Along with the technological progress made in the last couple of years, people’s lives are continuously improved. As such, if you love the great outdoors but you’re not exactly Les Stroud, you can choose from the plethora of survival apps to master the wilderness like he does. But since these apps are constantly being developed and there are already more of them then we can count, we’ve decided to give you our insight on the top 5 best apps for surviving in the wild.
1. Army Survival
This comprehensive app is based on the U.S. Army’s field manual on survival training, which makes it quite a trustworthy source of information. As such, you can get details on most areas related to survival, for instance:
♣ First aid interventions and giving basic medical help.
♣ How to improvise a shelter.
♣ Finding fresh water sources.
♣ Which plants can be eaten, used as medicine and which are poisonous.
♣ How to stay safe from wild animals and poisonous insects.
♣ Building and using DIY weapons and equipment.
♣ How to survive in different environments: the desert, tropical or cold weather, and on the sea.
♣ Finding your way when lost and signaling your position.
♣ Making your own weather predictions.
♣ DIY ropes and knots.
Another advantage of this app is that it’s easy to navigate, since it has a fast interface and everything is well organized. You can also use it on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus: just swipe right and you’ll get tons of relevant info with pictures and graphs. Besides, all this is loaded on your phone, so you don’t need internet connection to use it.
2. Bug Out Bag Checklist
If you’re the type of person who can’t decide what to pack or forgets all sorts of useful equipment, the Bug Out Bag app will help you keep track of everything you’re taking along, solving most of your packing problems.
For instance, it offers a good survival guide that lets you know what gear you need to take with you in different circumstances. And this info isn’t limited only to various outdoor trips, you can also improve your planning in case of a natural disaster.
The number one advantage is that your time spent doing online research is drastically diminished with this app, since it has all the information you need on the survival gear you may need.
The items you have selected can be renewed or replaced if they’re past their expiration date, and this app even gives you reminders to make these changes according to a calendar. Needless to say, these reminders can also be edited and changed.
You can easily make an inventory of the things you pack, according to details like type, location or size. On the downside, once you make a list you can’t arrange its gear in a hierarchy to make a top 10 compulsory items, nor does it tell you the weight of your equipment.
That aside, it’s still an innovative app which helps many outdoorsmen who need a bit of structure to improve their planning.
3. Disaster Alert
If you’re going on a longer trip, somewhere without access to TV or radio, you may find it difficult to keep track of possible disaster alerts in your area. This is when this app comes in pretty handy, because it lets you know if there are emergency situations you have to be on the lookout for.
Besides, you don’t necessarily have to use it only when you’re out camping or hiking. It’s still a great aid even when you’re at home, given the fact that it provides disaster notifications according to your area. The only thing you need to make sure of is that you’ve entered your current location.
You can use this app for planning different trips too, because you can check the world’s map and see if there are possible alerts around your planned destination. For each alert, you’ll get:
♣ Its profile.
♣ The period of time it’s been active.
♣ Its emergency level.
♣ The area it’s on.
♣ Notifications when you’re getting nearer.
4. Cures A-Z
This app has been downloaded by more than a million people who find it extremely useful. That’s because it provides a complete guide on how to treat some of the most frequent outdoor health problems with both natural and prescription medicine.
And you can be sure the information presented is trustworthy, since it’s been developed by the Teitelbaum spouses: he’s a medical doctor and she’s a nutritionist. The information you’ll find isn’t general in nature or superficial, but goes in the depths of different health issues, all the while using straightforward terms and a practical language.
So if you find yourself out of medicine, this app will let you know what plants you can use instead, giving you their advantages and their descriptions.
You’ll also get a guide on nutrition, which you can check to see if you’re getting all your nutrients and vitamins during your trip.
Besides, if you’re interesting in doing more research on your own, each article provides various links to additional online resources.
5. Knots 3D
118 knots are available with this app, and that’s great because you may find yourself in the need for a sturdy, fast knot that will hold your rope. Not to mention you don’t even need an internet connection.
Although other apps provide instructions on how to make knots too, this one lets you rotate the image at every step, so you can see how the knot looks from different angles and positions in 3D.
The details are amazing, and you can use your finger to create the knot on screen, so it can give you a better idea of how to make the same knot in real life.
The animation has high resolution graphics, you can zoom in, pause or adjust its speed.
That being said, a good survival app has to prove itself an essential tool for your outdoor adventures, offering you complete information. Moreover, ensure the app is easy to navigate, comprehensive and trustworthy, but also check if it requires an internet connection.