19 “Old World” Primitive Survival Skills You’ll WISH You Knew Before SHTF

Get to know these primitive survival skills that are tried and time-tested if you want to increase your survival odds in emergency situations!

Primitive Survival Skills Everyone Should Know

Importance of Primitive Survival Skills

As survivalists, most of us are constantly honing our craft and figuring out new ways to put our skills to the test. We do this to keep our minds sharp and to make sure we have the primitive survival skills necessary to survive in whatever situation might come our way.

And sometimes, we find the best survival techniques by looking back… WAY back. Surviving in an urban environment in the backdrop of modern technology requires very specific survival skills.

That’s why survivalists like us should always stay on our toes and keep abreast of what’s going on in the world — so that our skills can evolve and change with the times. Some skills, though, are evergreen, and that’s why they’re passed down from generation to generation.

These primitive survival skills, combined with the right survival gear, might just save your ass in an emergency situation someday. Here is a list of survival skills from our ancestors you can apply to your survivalist life.

What are Primitive Skills? These are a set of skills perfected by our ancestors which helped them survive over thousands of years without the tools we have today.

1. Make Simple Tools from Flint

This is where ancient survival skills can be your best friend. Long before the industrial age, humans had to survive by making their own tools from natural materials.

While it’s no longer mainstream, with practice anyone can learn to make their own tools without modern equipment.

These tools are always going to be useful, and need nothing more than wood, rock, twine, and know-how made perfect over time.

The featured video in this article shows how you can make simple tools from flint.

2. Find Your Own Food and Water

You may not think about this now that you have plenty of food stored up. In an SHTF scenario though, your supplies will run out, eventually.

You will need to know how to find alternate sources of food. Fortunately, the earth is brimming with edible plants and other food sources if you know where to look.

Plants and fungi that are safe for human consumption include morels, chanterelles, puffballs, polypores, Japanese knotweed, and dandelions.

Knowing how to tell fungi and plants apart is an indispensable survival skill.

3. Trap for Your Life

Foraging isn’t your only option for getting food in the wilderness. Learning how to build simple traps out of materials available around you could be a truly lifesaving skill.

Learn how to make one of our favorite primitive traps, the squirrel snare, here. Squirrel stew anyone?

4. How to Prepare a Rabbit for Eating

Whether you raise, hunt, or capture rabbits using a primitive trap, you need butchering skills to prepare them for eating.

This article will teach you how to prep, kill, and butcher a rabbit — an essential primitive survival skill.

5. Find the Perfect Skinning Knife

This is a survival skill that’s been around since primitive times. Every hunter worth his salt should know this.

If you’re gonna skin your fresh kill, you can’t just use any old knife because they’re not all created equal.

A skinning knife needs to be thin and curved so it cuts through the epidermis quite easily without damaging the meat.

It just doesn't get any better than these 7 fixed blade knives. See the full list here: https://t.co/Zgdc5o2a9t pic.twitter.com/7yGxdSZMEQ

— Survival Life (@SurvivalLF) August 10, 2016

6. Make Your Own Knives

In an SHTF situation, you can’t always just walk into a store and buy a weapon. You need to know how to make your own.

People have been making weapons since the beginning of time. These tutorials will increase your knowledge in making knives from stuff you use every day.

These 5 tips will also help you learn how to sharpen your knife effectively.

7. Make a Knife from an Old Wrench

Being resourceful will help you survive. As shops close and sources for personal defense weapons grow scarce, you may find yourself having to improvise.

Weaponry will be a major concern during a survival situation, so resourcefulness is key. This video will teach you how to turn common everyday items, like a wrench, into a knife.

8. Forging Your Own Weapons and Tools

Blacksmithing is a very important primitive survival skill. Not only can it help you make your own tools for your own survival, but it can also give you an edge to trade for other items you might need.

This at-home knife-making furnace burner is perfect for any amateur blacksmith, grab it here.

9. Make Your Own Pack Basket

A pack basket is undeniably useful for quick transport. If bags are unavailable for you, you might need to make your own packs.

The one in this tutorial is great for carrying camping supplies and other gear.

Wicker baskets like these are sturdy, self-standing, easy to pack, versatile, and durable. This article will teach you how to make them yourself.

