Wilson's Tips for Survival
The Importance of Water for Survival
A human can only go for about three days without water, and long before that, confusion and dizziness set in. With the effects of dehydration in mind, it's no wonder why civilization has been built up around water sources such as rivers and lakes. They provide not only drink, but food, in the form of flora and fauna that is also dependent on the water for survival. The invention of irrigation aided farming, leading to growing populations and transportation too, as indigenous peoples found traveling by boat to be just as effective as their feet. The benefits of a water source are great, and in early civilizations, rivers and streams were an integral part of daily lives.
The Importance of Plants for Survival
This one is a bit more straightforward. Plants are food, and humans need food to survive, to gain energy and grow. It's a necessary part of life, and people tend to go where the food is. Early hunter gatherers would hunt animals, and gather edible plants for food. Hence the name. Of course, not many plants take kindly to being eaten, so over time they developed techniques to protect themselves. Thorns, poison, all that fun stuff. This makes plant identification a very important part of surviving in the woods. Plants, (particularly trees) can also be used as shelter, to protect us from the elements.
The Importance of Medicine for Survival
Medicine provides wiggle room, when looking at things from a survival based perspective. In early civilizations, disease was the greatest danger, claiming more lives than any predatory creatures. Should you fall sick, medicines could keep you from the worst of the ailment, or keep a wound from festering. Keeping a population alive was a pretty important thing for actually growing said population. This became very evident with early antibiotics, which far surpassed herbal medicine.