Several years ago, my wife, Sue Jamison, and I spent an entire year liv-
ing in the bush and replicating life as it was lived 500 years ago: no metal,
no matches, no plastic, and no nylon. While we hunted, fished, and foraged,
and lived in a way similar to that of native peoples hundreds of years ago, we
never felt like we were one with nature. It’s just not like that out there. Sur-
vival can be harsh at the best of times. If you become one with anything or
anyone while you are trying to survive out there, it is with yourself.
Nature is neutral. It doesn’t want to help you, and it doesn’t want to kill
you. Yet there is a positive energy in the wilderness that can be emotionally
and spiritually uplifting, and can fill you with strength to carry on and com-
plete the tasks that you need to, even in the worst survival scenarios.
Survival is not about “man versus wild.” Nor, at the other extreme,
is it about “becoming one” with nature. The key to survival is the middle
ground of “going with the flow” of nature. There is a time to push against
the rain and a time to wait it out. There is a time to travel hard and a time
to hunker down. There is a time to let go of emotions and there is a time
to buck up and straighten your back against your troubles.
But make no mistake about it. Nature must be respected, watched,
listened to, and considered constantly, if you expect to survive.Group Versus Solo Survival
MOST ASPECTS OF SURVIVAL ARE EASIER when more than one traveler is pres-
ent, but the group dynamic may well prove most beneficial when it comes
to the psychological aspects of survival. You can derive significant com-
fort from the presence of other people in what may be the most trying
moments of your life. And you can boost your feelings of self-worth and
confidence by comforting those in your group who need support.
Of course, there’s another side to this. Not everything is rosy within a
group. Panic is frighteningly contagious and can spread like wildfire.
The solution is to acknowledge a strong and effective group leader.
Most groups will not be proactive enough to actually elect a leader; one
typically emerges naturally. A strong, competent, and confident leader will
help quell the fears and doubts the group may be feeling, and will focus
each individual’s efforts on the tasks necessary for survival.(^52) | Survive!