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