Knowing what to do in the first moments of an emergency situation can make the difference between a struggle and a success. In those first 72 hours, you need to secure warmth with fire, build shelter, and get a clear sense of your surroundings.

But even with the right skills, your mindset matters just as much. If you haven’t read my post on Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), check it out here — it may be the deciding factor in your survival.

Many people fear starvation after missing just a meal or two, but in reality, food is far down the survival priority list. After signalling for help—using signage, smoke, sound, or bright colours—and securing shelter, your next critical task is finding clean water.

In our Hoagy’s Outdoor Survival Skills courses, we teach the Rules of 3:

3 seconds without Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)

3 minutes without air

3 hours without shelter in extreme weather

3 days (72 hours) without water

3 weeks without food

These rules may be generalizations, but they help focus your priorities when everything feels overwhelming.

Why 72 hours?

Because after those first few days, survival tasks start to become routine. You’ve built a “new normal”—maintaining shelter, checking signals, gathering firewood—and your PMA becomes easier to sustain.

Search and Rescue crews take time to mobilize. Depending on your location, remoteness, weather conditions, and the need to gather clues and build a lost-person profile, rescue timelines can often be delayed.

Want to shorten that 72-hour window? Start before your trip: read my post on trip planning and download the FREE AdventureSmart app for your phone.

And remember: always carry a small personal survival kit, prepare ahead of time, and consider taking a Hoagy’s Outdoor Survival Skills course—because success starts before the emergency.