The 6 “Unbreakable Laws Of Survival” You Need To Know

There are 6 survival laws that all preppers need to know. Every person has their own needs and wants. There is no “single solution” that will solve all your survival supplies preparedness problems. That being said, the 6 “Unbreakable Laws of Survival” are key if you want to survive any crisis.

You should consider the survival laws guidelines to create your own plan and consider them as the framework of your survival strategy. Learn these survival laws well and put them to good use and in a crisis. You'll have a much easier time than most.

The 6 “Unbreakable Laws of Survival” Every Prepper Should Know Before SHTF

Survival Law #1: Storing Water

Fact: Your body is made up of 60 percent water. Even losing a small amount without being able to replenish it can quickly become dangerous.

Water is the #1 priority. That's why it's one of the most important survival laws.

Don't drink just any water. Drinking dirty or contaminated fluids is not an option. With a little forethought, you'll never find yourself in that situation.

Imagine this: An earthquake or a massive storm hit your town hard and your water source is damaged or destroyed. Ask yourself: “Have I stored enough potable water to last my family for two weeks?”

A prepper sees the importance of having a water backup, and the task of storing water entails several considerations. You should have the knowledge, ability, and tools to filter your water.

Life in an urban or suburban environment does not afford an average Joe the means and opportunity to store as much water as you'll actually need. Space is a major concern since water can't be compressed or condensed. This is why planning is so important!

A good start is to identify the exact number of gallons of water you need. Remember that the average person consumes approximately a gallon of water every day. It may be more or less, depending on your activities. With that said, one gallon per person per day is a good baseline.

You might not drink that entire gallon of water, but you will need it for other activities like cleaning, cooking, and sanitation. The rule of thumb dictates that a family of 4 (2 kids and 2 adults) needs at least 4 gallons of water to last a day. This number is enough for your drinking and sanitation needs. You will have enough for flushing the toilet and even for taking care of your pets.

The next consideration is the number of days you will likely need an extra water supply. An average person can only last up to 3 days without water. You should start storing 3-day or 72-hour equivalent of water. You can store more if your finances (and space) allow for it. A good goal for your long-term storage is a one month's supply, but be sure to set milestones so you don't get overwhelmed. Start small. Try for 72 hours' worth, then work toward a week and finally a month. Over time, your stored water may become contaminated with dirt, dust, or worse.

Remember: Drinking dirty water is almost as bad as not drinking any water at all.

Luckily, you can boil, treat, or filter the water, and it should be safe. You can extend the life of your water by using preservatives and stabilizers. These chemicals can help your water stay potable for up to 5 years.

Ultimately you want to try and cycle through your water storage once every 6 months so just to keep it “fresh.” You also need to make sure that you use a clean and proper container for your storage. Never use milk or juice containers for long-term storage since the risk of contamination is too high. Stick to well-cleaned 2-liter bottles, air/watertight containers that have only ever held water in them, pre-bottled water, or drums made specifically for water storage. Make sure that you keep them out of the sun to avoid bacterial growth!

Once your water has sat for a long time, you may also run into an issue with “stale water,” where there is nothing wrong with it other than an “off” taste. This can be quickly and easily fixed by pouring the water between two glasses to aerate it (add oxygen) and improve the flavor.

Discover the water purification tool preppers can't stop talking about: the “Weird” blue tube that could save your life.

Survival Law #2: Storing Food

Compared to water storage, this survival law is far simpler and easier. You don’t have to store as much food as much as you need to stock up on water. In addition, the process of preparation in storing food is not as demanding. The trick is to just buy more of the usual food in your pantry.

When you go to the grocery store, get some extra pieces of your favorite canned food. If there are food items on sale, seize the opportunity to stock up. Food coupons are also a great way to stock up your storage. In other words, do whatever you can to bulk up your supply.

The key to a healthy diet is the balance, so when you are working on storing food, be sure to balance these macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Don’t limit your food choices to canned fruits. Obviously, fruits and vegetables are nutritious but they don’t have the energy that animal protein can easily provide. Whether you have tuna or chicken in cans, always think of a balanced diet.

In the event of a disaster survival, you will be doing more physical work and the protein found in canned meats will help give you the strength to keep going and keep moving. You need to be careful with the sodium because most canned meats have plenty of it. Same with canned soup. You will need to drink more water to counter the effects of too much sodium in your diet. Looking back at storing water, drinking more is not a good thing for your preparedness plan.

Always take your macronutrients (proteins, carbs, and fats) into account when stocking up your food supply. A jar of peanut butter, for instance, is a great source of fats. Actually, peanut butter can be considered the ultimate prepper food because it is rich in calories and is easy to store. When it comes to carbohydrates, brown rice is a good source.

Brown rice and peanut butter should not be the only foods in your storage. There are fruits, vegetables, eggs, and many more foods you should consider. Remember, balance is key. Avoid focusing your diet on just one macro. Even during downtimes or crises, you still need to ensure proper nutrition.

When the power grid fails during a disaster, you will be faced with the dilemma of which food to consume first. It’s simple, just start with the perishables or those that have a shorter shelf life, spoil or rot easily, and are usually stored in your fridge.

In case the gas lines are cut off, you need something to cook with. Having a gas grill, for example, will help a lot, so it’s important to keep some extra tanks if you can.

