When planning a hike to some remote place one might be pressed to think of the bears and bobcats and the ‘what ifs’. For instance, what if I wake up to the sound of creatures creeping in my food stores; or what if I become separated from my party deep within mountains just as the sun is about to settle into its slumber; or what if a laceration leaves me bloodless before an unlikely passerby chances to hear my screams? Moreover, what reassurance am I going to have that I’ll have company if these days are to be my last?

These concerns are both valid and useful. They are valid in the sense that they most certainly have the possibility of occurring – much like spontaneous combustion and plane crashes have that possibility. And they are useful. Immeasurably useful. The concern some man has of potential predators effectively occupies the place in his mind that should be reserved for heart attacks as he eats his usual high cholesterol dinner. And the fear some woman has of hypothermia or slipping during a water crossing occupies the place that should be reserved for cancer as she packs her cigarettes in her oversized hiking bag and for a high-impact death as she drives past four drunk drivers on her way to base camp.

My point is that civilized human-beings have a tendency to misprioritize risks and fears, exaggerating certain threats and completely ignoring others. And in comparison of the ominous threats civilization has created for itself, the wilderness is tame. The most logical method in my mind to mitigate risks is to know what causes non-desired outcomes and then act accordingly. For instance, if man knew that bears are more interested in people’s food than people, he may choose not to leave it in his tent when he sleeps. I’m sure all Surgeon Generals despair seeing that their attempt to apply this logic to a very civilized problem has failed, that their warnings are met with the same amount of attention typically given to the hum of a refrigerator. When discussing hiking with someone who doesn’t hike, wilderness fears are sure to come up. And as routinely as a chore, I reveal that they have ample reason to be terror-stricken by their diet and activity levels but not fresh air.