Could Katniss Have Upped Her Hunger Game?
By Survival Expert Keith Clark
Photo courtesy Lionsgate, text commentary by Wired
"I don't want them to change me... Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not."
Unlike getting lost on a hike or trapped in an avalanche, The Hunger Games presents a unique survival situation. The author, Suzanne Collins puts her characters in a battle arena where they must outlive every other contestant by killing them—a far cry from surviving in a tropical retreat. As a Combat Vet and Co-Host of the up-coming TV show The Survival Factor, I know the difference between the two scenarios as the difference between a hunger dream and a nightmare.
Peeta, a co-contender in The Hunger Games grasped the core of survival psychology in the opening quote. Being put in a survival situation does change you, not because of other people, but because of your reaction to them, the elements, hunger, thirst, and in Katniss, Peeta, and every Veteran's case, being hunted by other humans.
You may ask: Could Katniss have handled things better in the 74th Hunger Games?
Through her actions she outlines some important steps:
She sought water first. This is the most important rule of any wilderness survival expert or die-hard outdoor enthusiast. You simply can't live long without water.
She used nature to her advantage instead of fighting against it, as in the scene with the tracker jackers. She also used the height and safety of trees to sleep and see approaching opponents, keeping them at a distance.
Most importantly, she made alliances with others, if only during part of the game. True survival is not a "me first" social structure, it is a group effort. This is why the US Army implemented The Buddy System and the Templar Knights always rode two knights on one horse.
How did Katniss do?
All-in-all, for a 16 year-old, brilliant!
What could she have done differently, you may ask?
In the army we always heard the phrase "pay attention to detail." We heard it so much I learned to hate it, but when someone is deliberately trying to kill you it may be the only lesson that saves your life. Knowing what is going on around you will usually allow you to make the first move. And how can you always know what is going on around you? By setting triplines in a parameter around your location; triplines interwoven with anything that will make a noise; i.e. metal, rocks, twigs etc. In wilderness survival this would be used to warn against an oncoming bear or mountain lion, but in Katniss’ situation it would perform the same purpose.
Another valuable lesson was touched when players discussed fire. Fire DOES attract attention, in fact the glowing end of a cigarette butt has been the cause of many fatal war injuries. For this reason, all light, of any kind, should be avoided if you are hunted. But how do you cook your meat, you ask? The answer is simple: Eat bugs. For their size they have just as much, or more, protein. This isn't the drive-in, it's survival.
The final bit of advice Katniss could use is to learn to set many kinds of snares. Snares not only slow predators,but they can also eliminate threats just by being placed in the right path.
The ability to utilize natural resources such as water, poison berries and gravity gave Katniss the edge as the winner of 74th Hunger Games. More important than her skill with a bow was her ingenuity and endurance to outlive the rest. And when you can endure longer than anyone else, you win, whatever the game!
If you want the odds to be “ever in your favor,” here are basic survival skills you can learn to give yourself the edge:
1. Learn to use whatever tools you have at hand to win. In the Hunger Games, tributes scavenged random supplies from the packs placed at the cornucopia. If you ever end up isolated in the wilderness with only the items in your pockets, you need to be resourceful. For example, did you know that you could make a fire using a piece of gum wrapper and a cell phone battery? You can learn these skills and more from The Survival Factor.
2. Learn to purify water and gather food. Katniss was fortunate enough to find purifying tablets, but if needed, she could have boiled her water or created a primitive filter using charcoal and a hollow plant. If you’re not a hunter like Katniss, it’s also important for you to learn how to forage for edible plants.
3. Learn how to assess your surroundings. In real life, just as in the Hunger Games, this could be a matter of life and death. The Survival Factor teaches users how to use the terrain to their advantage instead of fighting against it.
If you want to be like Katniss Everdeen—a survivor instead of a victim—please consider supporting The Survival Factor, a promising new survival show that will teach viewers practical survival skills. You can watch the trailer video on this website and sign the online petition here.
About the author:
The Survival Factor is a promising new show filmed in Idaho and supported by local businesses. Hosted by survival expert Keith Clark and adventurer filmmaker Mark Vashro, The Survival Factor will take viewers across the entire state of Idaho in search of adventure and opportunities to teach viewers practical, real life survival skills. Unlike other survival shows currently aired, The Survival Factor focuses primarily on education and appreciation of little-known wilderness utopias that many Idahoans may not even realize are right in their own backyard.