With all the food and water you've decided to store, you will have to find a place to keep them. The idea is to keep the storage items dry and cool in order to prevent them from spoiling. If you don’t have a secret room for your food and water, then look for a dark, cool, and strong part of the house. If your home has a staircase, use the space under the stairs for storage. Those who do not have stairs can use closets instead.

Survival Skill #3: Having Medical Supplies and Basic Medical Skills

Everyone must have a first aid kit in their supplies. But there’s also one more important factor to this survival law which is the four basic medical skills. Without the following 4 skills, your kit would be useless.

Creating an Open Airway and Confirming a Heartbeat

You need to know if the person’s heart is still beating and that he or she is breathing. If you think CPR is necessary then perform it.

A tourniquet will be the best solution in case there is heavy bleeding or trauma. A RATS tourniquet is one such medical tool and it is easy to put on with just one hand. An Israeli bandage or Quickclot combat gauze can also do the job. Add these to your first aid kit because they have plenty of uses. You never know when you’ll need them. They can save a life in times of disaster or emergency, maybe even yours.

Treating Minor Wounds

When you or a loved one suffers a minor wound, use a bandage and apply pressure on the affected area for about 10 minutes. The pressure and the bandage will work together to form a clot, stopping or minimizing the bleeding as a result. Make it a point to use running water to clean the wound, then dress it in sterile gauze, bandage, or band-aids.

Hygienic treatment is crucial to avoid worsening the scrape or cut. Otherwise, the wound can become a major injury. If you think the wound does not need stitching or hospitalization, you can stop infection with an antibiotic like Neosporin.

Treating Shock

Shock is experienced when your body does not get enough oxygen. This condition could lead to injury or illness, making immediate treatment crucial. A simple loss of body fluids may cause serious, irreversible damage to the body. Therefore, as part of prepping, make sure you have plenty of clean water to drink.

Shock can also be caused by heart disease, sudden intense emotions, intolerable pain, extreme fear, prolonged inactivity, unpleasant experience, and many others. Avoid or deal with these causes as much as possible.
If you observe shock in a family member or loved one, increase the blood flow to the heart, which can be done by elevating the feet.

Handling Broken Bones

Treating broken bones can be difficult and risky. When SHTF, paramedics may not be around. This is precisely the reason it is important to invest in first aid training. Do not move the person unless you know which part of their body is broken.

Learning these basic life skills is important. You never know when you need them, so take the time to learn and commit them to memory. Proper training will not only get you a certificate but also an assurance that you will know what to do when someone gets hurt.

Survival Law #4: Having Cash on Hand

Having extra funds is just as important as the other survival laws on this list. When everything collapses, you still need to buy food, water, medicine, and even gas for your car.

Make sure you have enough cash on hand to get you and your family through a week, at least. ATMs and even the internet can go down, so you can't depend on credit cards.

If you live near the border, it's a good idea to have some cash in the currency of your neighboring country. This way you have money that's ready to use in case you have to evacuate and cross the border.

On a side note, it's also wise to store some gold or silver in case the financial system collapses. However, to build up some of these investments, it would be wise to read through some valuable information on how to make the most of your investments.

Survival Law #5: Being Able to Secure your Home or Family

On any ordinary day, people go on with their lives without even noticing what is happening around them. They are generally nice and polite to one another. This situation may change when a disaster takes place. When supplies run out, people get hungry and desperate.

In the aftermath, law and order go out the window. You may no longer rely on law enforcers to keep the peace or deal with an intruder. Things will definitely get out of control. These conditions only mean one thing: you are left to your own devices.

It is every man for himself and in a lawless society, you need to defend your life and those of your loved ones against intruders who want what you have. You must defend your home, life, and property from these bad elements.

A confrontation is the last thing on your mind, but when cornered, you have to be ready to fight. Just like your first aid and medical skills, it is important to learn how to use a firearm responsibly and properly. Having a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun will not be enough. You have to know how to use a gun, shoot with precision, and maintain it.

After your firearms training, you'll be more proficient and most of all, confident that if and when the need arises, you are able to provide safety and security to your home and family.

Survival Law #6: Being Ready to Bug Out

The last of the survival laws is making sure you are ready to bug out. Leaving the safety, security, and supplies at home is not an easy thing to do. You and your family will have to go into a real survival scenario. No matter how difficult the future might seem, bugging out could be the only way for you to stay alive. This is the time when your survival skills will be put to the test.

As preppers, we need to learn all the survival skills that we can before any disaster comes. From the basic to the high-level ones, you will not regret all the time, money, and effort spent trying to learn them all. If possible, have your loved ones or family members get survival training as well.

If your finances permit, invest in a bugout cabin. It doesn’t have to have all the amenities that your home does. Just stock up on the necessary supplies like food, water, and meds. This way you’ll have another safe place to stay, a second home. The location would be crucial, among other things so you will need to put a lot of thought and research on a bugout cabin.

The simplest way to make life easier if and when you bug out is to have a go bag. It contains necessary tools and materials to help you get through 3 days of wilderness survival. Try to prepare a bug out bag for each member of the family. Then you can rest easy knowing you're prepared for emergencies.

Here's a video by AsapSCIENCE about what will happen if you stop drinking water:

You never know when a survival situation will occur. It's best to stay prepared at all times to guarantee you and your family's survival. You can't spend every waking moment prepping and stocking, but you should prioritize these 6 survival laws. Make them an integral part of your prepping for better chances of getting through the ordeal when SHTF!

What can you say about these laws of survival? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on February 8, 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.