Sometimes we take for granted this apparent safety around us. We fall into a routine and follow a similar pattern day after day. Nothing terrible happened yesterday so why should I expect it to happen today? On the other hand, some of us feel like we are under constant threat. We have high blood pressure from jumping at every unidentified sound and wondering when the apocalypse will begin.
For those of us in the first scenario, you never know when disaster may strike. In fact, it’s likely to strike at the least expected time, if Murphy’s Law has anything to say about it. If you haven’t considered this and haven’t prepared ahead of time, it may be too late by the time you realize you should have.
For those of us in the second scenario, I have a similar message. Not only will being prepared possibly help you, a loved one, or a stranger some day, it may also improve your quality of life! Being ready for a grid collapse, a mugging, a pandemic, etc. will make you more confident and calm. This in turn may reduce that high blood pressure, help you sleep through a stormy night without crawling under your bed, and function better overall.
This is why I compiled some mnemonics related to survival and self-reliance. Mnemonics are used to help you remember information easier. This is, of course, no replacement for actual training with a professional and it is not meant to be comprehensive. I compiled this information from many websites and books as well as some life experience. I hope that it will be a good first step or a continuation on your path to being better prepared to handle what life throws at you
I’ll throw in some links when possible and I encourage you to check them out if you want to delve into this a bit deeper. Most info set just underneath a link is copied directly and is not my own work. Also, many of these mnemonics are well known and may also not be the original work of the source I cite.
1 – Survival Acronyms
Survivalists, preppers, militaries, etc. often use mnemonics that refer to life-altering, or world-altering events. Here’s a list that I see used frequently and that you will probably see or hear used on survivalist and prepper sites, war movies, zombie films, etc.
SHTF – Shit Hits The Fan
TEOTWAKI – The End Of The World As We Know It
GOOD – Get Out Of Dodge. It means to get out of a bad or dangerous situation.
WROL – Without Rule Of Law. A situation where the police and other institutional bodies have lost the ability to uphold the law. This breakdown can happen after major catastrophes.
SOL – Shit Out Of Luck. This boils down to being in a helpless or seemingly helpless situation.
YOYO – You’re On Your Own.
FUBAR – Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition.
2 – Stay Calm
When a disaster occurs, people tend to lose their wits and panic. DON’T. Remember these mnemonics and stay calm when the SHTF.
–Survival
S – Size up the Situation (surroundings, equipment, physical condition).
U – Undue Haste Makes Waste and Use Your Senses.
R – Remember Where You Are.
V – Vanquish Panic and Fear.
I – Improvise.
V – Value Life.
A – Act like the Natives.
L – Live by Your Wits or Learn Basic Skills.
by Bear Grylls
Please – Remember – What’s – First
Protection – Rescue – Water – Food
from Woodland Woman
Go slow to go fast
“When crisis hits and adrenaline is pumping, it’s difficult to make clear decisions. Panicking and rushing around can lead to injury and make a dangerous situation worse. Take your time, assess your circumstances, and go slow.”
3 – The Rule Of Threes
A human can survive for 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, and 3 minutes without air. There are many variables to consider, but this is a well-used general rule.
4 – Surviving the Elements
from Woodland Woman
Be bold. Go cold.
“In cold weather, sweating from exercise can lead to hypothermia. By beginning outdoor activities with fewer layers, and adding layers as we need them, we reduce the risk of overheating, sweating, and hypothermia.”
by Bear Grylls
–Cold
Clean — Dirt and grease make clothing lose its insulating quality
Overheating — Sweat means wet, and damp clothes reduce your body temperature
Loose and layers — Air pockets between your clothes act as an insulator
Dry — Wet clothes, especially wet socks, will kill you
“If you have to cross a frozen lake or river, remember, thick and blue equals tried and true; thin and crispy, way too risky.”
