13 Frontier survival tips you should know

09/29/2021 / By Divina Ramirez

Pioneers, frontiersmen and longhunters are not just fictitious characters of books and movies. These were real-life ancestors of millions of people around the world. They lived in the great outdoors by their own means thanks to the many skills they learned – skills that still prove to be valuable hundreds of years later.

Today, even seasoned preppers can learn a thing or two from frontier survivalists who kept themselves alive in the great outdoors without relying on the latest survival gear or high-tech gizmo.

Here are a few frontier survival tips you should know. (h/t to UrbanSurvivalSite.com)

Know where to find water – Studies have shown that people can survive for months without food but only for days without water. But people were well-aware of the importance of water even in the Old West. Cattlemen driving their herds had to know where to find water lest they lose animals to dehydration. In a wilderness survival situation, prioritize finding a source of water.
Share information on trails, watering holes and campsites – In the Old West, cowboys typically drifted from one place to another and, as such, had an encyclopedic knowledge of where to find trails, water and campsites. Today’s preppers are quite poor at sharing that kind of information with each other simply because it isn’t common practice. However, such information could save other preppers’ lives and increase their chance of survival in the wild.
Stake a claim on water – Ranchers used to control thousands of acres of land by staking claims on the land where the watering holes were. The lesson here is to make water a priority. If you don’t have a nearby body of water on your homestead, drill a well, build a pond or make a rainwater collection system.
Carry a gun and know how to use it – Guns were necessities in the American frontier, where horses, cattle and other wild creatures posed a threat to your life more than outlaws did. While it’s unlikely you’ll find yourself in a pistol duel these days, a gun is still a valuable self-defense tool to have in an emergency survival situation. Take the time to practice how to use your gun and hone your marksmanship skills.
Be aware of your surroundings – Pioneers were no strangers to outlaws sneaking up on them on the road. They were just another threat to be wary of, along with wild animals like snakes. Preparing for dangers you may encounter is still very much relevant today. Neglecting to do so can put you at risk of accidents that could have been avoided.
Don’t cross open ground without looking ahead – Pioneers often scouted ahead when traveling to seek out possible danger. Spotting potential signs of danger was essential to avoiding attacks or accidents when traveling. Preppers could learn a thing or two from this when bugging out.
Make sure to have access to resources – Fuel to keep a fire going was just as important as water for the pioneers. Most people back then also had a small garden to augment the food they bought from the store and the meat gained from hunting. Today, resources can also come in the form of a stockpile, which ideally includes foods meant for long-term storage, such as dried and pickled foods. Having a stockpile ensures you’ll be fine even if a shortage occurs.
Know how to start a fire – Fire provides a source of warmth, protection from predators and a method for cooking food. As such, pioneers would usually carry a tinderbox – which contained flint, steel and dry tinder – with them so that they could easily start a fire wherever they went. Today, fire starter kits allow preppers to do the same.
Stop long before sundown to make camp – Don’t wait until the sun goes down to set up camp. In the Old West, traveling pioneers knew the importance of stopping well before sundown to make camp. When they stopped, everyone went about doing their own tasks, such as starting a fire and hauling water. The timing was crucial because they had to make camp while they still had light to see.
Never stop collecting resources – Pioneers would often have a piece of canvas slung underneath the bed of their wagons. This canvas was for storing firewood they picked up along the way while traveling. That way, they didn’t have to collect firewood when they made camp. The lesson here for preppers is to be resourceful in the wild. Don’t ignore items that may later prove to be valuable.
Make good use of time – Pioneers were always doing something because they understood the value of time. For instance, they would skin the animals they hunted while walking or riding back to camp. In a survival situation, you can make good use of your time by foraging for food, hauling water or sorting your provisions.
Store enough food – Pioneering families made extensive use of root cellars, silos and smokehouses for storing foods to last them until the next year’s harvest. This is where the idea of building a stockpile came from. In a survival situation, having a stockpile ensures you won’t go hungry. (Related: 8 Must-have foods for your survival stockpile.)
Use everything – Pioneers used everything and wasted nothing. Flour sacks were repurposed as towels and barrels doubled as chairs. This attitude of resourcefulness is part and parcel of being a prepper. You can only bring so much gear when you’re bugging out, so you have to know how to reuse items or make tools using only what you have and what you can collect from your surroundings.