Survival skills

Every skill on this site, grouped by what it is for, with the basic steps for each. Practice them before you need them.

Immediate survival

For the first hours and days: staying safe, warm, watered, and in touch.

Knots every household should know

Square knot Joins the ends of two ropes of the same thickness, as when tying a bundle or lengthening a line.
Sheet bend Joins two ropes of different thickness, or a rope to a loop or eye.
Bowline Makes a fixed loop at the end of a rope that will not slip and is easy to untie.
Clove hitch Fastens a rope to a pole, pipe, or post, at the end or the middle of the rope.
Round turn and two half hitches Anchors a rope to a tree or pole when the load is heavy and you need to untie it later.
Figure-eight stopper knot Puts a knot in the end of a rope so it cannot slip through a hole, grommet, or another knot.
Tightening a line Pulls a clothesline or tarp ridgeline tight between two anchors and holds the tension.

How to build and put out a fire safely

Choosing a safe fire site Picks and clears a spot where a fire cannot spread to tents, brush, buildings, or overhanging branches.
Gathering tinder, kindling, and fuel Collects the three sizes of material a fire needs, in enough quantity, before you strike a light.
Building a tepee fire Builds a cone-shaped fire that lights easily and burns even with damp wood.
Building a log cabin fire Builds a square stacked fire that gives strong heat and light and a quick bed of coals for cooking.
Lighting a fire without matches Lights tinder with a ferro rod (metal match), which works wet or dry, hot or cold.
Putting a fire out completely Drowns, stirs, and checks a fire until it is cold, so it cannot restart after you leave.
Cooking fire safety Prevents kitchen, grill, and camp stove fires and carbon monoxide poisoning when cooking.
Using a fire extinguisher Decides when a fire is small enough to fight, then puts it out with the PASS steps.

Reading a topographic map Reads contour lines, colors, and symbols to picture hills, valleys, water, and roads from a paper map.
Measuring distance on a map Turns a straight or winding route on the map into miles or kilometers on the ground.
Reading a compass Names the parts of a baseplate compass and reads the direction you are facing in degrees.
Correcting for declination Adjusts for the gap between true north on the map and magnetic north on the compass.
Orienting a map Turns the map so its north matches north on the ground, with or without a compass.
Taking and following a bearing Measures the direction to a place on the map and walks to it from landmark to landmark.
Finding north without a compass Finds rough north from a stick's shadow by day or the North Star at night.
Planning a route on a paper map Plans a driving route and alternates on a paper road map before phones or signals fail.

Improvised shelter and staying dry

Choosing a shelter site Picks a level, sheltered spot away from dead trees, floods, rockslides, and cold low ground.
Tarp or poncho lean-to Rigs a quick one-sided roof between two trees, with its back to the wind.
Tarp or poncho tent Rigs a low two-sided shelter between two trees that blocks wind and rain on both sides.
Debris hut Builds a warm shelter from a ridgepole, sticks, and a thick pile of leaves when you have no tarp.
Insulating from the ground Puts a thick, dry layer between you and the ground, where much of your body heat is lost at rest.
Dressing in layers and staying dry Keeps you warm by wearing loose layers, avoiding sweat, and keeping clothing dry.
Sheltering in a car in winter Keeps you warm and safe from carbon monoxide if you are stranded in a vehicle in a winter storm.

How to shut off water, gas, and electricity

Shut off the main water valve Stops water from a broken pipe and keeps the water in your water heater from draining out.
Shut off the gas Stops a natural gas leak when you smell gas, hear hissing, or officials tell you to.
Shut off the electricity Cuts power at the panel when there is a gas leak, flooding, or damaged wiring.
Use a fire extinguisher Puts out a small fire contained to one object, such as a pan or a wastebasket.
Test smoke alarms Confirms your smoke alarms will wake you, and tells you when to replace batteries or the alarm.
Test carbon monoxide alarms Confirms your CO alarms work before you run a generator, heater, or anything that burns fuel.

Emergency home repairs after a storm

Decide if it is safe to go in Tells you when to stay out of a damaged building and what to check before you enter.
Document the damage Records damage for insurance and FEMA before cleanup or repairs change it.
Cover a damaged roof Keeps rain out of a storm-damaged roof until permanent repairs, without a fall.
Seal a room with plastic and tape Closes the windows, doors, and vents of one room against contaminated outside air.
Dry out a wet house Removes water and moisture fast enough to limit mold after a flood or roof leak.
Clean up mold safely Removes mold from a flooded home while protecting your lungs, skin, and eyes.

