Books and the Internet are great sources of information
ENVIRONMENT SPECIFIC ADVENTURE CONSULTANTS
Becoming One with Your Environment
Introduction
Have you ever dreamed of simply getting out into another outdoor world beyond your own backyard? I don’t mean the odd fishing or hunting trip where you head out with a bunch of friends to an old camp that has all the comforts of home waiting for you. An outdoor experience that becomes a profound challenge that allows you to experience a different realm of existence, unlike anything you have ever done before. Getting out in some backcountry wilderness area where you are self sufficient and self-reliant. You have packed everything that you think you will need to move and live out in the backcountry for a week or more. You have the right equipment and the knowledge to use that equipment, now bust through that barrier called your comfort zone and see things that you used to view on TV. Get out there and live life in the wilderness. Trek across country, cover ground and see things you don’t normally get to see up close and personal. Let all of your senses absorb new sensations. Get excited about your acquired knowledge and your newly discovered experience of being out there.
Becoming one with your environment simply means that you are absolutely confident AND comfortable with surviving, living, moving and succeeding in the middle of any environment you may choose to locate yourself or through an inadvertent situation, you may find yourself having to deal with. Whether you have chosen to be in a particular backcountry environment, or through the powers of fate, have ended up in a wilderness area not necessarily of your choosing, you should endeavor to possess the knowledge, experience and confidence to live in that environment, move to where you need to go and return safely to your home to tell about it.
How do we accrue this knowledge and experience? What infuses us with the courage to ward off panic in extreme situations? How would we survive in a wilderness environment? PMA…Positive Mental Attitude. First, we motivate ourselves to endeavor to become proficient in our chosen wilderness environment(s). If you have a penchant for being in the outdoors and truly enjoy communing with nature, you must seek as much knowledge about the outdoors as you can. Most people would envision becoming one with their environment as advanced survival training of sorts. That may well be true, but it shouldn’t detract from basic survival, which is a fundamental key to surviving in any environment. Most of us derive knowledge from reading books and remembering what we see in their illustrations. We then accrue experience by either replicating what we see and have read through those books, or through the tutelage of survival experts. Knowledge is power and experience is the best teacher. If you truly love the outdoors and always like being outside, then increase your knowledge of chosen wilderness environment(s). It will guarantee that your outdoor experiences will be the best that they can be. The skills that you must become proficient in to become one with your environment and enjoy your backcountry experience is as follows but is not limited to these skills:
* Basic Land Navigation to include how to read a topographic map, procedures to find your position on the map and on the ground using your map and
compass and determine direction of travel using your map and compass. Learning how to operate a GPS unit is beneficial AFTER you’ve mastered Basic Land Navigation techniques.
*Know how to safely build a fire. This is a very important skill in helping you to stay alive in an emergency survival situation. You should also become proficient at being able to start a fire using techniques other than lighters and matches, e.g. flint and steel, fire bow, etc.
*Be proficient at knowing how to find and/or build expedient shelters in your chosen environment(s).
*Wilderness First Aid.
*Become familiar with the geographical and environmental characteristics of your chosen environment. This will include information that will help you learn about the terrain, weather patterns, where to find water, animal and plant species as well as precautions to take while out in a particular wilderness environment.
These are but a few of the important skills you should become comfortable with performing well in order to be able to survive, live and ultimately enjoy your backcountry adventures. Take the four steps outlined below to help you achieve your objectives for becoming one with your environment.
STEP ONE: Read as many books as you can find that are interesting to you in regard to basic wilderness survival. There are so many out there that cover virtually all facets of survival. There are multitudes of books from the psychological aspects of survival to basic and advanced survival techniques to specific ways to live and move in certain wilderness environments. Check out the internet for websites that are usually featured in some of those books, or links to existing outdoor recreation websites. Because there are so many sources of knowledge in this field, you will probably go over similar ground from book to book and website to website. That’s a good thing because it lends credence to the very subjects you see repeated. Fill your head with thought provoking passages from some of the books that cover aspects of the psychological side of survival. Read about how the techniques written and illustrated about in basic and advanced survival books have been tried, tested and proven especially when you see them repeated in book after book and on most of the survival websites.
