The Rule of 3's

 

Alberta Rockies near Willow Valley (Photo by V.A. McMillan)

Poster created by V.A. McMillan using a PowerPoint background stock image

The Rule of 3’s has been with me for so long I forget where I first learned them, and I forget not everyone has ever heard of them. So, to help correct this latter issue, I will post my understanding and significance of The Rule of 3’s.

If you have heard of the WILL TO SURVIVE, then you will understand the first Rule of 3’s – You can survive 3-seconds without HOPE. If you are existing in a place, time, or headspace where you cannot see a positive outcome your likelihood of survival drops radically. You can get bummed out or suffer a moment of despair and that is normal. However, if you descend into a pit or well of negative energy getting back out will take your self-determination, your WILL TO SURVIVE, and possibly the help from others.

The next critical 3 is OXYGEN, if we cannot breathe, we will die in short order. Yes, some folks who train for it, can survive longer than the average human. Pearl Divers can stay underwater longer than 3-minutes, but they spend their lives building up their lung capacity and endurance. They practice their skills everyday. Even with the best training survival from the loss of OXYGEN is still measured in minutes.

The third rule – You can survive 3-hours without SHELTER is sometimes not fully appreciated in our modern society. Shelter can include clothing, buildings, structures, or even vehicles. If you are healthy, have adequate hydration and nutrition, and live in a location that has temperatures from +25C to +30C without dropping below +20C after the sun goes down, you could survive a lot longer than 3-hours without clothes, structures, or vehicles to protect you from the environment. On the other hand, submerged in the North Atlantic, or wandering the Tundra of the Canadian Arctic, or stumbling through the Mohave Desert or the Sahara; you are going to need shelter from the harsh environment that is around you…for some folks 3-hours survival would be too generous under those conditions mentioned above.

If you have survived this far, your next priority is WATER, you can survive 3-days without WATER. The human body is composed of a large percentage of fluids and when they are not replaced on a regular basis you start to dehydrate. It is said the average North American lives in a state of mild dehydration throughout most of their lives. Being properly hydrated allows the body’s organs to function properly – digesting food, thinking, seeing, smelling, tasting, and excreting wastes and toxins from the body. When you reduce fluid intake your body uses a triage method to restrict functions not critical to survival. So, after 3-days you might still be alive, however, all your organs are shutting down and you may not have enough time to rehydrate quick enough to turn those organs back on. So, in a survival situation once have treated medical conditions that impact breathing, and you have found or built shelter; your next priority is finding a supply of clean drinking water.

The first item on the list of survival items for most folks with no survival training is FOOD. You can survive 3-weeks without FOOD!! Not exactly a high priority item in the big picture. Important, yes, for extended survival on planet Earth, however not a critical item in the first few hours of a survival or crisis situation. In situations where rescue from outside sources is highly probable the pattern of food resource management usually sounds like this:

Get to a safe location.

Treat medical issues.

Build a shelter & fire.

Have a source of fresh water close to the shelter.

Eat as required to achieve these priority tasks.

Then, fast for three-days drinking only fluids.

Then, eat minimally to maintain your health.

Keep the fire going day & night and await rescue.

If you become injured or lost in a National Park, that plan may work. If you survive a plane crash in an unknown location, you may have to self rescue which will require moving to a location that you can be located and rescued from, before building shelters. The point being the situation you are in will dictate which strategy to use for food management. Just remember you can survive longer without food than you have likely ever experienced before. Knowing this should provide you with HOPE!

Finally, without MEANINGFUL COMPANIONSHIP, life loses it purpose. Humans are social animals, and they need to be around others…at least most humans. So, you can survive 3-months without MEANINGFUL COMPANIONSHIP. I remember as my Grandmother progressed through her 90’s she would comment that all her friends had passed, and she missed them [She lived to be 99 ½ years old, a full life]. So, whether stranded on a deserted island with only a volleyball for a companion or living a long life beyond your friends or family, at some point without MEANINGFUL COMPANIONSHIP you finally give-up on living, you lose HOPE, and life ends.

If you are still reading, I thank you, this long-winded diatribe is to share The Rules of 3’s as I understand them. With this knowledge you can prioritize your survival planning starting with the items that are most likely to kill you if you ignore them.

Keep your head about you, breathe, clear your head, and think – seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months...a lifetime. Stay focused on WHY you want to survive, courage up the WILL TO SURVIVE, and do it!!

Until next time…Know your RULES of 3’s and Survive another day!!

V.A.M.

Another post that may interest you: https://mtnmanblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/adapt-improvise-overcome-survival.html or this one https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/sip-good-inch-three-parts-of-family.html