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The prepping and survival community is much like any other passionate community on the planet. We all have strong opinions and we love a good debate. It is true of the firearm and 2A community. They'll argue the Glock versus 1911 until the sun sets. It is true of the sports community.
Name the team you love and you'll find someone who hates them. Basically, where any 2 or 3 passionate people are gathered, you'll find a debate. However, we have a hard time finding fault with the 5 C's of survival popularized by Dave Canterbury.
It's a good list and worthy of discussion in any community serious about preparing for the day that most people dread. If you've got just a few minutes, we'd love to share them with you and continue this debate even further.
What Are the 5 C's of Survival and Why Are They Essential?
Dave Canterbury is an Army veteran and survivalist who put forth the idea that the 5 most important components of any survival kit begins with the 5 C's. Those are Cutting, Combustion, Cordage, Cover, and Container.
Can you cut wood or string when you need it? Can you master the art of combustion and start a fire when you need it? Can you bind things together when necessary using cords? Can you find cover from the elements when they would arm you?
Finally, and often overlooked, can you carry and boil water in a container? Simple questions, if gone unanswered, could spell your demise in a survival situation. Let's go through each one, one by one.
Cutting Tool: Your Primary Survival Knife and Options
Image source: Harpy Eagle
Electronics run out of power. Food does not automatically self-replenish itself. Guns run out of ammunition, but a knife will always cut. Even if blunt and worn, it will always be by your side. If you don't have a sharp weapon on your hip in a survival situation, you are in for a bad day. People choose the tool based on their own preference.
Maybe it's a small tomahawk ax, or a Ka-Bar knife, but regardless of what you choose you must maintain the ability to sever one object from the next. The ability to cut is a bushcraft must-have.
Choosing a High-Quality Fixed Blade Knife with Full Tang
When choosing a knife for the purpose of survival, this is not the time to get cute with the decision. This may be the only blade you have with you for the duration of the survival scenario which could extend out for years. That means no switch blades, folding knives or anything decorative.
You want a fixed blade knife with a full tang. That is to mean that the metal which comprises the blade extends through the entire length of the handle. This reduces the chance that anything is going to break. Should the handle become worn over the years, you can always create a makeshift handle so long as the blade is still intact. We'd recommend you take the same advice when choosing an ax.
Multi-Purpose Capabilities of a Good Survival Knife
Please don't read that headline and think that we are recommending you use a multi-purpose tool as your primary means of cutting. Rather, choose a cutting tool that is sturdy enough to accomplish multiple functions. You may have to use it to chop wood and clean fish or animals. You may have to use it to help start a fire and fight others trying to rob you of your survival. Think function over appearance and be sure the knife you choose can get the job done.
Combustion Devices: How to Ensure Fire-Making in Any Situation
Image source: Harpy Eagle
The next essential element is a device in order to consistently get a fire going from scratch. It is absolutely a bonus if you can create a spark by rubbing two sticks together. However, survival can often be measured in mere minutes and trying to rub two sticks together after you have fallen into a freezing lake or river won't cut it. Not when basic survival tools are readily available now for your kit.
Reliable Fire-Starting Methods: From Bic Lighters to Ferro Rods
If a box of matches and Bic lighter is your go-to method for creating a fire, you're setting yourself up for failure. We recommend a ferro rod due to its durability and long-lasting use. It's made of rare earth metals and iron that, when scraped, send off shavings that ignite at over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the way to get a fire started in a hurry.
Certainly there are other methods such as a fire piston which uses rapid compressed air to ignite tinder. You can use a battery and steel wool or a good old fashioned magnifying glass. However, if you're planning ahead of time and not simply reacting to a survival scenario, a rod is about as good as it gets.
Collecting and Preparing Tinder Sources for Wet Conditions
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Finally, you'll want to ensure that you know how to collect tinder in wet conditions. If you're trying to survive in the Pacific Northwest, you're in big trouble if you can't operate in such conditions. This is where some research can be done about the location where you may likely be trying to survive. We recommend you do this research now and not after the power grid goes down.
Birch bark is often called nature's gasoline because white papery bark has natural oils in it that will light even when wet. Resin soaked pine can also be used in a similar manner. You could look for the inner bark of fallen dead trees that is not wet. Or, you could just shave small curls into a stick without cutting them off to access the dryer wood underneath. Know your likely conditions, study them now, and practice often.
Cordage: Types and Applications in Survival Situations
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When we say cordage, we don't mean heavy bulky rope and nor do we mean a strand of fishing line. We're talking heavy duty paracord, Survivorcord, and other heavy duty options. You want something with a heavy breaking strength and not something that is going to snap like twine in the first storm you endure.
