up (great use of the envelope if it's nice out). Protect yourself from wild animals by keeping all food/smellables AWAY from camp. So, depending on the conditions (and resources), make your shelter accordingly.

Hammock Tent/Sleeping/Shelter

nature shelter

Backpacking Recipes

Recipes I mostly stole from the internet
check out this cool backpacking recipe site

Legit Cooking

Broke Ass Pad Thai

peanut butter powder, ramen noodles, chili powder, dehydrated lime

Thanksgiving Dinner

stovetop stuffing, pouch chicken, turkey gravy mix. Some people add: instant mash potatoes + craisins

Chicken + Rice

pouch chicken with cooked rice. Add soy / teriyaki sauce if you're fancy. Broccoli?

Fancy Ramen

Ramen with stuff like an egg, fried SPAM, green onions, etc.

Loaded Baked Potato

Baked Potato with hard cheese, bacon bits, green onion.

Beef Jerky Soup

Boil some beef jerky to soften then add a dried soup packet.

Pancakes

Gonna need some powdered eggs for this one. Just find any recipe online and take out the water

Flatbread

Take a classic pizza dough recipe / mix and don't add the water obviously. If you make your own then use INSTANT dry yeast (not active).

Here's the recipe I use (feeds 2 people):

Pizza

Flatbread recipe above, small can tomato paste, hard cheese, sausage / dried salami
directions: make the flatbread, have it line the bottom of a pot (instead of flat pan) for the best cook, combine tomato paste with water for a sauce, top with cheese and meat, cook until it's done.

Chicken / Tuna Pot Pie

I just came up with this\! Flatbread recipe above, chicken pouch, turkey gravy packet, dehydrated veggies. Get flatbread ready, put chicken and turkey in pot, cover with the dough, cook.

Pancakes

Easily just get some 'just add water' mix from the store. Or just do

On The Trail Meals

Tuna Wrap

tortilla \+ tuna pouch \+ random veggies if you have them

Cold Soaked Carbs

read the section on cold soaking [here](#food-and-water).

Cold Beef Jerky Soup

Cold soak beef jerky to soften then add the dried soup mix.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammich

Get the fucking goobers and put in on a pita bread. Or get individual PB+J packets

Powdered Hummus + Dip Device

Apparently powdered hummus is a thing. So eat that with pretzels, pita, tortilla, crackers, veggies, etc.

Prepare at home snacks/meals

Homemade Beef Jerky

idk ask Michael

Homemade Granola Bar

here's a no bake recipe I found just now