( 1 ) Very small match stick thickness twigs.Have at least a good double handful. They must be dry. To find dry sticks in the rain, look under the overhang of an embankment, under-side of logs, dead dry roots pulled out of an embankment, the center of a stump or dead tree( dug out with a knife which you should always have on your person ).

( 2 ) Small sticks a little bigger than the smallest.You will need more of these, at least a quart - half gallon. Some of these may be a little wet. The key phrase here is "a little wet ",, this does not mean soaking wet.

( 3 ) Bigger sticks -Twice the thickness of the ones before, even more of these.

Keep moving up in size untill you are collecting branches/small logs. If the wood is available you will need as much as you can gather in an hour. Drift wood will work if it's dry.

Now that you have your wood it's time to build your fire.

Take your time and do this right. Here are Ten Basic Steps to building your fire.

( 1 ) DON'T throw the fire together haphazardly.do this right you will only need one. This will only waste fuel and increase the risk of the fire not lighting. Every match you have is like gold. Do not waste them.

( 2 )Take a medium size branch and lay it down.

( 3 )Now build a tiny lean-to with the smallest sticks by leaning them up against the branch.

( 4 )Takemore and and lay them perpendicular to first layer, and parallel to the big branch.

( 5 )Use lots of very small sticks and leave enough gaps between them for the flames to rise up through and ignite the upper layers. If it's raining or windy cover yourself with something to protect your fire.

( 6 )Now add the bigger sticks to the top of the your neat little lean-to, using a teepee shape, and surrounding the little lean to on all sides. Leave a small gap up close to the big branch to get your match under the pile.

( 7 ) If you have a small slip of paper or lint from pockets, ( You should always have a supply of cotton lint from your clothes dryer in a water-proof package with a lighter , a zip-lock baggie of some sort works great forthis. ) put it under the lean-to and ignite it.

( 8 )As your fire grows, start adding more and more sticks to get the fire very hot. Now add the larger sticks, the heat will dry them if they are damp.(Not if they are green or soaked through.)

( 9 )Keep building your fire in stages.

( 10 ) If it is raining , you can use sheets of bark off fallen trees to shield your fire.

DON'T wait too long to add the next size larger sticks. The heat generated from the rapidly burning small ones is needed to dry and ignite the larger ones. As soon as you can, put some bigger stuff on by laying them across the big branch on the ground.

Once your fire is going, DON'T let it go out. If you need more fuel gather more, and start building your shelter.

Food. Those four letters draw pictures in more imaginations than most four letter combinations. How important is it? If you don't eat your habitual meals, how do you feel? Not too energetic, eh?A little impatient, a bit short tempered with a funny thrumming in the old gut? The important thing to remember is that the sensation you feel in the pit of the old grub grinder is not a sign that the body is low on power. It is only telling you that your belly tank is running on empty. It isn't telling you that for every extra pound of fat on your body (Thank you Big Mac!) you have nearly 4000 Calories of energy available. 4000 Calories can do a lot of work. Is that energy available to do work now? Well.......

There's the catch, it isn't, in fact the reserve fat calories probably won't be ready to give themselves up for 18 to 24 hours from the time of your last meal, in a way that's a comforting thought. You really only have to survive for 18-24 hours on an empty stomach and then you'll find things are getting a little easier, energy wise.

Hunger can cause enough discomfort during survival emergencies that you might make some decisions that will hasten your movement into the next incarnation. Baby bush munchers sometimes forget the rule of threes when the low food light goes on.

A suggestion. Get used to the feeling of an empty stomach, FAST for 24 hours once a month. At the very least do a 24 hour fast every three months. Once you've completed a 24 hour fast, go for 48! Yeah Team!

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The struggle to set priorities can be simplified if we try to define the problem first. We must ask ourselves some questions. What forces of nature are acting against us? What forces are waiting to be summoned? What artifacts do we have available immediately? By asking these types of questions, and giving answers, even unsatisfactory answers like "I don't know" we've taken a big step toward survival. We are thinking and it all starts with The Rule.

.You need to want to survive and you need to believe that you can. Otherwise, you become too easily depressed and willing to give up the fight - and it really is a fight - against the worst that circumstances, climate, weather, terrain, natural enemies (like black flies and mosquitos) and remoteness can throw at you.

As we sit here in front of our computer screens - or reading print-outs from these pages - we have things pretty good, although we may be getting further and further out of shape if we spend TOO many hours here! Things can be a whole lot different if you are faced with an airplane that will never fly again, the beginnings of a three-day blizzard, and two hundred kilometres to the nearest road, with injured companions.

Things are also a lot different if you are a twelve-year old Scout finally figuring out that you are not where you are supposed to be - and that you haven't the foggiest idea of just where "here" is! .( See Childrens Survival)

Think it can't happen? Ahhhh, but it does! Nearly every day...

People who spend a great deal of time in wilderness areas will probably never admit to being well and truly lost - though they may confess to having been " a bit confused for a couple of days , a time or two" ;-) .
I guess they had a pretty good idea of where they were within a large area, even if they didn't quite know exactly where they were within a good many kilometres. Thing, is, though, they didn't allow themselves to become too concerned, because they had enough knowledge to be able to get along quite well, even at the risk of a few days of discomfort.

A positive outlook, no matter how bad the situation, is one of the keys to keeping you alert and aware of what's going on around you. If you become depressed and give up , your chances of long-term survival decrease drastically.

If you start out and do not know where you are going you will make it even harder for someone to find you ( if they are looking for you ) . See The Woods Master You also use up precious energy that you may need later. So study this and start with step number one.

Hypothermia  is the number one killer in back woods accidents and of the Un-Prepared. Many people go into the wilderness in-experienced and totally unprepared !

If you think you can't avoid a survival situation because "Things like that seem to happen to me". Then the next best thing would be to ensure that you are rescued with all possible speed .

(1) Tell someone reliable where you are going. Give them a note explaining what route you plan to take and what equipment you are carrying. Before you leave . If you fail to return on time, and your vehicle is still where it is supposed to be (leave the vehicle description, License number etc.. with your friend), The authorities may search for you. Your friend should be given the information needed to report your absence should you fail to return. It should include the phone numbers of the authorities in the area you plan to travel to. With this information the ponderous wheels of bureaucracy might begin to turn a little sooner.

Keep in mind tho that the authorities have had many unnecessary experiences with foolish and thoughtless packers. It is up to you to survive until they arrive.

(2) Tell that someone when to expect you back.

(3) Call that person when you return.

(4) If you are delayed , try to send word to that person or to the authorities.

(5) While on your journey , avoid changing your plans without leaving or sending word about the plan changes.

(6) Never go alone ,always travel with a companion

(7) Never leave a message on the outside of your automobile if it is parked at the trail road head. Thieves may make use of the information in your note and strip your machine to it's bones. If you leave a note, leave it inside the vehicle where it can be found by the authorities should they open it.

(8) As you travel into the woods, stop and , look back frequently. This will familiarize you with the terrain behind you and it will be easier for you to recognize the proper path when you return.
This rule applies when you are driving into the woods as well. Forested dirt roads have a way of becoming VERY familiar after awhile, even if you haven't seen them before.

(9) Learn to recognize your own tracks, "foot and vehicle ", as a clue to your previous travels. Learn to use a walking stick as the marks left on the trail by a walking stick are very distinctive.