You only have so much time and money to dedicate to your efforts. You must direct that time and money into tasks that could save your life. Understand that gear can be lost, broken, or stolen. Skills will always be there to help you when needed. In this article, I will walk you through the first steps you should take to become an effective survivalist.

I am a big advocate of skills over gear. However, there are a few basic items that are needed to help you develop your skills.

Fire

One of your biggest priorities in survival is creating fire. You need at least one fire-starting tool to learn how to build a primitive fire. I suggest buying a cheap Ferro rod so you can learn which materials will catch a spark and which will not. You may also want to buy some inexpensive fire-assistance products such as Flamers Fire Starters to help you in the process.

Water

For water purification, it is very difficult to achieve the desired result without some basic gear. Either a bottle filter or a straw-style filter is very important for learning to purify water. In addition, I would suggest some water purification tablets as a backup plan in case your filter becomes clogged.

Shelter

For shelter building, there are only two products that I find important. A compact emergency shelter is a good item to own. They typically are tarp style and have eyelets at the corners so you can use them for a waterproof shelter.

In addition, you should always have some 550 paracord with you. This cordage is super strong, but can also be split open to give you over 50 feet of cordage out of a single shoelace. I always lace my boots with paracord.

Food

For food, a good wild edibles guide for your area is a smart investment. I love knowing what plants in the area can keep me alive, but that knowledge takes time. You will want a book with pictures to help you through the learning process. It is the best way to learn which plants will keep you alive and which plants will kill you.

Easing into Survival

It will take some time for you to figure out what gear you enjoy using and what gear will collect dust in your closet. You can get everything that you need to get started without spending much money.

Understand that survival means risking your life. Do not take this lightly. You should never set out into the wilderness to attempt survival without somebody with you and a way to communicate with emergency services.

My first survival experience was on our property. We own 10 acres, but the challenges were just as extreme as being 1000 miles away. The only difference was that I could walk to help if needed. You should practice all of these skills at home before you ever have to rely upon them in a survival situation.

Once you feel like you have the skills mastered at home, you can plan a trip with somebody else. You should tell local authorities where you are going along with all of your family and friends. You should know that your area has cellular reception so you can call for help if needed.

This first trip should be a camping trip without all the gear you would normally bring. Make sure the weather and the area you choose will be manageable. You cannot risk too much if you want to learn and stay safe.

Take each moment in the wild to practice your skills. Challenge yourself. Force yourself to purify water, force yourself to find food, force yourself to build a shelter, force yourself to build a primitive fire.

However, have a backup plan for each of these elements. Have some food stashed just in case, have some bottled water, have an emergency blanket for shelter, and have a lighter for fire.

You want to push yourself but push yourself in a safe environment.