Field notes

Survival Guide

Practical how-to notes on the same skills and environments as the PSR quiz — methods, materials, energy cost and region fit.

Educational reference only. Not a substitute for qualified, hands-on instruction. Practise where legal and safe.

First 72 hours

A Rule-of-Threes reading path: fire and shelter first, then water, then signalling for rescue.

Deep dives that match the calculator’s skill questions.

Primitive fire by friction and percussion: materials, steps, calorie cost and what fails in wet jungle vs dry desert.

Find, collect and treat water with primitive and field methods; know what fails in desert vs swamp.

Stop heat loss fast with debris huts, lean-tos and terrain-based shelters matched to your biome.

Prioritise calories and safety: foraging rules, fishing, and why most trapping fails beginners.

Stop major bleeding, manage heat and cold, and decide when to stay put versus move.

Stay oriented, travel efficiently, and make yourself findable with signals that work.

What fails first in each biome — and which methods win.

Temperate woods offer materials if you manage moisture: debris huts, bow drill sets, seeps and clear terrain handrails.

Moisture and insects dominate. Raise your sleep platform, favour bamboo fire methods, and treat every cut as an infection risk.

Day heat and night cold both kill—water, shade and smart travel windows come first.

Weather and exposure rule the high country. Windbreaks, honest turnaround times and ridge handrails matter more than foraging.

Cold is the clock. Stay dry, dig into snow for windproof shelter, and never waste calories on doomed friction fire without fuel.

Tides and weather rule the shore. Camp above the high line, hunt fresh water inland, and signal where boats and planes can see you.