Have you ever thought about all of the skills that an explorer or adventurer needs in order to survive on a challenging expedition? If so, then I have just the article for you. National Geographic published a story a few weeks back detailing the 15 skills that every adventurer needs, with some insights as to why each of them is important.Some of the items on the list come from simple common sense, while others a bit more surprising. For instance, Nat Geo says that any adventurer worth his salt will know how to avoid getting lost and can properly pack a backpack. Those may seem like simple, straight forward skills, but it is actually amazing to discover how many people don't even possess those basic abilities. I'm continually surprised by the people I meet who can't work a compass or read a map properly.
On the other hand, some of the skills that make the list are not so intuitive. For instance, the story mentions learning to eat for fuel, meaning having the proper foods to power your adventure. Polar explorers can never get enough calories for instance as the extreme cold forces their bodies to work hard to stay warm. Nat Geo says that today's adventurers need to be tech savvy too, which is something that wasn't much of a concern in the past.
There are a number of other useful skills on the list, including how to stay mentally tough, how to make a fire, and how to be environmentally responsible. But, perhaps the most important one of all, is knowing when to quit. You can push your body to the limit and plan everything down to the last detail, but sometimes things are outside of your control, so it is important to know when to say you're done. After all, coming home safely and in one piece is an important aspect to any outdoor adventure.
Check out the entire list here.
