Survival Essay

Henry David Thoreau once said, “In wilderness is the preservation of the world” and this supposedly means the whole world started within the wild. I consider this quotation to be very true since everything society is today began in the wilderness years ago. Because we have become so accustomed to the luxurious life of the 21st century, could we really live if we were randomly dumped into the wild? Some say living in the wilderness would be easy; survival of the fittest just plays the game. This is true however in my opinion someone who is not the fittest could still survive with the proper knowledge. The only problem would be overcoming the fear of being alone fending for oneself.  Likewise while understanding how to survive in the wilderness can be arduous and formidable, a few simple tips can help tremendously.

Having nourishment, sustenance, is life and one of the main keys to survival; without the correct nutrition, a human could die quickly. Many edible plants are out there, but deadly plants can be found as well. Brett McKay, author of “Surviving in the Wild: 19 Common Edible Plants” states, “If you cannot clearly identify a plant and you don’t know if it’s poisonous, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Avoid plants that have spines, fine hairs, and thorns, as well as ones containing a bitter or soapy taste. Most other plants can be eaten. More important than food, water can be found in a variety of ways. An article by Joy Montefusco “7 Places to Find Water in the Wild” has several great ideas for water sources. However if unable to be around a stream or river, one can improvise easily, for example, in the morning, bind rags on to one's feet and walk around in the dew to mop up water. A liter an hour can be collected his way. Bamboo also contains lots of water, to obtain this, bend the green stalk and cut the top off, the water will drip constantly. Clearly we have several ways to accumulate food and water for nourishment because amazingly food does not just come from the supermarket and water is not made from a faucet.

Equally important a shelter can be as essential as nourishment, especially in harsh weather conditions. in the Call of the Wild by Jack London, Buck the main dog character, did not know how to survive in the Wild without guidance and the proper shelter. Making do with what he had, /buck “proceeded to dig a hole for himself.” He built something to sleep under so he wouldn’t freeze to death in the snowy,cold environment. EventhoughBuck’s shelter consisted of digging a hole in the ground, there are plenty of ways to make a shelter. According to Erik Falk, “Most people cannot survive unprotected from rough weather for more than a few hours.” Rather than just settling somewhere, finding the right shelter site selection can be tricky. Good places include dry, flat land with building materials for shelter, and wind protection, but most caves and crevices will suffice as well. Eventhough being right beside a friendly river attracts you, the insects attracted to the water can become unsuitable when the beset skin.

Lastly fire holds an essential part in living giving warmth, a way to cook food, and light. Three main elements go into a fire, and these make up the fire triangle. As Bridget Brady points out in her article, “Where to Build a Fire at Your Campsite,” “The three main sides of the triangle represent  air , heat, and fuel.” Without even one of these components, the fire will inevitably die. Site selection is equally important. More information from Bridget Brady’s article contains tips; find a dry spot protected from the wind near a shelter. Then clear a circle and build a fire wall consisting of rocks or wet logs; this wall will help contain the fire and direct heat. Start the fire with small twigs and leaves, then move to dry pieces of wood and logs. Keep this up and the fire should roar in no time.
    
Obviously the wilderness is challenging, but challenge the challenge with knowledge. With nutrition, shelter, and fire one could surely survive. Now if you are ever randomly dumped into the wild you will know how to live for at least a few days. The zeal to survive can make you take crazy actions, but these actions can save lives.



 

Works Cited

Brady, Bridget. "Where to Build a Fire at Your Campsite." Discovery Channel. 29 Aug. 2011. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/where-to-build-a-fire-at-your-campsite.html>.

Falk, Erik C. "Wilderness Survival Shelter." Wilderness Survival Skills for Safe Wilderness Travel. 2012. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/survivalshelter.html>.

London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Scholastic, 1903. Print.

Mckay, Brett. "Surviving in the Wild: 19 Common Edible Plants." Edible Wild Plants: 19 Wild Plants You Can Eat to Survive in the Wild. The Art of Manliness, 06 Oct. 2010. Web. 08 May 2012. <http://artofmanliness.com/2010/10/06/surviving-in-the-wild-19-common-edible-plants/>.

Montefusco, Joy. "7 Places to Find Water in the Wild." Discovery Channel. 26 July 2011. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/7-places-to-find-water-in-the-wild.html>.

Six Word Slant

Survive the wilderness in any way

140 Character Claim

 While understanding how to survive in the wilderness can be arduous,a few simple tips will help tremendously.