Survival Rule of 3s

 Our most urgent need for life is oxygen. While remembering the rule of 3s in survival, we understand that we can live for approximately 3 minutes under normal circumstances without oxygen before our brain cells begin to die. Oxygen is important to every living being.

 We can live for 3 hours in severe situations without shelter. Hypothermia is the lowering of the body-core temperature and is known as the silent killer. We all must be able to build or find shelter to get out of the elements—wind and moisture. We need to be able to remain dry and conserve our body heat.

 Water is next in the order of importance of need. We can survive for 3 days without water. If we have food but no water it is important not to eat because the body expends its fluids to digest food. We need to understand how to find and purify water.

 Least important in terms of immediacy is food. We can live for 3 weeks without food. That won't be a comfort if you find yourself without food but a healthy body will sustain itself approximately 3 weeks before death occurs.

Now that we know what it takes to survive in the outdoors we need to plan how to provide for those needs. Build a survival kit that isn't so large that you won't carry it in the field.