Why? I suspect there are several reasons. Most people don’t con-
sider the possibility of finding themselves in such a situation to start
with, which can be a grave mistake. Others probably think they have
enough survival skills, knowledge, and training, and therefore don’t
need to contemplate the specifics of a particular trip. Some may feel that
thinking of worst-case scenarios is pessimistic, and that it takes the fun
out of anticipating a trip. But it’s not pessimistic to anticipate emergen-
cies. It’s just good bush sense.
And the importance of planning and preparing for your particular
trip can’t be overstated, because every region is different, sometimes in
subtle ways. You could dramatically increase your chances of making it
through a survival situation by getting just a few tips about the locale.
The more experienced you are in wilderness travel, the more likely
you’ll have developed your own list of must-haves to bring on your
adventures. Remember that each person is responsible for his or her
own survival!
Do Your Research
PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR YOUR ADVENTURE BEGINS with research, a fairly
easy undertaking in today’s information-rich digital age. Between the
Internet and the countless books available in public libraries, the founda-
tion is there for anyone to begin to build a location-specific store of knowl-
edge for just about any region on earth.
Printed publications offer other benefits too, aside from the signifi-
cant information they can yield. First, you can carry small guidebooks and
pamphlets with you and—assuming they haven’t washed down the river
with your canoe—refer to them along the way. Second, reading about your
destination ahead of time gets you excited about the trip and empowers
you with information that might save your life.
One thing to keep in mind when reading books or online materials,
though, is that while they may describe, for example, the types of plants
that can be sources of water in a specific area, you cannot be 100 percent
sure that you’ll be able to identify a plant unless someone has personally
taught you how. In this book, for instance, I note that you can find water
(^4) | Survive!