Twenty-four practical survival guides and 120 core competencies, with a video learning library and links to every dedicated field guide.
The order below is a default learning/triage sequence. Conditions and official instructions can change priorities immediately.
| Priority | Skill | Category | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emergency First Aid | First Aid | Immediate injuries, absent/abnormal breathing, severe bleeding, burns, fractures, and shock take precedence when present. |
| 2 | Emergency Evacuation & Hazard Escape | Evacuate | Leave active danger early and safely when authorities order evacuation or conditions are immediately unsafe. |
| 3 | Emergency Shelter Building | Shelter | Reduce exposure to cold, rain, heat, wind, and unsafe terrain with the fastest reliable shelter available. |
| 4 | Emergency Water Purification | Water | Secure safe water and reduce dehydration and waterborne disease risk. |
| 5 | Heat & Cold Exposure | Exposure | Recognize and respond to hypothermia, frostbite, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke before they become fatal. |
| 6 | Severe Weather & Lightning Safety | Storm | Recognize dangerous storms early, reach proper shelter, and reduce lightning, tornado, and destructive-wind exposure. |
| 7 | Emergency Signaling & Rescue | Signal | Make your position easy to find and shorten the time you remain exposed to other hazards. |
| 8 | Navigation Without GPS | Navigate | Avoid becoming further lost and regain known routes using map, compass, landmarks, and disciplined decision-making. |
| 9 | Emergency Fire Starting | Fire | Provide warmth, safe cooking/boiling support, light, and signaling where fire is legal and controllable. |
| 10 | Blackout & Carbon Monoxide Safety | Blackout | Handle power loss without creating carbon-monoxide, fire, electrical, medication, or temperature hazards. |
| 11 | Vehicle Breakdown & Roadside Survival | Roadside | Reduce secondary-crash risk, signal for help, and stay safer when a vehicle becomes disabled or stranded. |
| 12 | Emergency Sanitation & Hygiene | Sanitation | Prevent diarrheal illness, wound contamination, and hygiene-related disease during longer disruptions. |
| 13 | Emergency Rations & Food Management | Rations | Preserve energy and maintain food safety once immediate threats, exposure, and water are under control. |
| 14 | Wildlife Encounters & Animal Safety | Wildlife | Avoid preventable wildlife conflicts, protect camp and food, and respond appropriately after bites or scratches. |
Core subjects: Scene assessment and emergency call · Adult CPR and AED · Severe bleeding control · Burn care · Fractures, shock, and monitoring
Immediate injuries, absent/abnormal breathing, severe bleeding, burns, fractures, and shock take precedence when present.
Core subjects: Evacuation decision and alerts · Go-bag and communication plan · Route planning and movement · Flood escape · Wildfire and outdoor escape
Leave active danger early and safely when authorities order evacuation or conditions are immediately unsafe.
Core subjects: Safe site selection · Ground insulation and moisture control · Tarp and bivvy shelter geometry · Knots, guylines, and anchors · Natural shelters and weather management
Reduce exposure to cold, rain, heat, wind, and unsafe terrain with the fastest reliable shelter available.
Core subjects: Choose the safest source · Settle and pre-filter cloudy water · Boil correctly · Filter or disinfect when boiling is unavailable · Store treated water without re-contamination
Secure safe water and reduce dehydration and waterborne disease risk.
Core subjects: Hypothermia recognition and warming · Frostbite protection and rewarming · Heat exhaustion response · Heat stroke emergency cooling · Exposure prevention and pacing
Recognize and respond to hypothermia, frostbite, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke before they become fatal.
Core subjects: Read forecasts, watches, and warnings · Lightning shelter and 30-minute rule · Tornado sheltering · Destructive wind and hail protection · Outdoor last-resort risk reduction
Recognize dangerous storms early, reach proper shelter, and reduce lightning, tornado, and destructive-wind exposure.
Core subjects: Emergency call and location report · Stay-or-move decision · Audible and visual signaling · Phone and battery management · Rescue contact and handoff
Make your position easy to find and shorten the time you remain exposed to other hazards.
Core subjects: Go/no-go fire decision · Tinder, kindling, and fuel preparation · Ignition methods · Fire lays and wet-weather technique · Extinguishing and fire-site safety
Provide warmth, safe cooking/boiling support, light, and signaling where fire is legal and controllable.
Core subjects: Outage triage and communications · Generator and carbon-monoxide safety · Electrical and fire safety · Temperature and medical-device planning · Food, water, lighting, and recovery
Handle power loss without creating carbon-monoxide, fire, electrical, medication, or temperature hazards.
Core subjects: Stabilize the vehicle and occupants · Call for help with exact location · Decide whether to stay or leave · Winter and low-visibility stranding · Safe repair limits and remote-trip preparation
Reduce secondary-crash risk, signal for help, and stay safer when a vehicle becomes disabled or stranded.
Core subjects: Hand hygiene and a simple wash station · Human waste containment · Food and surface hygiene · Diarrhea and dehydration response · Wound hygiene and a compact sanitation kit
Prevent diarrheal illness, wound contamination, and hygiene-related disease during longer disruptions.
Core subjects: Build a three-day food module · Rotate and protect the food reserve · Ration effort and meal timing · Power-outage food safety · Flood/fire contamination and no-cook planning
Preserve energy and maintain food safety once immediate threats, exposure, and water are under control.
Core subjects: Distance and encounter prevention · Food, scent, and camp control · Bear, cougar, and moose response · Bear spray and deterrent readiness · Bites, scratches, and rabies exposure
Avoid preventable wildlife conflicts, protect camp and food, and respond appropriately after bites or scratches.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Backstop | A major feature that tells you when you have gone too far on a navigation leg. |
| Handrail | A linear feature that can guide travel, such as a trail, ridge, shoreline, or fence. |
| PLB | Personal locator beacon used to transmit a distress alert and location through a supported rescue system. |
| Rolling boil | Continuous vigorous boiling used by CDC guidance for emergency water treatment. |
| Life-threatening bleeding | Severe external bleeding that requires immediate control and emergency medical care. |
| Heat stroke | A life-threatening heat illness that can involve confusion, collapse, seizure, or loss of consciousness and requires emergency treatment and rapid cooling. |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | An odorless, colorless poisonous gas produced by incomplete combustion; generators and engines can create lethal concentrations in enclosed spaces. |
| Thunder rule | If thunder is audible, lightning is close enough to be a threat; move to proper shelter and wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming outdoor activity. |
| Secondary crash | A collision that occurs because a stopped, disabled, or prior-crash vehicle creates an additional roadway hazard. |
Extended survival reading: targeted prevention, response and safe recovery.