The Priorities of Survival: What to Do First

The Rule of 3s: A Survival Framework

A widely recognized principle in survival training, the Rule of 3s, provides a clear framework for prioritizing survival tasks. Used by both military and civilian organizations, this rule highlights the critical timelines of human survival:

• 3 Minutes Without Air: If you can’t breathe or are bleeding heavily, you only have minutes to act.
• 3 Hours Without Shelter: In extreme temperatures, exposure can kill in hours.
• 3 Days Without Water: Dehydration becomes life-threatening after a few days.
• 3 Weeks Without Food: While hunger is debilitating, the body can endure weeks without food.

This hierarchy ensures that you focus on the tasks most likely to save your life first. Priorities can sometimes be addressed simultaneously, depending on your condition, environment, and available resources, but the order generally should not change.

The Most Common Survival Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes untrained individuals make is misplacing priorities—often focusing too much on finding food while neglecting immediate needs like shelter and water.

This tendency stems from how the human brain works. We crave short-term rewards, like the satisfaction of eating, over long-term benefits, such as constructing a shelter to protect from hypothermia. Shows and media also perpetuate this myth by emphasizing hunting and foraging for entertainment value, rather than adhering to best practices.

Breaking Down the Priorities

1. Air and Immediate Safety

Before anything else, ensure you can breathe and address life-threatening injuries. This includes clearing airways, stopping severe bleeding, or removing yourself from immediate danger. Without this, survival is impossible.

2. Shelter and Protection from Exposure

Exposure to extreme temperatures is a leading cause of death in survival scenarios. Shelter doesn’t just mean a roof—it can include appropriate clothing, fire for warmth, or finding shade to avoid heatstroke. Take the environment into account and act swiftly.

Tips:

• Use natural materials like branches, leaves, or snow for insulation.
• If possible, find or build a windbreak.

3. Water

Dehydration sets in quickly and can impair your ability to think and act. Finding and purifying water is critical to survival.

Tips:

• Collect rainwater, use condensation traps, or look for streams.
• Always purify water using filtration, boiling, or chemical treatments.

4. Food

While hunger is uncomfortable, it’s a lower priority than the other needs. However, once shelter and water are secured, seeking food becomes important for energy and morale.

Tips:

• Learn to identify local edible plants.
• Create simple traps or snares if permitted by law.

The Problem with Survival Myths

Much of what is shown on reality TV creates misconceptions about survival. Hunting or scavenging for food often takes center stage because it looks exciting, but this is not the reality of most survival scenarios. Instead, focus on securing shelter and water first, which provide the foundation for long-term survival.

Thrive, Don’t Just Survive

Survival is about addressing immediate needs, but thriving takes it a step further. To thrive, you must plan for your future and embrace a proactive mindset. This means not only building skills to handle crises but also learning to live harmoniously with nature.

At Godspeed Survival, we offer resources and tools to help you achieve both survival and self-sufficiency. Our paid membership creates a safe space for members to share their journeys and learn from each other, building confidence and knowledge for any situation.