Want to know how a knife can save your life in a survival situation? If all you have in the wilderness is a knife and you know what to do, you'll make it if you know the ways a knife can save your life!
Learn The Ways A Knife Can Save Your Life
Imagine yourself in a situation where you're in the wilderness and all you have is a knife to survive. I hope not but just in case you do, it's very important that you know what to do to survive. As a farm girl, I see to it that I always have a knife on hand and know what to do with it. Don't find yourself overwhelmed and clueless in an emergency or survival situation, but gear up to survive. Follow this list here to learn how a knife can save your life in an emergency or survival situation.
Before we get started, it's always best to have the best knife handy as much as possible. So why not check out these tips first on how to choose your survival knife.
1. Self-Defense
You may not want to but you have to consider, a knife was invented primarily as a weapon. It is to your benefit indeed, to know how to use it to defend yourself from animals and people alike. You can find pointers on choosing a self-defense knife here.
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2. Hunting
When you're out in the wild in a survival situation, getting food is one of your top priorities. Whether foraging for edibles or hunting for fish or game, a knife can do a good job at it. You can use your knife as a hunting tool by attaching it to a pole or long stick to use as a spear.
You may also like: Knife Attack Self Defense Myths
3. Dressing Game
After you successful hunt, the next step is to skin or gut your catch and what better tool to use than your knife! Most fish have gills and fins too sharp and thick for your hands to handle so let a knife do the job and avoid injuring your hands.
4. Splitting Wood
Yes, your knife can split thick chunks of wood if you know the technique. Make a wedge in the wood and lodge the sharp edge of the knife safely in with your hands on the handle. Use another thick piece of wood and use it as a baton to drive the knife deep and split the wood.
5. Making Fire
Now that you have wood, the next step for your survival is to make fire. In case you don't have any fire starters, your knife can work wonders in this area. Making a feather stick can help you build fire faster and effectively. Use your knife to split the wood into smaller pieces, then make shavings to make thinner wood strips.
6. Opening Cans And Shells
Okay, so you were able to bring some canned goods, but you forgot the can opener. Don't fret, a knife can be your substitute! You can also use your knife to pry other things open, like shells.
7. Tool Making
A knife is a tool in itself but when you need other tools for your survival, you can surely use it to make some stakes, spears, snares, fish hooks and others.
8. Making Or Cutting Rope
It's easy cutting rope or anything when you have a knife but to make a rope? Out in the wilderness, rope making with the aid of a knife is vital. Strip large bark off a tree and split it into thin strips, then weave it to make your rope stronger.
9. Rescue Tool
While you see movie heroes breaking through glass with their own body or hands, you would do well to avoid it in real life. If you find yourself or someone trapped in a car or a building, you can use your knife to break a window or get the person out of the car by cutting through their seat belt.
10. All Around Emergency Tool
A knife is an ideal tool for prying things open like sea shells, cans, boxes as well as turning screws in your other tools. It can also be used to make strips from your garments to make bandages or to modify your clothes.
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11. Clearing A Path
The wilderness doesn't always have a ready-made trail for you. Knives can be really handy to clear a path and make sure you get across safely. While a machete is perfect for this job, a knife can still do a decent job of it.
12. First Aid
When a medical emergency arises, your knife can be very handy for first aid. It's perfect for tearing apart bandages or getting foreign objects out of a wound. Make sure you've got your knife cleaned and sterilized to avoid further medical emergencies.
13. Signaling Device
A shiny knife can be used to signal your location so always keep it clean and sharp. Use its surface to reflect the sun or light to alert rescuers to your position. To sharpen your knife, use hard surfaces and friction or any of these ways to sharpen a knife.
14. Digging Tool
If you have a sturdy knife, you can definitely use it as a digging tool. You can use it to dig small holes to dispose of waste, build a fire bit, or even dig for root crops for food.
15. Shelter Making
Making a shelter before dark should be one of the first things to do if left defenseless in the wild. A knife will definitely be handy for this job, and you can learn how to build a survival debris hut here!
Watch how to build a makeshift shelter with a knife in this video:
Don't find yourself in a survival situation without a fighting chance. These simple tips and tricks with a knife can spell the difference between survival and demise for you. Be the ultimate survivor and learn how a knife can save your life!
Got a pretty good idea now how a knife can save your life in a desperate situation? Let us know what you think below in the comments!
Find yourself yet without a knife? Learn how to make a knife in a survival situation here.
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This post was originally published in April 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
My all time favorite is still the Kabar 1211. Been around since before WWII and gets the job done. Also like Kershaw folders.
Of everything you can use a knife for in a survival situation, it never crossed my mind to use the blade as a signaling tool to reflect light to catch attention. I would think, though, it requires a blade that is polished metal instead of the type that has a powder coating of black or camo on it. But I bet with a little stone action, you could probably peal that coating off if needed. Thanks!