by Cody Gambrel

Created on: September 21, 2009   Last Updated: September 23, 2009

Surviving in the Wilderness

The cruel sun ambushed my body. It had snuck up from behind the clouds set high over head and attacked at my weakest moment. Sweat dripped off of me while I struggled to lower myself to the ground in order to catch my breath. Lying on the cool green field my legs ached in agony. They had carried me and a backpack with fifty pounds of supplies five miles to my destination.

In front of me was Powell River. It's waters were slow in motion and cool to the touch. My mind told me to launch myself into the water, but my body would not allow me to move. The sun continued to bake my skin. Each intake of breath gave me strength and hope to get up. To do what I came here to do. That was to survive for four days and three nights in the wilderness relying solely on my wits and gear.

It was the summer of 2008. I was sixteen years old. Just a couple months shy of seventeen. I decided to travel down the railroad track to the river to try to survive. I wanted to learn more about myself. To push my body and mind to limits I had not reached before. I set out on this journey to find out one thing. That was to see if I could survive in the wilderness of Claiborne County Tennessee.

My gear comprised of the basic essentials. A hiking backpack, a zero degree sleeping bag, cooking utensils, a lighter, a knife, rope, hammer and nails, two changes of clothes, a pair of swimming trunks, extra socks, a fishing rod and bait, three extra lighters, and a lot of water. I took no food or tent. By doing so I would have to build my own shelter and acquire my own food thus, setting the goal of survival harder to reach.

As I regained my strength I sat up to observe my surroundings. To the east were train tracks that stretched out over the river. The train passed twice a day. Once around 8:00 A.M. and again at 8:00 P.M. Behind me laid a small mountain that rose about 300 feet into the blue sky. I stood along the edge of a small field. The grass rose about a foot off the ground. I could tell someone had cut it and gathered their hay not long ago. I found out later that it was being occupied by not only myself but also a few other creatures.

The first thing on my agenda was to construct a shelter. I set out along the river side to find a suitable place. About after ten minutes of walking I stopped. I had found it. The ground had sloped down causing a vertical rise in the ground opposite to the river. This rise was about five feet in height. It extended about twenty feet,

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