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Whenever my family and I go to the cottage for the weekend, I inevitably want to build a fort. Be it out of snow, sticks, or pillows and blankets, this activity has provided me with immense entertainment. And yes, even at the age of 21, given the choice between building a snow fort and watching a movie at the cottage, I will always choose the fort. 

Thus it should come as no surprise that my show of choice on Saturday mornings is Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls. And while I know I’ll probably never be stuck on a desert island off the coast of Madagascar, I like to think that his survival techniques could prove useful to me somewhere down the line. What if I get lost in the woods in a snowstorm, or if I lost control of my canoe while going down a raging river? It could happen. This is why whenever Bear Grylls is in any location that even somewhat resembles Canada, I pay very close attention. 

The first thing I learned from Grylls was how to cross a frozen lake. I had always assumed the best way would be to stick to the edges and make my way slowly around it. Good thing I saw an episode before I actually attempted this, because I would have drowned. If you lie down on the ice, spread your weight out, and wriggle straight across the center of the lake, you stand the best chance of crossing safely because the ice is thickest at the centre and the weakest at its edges. 

I’ve also learned how to stay warm at night in a snowy wasteland. If you can dig out a hole big enough to fit yourself, and then cover it with pine-tree branches, you’ll be as snug as a bug in a rug. Sort of. Survival isn’t about comfort.  I still, however, cannot stomach watching Grylls eat hairy spiders and giant centipedes, or cut up a seal carcass to use its skin as a wet-suit. But, with the handy fire-making skills I’ve acquired from camping trips and Grylls’ insight into which trees hold the best fire-starting sap, I’m sure I could turn any grub into a delicacy. 

For those of you who aren’t from places where winter dominates six months of the year, these techniques might not be so useful. Let me provide you, then, with a tip that has stuck with me, despite the episode being more relevant to the rainforest than to Canada. If you are ever stuck in the jungle­—always, and I mean always—build your bed suspended above the ground. According to a jungle myth, a man once slept on the ground only to wake up with his arm inside a snake, half digested. Don’t take a chance—please construct your bed above the forest floor.

Some people may say Man vs. Wild is staged and too unrealistic. So what? Even if he does have safety people surrounding him and a trailer full of real food, his survival tips are no less meaningful. If you don’t think you’ll ever be in a situation that will test your strength and willpower, to that I say, never say never. Even if you’re battling your way to class in torrential rains or a blizzard, or you’ve run out of midnight snacks and need to get creative, Grylls’ tips might prove surprisingly useful. So next time don’t be too quick to shun extreme survival techniques, because you just never know when you’ll be up the creek without a paddle.