Preparations are key when trekking off into the wild, and you sound like you're more prepared than the average man, though unforseen events do happen . Big Dog had a bit of an injury, but he didn't leave you stranded! He's a good boy lol. I like your lessons learned!
Yeah, I've spent my life working on a good level of preparedness and would say I operate at a high level. It brings confidence I guess, and I like the feeling of being dependable.
Big bonus to anyone trekking with you. So many ways to die via nature, but also so many ways to survive.
Yeah, it happens here all the time, people with no skills going out there with no clue what to do when things go wrong. I've got into some bad situations myself so I know how easily it can happen. Fortunately I have some skills.