Bring as much as you can without overburdening your kit. You'll likely have to cut it at various times and so we recommend that you stick with the measure twice cut once approach. Don't cut it if you are not absolutely sure this is essential.
How Cordage Can Help Build Shelter, Traps and Tools
Good cord can help you accomplish a variety of survival functions. The first and foremost is that it can help you build shelter that will protect you from the elements. You can use it to make booby traps or snares in order to capture small game. You can use it to forge tools that will amplify its survival value.
You can use it to make a bow if that's all you have. You can use it to make a spear or fishing gig to collect food. You can use it to forge a makeshift ax or hammer with a rock. It's basically like the duct tape of survival. Meaning you can use it on anything and everything that you can imagine for a quick fix. It's a great piece of gear to meet multiple survival needs.
Making Cordage Using Natural Materials in the Wilderness
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This is where we are going to once again encourage you to do your research and practice now before the internet goes bye-bye forever. That's because you're going to be looking for the most suitable natural materials such as milkweed, dogbane, nettle, yucca and cattail. Vines and other roots can do as well.
You're going to want to dry and peel long strips, the longer the better from the materials. Next you're going to want to braid them together in a back and forth fashion in order to make 2 ply or 3 ply material. The stronger the better. This takes patience and time and it's best to practice before you're sitting in the freezing rain fighting for your life.
In addition to nature, you can find natural cordage in modern technology. If you are in and out of an abandoned rural environment, look for utility wire in large appliances or other technology that is now useless with the power gone. You can rip it out using basic tools and it's not that hard to find.
Cover: Protecting Yourself from the Elements
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The next thing you will need to survive is the ability to make cover from the elements. This could be short term or long term shelter. If you're planning and prepping, you're going to want to think about cover materials in terms of what is waterproof.
So let's think about a tarp, poncho, or other lightweight materials that can be used to keep out the water. It's also helpful if you find yourself having to lay on the cold ground. One tarp separating you from the cold ground is worth two tarps over your head.
Building a Shelter to Prevent Hypothermia and Maintain Core Temperature
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As with all the 5 categories, you're going to want to be able to utilize them in a hurry if needed. If you've got all summer to build a killer shelter, by all means, take advantage of the time and be constantly improving your position. However, you easily find yourself in a situation where you have to take refuge before sundown or before the rain and snow starts.
Protecting your body's core temperature will be the difference between life and death and it is not always going to be possible to have a fire set. Sleeping bags might also be a luxury in some scenarios. Identifying rocky outcrops or natural cover to serve overhead is a great option as that allows you to use your poncho for other means.
If you can find a way to keep your body off of the ground that's even better. If you want to practice, head out into your likely survival environment and practice building quick makeshift cover now.
Insulation Considerations for Different Weather Conditions
Finally, you'll give great consideration to insulation if you have time. There are plenty of nature's finest materials in the woods that can help you insulate your build. Remember to utilize as many daylight hours as you need to keep improving your position as midnight is a hell of time to wake up freezing as, at that point, your only reprieve is the dawn.
Dry leaves are everywhere in the forest and if that's all you have you can stuff them between two layers of sticks to help offer additional protection from wind and temperature. Moss is a great material that can be used on the ground, walls, and roofs.
Pine needles, bark sheets, mud and clay will do as well. You can even use ice and ice if it's present. Eskimos figured it out with igloos and you can learn how to wield it as well.
Container: The Often Overlooked Essential in Your Survival Kit
Image source: Harpy Eagle
Finally and often the most overlooked C of them all, let's talk about the container. You need something to hold stores of value in the survival world. Think water or food or simply using a sealed container to keep certain goods dry in the elements. However, the container itself has value as a tool if you choose the right option.
Stainless Steel Options for Boiling Water and Cooking
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Without a doubt, stainless steel is the best option for a survival container. That's because its versatility rests in what it can hold and what it can do itself. Your container makes a cooking vessel so that you can cook food directly inside over a fire.
You can also use it to boil water when purification is needed. Not to mention that it is lightweight, easy to carry and large enough to hold as much as possible.
A Summary of Survivability
We know that anyone can argue any position and add or detract from this as they see fit. However, we think the list is pretty solid and minimalist enough in nature to work if these 5 items were all you had.
There are countless cordages out there, find the right one for you. Decide for yourself what a quality knife looks like and grab the one that meets your needs. Discover which fire ignition device you look best and grab it.
This has to be your plan and the purpose of this article today was to serve as a guide along the way. Any plan or any kit isn't worth its weight in gold if you don't practice it and practice it often. We think Canterbury did a great job with his list and we'd be remiss if we didn't share it with you. We're going to keep showing up as much as we can to help you prepare for the day that most people dread. Keep prepping and keep training.
