I have
been an advocate of preparedness and self-reliance since before I was 10
years old. It started
when I read Farley
Mowat’s book, Lost
in the Barrens.
Ever since I’ve read that book, I have been interested. And, I have nearly
all of Mowat’s books.
One cold winter day some time after I’d graduated from high school, I decided
to build a snow shelter. The type I built is known as a quinzee. I wanted to
try sleeping in it, and by chance, I picked the coldest night of the year. It
got down to –45 celsius that night, but I survived. It was an interesting
experience. Now, I know how to build an even better snow shelter.
The one odd thing I noticed about sleeping out there was that I woke up every
15 to 20 minutes throughout the night. In the morning, my mother came out
to check and see if I was still alive. I’m willing to bet she probably didn’t
sleep at all that night.