6 Skills For the Wilderness Traveler
When we enter the backcountry and walk away from our modern conveniences, we need to be capable of meeting our basic human needs. To do this we use a combination of gear and skills and it is these skills that we are going to talk about today.
The 6 skills every wilderness traveler needs to know are: Navigation, Water, Shelter, Fire, First Aid & Leadership
Navigation: In order to travel in the wilderness we need to know how to navigate. Smart phones and GPS units are powerful tools and easy to use and learn, but they have their limitations. To have a complete navigational system we need to carry a map, compass along with our GPS or phone and be able to use them.
Water: Our bodies need water to function, so it is important to have the skills to find and purify water in the backcountry. Finding water sources is a combination of studying your map, and paying attention to current rain levels (is the area in a drought?). To purify water we need to know how to use our primary and secondary water purification tools. This could be a filter, tablets or a steel bottle and a fire.
Shelter & Fire: These next two skills are grouped because together they allow us to maintain our core body temperature when we have minimal gear. It is important to know how to build a quick shelter using a lightweight tarp so that you can escape the elements. And fire can be used to supplement our body heat when needed. Having these skills allows the day hiker to spend an unexpected overnight in the field with out a sleep system.
First aid: help is a long way away in the backcountry so it is important to have a good working knowledge of first aid. If you can take a wilderness specific first aid class to get even more knowledge.
Leadership: last but not least, we need to know how to lead, even if we are just leading ourselves. This skill is at the core of any successful trip. We need to know how to make good decision, manage risk and handle the dynamics of a group.
Developing these 6 skills will make us all more well rounded and prepared hikers!
