Lost in the bush? These survival tips from survivalist Outback Mike might just save you.

 

We Are Explorers acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Countries on which these adventures take place who have occupied and cared for these lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

 

 

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Survival Tips From Alone Australia’s Outback Mike

I first found myself in a survival scenario when I was 18. I had just joined the Air Force and they sprung a survival exercise on us without warning. Only one person in our group had a multitool on them when we were hustled onto a Unimog truck and dropped on the remote west coast of the Northern Territory.

That tool became our team’s most valuable possession. I wished like mad that I’d brought my own, and from then on vowed to carry a knife or multitool at all times in the bush. The point is, preparing for the unexpected greatly increases your chance of success.

My first two survival tips revolve around everyday decisions you can make to boost your survival chances when you head out bush.

 

1. Have Useful Stuff on You

These days a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) or satellite messenger gives you the option to call for help whenever you need it, regardless of the situation. Seriously consider getting one and having it with you.

Read more: PLBs and Satellite Messengers – Everything You Need to Know About Off-Grid Safety

The quickest and easiest way to light a fire is with a cigarette lighter. The more experience you have lighting fires without matches the more you realise how it’s easier to just carry a lighter in your pocket. I stash them everywhere, in my car, daypacks, camera bags, pockets. They’re gold.

Solar phone chargers are great too. Most people carry a phone on them these days, they’re incredibly useful (mapping apps, torch, information) even if there’s no mobile coverage. A solar phone charger keeps the tool alive.

A watch is an important asset too. Aside from telling time, watches like the G-SHOCK RANGEMAN have a suite of functions that can help in a survival situation when your phone doesn’t cut the mustard.

 

This mustard watch does, in fact, cut the mustard

 

Before going on Alone Australia I replaced my bootlaces with paracord. This gave me four extra metres of versatile cordage which I unravelled into 22 separate strands to make a fish net (I replaced my laces with the outer sheath).

Multiple-use items like this don’t impinge on the usability of your everyday gear so you may as well incorporate them.

Read more: Alone Australia Season 2 – Everything You Need To Know

2. Have Tough Back-Up Equipment

Even if you’re lost, it’s important to remain oriented with your initial position so you can make your way back if needed. This can be easier said than done. I was hiking in Lamington National Park recently and the rainforest was so thick I couldn’t navigate using the sun.

 

Dappled light wasn’t gonna help me track the sun, so I’m glad I had some back-up tools

 

Unlike a migrating seabird, my brain doesn’t have an inbuilt compass, so it was nearly impossible to maintain orientation. That’s why having a watch like a G-SHOCK RANGEMAN is a serious bonus in survival situations because it has an inbuilt compass.

I could also monitor how far I travelled with the inbuilt GPS. This combination greatly improved my navigation ability. There are other scenarios too, like alpine whiteouts, overcast skies, or when the sun is directly overhead, where it’s very hard to get by without a compass.

The RANGEMAN doesn’t have the ability to provide directional guidance to a waypoint, which would simplify navigation even further, but it does have other useful survival features such an almanack (sunrise and sunset times, and moon age), tide graph, and altimeter.

 

It was very handy to get this info in dense rainforest

 

Having a rugged and waterproof watch is important and this one certainly ticks that box. A bonus I wasn’t expecting was its ability to recharge from the sun via a solar panel in the watch face. This is a major advantage over other power-hungry smart watches that I don’t consider suitable for survival because they go flat so quickly.

3. Don’t Wear Gucci

Remembering survival tips is so important because no one plans to get lost. It’s usually a complete surprise resulting from unforeseen circumstances. When you do find yourself up that well-known creek without a paddle you quickly regret wearing impractical shoes, short shorts, and a white jumper.

You don’t have to go over the top. Just gravitate toward certain fabrics and choose versatile designs that increase your survival chances.

Avoid cotton clothing in cold and wet areas as a general rule. Cotton is a vegetable fibre so it hangs on to moisture for its own survival. When you sweat or it rains, you’ll stay cold and wet for a long time. Cotton can literally kill you.

 

You wouldn’t do this wearing cotton

 

Wool, particularly merino, is better. It evolved to keep sheep warm, even when wet.

Synthetic fabrics have similar properties although they allow bacteria to propagate quickly so they stink up quickly. Not your biggest concern in a survival situation but it can stop you wearing them in the first place.

Versatile tops like long-sleeve hoodies protect your upper body from biting insects and harsh sun and the hood works as a beanie. It can be pulled over your face if you’re sleeping rough in mosquito-infested areas. I prefer tops with a full zip so I can regulate my body temperature.

