The right direction
by Marty
(Choctaw, Oklahoma, USA)
Use your survival gear enough to trust it with your life before you have to.
Survival situations can be stressful and stress affects your thinking. If you have used your gear on multiple occasions before an emergency comes your way, you'll be much more prepared, hence confident rather than becoming stressed or panicky.
A friend of mine and I were caught in a blizzard years ago we were not expecting. It was November, and the day had been so hot I had taken off my shirt while buiding a hunting blind. A front rolled in, wind turned to rain which turned to sleet which turned to snow and the temperature dropped by about 60 degrees F. We had canoed in to our location over lake water, but the high winds made our return by water impossible.
We took a compass bearing and headed out overland. After a short time, both of us sensed that we were heading in the wrong direction in spite of our compass readings. We followed our hunch instead of our compass and nearly got lost.
Had I used the compass enough prior to the storm, I am certain that I would have had sufficient confidence in it to trust it and we would have made it out of a bad situation much more quickly and without the pressure that comes with fear and uncertainty.