RELATED: 29 YouTube Survival Skills Videos You Can Learn At Home

10. Make Your Own Bow

Making your own bow is essential for your survival. There’s a reason why bows are still in use around the world today.

It is the most basic ranged weapon you can have and will put you in better situations when SHTF. Besides being a self-defense weapon, it is also a great hunting tool.

It is silent, light, and versatile. While it’s not easy to master, you’ll have a lot of time to get acquainted with it.

Your bow will help you hunt your own food, and you can also use it as a weapon for self-defense.

11. Archery for Beginners

This article is perfect for beginners in learning the fundamentals of archery.

Plus, it also shows the different kinds of bows you can use. This is one primitive survival skill you need to know.

12. Archery Sighting Exercises

Hunting with a bow and arrow takes hours of practice. By doing these exercises, you will be shooting with great accuracy in no time.

You don’t need to have top-of-the-line bow hunting accessories to hunt well using just a compound bow.

Keep in mind though, that constant practice is the only thing that will make you really accurate with this weapon.

Take the time to know your weapon and understand its strengths and weaknesses.

13. Bow Shooting in Detail

For those who learn better visually, this infographic will show you how to shoot a bow and arrow in detail.

14. Archery from a Female Perspective

Archery is a little different for women due to differences in weight distribution and upper body strength. This video shows how women can best use the bow and arrow.

It teaches the stance and release, as well as the follow-through techniques. While being a lone wolf is appealing, you will inevitably hook up with a group to survive.

So, you should learn how to teach the fairer sex about properly defending themselves to increase your chances of survival.

15. Hone Your Fishing Skills

When SHTF, it’s all about going back to your roots, and this means capturing fish for food. But even if you’ve never been fishing, don’t worry.

Being a great fisherman is a skill that takes practice and precision… and a little redneck ingenuity. This article will teach you how to combine all three.

Fishing will be a major food source for you during survival situations. Learning how to efficiently fish will ensure a steady food supply for years to come.

Another one of my favorite fishing hacks is this tiny but incredibly effective paracord fishing pod. You can get one for free HERE and it’s full of the items below — basically everything you need for some emergency/SHTF fishing.

16. Identifying Animal Tracks

A lot of your time will be spent foraging and hunting for food. A skill you will need to learn when hunting is tracking.

This includes being able to tell which animals leave which tracks. Rabbits leave different prints than gophers and squirrels, for example.

This survival knowledge will help you catch your next meal in the shortest time possible. Plus, it can help you avoid dangerous animals as well.

17. Staying on Course Without a Map or a Compass

Can you find your way without a GPS? There are a lot of tools available out there that can help you stay on course, even if you don’t have a compass or working phone.

Our ancestors used the stars to find their way, and so can you. Learning how to tell directions using only the sky is a primitive survival skill that will save your life in a pinch.

18. Fortify Your Emergency Shelter

You can protect yourself from harsher elements in the wild by making DIY cement for your emergency shelter. While having a thatched hut may be enough for you, it’s not exactly a long-term solution.

Learn how to make a more resilient shelter and ensure long-term survival.

19. Going Ballistic Old School Style

While it’s true that you should never bring a knife to a gunfight, you’ve gotta keep in mind that a gun eventually runs out of ammo. Knives don’t.

If you run out of ammo, you can use your knife as an effective throwing tool to incapacitate or deliver a fatal blow to an animal or a hostile intruder.

Make your ancestors proud by learning how to make fire. Thanks to a film company for this video:

Modern day technology has made living so much easier but when all else fails and SHTF, these primitive survival skills will be absolutely vital. One can only prepare for an SHTF situation for so long, and things may fall through the cracks.

Learning how to do a lot of things without the help of modern tech will put you at an advantage in a society that’s become very enamored with its tech comforts. Remember, when everything collapses, you can only depend on yourself for survival.

We hope these survival tips and tricks can help you out in dire situations in the future. Keep going, survivalist!

Do you have any primitive survival skills or tips to share? Let us know in the comments section below!

Up Next: Lost In The Woods 101: What To Do When Lost In The Woods

For awesome survival gear, you can’t make at home, check out the Survival Life Store!

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 11, 2018, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.