Blast, excellent discussion. Your comments may have a generational nuance. Being an older guy I grew up in an analog world and information was a lot harder to find. You actually had to read books or learn from older people. You turned that information into knowledge thru experimentation and hands on learning. I learned how to start a fire in my dad's brush pile at the age of 9. Also learned at school the next day it was fire prevention week, from the fire chief who had put out the fire (Blast, you would have been proud, flames shooting 30-40 feet in the air!)

As a kid I also had lots of time to think about the 'what if's' in life, called day dreaming, right? (you get a lot time to ponder life cutting 5 acres of grass with 30" walk behind mower). I still do that almost every day (commuting has replaced grass cutting). So I pretty much know what I would do if that plane load of coeds taxied to a stop in front of my beach hideout...But do kids these days have the time to think and play and learn from doing?

The digital generation has a lot easier access to information, tons of stuff. That's great, I use it everyday. But without the experimentation, hands-on practice, self-inflicted learning wounds, it's just information. What we all should have is knowledge.

I believe that knowledge breeds resourcefulness. With knowledge, based on experience, you leverage the gear you have and make it become useful to a particular end. I didn't always have the tools and resources I'm lucky enough to have now. So I made do with what was at hand and used tools to do things for which they weren't originally intended. So I can look at a pile of junk and find something to fix a problem, at least until I can to hardware store and buy the proper tool for the job (oooh shiny things...).

Your triangle is a darned valuable way of looking at the preparedness/survival concept. I think how each of us sees it will vary based on our experiences in life and to some degree our ages.

Thanks,

Andy