First aid basics from CDC and Stop the Bleed

Controlling severe bleeding Stops life-threatening bleeding with pressure, wound packing, or a tourniquet until help arrives.
Cleaning and covering a wound Cares for small cuts and scrapes to prevent infection when you cannot get to a clinic right away.
Helping after an electric shock Gets a person away from live current safely and starts help after a shock from wiring or wet equipment.
Treating heat exhaustion and heat stroke Spots heat illness in a hot house without power and cools the person while help comes.
Warming someone with hypothermia Rewarms a person who is dangerously cold from cold weather, rain, sweat, or cold water.
Caring for frostbite Rewarms frozen fingers, toes, ears, or nose without causing more damage.
Spotting carbon monoxide poisoning Recognizes CO poisoning from generators, grills, or stoves and gets everyone to fresh air.
Responding to cardiac arrest Recognizes a heart that has stopped and starts the 911, AED, and CPR response.
Stocking a first aid kit Builds a household first aid kit from the Ready.gov list before an emergency.

Signaling for help and staying in touch

Whistle signals Lets people nearby find you when you are lost, hurt, or trapped, without wearing out your voice.
Flashlight and mirror signals Signals distress over a distance, with a light at night or a mirror in sunlight.
Ground-to-air signals Tells a search aircraft overhead that you need help, need medical help, or are moving on.
Texting instead of calling Gets a message to family when phone lines are jammed after a disaster.
Keeping a printed contact list Keeps family and emergency numbers on paper for when a phone is lost, dead, or out of service.
GMRS and FRS radios Short-range two-way radio for a household, and when the FCC requires a license.
Getting an amateur radio license The FCC exam and license steps for ham radio, which can reach farther and supports emergency work.

Finding and collecting water in an emergency

Protecting the water in your home Closes the main valve so broken water or sewer lines cannot contaminate the water already in your pipes.
Draining water from your pipes Collects the clean water left in your household plumbing after the supply stops.
Draining the water heater Gets the water stored in a hot water tank, often the largest supply in a house.
Collecting rainwater Catches rain for cleaning and flushing, and for drinking only after treatment.
Choosing an outdoor water source Picks the least risky stream, pond, lake, or spring when there is no other water.
Knowing which water to avoid Rules out water that treatment cannot fix, such as floodwater, heating system water, or fuel-tainted water.

Coping with stress in a disaster

Recognizing signs of stress Notices when you or someone in your household is struggling after a disaster, and when to get help.
Keeping a daily routine Keeps sleep, food, movement, and rest steady during a long outage or shelter period.
Limiting news and social media Stays informed from official sources without nonstop coverage that keeps you upset.
Helping children cope Talks with children, restores routines, and knows when a child needs a professional.
Checking on others Reaches out to neighbors, relatives, and friends and connects them with help.
Calling the Disaster Distress Helpline Reaches a trained crisis counselor by phone or text, any time, for disaster-related distress.

Long-term survival

For weeks without normal services: keeping food, clothes, and the house going.

Basic sewing and mending by hand

Thread a needle and tie a knot Gets thread into the needle and anchored, the first step of every hand repair.
Running stitch A quick in-and-out stitch for mending and seams that will not be under strain.
Backstitch A strong stitch that looks like machine sewing, for seams and hard-to-reach repairs.
Whipstitch Holds two finished edges together, or wraps a raw edge to stop it fraying.
Repair a split seam Closes a seam that has come open at the crotch, underarm, or pocket.
Sew on a button Replaces a lost or loose flat or shank button so it holds and buttons easily.
Patch a hole or tear Covers a hole or tear too large to stitch closed, so it stops growing.

Preserving and cooking food without power

Keep food cold in an outage Keeps refrigerated and frozen food safe as long as possible when the power goes out.
Cook without power safely Heats food on a grill or camp stove without carbon monoxide poisoning.
Cook food to a safe temperature Kills germs in meat, poultry, and leftovers, and keeps cooked food out of the danger zone.
Choose a safe canning method Matches each food to the right canner and a tested recipe so home-canned food is safe to store.
Test jar seals and store canned food Confirms each jar sealed after canning and keeps it in good condition on the shelf.
Spot spoiled canned food Recognizes jars and cans that may carry botulism, and disposes of them safely.
Sun-dry fruit Preserves fruit outdoors with no power on hot, dry days, then stores it so it stays dry.

Growing food at home: a beginner's vegetable garden

Choosing a sunny site Finds the spot in your yard with enough sun, good drainage, and water close by.
Setting up containers Grows vegetables on a patio, balcony, or anywhere the ground is poor or missing.
Preparing a garden bed Builds a small raised or in-ground bed with soil that vegetables can grow in.
Choosing what to plant Picks crops your household will eat and plants them in the right season.
Planting seeds Sows seeds at the right depth and spacing, then thins the seedlings.
Watering the garden Gives plants about an inch of water a week, deep enough to reach the roots.
Saving seeds Keeps seed from this year's tomatoes, peppers, beans, and peas to plant next year.
Washing garden produce Cleans homegrown fruits and vegetables before eating to cut down on germs.