More than ever, wilderness survival skill shows have become increasingly popular. From Man Vs. Wild to the contagious cult following of the Hunger Games, the exposure to wilderness survival is becoming greater and greater. While spending time in the wilderness is very healthy and healing for the spirit, knowing how to survive in the wilderness is a whole different beast.
The ability to truly enjoy nature and avoid conflict comes from understanding nature.
If you understand that a bear with a cub is more dangerous to be around than a bear that does not have a cub, then you will know to keep your distance and avoid a confrontation that would not have ended in your favor. Wilderness survival essentially means knowing how to avoid a tragedy before it occurs and that if something went wrong in the great outdoors, you could get yourself through it.
I would say that half of the skill is knowing how to avoid the conflict before it begins. For example, if you are going to a place where you know there will be sharks, do not wear shiny jewelry in the water as it highly resembles fish scales. If you are going on a hike, be sure to tell someone where you are going and what time you expect to return; this way, if you get lost someone will come looking for you. Wilderness Survival begins before you leave the house and sometimes, in the case of earthquake emergencies, can begin in your house. Being prepared for the worst is a skill that you can’t put money on and its one that takes practice, knowledge and skill building.
Is your family prepared for survival in any situation? Come test your knowledge out at the Ultimate Family Wilderness Survival Game Show on January 27th, 2015. You must register in advance to play. There will be two hands-on challenges and two critical thinking and theory challenges. At the end of these challenges, each family will be given a FWSR “Family Wilderness Survival Rating”. The family with the highest rating gets to take home a wilderness survival related prize. I hope to see you there! – Sama Wareh, ENC Outreach Coordinator