Research Your Destination

You can never have too much information about a place you are traveling to. Contact people who know the area already, read books, study maps – and make sure that you have reliable and up-to-date maps to take with you. Find out about the local people. Are they likely to be friendly and helpful or are they wary of strangers? Are there local customs and taboos?
The more detailed your knowledge of the way people live (particularly in non-westernized societies, where life is linked much more closely to the land) the more survival knowledge you will have if you come to need it. Local methods of shelter building and fire making, wild foods, herbal medicines and water sources will be based on an intimate understanding of the surroundings.