Books and the Internet are great sources of information
STEP TWO: Practice basic survival techniques that are generic regardless of a particular environment and time of year. Practice techniques for looking for water, emergency signaling techniques, safely making a fire, basic survival first aid, building survival shelters, basic survival navigation, snaring game, employing static fishing techniques and foraging for edible plants. This is the foundation, the first step to becoming one with your chosen environment(s). When you begin to know how to use the materials found in the backcountry you gain a better understanding of your environment. Some of these techniques can be practiced in your own backyard. Ideally, get out into a backcountry location and hike from your vehicle at the trailhead maintaining a safe buffer zone between the deep woods and civilization in case something goes wrong. Make your training area as safe and as contained as possible until you have reached a degree of confidence that enables you to venture deeper into the backcountry and further from signs of civilization. As you become proficient in each of the basic survival techniques, your confidence and sense of field craft will skyrocket. As you become more knowledgeable of the animals and of the trees and/or the plants of your chosen environment, then you come closer to becoming one with your environment.
STEP THREE: Practice advanced survival techniques that pertain to your chosen environment(s), and/or take a course from a reputable survival expert for your chosen environment. Review lessons learned about how and why victims of outdoor mishaps became victims. Utilize those lessons learned to strengthen your resolve to become one with your chosen environment. If you choose to participate in a survival course, check out the internet. Google in as much detail as you can, for specifically what you’re looking for; e.g. “winter survival courses” which will guide you to at least several different course websites. Pick the one that resonates with you and is approved by several sources such as affiliates, media and previous students. If you’re new to survival in any specific environment, nothing beats attending a good multi-day course taught by indigenous experts in the environment you wish to become one with.
Just type in what you’re looking for and prepare to research.
Once you have graduated from basic survival techniques to mastering advanced survival techniques through trial and error and/or through participation in a survival course, then you begin to assemble your own individual survival kit that you take with you whenever you go out into the backcountry environment of your choice. Whether you are wishing to become proficient in general wilderness survival, mountain and/or winter survival, survival in the desert or jungle, you will tailor a personal survival kit that will address situations unique to those environments.
STEP FOUR: Test your knowledge. Once you’ve absorbed enough information and have practiced the techniques in a controlled environment, test your knowledge of survival and field craft and take off for at least 3 days or more. Build a scenario utilizing what you’ve read about how other people have been in similar situations as well as in what situations you might find yourself in a survival situation in a particular environment. For example, you find yourself in the middle of the jungle and you have to make your way back to civilization with what you have with you. Your survival kit should have all the items you have already deemed you should have in an emergency situation in the jungle. Your mission would be to navigate to the nearest location of civilization living off the land while making your way to safety. Although the whole scenario may seemed “canned” you will still test your skills for finding, collecting and purifying water, using what you’ve packed in the first aid portion of your survival kit for any injuries you may have or might incur, building a shelter and making a fire. You can make your test as realistic as is safely possible to replicate the situations you will have to be proficient enough to deal with. This will enforce habits that you will carry on for life such as always carrying certain survival items on your person at all times whether you are out there with or without your backpack.
Basic Pocket Size Commercial Survival Kit
When you become survival conscious, you prepare yourself for just about anything. Think about always carrying a good Swiss Army Pocket knife everywhere you go and also a small, all-encompassing survival kit that will see you through most emergency situations. The small survival kit above comes from the Adventure Medical Kit folks. It contains the basic survival items you may need to rely on in a general backcountry emergency. The items contained in the kit are generic to general survival in any environment. In the above picture starting from the left is an 18”x 24” section of aluminum foil, which can be used as a fire reflector for heat, for signaling, or folded into a container for boiling water. In the small, cylindrical plastic container is assorted safety pins, a sewing needle and fishing hooks and weights that can all be used for fishing, and repairs. A small roll of duct tape, which can be used for repairs and first aid. A plastic lens magnifier, which can be used to read fine print on the memory aid survival instructions as well as for starting fires using the sun. The signal mirror is used primarily for signaling but also for checking your face. The small spool of black nylon thread can be used with the needle for sew repairs and light duty lashing. The wire can be used to make snares to trap game or for heavy-duty repairs. White nylon cord, which is rated to 150 pounds, has many utility uses. One handed flint and steel fire starter and four pieces of emergency tinder for starting fires. A small, liquid filled button compass for navigation and an emergency whistle for signaling. This small kit also contains memory aid survival instructions, pencil and paper and a small, heavy-duty zipper lock bag to keep all the contents compact and able to fit in your pocket.
