I never took ''bushcraft'' seriously for many years and always felt that most of this was just uncommon sense. Then a few years back I was metal detecting in an isolated area of the Boreal Forest. I started out on a 100+ year old trail that deteriorated into pouch puckering cold tea coloured bog that I could not seem to walk around. Many miles and later in the day (I started early morning, scared up a moose etc. which crashed through the bush), I was exhausted and close to being totally lost. I was worn out, out of water, and I was clearing back swimmers out of my scooped up bog water. My clothes were torn in places from snags and I felt that I hit a wall. Flashes of panic washed through me. Then anger for being so stupid as not to tell my wife exactly were I was going. I rested and tried to get a grip on myself and try to get past the knowledge that I was wiped out but had to get back, with day light moving toward late afternoon. For a while I seriously considered staying put so I took stock of what I had brought with me. It wasn't much, but it was still mentally\emotionally comforting to know that I had SOME preparations on me. I had a button on ball compass, a tin of sardines in the jacket chest pocket., my water bottle, a sturdy folding knife and a lighter. And as I was exhausted, bug bitten, cold and the guts were getting empty with evening approaching I made a final push. Using the ball compass I managed to crawl back through the bush and swamp, popping out in a farmers yard at dusk. I came out about half a mile from were I went in. The farm family looked at me like I was a spectre and I drank about half a pitcher of water from them on the spot. I damn near felt like crying, or at least worried, depressed, semi defeated, on the way back. I wasn't even sure if I could get out before dark, or if I was 100% on track. This was the event that made me realize that a lifetime of outdoor experiences had not prepared me for a true isolated and lost scenario. I remember the feelings, felt a bit better that I had sense enough to carry a few basics, and that I had the jam to move past some self defeating feelings. I knew that my wife would get very worried as the evening\night went on. I look back and see what a light weight I was and still am in many ways in regard to outdoor survival knowledge. But I have made some gains in the last few years, mainly due to this site and the knowledge freely passed on here, for which I am grateful. As for outdoor tools, I find that my selection is becoming more refined and purpose driven over time. And I believe in redundancy\multi purpose tools were and when appropriate. I guess that what I'm saying is that it gets VERY real out there sometimes, by accident. So sit and think about what you would want on you, and are willing to carry, in a worst case scenario, because it does happen. And as many of you have said before, knowledge weighs nothing. Once my arrogance was overcome, I become receptive to, and now respect bushcraft skills\knowledge. I still have much to learn.
