AVOID DANGER

IF something does happen, sit down and think it out. Accept the harsh reality of the situation and think of a positive way out, because it will save your life and others with you.

Before you head off on remote bush tracks, ensure you have developed a level of awareness that crap happens. Disasters are not planned; they happen and in most cases are avoidable. It may be as simple as turning back when the track becomes impassable or a flooded stream halts progress, or, as I have done several times, turn back when a bushfire bars your path.

While most of us will never achieve the mental-health levels first responders and soldiers are trained for, we can fall back on something that is rarely used these days: common sense.

Always remember that even the bestequipped vehicles and plans are subject to Murphy’s Law. Unless you take a holistic approach and are mentally and physically prepared when bad things happen, you have no right to be out there – so sit down and think your way out of it when a disaster happens.