Survival kits and certain aspects of survival will vary between types of environments. A survival kit you may prepare to utilize in an emergency situation in the jungle may vary from one you may prepare for a winter environment. There will always be “common survival equipment items” that will work in all environments and you may add other items to enhance your chances of survival in a certain environment. Your survival kit for any given environment should be compact and easy to carry on your person. You will carry other crucial items such as a pocketknife or a compass on your person at all times that you use on a regular basis while out in the backcountry, which will further augment your survival kit in an emergency.
“Second Line” equipment to include a general survival kit
When I was serving in SEAL Team during my career in the Navy, we learned about survival techniques as part of our Escape, Evasion and Recovery training. There are a couple of terms I refer to as “First Line” and “Second Line” equipment that I carry on my person at all times while conducting special operations in all environments. It is a habit that has stayed with me in the backcountry. “First Line” equipment refers to any and all equipment items that are stored in pockets of your pants, shirts or jackets. “Second Line” equipment refers to gear that is carried in a pouch such as a belly bag, a fanny pack or an equipment vest of some sort that is always on your person whether you are carrying your backpack or not. I always wear a belly bag that contains important survival gear that I use regularly whether I have a pack on my back or not. That common gear will augment my individual survival kit should I become separated from my backpack for any reason. Whether I’m in the mountains any time of year, in the desert or jungle or in the middle of a snowstorm, I will have my First and Second Line equipment on my body at all times. Through proper prior planning, I will know what environment I will be traveling through and I will have unique equipment items that will be on my person to address any contingency situations in any of those environments. In the picture above, my all-purpose, multi-environment “Second Line” gear is contained in the belly bag, which is at the top of the picture. The items contained will always be on me and described from top to bottom, left to right as follows:
*Smart Phone in waterproof bag - This is my primary means of communication with the rest of the world. More and more wilderness areas have or are getting cell coverage. My cell phone also has text messaging, e-mail and internet capability as backups to my cell capability. I have been able to send e-mail out when I wasn’t able to call on my cell phone. This smart phone also has a camera, which comes in handy for snapping a picture for future use or as a photo journal. Some smart phones also include a GPS capability.
*Personal first aid kit in waterproof bag – Over the years and through much exposure to various backcountry environments, I tailor my personal first aid kit with the things that I need ready access to, anytime…anywhere. Through lessons learned on past adventures, depending on the environment I am trekking through will determine what type of meds and first aid items I pack into it.
Eucalyptus
*Headlamp and container – Everyone needs a light to be able to see at night and for signaling. I use a compact headlamp that can be worn like a normal headlamp or clipped to items for different angle lighting. It also has settings for emergency signaling.
*Small pillbox for personal meds – I always have a small pillbox that I carry on my person containing medicine that I will take when I’m out in the backcountry.
*Small Bic Lighter – The best man-made fire starter there is. It is quick and easy to use and in the unlikely event that it fails, I have a backup flint and steel in my survival kit.
*Lip Balm – A must that most everyone carries on his or her person everywhere. Try to use a lip balm with SPF that can also be used as sunscreen for your nose and face.
*Bug Repellent – Depending on the time of year and the environment, you may very well need to pack a small bottle of bug juice on your person in a pouch or pocket. In this day and age there are several different varieties to suit all skin types and personal preferences from DEET to Eucalyptus. 
*General Survival Kit – This is my “break out in case of emergency survival situation” kit. This particular survival kit contains most everything that I can augment with my existing “Second Line” equipment and that I will need in most environments I may find myself in. This individual survival kit contains basically the same contents as the basic pocket sized survival kit, but I have added to that a wire saw, water purification tabs, 30 feet of parachute cord and a 1 quart water storage bag. Below is my emergency survival kit packaged in a waterproof bag and ready to pack away to carry on me until I really need it.
*Silva Ranger Compass with mirror – I always carry a Silva Ranger Compass for land navigation. The mirror helps for doing resections and in a survival situation; I can use it as a signaling device.
*Swiss Champ Pocket Knife – The best do-it-all knife there is for all kinds of camp chores and if I had a choice of taking any knife out in a survival situation, it would be this knife.
*Storm Paper Pad with pencil – I always carry paper and pencil out with me so that I can keep a journal of my travels in the backcountry. My notebook will contain a diary as well as an important list of any lessons learned while I am out on my wilderness adventure.
*Locking blade folding knife with saw and field dressing blade – Being a retired Navy SEAL, I can never have enough knives but I usually limit myself to two whenever I’m out in the backcountry. This knife is the best all-around utility knife I have found for general woodlands use. If I’m in the jungle or in the mountains in the wintertime, I will swap this knife out for a larger fixed blade knife, or maybe carry it in addition to a larger fixed blade knife…like I said Navy SEALS can never have enough knives.
