What is your "Golden Rule"?

[oregonoutback]

As I've been playing Survival more and more, I've noticed that I have a few "rules" that I am not willing to break or compromise on when it comes to surviving:

 

1) I always have water, and I always make a point to make water when I have a fire going, even if that means extending the fire's life if necessary

2) I never travel at night unless it's an emergency or I spawn at night

3) I always try to stay as close to the carry weight limit as possible

4) I only sleep outside when I have no other choice

5) I always have food, even if it's only cat tail stalks

6) I try not to waste time by just letting it pass by... If I have a book to read, I'll read an hour while cooking. The food ( 2.20lbs of venison or wolf meat) gets done a few minutes before the hour is up, but it's no where near burned when I'm done. I find that this helps to minimize calorie expenditure, as I won't have to spend that hour reading the book some other time while not doing anything else... I can use that time to rest, or whatever. If I don't have anything to read, I mend my clothes, sharpen my knife or hatchet, or make repairs to equipment while I'm waiting on food or water.  

 

Those are the ones that come to mind for me right now... No matter what difficulty I'm playing, or even if I were role playing, these are just too ingrained in my head for me to not follow. 

I'm curious to hear if anyone else has a set of unwritten rules that they "live" by. 

[Skavenger416]

Always double check to make sure that I have my bedroll. Always have at least 20 cattails. Always have a can.  And always have my med supplies on me at all times. 

[XaldinVii]

Never eat Last Resort sardines under 80%. 

[Klobberthon]

Crouch when exiting any building.

Travel on high ground as much as possible.

Keep 50% sprint energy reserved. 

There are many but if I had to choose one golden rule it would be: Never travel without close to full condition unless absolutely necessary. #1 killer by far is death by wolves. 

[MarrowStone]

4 hours ago, XaldinVii said:

Never eat Last Resort sardines under 80%. 

Never got it from sardines, it's always those darn granola bars!

[ajb1978]

If caught outside in a blizzard, take off your clothes.  You're going to be dealing with 3 bars of cold anyway, may as well spare your clothes the storm damage.

[TheUnknown]

One golden rule outside what everyone has mentioned is this: If there is a deer and wolf near by dont waste arrows and scare the deer into the wolf and just kill the wolf to get meat from both the deer and wolf. Less chance of loosing arrows and if lucky can 1 shot the wolf and gather tons of meat for pretty much no effort.

Edited April 3, 2019 by TheUnknown

[oregonoutback]

6 hours ago, Klobberthon said:

Crouch when exiting any building.

I'm curious as to the benefit of this? Does it make it less likely that wildlife will spot you? 

All great answers so far, some of which I've never even thought of... keep em coming! 🙂

[oregonoutback]

1 hour ago, TheUnknown said:

One golden rule outside what everyone has mentioned is this: If there is a deer and wolf near by dont waste arrows and scare the deer into the wolf and just kill the wolf to get meat from both the deer and wolf. Less chance of loosing arrows and if lucky can 1 shot the wolf and gather tons of meat for pretty much no effort.

I literally just accomplished this 10 seconds ago and thought I should send a nice thank you for the idea. Now I've got meat for a week! 😁

[BareSkin]

Always be ready to break a rule.

[TheUnknown]

8 hours ago, oregonoutback said:

I literally just accomplished this 10 seconds ago and thought I should send a nice thank you for the idea. Now I've got meat for a week! 😁

well im glad i gave you the idea. been doing this since i started playing. Pretty much run rabbits and deer into wolves and i noticed if you are quick enough with the killing you wont loose any meat on the deer or rabbit.

[atomic]

Do not chop larger pieces of wood with wet clothes on! 😬

[hozz1235]

When venturing outside, when possible, always have a destination ("I can make it to the Watch Tower before dark") and don't push your luck.  Don't be impatient.

[Klobberthon]

On 4/3/2019 at 6:22 PM, oregonoutback said:

I'm curious as to the benefit of this? Does it make it less likely that wildlife will spot you? 

