W e are fascinated with stories of survival in extreme situations. Homer's Odyssey from ancient Greece. Daniel Defoe's now-classic 1700s novel Robinson Crusoe . Popular television shows, like History Channel's wilderness-based reality series Alone and National Geographic's Primal Survivor featuring Spokane's own Hazen Audel.

But we needn't find ourselves shipwrecked to appreciate personal preparedness, which is part of a billion-dollar global industry. That market — including food and water procurement, first aid, and multipurpose tools — has grown exponentially since 2020 and may double or triple in the next 10 years, according to several major market research firms.

But for local survival expert Charlie Bouck, gadgetry is not the answer. In a recent Spokane County Library Dis

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