Prioritize
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS I’m asked about survival is this: “After
calming down, what should I do first?” Certain essential elements will be
your primary focus during any emergency: shelter, water, fire, food, and
a rescue signal. But it’s impossible to say which of these you should first
focus your energies on, for it changes with every situation.
I take a threepronged approach to prioritizing my needs:
Your situation is the emergency. But if there are
pressing safety and/or health concerns, deal with them immediately. In some
cases, the weather presents an emergency, so building a shortterm makeshift
shelter is critical.Why is this number two? Survival is about getting home, the
sooner the better. Rescue is crucial, so start making a signal as soon as possible.I classify everything after those first two steps
as longterm survival. Why does this come third? Well, you wouldn’t want to
go to the effort of making a shelter and gathering cattails to eat, only to see
a plane fly overhead and realize you could have been rescued if you’d built a
signal fire to attract attention.Whatever tactic you choose, you will improve your chances of success
if you’re realistic about your prospects for rescue and set an appropriate
time frame for your ordeal in the wilderness. Don’t lay the groundwork for
what may become bitter disappointment by telling yourself you’re going
to be rescued in two days when more likely you’ll be on your own for two
weeks. The old adage “hope for the best, prepare for the worst” is a valu
able one to keep in mind. You’ll find it much easier to adjust to pleasant
surprises than to unpleasant ones.
Psychological Aspects of Survival (^) | 45