The Rules of Three is a set of guidelines that dictate the order of importance for different aspects of survival. Essentially, if you follow these rules, you will be prioritizing your efforts in the most effective way possible. Having things like this memorized in a high-stress situation allow you to be sure you are using your energy in the best way.
The rule of 3s is this - You can survive for 3 Minutes without air or in Icy water
- You can survive for 3 Hours without shelter
- You can survive for 3 Days without water
- You can survive for 3 Weeks without food
Air:
The first and most crucial aspect of survival is air. Whether it’s avoiding toxic gases or simply ensuring you have enough oxygen to keep you alive, providing yourself with clean air is always the number one priority.
Shelter:
Your second priority is shelter. You want to get a suitable shelter for the environment you find yourself in made as soon as possible. Even in a warm climate when night falls you can still run the risk of hypothermia. That becomes even more likely if you are wet or it rains.
Water:
In a survival scenario, it’s essential to find a source of water as soon as possible to avoid dehydration. You can go without food for weeks, but water’s importance should never be ignored. This is why you should always have some type of water purification with you.
Food:
We can last only about three weeks without food, so after procuring air, shelter and water your priority should be to find food. However, it’s important not to confuse the priority of food with that of water. You mustn’t eat anything you can find, but be careful that it’s not poisonous contaminated, or something that could dehydrate you faster if water is scarce.
These are the fundamental rules of three of survival. As you can see, there is a logical order of priority for each aspect of survival. By abiding by them, you can make sure you’re taking care of the most crucial needs first and setting yourself up for long-term survival. When a situation arises list like this help to stop panic putting you in the right mindset.
