In Laurence Gonzales' book "Deep Survival" (pp 171-172) he speaks to observations that point to the fact the children under the age of 6 are very good at surviving in such situations. While the explanation is speculative it seems that young children don't have an adult "map" of the world and thus rely on instinct more than knowledge. This is not true of kids ages 7-12 who have partially formed adult views of the world. To quote:
"For example, small children do not create the same sort of mental maps adults do. They don't understand traveling to a particular place, so they don't run to get somewhere beyond their field of vision. They also follow their instincts. If it gets cold, they crawl into a hollow tree to get warm. If they're tired, they rest, so they don't get fatigued. If they get thirsty, they drink. They try to make themselves comfortable, and staying comfortable helps keep them alive."
I highly reccommend this book. It is both compelling in its story telling and informative it its science.
Edited by Andy (10/05/07 08:26 PM)
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In a crisis one does not rise to one's level of expectations but rather falls to one's level of training.