What's inside FOC: the survival topics
Last updated 2 June 2026
Ferdinands Outdoor Companion (FOC) organizes its offline reference into nine categories, more than 40 articles in all, covering the core of staying safe and capable outdoors. Everything is stored on the device, free, with no ads or tracking. Here is what each category covers.
The nine categories
- Shelter: A-frame and lean-to builds, tarps, snow shelters, campsite selection.
- Food & Water: collecting and purifying water, foraging, preservation, cooking without gear.
- Fire Making: fire sites, tinder, the bow drill, fire in the wet.
- Equipment: knives and tools, clothing, the first-aid kit, gear care.
- Survival Techniques: navigation (with and without a compass), knots, signaling, weather, river crossing.
- Edible Wild Plants: identification, edible leaves and berries, poisonous lookalikes.
- Hazards & Prevention: dangerous animals, avalanche safety, dehydration, hypothermia.
- Survival Psychology: panic and stress, solo hiking, priorities.
- First Aid: bleeding, shock, resuscitation, bites, frostbite, heat injuries.
Plus practical tools
Beyond the articles, FOC adds a packing-list generator, a step-by-step knot guide, daylight, water, temperature, and windchill calculators, Morse code, and checklists. It is free, offline, with no ads or tracking, and reads in German, English, and Danish.
How it compares
| What to look for | FOC | Single-topic app |
|---|---|---|
| Breadth of topics | Nine categories | One area |
| Practical tools included | Yes | Rare |
| Works offline | Yes | Varies |
| Ads / tracking | None | Common |
| Price | Free | Varies |
Frequently asked questions
What topics does FOC cover?
Nine categories: shelter, food and water, fire making, equipment, survival techniques, edible wild plants, hazards and prevention, survival psychology, and first aid, with more than 40 articles in all.
Does FOC include tools, not just articles?
Yes. It adds a packing-list generator, a knot guide, daylight, water, temperature, and windchill calculators, Morse code, and checklists.
Does everything work offline?
The reference and tools work on the device, so they work with no signal. Optional extras like a videos tab use the internet only if you open them.
Is FOC free?
Yes. FOC is free with no ads, no in-app purchases, and no tracking.
Related
Sources
This is general reference, not medical, safety, or professional advice. Skills like first aid and foraging carry real risk. In a real emergency, call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 911 in the US).