Page 284 - The Lost Ways
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Survival Lessons from the Donner Party
Even though in the U.S. today life is very different from the days of the pioneers, there
are many survivalists that prepare for bad times and try to ensure they have the
equipment, tools, and skills to survive in any setting.
The situation that befell the Donner Party and the struggle they went through to survive
can be a lesson for anyone that is preparing to survive any post-collapse conditions,
including living in the bush for an extended period of time and/or migrating from one
geographical area to another.
The reality is, if a disaster of a significant size were to occur, many people would not
survive. The Donner Party learned that lesson the hard way, and while knowing what they
went through will not change the conditions of a post-collapse society, perhaps the
experiences of the Donner Party can serve as lessons to help those that are planning to
survive any hard times to come.
The following is a discussion of the various survival lessons we can take from the
experience of the Donner Party:
Follow the Known Route
This is critical. Stay on the road, and don’t take shortcuts. In any survival situation, if at all
possible, you want to follow the path that has been the most traveled, not the least. When
it comes to survival, there is far more danger in trying something new.
The Donner Party knew the Hastings Cutoff was new, and they had fair warning that it
was not safe and should be avoided. However, they let their desire to find a shorter route
sway their judgment.
Everyone who chose to take the traditional route to California that year made it to their
destination alive and well. If the Donner Party had done the same, their tragedy would
have been avoided.
Money Won’t Save You; It’s What You Know
James Reed had plenty of money, but the hard trail doesn’t care about money. Once they
turned onto the Hastings Cutoff, there was no help for them during the journey, no matter
how much money Reed had. When you are out on the trail, it is what you know that will
help you survive.
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