"Survival by the Numbers" This article essentially details how to survive in the wilderness. It goes into depth on how you can only count on yourself and that you need to prepare for every possible scenario when spending time outdoors. The article stresses that you need to plan for the worst possible case scenario, planning on staying overnight and packing essential materials even if you are not planning on staying out all night. Two of the main items discussed in the article are the amount of water you need to intake and how to build a fire. If Brian had read this article prior to leaving on his plane trip, it would not have taken him nearly so long to start a fire. He also would have learned the value of resting instead of pushing himself to near exhaustion, as well as prioritizing: shelter or fire?
“When he sat alone in the darkness and cried and was done, all done with it, nothing had changed. His leg still hurt, it was still dark, he was still alone and the self-pity had accomplished nothing.” This quote is incredibly important because it is the moment when Brian realizes that feeling bad for himself is not going to help him survive. I think this is going to have a huge impact on the rest of his time in the woods. If he knows he needs to toughen up in order to live and that will help push him through the most difficult days, which I think will be the first ones.