Survival Tactics 101: How Long Could You Survive If You Were Stranded? (The Rule Of 3s For Survival)

Survival Rule Of 3s

Do you know how long a person can survive without FOOD? Without SHELTER? Without WATER?

I didn’t until I saw this report on CNN. It summarizes the tragic story of James Kim and the survival “Rule of 3s.”

What I Learned From James Kim & The Rule Of 3’s

I knew James Kim from his days as an on-air reviewer for Tech TV — and then later as a senior editor for CNET (seen here).

James, his wife and 2 daughters became stranded in their vehicle while driving through the snowy mountains of Oregon:

• After 9 days his wife and 2 daughters were rescued when someone spotted their vehicle. They had survived together inside the car — even though it had run out of fuel, and they had no heat and no food.
• After 11 days, James was found dead in the creek that he was following on foot. He had left his family and vehicle to go find help.

It’s a story that touched a lot of Americans — including techies like me and people on Reddit who started sharing their own “close calls” and the things they do now to always be prepared for an emergency whenever they’re on the road.

In light of the heroic, yet tragic story of James Kim (his survival efforts were truly superhuman), I have since made it a point to ALWAYS be prepared for an emergency — whether I’m at home OR traveling in my car.

And I encourage you to do the same thing.

Always do these 2 things before you start driving:

1. Let friends and family know where you are going AND the route you will be taking. (You can easily “share” your location with others via apps on your phone.)
2. Keep basic survival items on (or near) you, whenever you’re out & about. Even if you only keep them in the trunk of your car!

And if you should find yourself stranded, do this:

1. Stay put, don’t wander. Your odds of being found are far greater if you stay close to your vehicle, instead of walking away to go find help.

The Rule of Three’s

It was in that same CNN report that they talked about the survival “Rule of 3s”.

The “Rule of 3s” is a heartfelt reminder to us all. It states that you can survive “so” long under certain conditions. Specifically, you can live:

• 3 hours without SHELTER
• 3 days without WATER
• 3 weeks without FOOD

Scott, from Portland Oregon, a former Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) instructor adds a couple more important items to the list. In addition to 3 hours without FOOD, 3 days without WATER, and 3 weeks without FOOD, Scott says these 2 things are also true:

• 3 minutes without AIR
• But not 3 seconds without HOPE!

That’s right. It’s something I’ve had to remind myself of a time or two lately. Sometimes HOPE is all you’ve got!

I mean, that’s pretty much how James Kim’s wife and children survived for 9 days alone:

They had NO food, but they had plenty of fresh air and:

• 9 days of water (from melted snow and breastmilk)
• 9 days of shelter (inside their vehicle)
• 9 days of hope (deep inside their hearts)

…And based on the survival “Rule of 3s,” they likely could have survived 12 MORE days without food!

The Bottom Line

I think the biggest thing I’ve learned from the James Kim story (and the many other stories like it since then) is this: Stay put! Should you ever find yourself in trouble, don’t wander. It’s best to stay near shelter.

While it’s clear that James did not do anything wrong, and he was in fact bravely trying to save his family, perhaps the best thing to come from his experience is the fact that people like you and me will be motivated to learn a little something about survival tactics now.

In my mind, that makes James Kim a hero on an entirely different level!

I know that I, personally, have learned to be better prepared thanks to James Kim and his family’s story of survival.

If you ever find yourself stranded and seeking rescue, please remember:

• The Survival “Rule of Threes”: 3 hours without SHELTER + 3 days without WATER + 3 weeks without FOOD
• These 2 additional survival rules: 3 minutes without AIR… But not 3 seconds without HOPE!
• The “SURVIVAL” acronym: Size up the situation. Undue haste makes waste. Remember where you are. Vanquish fear and panic. Improvise. Value living. Act like the natives. Live by your wits.

As long as you can keep your wits about you AND you’ve properly prepared ahead of time, then your odds are quite good that you could survive being stranded!

The biggest takeaway is this… Take the time to do a little bit of extra prep AHEAD OF TIME by equipping your vehicle with a survival kit.

Don’t have a survival kit yet? Or perhaps you have one in your home, but not one that you keep in the trunk of your car. Here’s how to make a DIY emergency survival kit… for ANY potential emergency.