If you think you’re ready for the wilderness, the truth is that you’re probably not. Even if you have all of the best gear and you’ve done lots of preparation, getting out there into the real world is always something different. You never know what nature is going to throw at you, whether you’re looking for backcountry survival, untamed arctic climbs, or high stakes adventures in the desert.
In the wild, confidence is something that kills faster than anything else. You might feel like you’re ready and prepared for anything the world can throw at you, but the truth is that you’re probably not. Even if you have fancy packs, knives, and apps, and you’ve done months of gym sessions to prepare your body physically, there are still traps that you can fall into.
For example, at night, temperatures can often drop 30 degrees or more compared to daytime. You might also face storms rolling in and have to prepare for a lot of wet weather. Even an ankle twist at the start of the trail can really mess up your plans and prevent you from going the distance. Suddenly, all of that packing equipment and readiness that you’ve spent months trying to maintain disappears, and you need to contend with reality as it is.
One thing that many people say about the wild is that it humbles them. They discover that even if they prepare mentally, it can warp their judgement, and things like heat, insects, and cold never stop their assault on the body. The moment you think that you’ve mastered your environment, you realize it’s an illusion, and you need to deal with another problem.
Bear Grylls is a man who has spent a lot of time out in nature adventuring. One of the things he says is that the most dangerous thing in the wild isn’t snakes, crocodiles, or the obvious threats. It’s your own personal complacency. The moment you start thinking that you’ve got something and that you’re in control of the environment, is the moment that it will surprise you.
For this reason, many people focus on being resilient and adaptable instead of thinking that they’ve got everything sorted out. For example, they might invest in Walker’s Razor COM-RAC AMP adapters for superior comfort or food rations for when temperatures drop and civilisation is miles away.
It’s these little changes that make the biggest difference. It also helps to go on smaller expeditions first to build up the skills required for larger ones. Developing a specific skill that can come in handy later is a great tool to add to your arsenal.
Let’s say, for instance, that you’re stuck out in the middle of nowhere and don’t have a tent, or even any blankets or ground sheets, but you need to bed down for the night. It can be useful knowing how to create a fire that warms up the ground, and then create a temporary bivouac so that you can see yourself through to the early morning.
Never assume that you will be okay, it always makes sense to be properly prepared.