Taking the proper precautions and knowing some basic survival skills can literally save your life at some point in your life. When you go out camping, hiking or to spend time in the wilderness, it is essential that you take the time and put in the effort to properly prepare yourself for possible dangers and unforeseen circumstances.

This doesn’t mean that you need to take your survival kit with you every time you leave the house, but if you are planning to spend time outdoors in the wilderness, it is a matter of common sense that you are prepared with some basic essential survival tools and skills, just in case.

Here are some quick and easy tips for staying safe during your outdoor adventures:

1. Make sure you are equipped with the right survival gear.

Investing in a good quality, reliable survival knife can truly make a difference between life and death. Getting a good multi-tool knife or another survival knife is crucial for just about any task you may need to perform when faced with a problem outdoors. Getting a durable and high quality, foldable multi tool is probably the first thing you should do when getting ready for your outdoor adventure. This type of knife combines an array of various very handy tools in one compact package which you can easily carry in your pocket or in your backpack or on your belt each time you go out for a walk or for any other outdoor activity. A knife is crucial for cutting wood and plants, for self-defense, for cutting and cooking food, for shelter preparation and for a wide variety of other tasks you may or may not need to handle when outside.

2. Paracord bracelet

These braided, thick bracelets can help you survive. It can be used for a wide variety of tasks and you can make one yourself or get a ready-made one of your choice easily and at an affordable price.

3. Water

You may want to invest in a sturdy water canteen rather than just taking a plastic water bottle with you, just in case you get caught up in a serious situation in which having drinking water is essential, and keeping it safe in the container is crucial. Containers which allow for boiling water outdoors can come in very handy in case you get stranded without any safe drinking water. There are various water bottles and containers which you can choose from, and which can be hung off on your backpack or on your belt buckle.

4. A fire starting system

The ability to be able to build and start a fire can be crucial for a varied reasons. Fire will give you light, keep you warm, you can cook on it, you can stay protected from wild animals with it and you can easily be spotted by a rescue team if you can light a fire. This is why you should always carry waterproof matches or a reliable fire starting system with you when planning to spend time outdoors, and especially if you are planning to stay overnight.

So, instead of carrying a whole full survival bag every time you go on an adventure outdoors, make sure you have the abovementioned four basic survival tools and gear with you at all times. These four simple items can actually help you survive nearly any kind of danger and you can use them to deal with a multitude of different problems and to handle numerous tasks you are faced with when spending time in the nature.

Even if you don’t need to use them, it is better to be prepared rather than sorry that you have left your gear behind if you get into a dangerous situation next time you are outside.