is one of the most relevant and interesting of the vast library of military field manuals. It is a multiservice manual, meant to provide tactics and techniques for service personnel who find themselves stranded far from help, deep behind enemy lines or in other similar situations. This field manual isn't just for soldiers, though -- much of the book's content can be applied to a survival, evasion or bug out situation.
This manual has great sections on navigation, first aid, evasion, and general survival basics -- shelter, fire, water and food. One of my favorite parts of the book is contained up front - it's a basic three-stage plan of action for a survival/evasion scenario. While it's geared towards a behind enemy lines type, this plan but can be applied to any survival, disaster or bugout scenario. Here's the steps, as I see 'em.
1. Ensure immediate safety.
Take measures to get yourself and others out of immediate danger. Assess the immediate situation. Treat any urgent injuries. Retrieve gear, and, if evading enemy, move to a place of concealment and apply camouflage as able. Then seek a hole-up site or place of safety to do a more thorough assessment/planning.
Note: Bugging out to a hole-up site is wise for military personnel, who may have been in a crash or accident which is likely to draw enemy attention and inspection. If you're not under threat of enemy attack and the immediate area is safe, you may not need to leave the area for assessment/planning.
2. Hole-up, assess and plan.
The hole-up site is a safe area, away from the initial disaster area, out of immediate danger and where you can safely lay low, take a breather and think. After catching your breath, do a thorough assessment of the situation, your health, your gear on hand and determine your location. Set priorities for survival and develop a plan of action.
3. Execute plan.
When it is safe to do so, put the plan into motion -- bug out, gather resources for survival, stay put and hide out, attempt to communicate with help -- whatever the plan is. Adjust as needed.
Simple but essential.
It's fairly basic, but it works. If you pay attention, Dave and Cody follow these basic steps at the beginning of every episode of Dual Survival. Get out of trouble, assess/plan and then execute.
Simple, right? It is, but you've got to be able to stay calm, keep your wits about you, realistically assess the situation and develop a plan to save your life and the lives of anyone else depending on you. Many, many people find themselves in survival situations and forget all about that basic, simple stuff. They panic, they don't come up with a plan, they lie to themselves or deny the reality of the situation they're facing. They freeze up, mistakes, do stupid things and many end up dead.
So remember. Get out of and away from immediate danger. Get somewhere you can safely take a breather. Assess and plan. And then execute.
