Survival Buyer's Guide

In 1719, Daniel Defoe created Robinson Crusoe and popularized the notion that living alone on a deserted island was somehow an admirable ambition. More recently, the television reality series Survivor rekindled that adventurous spirit in many who imagine themselves carving a shelter out of a primitive wilderness setting with only a pocket knife, or better yet, making a knife from stone.

Author: Frank Ross

With the proper gear and the knowlege to use it, you can survive just about anything.

The real reality is that television isn't reality - no matter how hard they try to make you think it's so. Surviving a crisis outdoors isn't glamorous or fun for that matter. If you were to ask anyone who has had to deal with it first hand, you'd find that they don't want any part of a sequel. In a real survival situation, all you're going to be thinking about is getting yourself back to safety, as fast as possible.

Surviving a real-life crisis depends largely upon your mental state, personal preparedness, physical injuries, and to a great extent the time of year. Breaking your leg in a fall while hiking or hunting in a remote region of the Rockies takes on a completely different tone when that accident happens in December.

My survival gear bag may be over the top, but I've built it based on a worst case scenario, because when you're in deep, having carried a few more ounces of gear will a seem trivial consideration compared to not having what you need.

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