Wilderness survival: eight common mistakes
The following are some of the most common mistakes made by people who end up needing to be rescued from the wilderness or who never made it home.
No shelter
Not having a form of shelter with you is a common mistake. Whilst sleeping under the stars sounds nice, in reality, exposure to the elements can be a killer. Keeping dry is central to survival.
Not possessing the knowledge required
The five crucial things that you need to know to survive in the wilderness are:
• How to signal for help
• How to build a shelter
• How to find water and ensure it is safe to drink
• What you can eat and where to find it
• How to ignite a fire and keep it going
If you are planning a trip into the wild then you need to be as prepared as possible. You can find outdoor essentials such as the Vanquest 3.0 messenger bag on a specialist retailer’s website such as http://www.angloforro.co.uk/product/vanquest-envoy-3-0-messenger-bag/.
Taking the wrong clothes
Wear and take clothes that keep you warm but are also waterproof and able to withstand the elements. It is better to be able to remove layers if you get too warm but have them available for when the cold hits.
Underestimating the risks
Be prepared for the unexpected. Ensure you have contingency plans in place for even the most unlikely scenarios.
No signal plan
A common mistake is to not take anything other than a mobile phone with you. Good signalling tools to have are radios, bright clothes and flares. Without these, how are you going to signal for help if you get stuck in the wilderness?
Not having drinkable water
A big mistake is not taking enough drinkable water with you or being unaware how to ensure water found in the wild is drinkable and won’t make you sick. You can read more about this in this article by the experts at Ready Nutrition.
Incorrect or inadequate navigation tools
Heading into the wilderness without the correct navigation tools such as a map, compass or GPS device is asking for trouble and may prove to be a huge mistake. Being able to identify where you are using only nature’s signs and sounds around you is useful but can prove extremely difficult.
