Wilderness Trail Blazers!

Wilderness Survival Quiz

For true outdoors men, comfort and survival in the wilderness are synonymous. Both come through a combination of knowledge,
skill and attitude, which all Canadians possess. This quiz was designed to test all three elements.

1. Here are four essentials for survival in the wild. Assuming none is at your immediate disposal during
a crisis, which should you try to arrange for first?
a. shelter
b. water
c. food
d. fire

2. It’s summer. You’ve got no water and are near no obvious water sources. Describe three options for
quenching your thrist.

3. Of the following, which is probably your safest source of water?
a. river
b. stream
c. lake
d. pond

4. Ground-to-air visual signals are used to attract the attention of pilots and can be made using
branches, strips of cloth or even footprints in the snow or sand. In such instances, what does the
signal “V” represent?

5. True or False? A good way to test the edibility of a plant is to eat a minuscule amount of it and wait
two hours to see if any symptoms occur.

6. In two words, describe how to quickly fashion a knife from a rock.

7. Describe three survival uses for a plastic trash bag.

8. When building a tent or a survival hut, it’s best to situate the entrance so that it’s facing in which direction?
a. north
b. south
c. east
d. west

9. Match the shelter with the phrase that best describes it.
a. hogan I. sturdy, cemented
b. debris hut II. instant protection
c. quinzee III. simple, versatile
d. lean-to IV. improvised, warm
10. What’s the difference between tinder and kindling?

11. Is a man more likely or less likely to survive a wilderness crisis than a woman in the same situation?

12. Which best describes the reason that experts advise looking over your shoulder frequently when hiking?
a. It alerts you to the presence of wild animals.
b. It lets you know what the trail looks like in reverse.

13. Which serve(s) as a good natural insect repellent?
a. mud c. frog saliva
b. cedar d. pine tar

14. Which is the paramount concern when sheltering yourself in a snow cave?
a. freezing to death c. suffocation
b. bear attack d. dehydration

15. The main difference between feline tracks (i.e. mountain lion, bobcat) and canine tracks
(i.e. foxes, coyotes, wolves) is:
a. canine tracks have five toes, feline tracks four.
b. feline tracks show claw marks; canine tracks are rounded.
c. feline tracks are rounded; canine tracks show claw marks.
d. to the untrained eye, there is no difference.

16. Define “reflector” in its fire building sense.

17. Which of the following is not true about bears?
a. they can tear apart a car.
b. they can run as fast as horses for short distances.
c. they can climb trees.
d. they will not attack unless obviously threatened.

18. True or False? Your level of physical fitness affects how susceptible you are to altitude sickness.

19. You sprain your ankle on a hike. All of the following are sensible treatments except:
a. soaking the foot in an icy stream
b. urinating on a cloth compress and wrapping it around the injury
c. tightening the laces on your hiking boot
d. soaking the foot in fire-heated water

20. You’re shivering, but you have no extra clothing and you’re two hours from the trailhead. In your
pocket is a box of matches. You’re surrounded by dry leaves and twigs but few branches. What should you do?