Exactly. To be fair though it's probably not a great benefit except in a few areas like quonset garage 

Edited April 5, 2019 by Klobberthon

[codfish107]

Whether inside or outside; always be aware of your condition, stats, and surroundings when you do any action that's more than 30 minutes long. I have been jumped by wolves and bears and died a few times (even once indoors) because i wasn't aware enough of these things.

[Guest kristaok]

If I'm traveling I make sure to take charcoal to map, and plenty of sticks and cloth to make a snow shelter if I have to. 

I also make sure to carry plenty of water, and food, if it's meat I carry at least 2 at a time. 

I also make sure I have my bedroll, some meds, and stuff to make a fire with. 

Lastly I avoid traveling in blizzards unless I absolutely have to. 

[TheEldritchGod]

If you see flying meat, you picked the wrong mushrooms.

Rampaging bears always get the right of way.

Sleeping in a spacious, cavernous garage will give you cabin fever. Go out on the water and get over it by fishing in a cramped hut filled with rotting fish.

It's good to conserve ammo, but you can't shoot a gun if you're dead.

Wolves want to eat you. Bears want to kill you. Moose want you to suffer.

[Krait]

I only carry a rifle when I go Moose or Bear hunting, for wolves I use a Bow (with decoy..)

I only carry 6 cat tails while travelling, unless I come across them.. Ravine etc...

Always carry a Crow Bar when venturing into a new region.. and that bow with 4-6 arrows.

About 3 Liters of water when travelling, maybe a pot, usually 2 cans, though.

5 cloth is useful, I mostly forget about that one

 

[CathyElksun]

I was up to day 93 with a lovely set of deerskin pants and boots, a wolfskin coat, a moosehide satchel and a bearskin bedroll, I could actually sleep in a blizzard and be comfortable! And then I went to Marsh Ridge in Forlorn Muskeg and met three wolves. I cried. 

Now for my new game, my new golden rule is: if there is more than one wolf, RUN AWAY! Keep a booster for it. 

[NardoLoopa]

Audit your pack regularly to only carry what you need to survive a day: you do not need all 20 wooden matches, and a firestarter.  You do not need 10 cloth.  You do not need 3 bottles of pain killers, nor 8 arrows.  Strip it all down; never travel over-burdened.

Also, never fire an arrow at a beast you cannot chase:

• Have good visibility for where they will run
• Never do so close to nightfall
• Never do so when a blizzard is striking up
• Never do so near large swaths of FM's brittle ice
• Never do so when you're short on time

 

[Mroz4k]

Never rush into anything. There is always time to think things through. Be calm, you will survive everything.

That is the most important, universal rule to TLD, in my opinion.

[Guest jeffpeng]

Think ahead but live in the now. Keep calm, but don't dally. No matter how much it costs, it's cheaper than death. Make a plan and know when to abandon it. Learn to diffirentiate opportunites from traps. Act when you can, react when you must. Stay on the move - routine kills. Don't quit.

Now that I think about it .... those are actually pretty good rules for life in general.

Edited April 8, 2019 by jeffpeng

[TheHunter280]

Leave cookable cans in the region's main base and outpost because lvl 5 cooking will remediate it

Leave 12 arrow heads in each region you feel you'll live regularly, if you loose them

Always have an emergency shot in your inventory, would have died or lost some limb without it

Always leave at least one empty can to a fireplace

Every lootable food is just a traveling or emergency item, so never use them when in stable conditions

Always have a knife, just in case of wolfs

[Dan_]

Pay attention to your condition, pretty much anything can take you down if you're under half, rest and recover before proceeding to more dangerous endeavours. 

Other than that, pick up sticks. This is TLD's only true golden rule. 

Sticks respawn with the blizzards, even if you don't need them now just pick'em and drop the bundle at convenient spots like caves, outside stoves, fishing huts and fire barrels. 

 

[efnord]

Carry two coal, in case you get caught out in a blizzard far from shelter.