T
he controversy over what is the most pressing initial
survival task will continue as long as there are survival stories to
be told. After you have calmed down and assessed your situation,
your priorities will shift among several needs, depending on the variables
involved. Water is crucial—without it you won’t live long—but you can
survive for quite some time without food. And in some circumstances, I
have lasted many days without bothering to make a fire. But if the deck is
stacked against you in terms of the elements, nothing will kill you quicker
than lack of shelter. Remember, however, that searchers have a much more
difficult time finding victims who have made a shelter, which is, after all,
the perfect camouflage.
You don’t need a log cabin to call home in these situations (though it
would be nice). Your shelter can be extremely simple. But there’s no ques
tion that you will need something—anything—to shelter you, beginning
on your first night. Though the primary purpose of shelter is to protect you
from the elements, it offers other advantages. It gives you a place to store
and protect your supplies. A shelter also provides psychological comfort
when you’re facing the possibility of a predator attack. In reality, it would
take a matter of seconds for an aggressive 600hundredpound bear to tear
apart a tent, but there’s something about that thin piece of nylon between
us and the wilderness that makes us feel safe.
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