*Cut down spork – I always like to have an eating utensil with me and on my person at all times. This spork also acts as a good digging and scooping tool in an emergency.
*Expedient knife sharpener – Whether I’m carrying one knife or three, I will always have a way to keep an edge on them. A dull knife can be a liability in the backcountry.
*Map of the area I’ll be trekking through – Better yet, a “mapdanna.” These cloth maps remind me of the Escape and Evasion maps used by Special Operations personnel since World War Two. For us outdoors types, these “mapdannas” serve more than one purpose. Number one, its a map that you have on your person that can help you get to where you need to go if you find yourself in a survival situation. They also provide all the benefits of a regular bandana. I will carry on my person one of these or a regular waterproof, tear proof map of the area I’m in.
I always have my “First and Second” line equipment on me. If I hit another environment at some other time of year, I will tailor my “First and Second” line equipment for that specific environment. It may be necessary to carry a larger fixed bladed knife in the winter or in the jungle. In the winter, it’s necessary to pack my survival equipment, which will be modified for the cold in a tin or a small pot so that I am able to melt snow for water if necessary. I will carry other survival items suited for winter use such as a space blanket and a candle to use inside a snow cave. Your general survival kit will always be basically the same and good for any environment with some modifications as applicable. You should always carry equipment items on your person that will provide for the following:
*Water Collection
*Fire Starting
*Food Gathering
*Signaling
*First Aid
*Navigation
*Shelter construction
It may sound redundant to speak about survival kits and their contents, but the most important aspect to having the right emergency survival items contained in your survival kit is the experience to use them. It doesn’t pay to be caught out in a emergency survival situation to “figure out” how to use the items you’ve packed while you’re in a fight for your life.
My “Second Line” belly bag is ALWAYS around my waist
When I carry my backpacking equipment, I think about being able to access certain equipment items quickly whether I have my backpack on or not, which is why I use a belly bag whenever I get out in the backcountry. The contents that I keep in my “Second Line” belly bag are items I may need immediate access to or survival equipment that I want on me AT ALL TIMES. With the exception of my general survival kit which is only broken into when a survival emergency happens, the rest of the gear in my belly bag are items I use frequently, but also augments my survival kit in a survival situation. This is the result of many years of operating in the outdoors in many different environments, the review of my journals and lessons learned over a long period of time and through habit. What works for me, works for me well and will continue to work for me. All of us are different and may envision different needs and ways to satisfy those needs. You may never, ever become separated from your backpack and always have all the equipment you need when you need it and however you can get at it. Whenever you get out in the backcountry be very conscientious about the equipment you carry for whatever your backcountry environment will be. Read up on updated survival techniques and the ideal equipment to carry in an emergency given the specific environment. Always keep notes about what works and what doesn’t and review them before you head out on a specific adventure. Also, bookmark some of your favorite outdoor wilderness and backcountry survival information websites on your computer so that you can review any updates concerning equipment or modified techniques. There are also chat and news groups that may be included in some of these websites with people that may have recent first hand experience about various backcountry survival topics.
Carry a knife, save a life
Your knife is probably the single most important tool you can carry with you. There are so many varieties of knives and other cutting tools that it ultimately comes down to what YOU prefer to carry. Some of us will carry 2 or 3 different types of cutting tools just for that peace of mind. We should all definitely carry a Swiss Army or Multi-tool and a fixed blade or locking blade knife of some type. The top two fixed blade knives above are very useful in either the jungle or the winter wonderland as the folding saw would be as well. The locking blade folding knife as well as the Swiss Army and multi-tool are almost always carried and always useful out in any wilderness area. As important as the knives we carry is the sharpening stones or other expedient knife sharpening tools we should bring out as well to keep a good edge on our knives at all times.
As you begin to become proficient in all aspects of wilderness survival, you gain a profound sense of field craft and living in the wilderness becomes second nature to you. When you have achieved that heightened sense of awareness and confidence you begin to think about what real comforts you can do without and which ones can truly enhance your time in the outdoors. You have experienced extremes in survival, which teach you exactly what you need to think about prior to getting out in the backcountry. You know exactly what to do to avoid certain situations. You know how to plan to prevent from being in a dangerous predicament. You utilize primary and secondary routes and plans just in case the weather takes an unexpected turn for the worse. You know exactly what equipment to pack and how to use that equipment. Are you ready to become one with your environment and enjoy your backcountry experience to the fullest?