The philosophy of survival is an interesting topic, and one that is intertwined with staying alive in the outdoors. There are many physical difficulties to overcome, but the mindset you use to approach these natural hurdles has a profound effect on how you survive in the long run.

Some experts consider survival primarily a battle against the forces of nature, while others view it as a process of learning to take the path of least resistance and go with the flow of those forces.

Ray Mears is one of the most prominent bushcraft practitioners alive today, and he falls firmly into the latter category. Mears says, “Anyone who thinks they can pit themselves against nature is a fool. Nature is always going to be more powerful than any individual human being. The secret is not to pit yourself against nature — it's to learn to bend your flow to hers.”

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Mears mentions another quote from outdoorsman Grey Owl: “We must remember that in the end, nature does not belong to us, we belong to it.”

This quote served as inspiration for the title of the following short film, We Belong to It. Beautiful cinematography and serene acoustic guitar blend with Mears' skillful application of bushcraft techniques in this 13-minute video. Take a moment and enjoy:

We have great respect for Mears' statement, “Even after many years, I'm still a student, because the moment you say you're an expert, you can't learn any more. Learning is what it's all about.” No matter what your survival philosophy consists of, you should always be learning and adapting to improve your skills.

Written by Patrick McCarthy