5 – Plants
In a survival, off-grid, or basic hiking situation, you may want to know about the local plants that are edible, medicinal, useful for construction, or poisonous. This knowledge could be the difference between life and death or perhaps a very nasty rash.
Hairy rope, don’t be a dope. Hairy vine, no friend of mine
This refers to poison ivy and poison oak, which can produce a very uncomfortable rash if you touch it. It can be found growing in a herbaceous way, as a small bush, or vining its way up trees and rocks. You won’t always see the hairy part of it, but this mnemonic may keep you from itching and burning for weeks.
Leaves of three, let it be.
This one also refers to poison ivy and poison oak. The leaflets grow in threes with the outer two directly connected to the stem and the middle one being slightly offset by its own stem or “petiole”. Don’t take chances.
Be humble around umbels
An umbel is a cluster of flowers that attach to a single point. Many of these are in the carrot family and can cause photosensitivity by simply touching them. This means that the sun will burn your skin much quicker than normal. Others are extremely deadly if eaten. Queen Anne’s Lace, or wild carrot, can cause photosensitivity but poison hemlock, water hemlock, wild parsnip, and others are some of the most poisonous plants out there. Do not eat anything resembling a carrot unless you are 100% sure that it is safe.
from Woodland Woman
Berry white, take flight.
“Almost all white berries are poisonous. There are very few exceptions, so don’t eat them.”
6 – Animals
If you like to live off-grid or spend a lot of time in nature, it is essential that you understand some of the dangerous animal life that could cross your path. After a TEOTWAWKI event, chances are high that animals will multiply and roam much more than they do today, taking over the near-empty cities. It’ll pay off either way to know about some of the creatures you might experience.
Red on yellow, you’re a dead fellow. Red on black, you’re safe Jack.
There are multiple other versions of this one so just use whatever you can remember. This one refers to coral snakes, a brightly banded, beautiful, and deadly poisonous snake. Scarlet king snakes look similar and this mnemonic can help you tell them apart. The kingsnake is not poisonous, but, better not to risk messing with any snake you can’t 100% identify as safe.
from Woodland Woman
Black fight back. Brown go down.
“If a black bear attacks you, fight for your life. If a brown bear attacks you, play dead. When playing dead, leave your backpack on, lay on your stomach, cover your neck with your hands and spread your legs to prevent being flipped over. After the attack, stay still until you are certain the bear has left the area.”
7 – Medicine, First Aid
You may find yourself in a situation where either you or somebody with you gets injured, sick, poisoned, has a heart attack, etc. You cannot be so sure that there will be a trained medical professional nearby or anywhere that you can head to find one. Knowing the following mnemonics might just save a life.
from Scouting Magazine
“Face is red, raise the head. Face is pale, raise the tail”
This is a mnemonic to remember when dealing with people experiencing shock.
Warning signs of a stroke
–Fast
Face – One side of smile droops.
Arms – Do they have equal strength?
Speech – Is it slurred?
Time – If you observe these, get them to a hospital quick.
“Hot and dry, sugar high. Cold and clammy, need some candy.”
Remember this when dealing with hyper/hypoglycemia (blood sugar).
Signs of dehydration
“No spit, no sweat, no need to go? Fix it all with H2O!”
Treating Strains
–Rice
Rest: The patient should rest the injured area. Have him or her avoid movement that causes pain.
Immobilize the injured area. Immobilization can lessen pain and prevent further damage.
Cold: Apply cold to the injured area. Applying ice or a cold pack can help reduce swelling and ease pain.
Elevate the injured area above heart level to reduce swelling. Serious injuries to the limbs may preclude this.
8 – Conclusion
I hope that this article was helpful or at least interesting to you. I encourage you to check out some of the links for further information. Note that I am not affiliated with any of the sources and won’t vouch for everything you find there, but I personally found them very useful.
If you know any other great survival/self-reliance mnemonics then please share them in the comments section. Any new links would be welcomed too. Bye for now, stay safe, be prepared, never stop learning!