Steven Dessinger has almost 30 years of wilderness instruction experience. As the program director and owner of the acclaimed Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) in Utah, the oldest outdoor survival school in the world, he knows his stuff.
So we asked for his top wilderness survival tips. You know, just in case.
Tell someone where you're going and when you plan on coming back.
"If Aron Ralston had done that, he likely would not have had as much of an ordeal as he did," Dessinger said, referencing the subject of the 2010 film, "127 Hours," who was forced to amputate his own arm when he was pinned down by a boulder.
Ralston hadn't told anyone where he was going, or that he was going anywhere at all, so it took much longer for people to realize he was missing and know where to look.
Play it safe — share your itinerary with a family member or friend.
Bring appropriate clothing for any possible situation.
Think about the changing environments you might encounter as you travel and be prepared. Just because the sky is clear when you leave first thing in the morning doesn't mean you can't get caught in high winds or rough weather later in the day.
"One way that people get in trouble is going on a day hike, especially if they're going to be gaining elevation and they don't think about how that elevation change is going to affect the temperature... or get into a situation where it's rainy and they don't have appropriate gear, and end up getting hypothermia or something like that," he said.
Carry a bushcraft knife.
"That's one of the most universal tools to have when you're out," Dessinger said.
On the condition, of course, that you know how to use it.
"You don't want to be using a knife in a wilderness situation if you're not used to using it, because cutting yourself and getting a serious cut while you're out there would be adding an emergency situation."
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