Survival Defined

Peter Kummerfeldt, a professional survival trainer for over 40 years and founder of OutdoorSafe, Inc, defines 'survival' as 

"The ability and the desire to keep oneself alive, all alone, under adverse conditions, until rescued."

1) "The ability..." refers to learned skills such as first aid, sheltering, fire craft, water procurement, and signaling. Without them, your survival depends on luck.

2) "the desire" represents a positive mental attitude in the midst of difficult circumstances. This is foundational for making good decisions during your emergency.

3) "to keep oneself alive" addresses the physiological needs of your body. This means maintaining your body temperature within a few degrees of 98.6°F as well as keeping yourself hydrated.

4) "all alone" describes the worst-case-scenario. You cannot count on anyone else providing aid when trouble strikes.

5) "under adverse conditions" tells us that emergencies rarely happen in comfortable environments or pleasant weather. Additionally, you may be injured and under stress.

6) And finally, "until rescued" refers to the end of the crisis either through the efforts of search and rescue and/or your own actions.


For more information see Peter Kummerfeldt's book Surviving a Wilderness Emergency 

or,

Emergency Response International's SAR Skills for the Emergency Responder