Navigation - forget about it, if you find yourself lost in the woods, sit down and wait where you are to be rescued. If you start wandering around you will only make it worse. Hug a tree.
Food/Water- Food is important and if you planned ahead you will have at least some sort of emergency food with you. If you are reading this then you were either found and rescued or you haven't gotten lost yet, in which case you should pack some high energy high protein food sources with you. Stay away from high carbohydrate foods as they require more water to digest properly.
Water, again since you are reading this I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you are an intelligent person for planning ahead. Water is even more important than food. bring water with you but also a method of procuring more when that is gone. Do some research and look up things like desert stills and water purification tablets like "Aqua-Tabs" this way you will have a better chance of surviving with healthier water that you know you can drink safely.
Trip Plan- Fail to plan, plan to fail... If you are going away for a while tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back, that way if you don't come back the search and rescue team will have a good start point when they come looking for you.
Shelter- Can be as simple as an over sized garbage bag, it is easy to pack does not go bad and it will keep you dry and somewhat warmer that you would be without it. You can build a seasonal shelter to stay warm in and protect yourself from not only the elements but the boogey man too.
Seasonal shelters are exactly that, lean to's in the summer and winter and quinzies or snow shelters in the winter. Both are easy to build with little equipment if any and not much effort if you pace yourself. Remember you will have to conserve energy to keep you warm and healthy.
Fire- it sounds easy but if you have never started a fire it can be rather frustrating. Starting at the local campground in the regulation fire pit, gather what you think might burn and have a go at it. Use as little as possible in the way of matches or flame throwers and try to start one using only what is around you. OK you can use matches but limit yourself at first trying to keep in mind that this is a survival exercise.
I'll bet you tried the grass and the leaves off of the small brush and twigs off the ground too right? No luck right?
First remember the fire triangle, spark tinder and air. You have matches and you are still breathing so lets look at the tinder. Look under the coniferous trees, the pine trees for the very small twigs that look dead. They are at the very bottom of the tree protected from rain by the top of the tree, so they are nice and dry. Gather as many of them as you can to create a fire bundle about six inches in diameter. This is your tinder. then find kindling or small dry stick about as big as your fingers, and move up to larger fuel about as big as your wrist, and gather lots. It is going to burn up quickly. Build a tee-pee of kindling around the tinder and keep the big stuff close. light the tinder from the bottom and as it starts to burn hotter ad more fuel until you have a good fire. Remember it is not a camp fire it is a survival fire and you want it big. It will act as a signal and provide you with warms and it will scare away all of the bad things like the animals and the boogey men too.
Signaling-Distress signals are formed in three's and triangles. For example three fires in a row small enough to control but big enough to draw attention or logs laid out in a triangle or three fires in a triangle are all international distress signals. There are a bunch of commercial signals available including everything from flares to mirrors to coloured panels to pretty coloured dye markers that work in water or on the snow. If you are going to go that way consider which is best for your environment. Always use your signals in open country and preferably on high ground.
Emergency/Survival Kit- There are two types of kits, the emergency kit (72hour) type and the survival kit. The emergency kit is for the house, and it is meant to sustain you for 72 hours during an emergency allowing the authorities to get organized themselves. It should include such things as three days worth of food and water per person, a small radio so you can listen to the news and stay informed, a flash light because there is probably no power, candles and a first aid kit. This kit is to help you survive within your own house.
The survival kit is similar but it is small enough to be carried in your pack or pocket and provide you with similar items. A first aid kit, flashlight, survival food, candles and matches for starting signal fires, and some type of signal device. Water purification tablets and a water container to drink from, even one to carry water from the source to the fire in case you have to boil it first.
