Hi! I'm Mike Meyers with Zion Wilderness Survival School in Utah and I am here for Expert Village to talk to you about wilderness survival skills. The most critical thing I believe in starting off on any sort of wilderness adventure whether be in a vehicle or on foot, is preparation. Having the right gear, getting yourself in good physical condition. You wouldn't jump in a ocean and try to swim to the English Channel if you never swam before nor should somebody just plunge out into the desert especially the desert that can be a very hostile place without some preparation and physical conditioning so I recommend that you undergo some jogging, running, biking regimen ahead of time so that you feel that you are reasonably physically fit. You are prepared to deal with the very vigorous obstacles that you will be confronted with in a desert setting. Preparation is another phase of being prepared, knowing where you are going, taking the time to review your maps. I have maps here that I have drawn lines on that show my route on particular trips I have taken. I do that ahead of time, I look at terrain, I look for water sources, reliable water sources if there are any and something I do is look for handrails. Handrails are physical markings or physical structures. They may be freeways, rivers, mountain ranges that I know say to my left, west, east, north to help me lock in where am. If I get lost for some reason, I can always use those handrails as a way to guide me back. If I know the freeway is 20 miles to the west, I just start walking west and I know that I will hit that freeway eventually. It is easier than looking for small trails, ravine, etc. The other thing I do is I go through what gear I am going to need. Your gear can be good for one area but not good for another. If you are going to be in the desert, you want to have plenty of water. You may have 2/3 of your weight in water. Somewhere else water may not be as important because it is available. So preparation is key to your outing. If you are in a vehicle and going to do 4 wheel drive, going off road somewhere, you need to have gear in your vehicle. You need to have plenty of water, extra food, tools to maintain your vehicle or to fix a flat tire. You don't just plunge off assuming your vehicle is going to get you back.
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