So on your survival learning journey I'm sure you have heard of the "rule of 3's.
3 minutes without air
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
Now while this is a good (bust grossly oversimplified) rule to go by I am going to delve a bit deeper into this mantra. There are a number of different factors and variables that can play into this and they will change depending on where you are, what time of year it is, the means on how you ended up in the situation etc..
so lets start at the beginning from what in my opinion should be the hierarchy of survival.
3 minutes without air is quite obviously one of the highest on that list but I'm going to add that any life threatening injury (i.e. major bleeds, anaphylaxis, complicated fractures, impaling's). should be addressed first before moving on to anything else in the hierarchy.
Now I am going to put in a conditional rule in here and that is -
3 hours without shelter.
I say that this one is conditional because it has to do with the weather/ temperature in where you find yourself. Now where I come from in Australia (the southwest of Western Australia) we don't really get the temperature extremes that we see in other parts of Australia. we do get the occasional cold front with temperatures seen at 0 degrees Celsius but that's about it. Now if you were to head to some other parts of the country for example up north or in the red center where the temperature can get as high as 50 degrees Celsius or in Tasmania where temperatures can drop to -12 degrees Celsius this rule can come into play.
temperature injuries such as heatstroke and hypothermia can set in very quickly and within hours you may find yourself completely incapacitated.
3 days without water is the general rule for the average person not doing any strenuous activity. The amount of time one can go without water will vary, if you are sweating or eating that time will can become significantly shorter. In saying that you shouldn't go into a situation thinking that you have that time as in one of my other blog posts "Stay Hydrated" being without water will very quickly affect cognitive function, So if you find yourself in a situation where you don't have water you need to ration your sweat and refrain from eating large meals until you secure a water source.
3 days without food seems pretty simple doesn't it?? Well it is but it isn't, for instance you can still starve to death while eating nothing but rabbit meat every day as rabbits are very lean and do not have enough of the fats that we require. Same as if you were to only eat plants, your body would become deficient in the proteins and fats we get from animals. Although it will prolong your survival there come a point that your body will enter starvation mode if you do not consume at least 1200 calories per day.
I am not saying don't eat one or the other or not to eat something in particular, what I am saying is that when it comes to food your diet needs to be varied. When catching and eating game don't just eat the meat, find the areas that have high fat contents (i.e. the brain, organs, lips) and be sure to eat them as well.
The last one I will add on the Hierarchy is more of a footnote and that is
3 seconds without hope
Now the reason I have placed this in the list is that hope and the will to keep going is one of the most important aspects in survival.
Having the mental fortitude to deal with a survival situation in the face of what will seem like hopelessness is a very tough skill to master, Even the most skilled outdoorsman can be undone by the loss of willpower. you can read more about the mental side of things in another of my blog posts "The Importance Of Keeping a Positive Mental Attitude".
That is my expanded understanding of the survival rule of 3's. I value feedback so if you think I have missed anything please feel free to comment
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