1. The right attitude: If a situation breaks you, you've already lost. Cool heads may yet prevail. Without this, pretty much nothing else matters, and it's only a matter of time before life throws shit at you that you can't handle. 2. Physical Fitness: Gear and resources can go a long way, but if you aren't physically prepared you'd be surprised how fast life will mess you up. 3. Training and experience: Knowing *what* do to do, and being *familiar* with that is often the difference between life and death. If you expect to "learn as you go" you're probably gonna have a bad time. 4. Other people, especially ones that fit the above 3 categories 5. Resources, equipment, supplies 6. A plan. Plans change. They depend on the circumstances, but its still important to know what you'll do for whatever situation may arise, so you don't hesitate, don't have to stop and think it through when you don't have the time to think. This is last, because again, you can't plan for everything, and plans change as situations develop. Just some things to think about as we get down to the wire now.