Learning from other's mistakes is much less painful than experience.

I'm big on good navigation -- aka, staying found,, GPS, map, compass, it's all good. Staying found is probably the number 1 way to not become a statistic. I'm also big on signaling -- PLB, signal mirror(s), whistle(s), a little surveyor tape. Then I take water and try to not break anything.

I've only ever broken one bone and that involved beer. Fortunately the guys I was with got a cab and we made it back to the hotel. A quarter century later and I hike solo, so being careful is a rule.