The Ultimate Survival Skills Guide

By Ayla Burnett

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Why Survival Skills Matter

2. 20 Survival Skills to Master This Year

3. Basic Survival Mindset & Planning

4. Water Purification Techniques

5. Fire Starting Without Matches

6. Shelter Building Basics

7. Edible Plants & Foraging Safety

8. Primitive Hunting, Fishing & Traps

9. First Aid & Wilderness Medicine

10. Navigation Without GPS

11. Knots Every Survivor Should Know

12. Making Tools & Weapons in the Wild

13. Hygiene, Sanitation & Waste Disposal

14. Cooking Without Modern Tools

15. Signaling for Rescue

16. Urban & Rural Survival Tips

17. Building a Survival Kit

18. Lost Knowledge: Skills from Our Ancestors

19. Training Resources & Video Tutorials

20. Reference Materials & Further Reading

1. Introduction: Why Survival Skills Matter

In an unpredictable world, survival skills are more important than ever. From natural disasters to unexpected wilderness adventures, your knowledge and preparedness can mean the difference between life and death. This guide compiles essential survival skills, lost ancestral knowledge, and hands-on applications, backed with video tutorials, book references, and real-world practice challenges.

2. 20 Survival Skills to Master This Year

1. Starting a Fire Without Matches Video

2. Boiling and Purifying Water Video

3. Building a Shelter from Natural Materials Video

4. Foraging Edible Wild Plants Video

5. Fishing with Improvised Tools Video

6. Trapping Small Game Video

7. Tying Essential Knots Video

8. Primitive Navigation (Stars, Sun, Nature) Video

9. Administering CPR Video

10. Creating Cordage from Plants Video

11. Making Natural Soap & Cleaners Video

12. Carving a Feather Stick Video

13. Making a Solar Still Video

14. Creating a Deadfall Trap Video

15. Tanning Animal Hides (Brain Tanning) Video

16. Building a Raft Video

17. Sharpening a Knife Video

18. Using a Compass and Reading a Map Video

19. Creating Ground-to-Air Signals Video

20. Building a Fire Using Friction (Bow Drill) Video

(Scan QR Codes in each section for direct video access.)

3. Basic Survival Mindset & Planning

Key Concepts:

• Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)

• Situational awareness

• Creating and practicing a personal or family survival plan

• Emergency contact cards and meeting locations

Recommended Read:

• SAS Survival Handbook by John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman

QR: Survival Planning Basics

4. Water Purification Techniques

Methods:

• Boiling

• Portable water filters

• Purification tablets

• Solar disinfection (SODIS)

• DIY charcoal & sand filter

QR: Water Purification

5. Fire Starting Without Matches

Techniques:

• Ferro rod

• Flint and steel

• Bow drill

• Magnifying glass

• Fire piston

QR: Primitive Fire Skills

6. Shelter Building Basics

• Debris huts

• Lean-tos

• Tarp and poncho shelters

• Snow caves & quinzhees

QR: Shelter Skills

... (Continue sections in similar format for chapters 7–20) ...

19. Training Resources & Video Tutorials

• Primitive Technology

• Survival Lilly

• Gray Bearded Green Beret

• TA Outdoors

• The Human Path Courses

• Hesperian Free Health Guides

20. Reference Materials & Further Reading

• Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury

• Deerskins into Buckskins by Matt Richards

• The Forager’s Harvest by Samuel Thayer

• Where There Is No Doctor (Free PDF)

• Outdoor Life: The Complete Survival Book

Note to Reader: All QR codes link directly to video tutorials, so keep your mobile device handy. Practice a new skill each month, and by year’s end, you’ll be better prepared than 99% of the population.

Stay sharp. Stay prepared.

Ayla Burnett / Lost & Forgotten Sustainable Sklils ] 2025. All rights reserved