Most wilderness survival situations are the result of an exponential curve of bad luck, decisions and circumstances.

You cannot really avoid the first, but you can take steps to avoid the others.

The three big mistakes people tend to make – not telling anyone where you are headed, neglecting their body's needs and being too reliant on gear – all are made before a person sets foot in the wilderness.

Another mistake people often make is to not review a map of where they will be headed, which means if they run into trouble they pretty much are flying blind luck that they will work their way to safety.

What common mistakes do people make before they head into the wild in your opinion? Tell us below.