Fire is integral to successfully implementing the Key Three. (Sometimes, we jokingly call them “The Three Shuns”: PROTECTION, HYDRATION, and NUTRITION.)īut why is FIRE left out in the cold, so to speak? If the mission of survival is three-pronged: protect, hydrate, and eat, then fire is the prime directive. It’s apparent how the Core Four addresses the Survival Rule of Threes.Īt the Valiant Outfitters Family Survival School, we condense the Core Four down to the Key Three: shelter, water, and food. Many survivalists list four “needs” or priorities for survival, called The Core Four: shelter, water, fire, and food. The Survival Rule of Threes, The Core Four, and The Key Three The “BREATHE” in the Rule of Threes implies wellness PROTECT includes safety for yourself and those close to you and DRINK and EAT are self-explanatory.

We can draft a simple action plan from the Survival Rule of Threes:īREATHE then PROTECT then DRINK then EAT. No, first GET OUT OF THE WATER! Or why would someone worry about building a deadfall snare before warming themselves as they stand dripping wet next to those semi-frozen waters that they narrowly escaped death from?

This makes survival priorities simple because it doesn’t make much sense to plan for a survival shelter while you frantically gasp for air and your muscles spasm because you just broke through a frozen lake into frigid water.

It addresses 4 chronological issues for survival: the average person can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. The Survival Rule of Threes helps make the “just don’t die” part easy. Click here to get your free Survival Key Three Tool & Skill Checklist

What are the 3 rules of survival