Sam works for a large outdoor gear retailer in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he lives with his wife, Sydney, who is seven months pregnant with their first child. Sam has been studying wilderness-living and survival skills for most of his life. His interest in the lifestyle began in elementary school when he saw an arrowhead exhibit at a natural history museum. At 14, he sold most of his belongings to pay for a canoe expedition in northern Ontario. After high school, Sam travelled to northern Maine to study bushcraft at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School. Although he enjoyed his time there, Sam had the urge to experience a new environment, so he sold his Jeep to purchase a plane ticket to Arizona where he lived under an Army poncho and learned from one of his bushcraft mentors. The following year Sam traveled to New Mexico where he traversed the Gila Wilderness alone, with only minimal gear and a handful of granola. Sam is taking on this adventure as an opportunity to experience a new environment and to test his skills. It’s a personal journey, and Sam has never been able to turn down a good adventure. He’s expecting Vancouver Island to be his most challenging experience yet.

Here are the ten items Sam selected to bring on his survival journey to Vancouver Island:

1. 12×12 ground sheet tarp

2. Ax

3. Sleeping bag

4. Large 2-quart pot

5. Ferro rod

6. 300 yards of single filament line with 25 assorted hooks

7. Bow and 6 arrows

8. Slingshot

9. Extra emergency rations

10. Knife