The phrase "to survive the elements" means being able to endure and stay safe in difficult or extreme outdoor conditions, such as severe weather, extreme temperatures, or harsh natural surroundings. Full definition
When their charter plane crashes on a snowy mountain, two strangers (Winslet and Elba) must fight to survive the elements in this thriller from Oscar nominee Hany Abu - Assad... (awardswatch.com)
The Fixed - term Parliaments Act is one of the few surviving elements of the Coalition's ambitious programme of constitutional reform, which — had it been fully implemented — would have altered the UK's majoritarian vision of democracy and elections extensively. (blog.politics.ox.ac.uk)
Four of the geese didn't survive the elements, but Prophet and the others were rescued by Farm Sanctuary and taken to their ranch in Orland, California. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)