Switching from survival myths to survival truths, I guess the most important element in survival is simply making the decision to survive. Mental attitude, along with the ability to take on problems one at a time, seems to be the most frequent common denominator in most extreme survival accounts I've read.

Another lucky advantage I have is that my wife is the director of the reasearch library for the Naval Operational Medicine Institute. She feeds me all the good survival books and research, Aircrew survival, hypothermia, SERE, tropical and expedition medicine, etc.

Jeff