Is there a magic survival¹ formula? We at Survival U, ERI, and OutdoorSafe think so. Not so much literal “magic” but a reliable way to approach survival.
Awareness + Preparedness + Adaptation = The Best Odds for Survival
Notice that the formula outlines the best odds for survival rather than guaranteeing it. Unfortunately, no guarantees exist for survival; however, if we are aware that emergencies² and disasters³ happen, prepare for them, and then adapt to the new environment once they occur, we significantly increase our odds for survival.
Awareness
Awareness means three things: first, we understand the threat posed by emergencies and disasters that potentially affect us; second, we access the impact to ourselves and our families; lastly, we take action to mitigate risks. For example, those in the Pacific Northwest live with the risk of large earthquakes, those in the mid-west suffer through tornado season every year and residents of the Gulf Coast brace for hurricanes on a regular basis. The risk is real. Ignoring the risk while pretending these events only occur elsewhere and to others (denial) offers most a way to avoid thinking about how to handle tough situations. Instead, we advocate accepting the potential for emergencies and taking preventative action to protect ourselves and others not if, but when The Big One strikes.
Preparedness
Effective preparedness requires an understanding of two questions: “What in the environment will kill us first?” and “How to get rescued?” First, if disaster strikes and you focus only on storing food but never think about how to control your body’s core temperature, expect big trouble. Understanding the prioritized requirements for life forms a critical foundation in developing our preparedness plans, training, and equipment. Next, we want the situation to end as quickly and positively as possible. Therefore preparing to get rescued takes a close second behind our prioritized requirements for life.
Our preparedness goals center on making an emergency or disaster simply inconvenient rather than a life or death struggle. Preparedness gives us options. If unprepared, our options run out and we depend only on luck.
Adaptation
After an emergency or disaster occurs, the quicker we accept our ‘changed and threatening environment’4, the sooner we evaluate our options. Then, prepared survivors improvise their preparedness plans, training, and equipment to the actual situation thus giving them the best odds for survival.
¹ Survival: the ability and the desire to keep oneself alive, all alone, under adverse conditions, until rescued. (Of many possible definitions, the one that we use originated from the efforts of Peter Kummerfeldt, a colleague, and founder of OutdoorSafe)
² Emergency: a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action. (For education purposes, we use the word emergency to describe situations involving ten or less people.)
³ Disaster: a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss of life. (For education purposes, we use the word disaster to describe situations involving more than ten people.)
4 John Leach. Survival Psychology, p. 149
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