Before jumping into any tools, the most important tool in any outdoor situation is a positive mindset. Keeping things upbeat will allow all the skills you spent so much time learning easier to use.
It is easy to get a fire started in your backyard on a nice day to make s’mores, but it’s hard when you need to warm yourself quickly after spending a long time cold and wet in the woods.
When you are in the backyard, we keep things light and fun. It should be the same mentality in the woods. Don’t get frustrated.
Take the time to make sure you are prepared properly and understand that it’s okay if it doesn’t go right the first time. Take a breath, learn from your mistake and try again.
The next important thing is to keep it simple. It has been my experience that when people go out into the woods, they tend to spend too much time and energy making a large and complicated shelter and overcomplicating their fire lay when simple shelters and fires work.
When we were kids and made forts in the backyard, it was just a pile of sticks and a cotton sheet.
That is the foundation of a shelter, and as kids, we didn’t need any fancy knives or axes to do it, just our imagination and a lighthearted attitude. So even when it’s pouring rain, cold, and it’s been a long day, keep the attitude you had as a child, and you can build anything you need.