 

Humid rainforest areas (like this one in QLD) contain stinging nettles e.g. the infamous Gympie gympie. So it’s a good idea to wear protective pants

 

If things get really spicy you can zip another person in against your body while spooning your way through a cold night (been there, done that – for body warmth purposes only, of course – minds out of the gutter people!). Long pants are a good idea too (like those that can zip off into shorts). Basically, you want the option to be able cover every inch of skin for warmth and protection.

4. Boil the Billy

When you find yourself in that pickle you’ve always dreaded, fear and shame can cloud your mind, but there are many practical matters to consider. Unless there’s an urgent need to act quickly, it’s better to take your time when deciding what to do. Not all survival tips involve a knife and rapid action, slowing down can be just as useful.

Boots = off

Strategising = on

That’s why ‘boiling the billy’, literally or metaphorically, is a good first step. Many plans, once executed, cannot be reversed so take your time and choose well.

Knowing sunrise and sunset times, moon phase, and tide data can make or break your ability to plan properly. The G-SHOCK RANGEMAN gives you that data.

Read more: A Beginner’s Guide To Map & Compass Navigation

 

Compact, multi-use, and hardy – making them excellent survival tools to bring on an adventure

5. Take Stock of What You Have

Empty your pockets, go through every nook and cranny of your daypack, and dive into every compartment of your car in a remote breakdown situation. Hidden gems like cigarette lighters, stale muesli bars, and safety pins may miraculously appear.

Analyse the capabilities of your equipment too. Do you have a phone? Is it an iPhone 14 or later? If so, use the SOS function to call for help via the satellite (yep it works; check out my YouTube video on it).

Read more: The iPhone 14 Can Now Contact Emergency Services Via Satellite in Aus & NZ

 

Sometimes the most unassuming item you brought could be the most helpful

 

Should I stay or should I go?

The old adage ‘stay with your vehicle’ is a good one, although I hate hard and fast rules! The benefit is that vehicles are easier to spot by search parties than single people (as a former Army reconnaissance helicopter pilot I can vouch for that). Stranded vehicles are often in more obvious places where rescuers might logically look. If you disappear into the bush the guessing game gets much harder.

Having said that, survivors such as Ernest Shackleton and his team would have perished if they’d stayed put. Each situation is different but if you’re in two minds you’re probably better off not striking out on a self-rescue mission unless it really does seem like the best option.

6. Window Shop

I hate big shopping malls. On the rare occasion I’m dragged into one I bumble along without noticing much and daydream constantly. If you find yourself lost in the bush, particularly an unfamiliar bush, don’t be like me in a shopping centre.

Look around, near and far, up and down. Study the trees, grass, rocks, water, and the sky.

Read more: We Spoke to Explorers About Getting Lost in the Bush

 

Be keenly observant of your surroundings

 

Aside from spotting man-made clues that could expedite escape, you’ll likely notice details that can aid your survival. ‘Are those goanna tracks up that tree? Is that fresh logging tape? How did the loggers get access? Maybe there’s a track on that ridge?’ Aboriginal people miss very little in the bush because they observe constantly. I try to follow their lead.

Read more: Here’s Where You Can Find Aboriginal Cultural Tours in Australia

7. Look Behind You

When moving through unfamiliar country, particularly when cresting hills or turning corners, I look behind myself to take in the reverse view. It helps if I have to backtrack along my route later. Survival situations are often unpredictable which leads to more back-tracking than you might expect, it’s important that you can recognise where you’ve been.

 

‘Don’t look back’ survival tips are wrong when you’re lost

8. Stay Positive

The single most important point hammered home on survival courses is that you must maintain a positive mental attitude. It’s easy to panic or get gloomy, especially after a few days have passed.

A positive note on this trip?

I have a tent instead of a tarp to sleep in

Having completed multiple solo survival expeditions that dragged on for months, the best method I’ve found is to compare my situation with others who have done it harder. Soldiers who fought at Gallipoli and Aboriginal people during the frontier wars come to mind; these poor souls experienced far greater hardship, danger, and stress than anything I’m going through.

Downplaying the difficulty of your own situation by comparing it to others helps you to stay positive and think ‘Oh well, this sucks, but it’s not as bad as that’.

 

 

So which of these survival tips is the most important? Have a guess before checking the answer in tiny font at the bottom right of this article. If you forget the other survival tips, at least remember this one. It can make the difference between life and death.

The last tip is the most important!

If You Like Talking Survival Tips, You’ll Love Alone Australia

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