Sunday 12 March 2017

Introduction


"In game theory and economic theory, a zero-sum game is a mathematical representation of a situation in which each participant's gain or loss of utility is exactly balanced by the losses or gains of the utility of the other participants." -Wikipedia

Simply put, the term zero-sum game or "zero-sum", describes a concept that asserts that in order for one thing to gain, another thing must do without -or in other words- "the early bird gets the worm" (to put it succinctly).  This is the most sobering, fundamental concept at the core of survival, for in the wild resources are limited, so those who know where to find them, how to use them, and how to sustain their use will ultimately survive. Every living thing in the wild is constantly competing for resources in some manner or another with everything else and man, by farthest, is the weakest, most fragile competitor in the game.

When thrust into a survival situation, your chances of success are entirely predicated on what you know, what you do with what you know and above all else, your ability to control fear and prevent panic. Having the best book on survival isn't worth a thing if you never took the time to learn and actually practice (and practice, and practice) the principles, methodologies and techniques presented within. Likewise, practice and technical competency alone will not ensure your survival if you are not capable of mastering your emotions and maintaining a calm and collected demeanour when things start going wrong. Making fire with a bow and drill in your backyard on a sunny day simply doesn't replicate real survival challenges enough to bestow competency in the skill when it really counts. 

Surviving in the wild, you may be soaking wet from days on end of being ill-sheltered from rain.  You may be tired and hungry, and sleep deprived and the wood you aim to fashion your bearing block, drill and fireboard from may not be the same type you have in your backyard. There may be high winds, or the temperature may be so cold you lose dexterity and fine motor skills to the point you can't reasonably whittle or carve what you need. And there is definitely no warm, relaxing living room to retire to at the end of a failed attempt. When the stakes are that high, your functional level of skill will be revealed and you will learn if you truly have what it takes to survive.
I know there are currently hundreds (if not thousands) of survival bogs, forums, sites, etc., so "what makes this blog different?" you might ask. Well, I hope to touch on topics that in my opinion have been underemphasized, mis-quoted or altogether missed or ignored by everyone else. It is my aim to patch those seemingly insignificant holes in everyday survival knowledge that could possibly make a difference to somebody who can benefit from it in a time of need. But for the most part, I intend to grow this blog organically and develop its narrative based on the commentary between my readers and me. To this end I welcome questions & comments on the topics I have posted and suggestions on any other topics you guys and gals think deserve some focus and discussion. I don't claim to know everything and I expect (and hope) to learn as much from each of you as you do from my posts. And while I will always strive for as much accuracy as possible, in some instances it may boil down to my personal opinion and/or preference -and when that is the case, I will indicate as much.

I am excited about where this blog may go and hope it will be proven to have provided value and benefit to the many others who share my same passion for the wild.

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