| Why should you learn wilderness survival | | | | fifteen minutes later. The line between the |
| skills just for backpacking? They may save | | | | the first and second marks points east. A few |
| your life someday, and for ultralight | | | | techniques like this can save you when your |
| enthusiasts like myself, skills replace gear, | | | | compass is lost.5. Weather: In the Rocky |
| and therefore weight. The best reason, | | | | Mountains you can see the clouds forming just |
| however, may be that it's just a good feeling | | | | before the afternoon storms. Being able to |
| to know you can deal with whatever comes up. | | | | read the sky can keep you out of trouble. |
| It makes you feel more at home.To survive | | | | Lightning kills hikers in Colorado |
| means to stay warm and dry, hydrated, | | | | regularly.6. Staying dry: Hypothermia is the |
| uninjured, and to find your way out of the | | | | biggest wilderness killer, and getting wet is |
| survival situation. Eating is nice too, but | | | | the biggest cause. Watch for ledges or large |
| not crucial if the situation is for a few | | | | fir trees to stand under if you see the rain |
| days. Below are some more or less random | | | | coming.7. Shelter: A pile of dry leaves and |
| survival tips, just to get you | | | | dead grass can keep you very warm in an |
| interested.Wilderness Survival Tips1. Warmth: | | | | emergency.8. Hydration: Fill water bottles |
| Sleep with your head slightly downhill to | | | | every chance you get, and you won't have such |
| stay warmer. This may take some getting used | | | | a hard time with any long dry stretches of |
| to, but it works.2. Food: In North America, | | | | trail.9. Injury: Pop a "blister" on the trunk |
| there is no berry that looks like a | | | | of a small spruce or fir tree, and you can |
| blueberry, strawberry, or rasberry, that can | | | | use the sap that oozes out as an good |
| hurt you from one taste. Just spit it out if | | | | antiseptic dressing for small cuts.10. Fire |
| it doesn't taste right. If it looks and | | | | starter: White birch bark will usually light |
| tastes like a blueberry - it is.3. Fire | | | | even when wet.These are just a few of the |
| starter: If you put dried moss or milkweed | | | | wilderness survival tips and techniques you |
| fuzz in your pocket as you walk, you'll have | | | | can easily learn. Why not practice one or two |
| dry tinder to start a fire, just in case it's | | | | on your next backpacking trip?Steve Gillman |
| raining later. Experiment with different | | | | is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of |
| materials.4. Direction-finding: Mark the tip | | | | lightweight backpacking. |
| of the shadow of a stick, and mark it again | | | | |