TL;DR
The wilderness lessons from that old computer game have barely aged: modern gadgets are a backup, and preparation is what actually keeps you alive.
For plenty of Americans who grew up in the 1980s and '90s, their first computer game was The Oregon Trail. You drove an ox wagon west, hunted bison, forded rivers, broke an axle, and met the game's most famous death: dysentery.
The author is a doctor of emergency and wilderness medicine. Looking back at the game, the author argues that most of what it taught still applies.
Clean water is still the main event
The game made dysentery unforgettable for a whole generation. Sanitation and antibiotics have made those large outbreaks rare, but untreated water, dirty hands and spoiled food can still wreck a trip.
Boiling is easiest. It kills bacteria, viruses and parasites, but not heavy metals or pesticides. At altitude, boil for one to three minutes. Filters are handy for backpackers but weak against viruses, so filter first and disinfect after.
Water and solo travel both punish bravado
Nobody fords a river with oxen now, but moving water is more dangerous than people think, and even strong swimmers drown in rip currents. Avoid crossings after rain; there are rocks and fallen trees under the surface, and the level and current keep changing.
A sprained ankle in the wild is not the city version. In town it costs you a trip to the doctor; five miles from the trailhead it may mean someone has to carry you out. So pack extra food and water, bring rain gear, and ask what happens if the hike takes twice as long.
Go alone and a minor injury can mean crawling back to the trailhead or waiting to be reported missing. If you cannot find a partner, leave your route and return date with someone you trust.
A phone is a spare tyre, not a plan
Phones, GPS apps and emergency beacons can summon help from places that were once completely cut off. The author warns against letting them push you into bigger risks, since help may be far away and slow.
Download maps for offline use and keep the phone unlocked to any carrier. In the desert, watch heat and dehydration; in the mountains, watch fast weather changes and altitude sickness. Headache, nausea, trouble walking — and especially confusion or coughing up phlegm — mean descend immediately.
In the game, every decision counted. Asked what one wilderness skill everyone should have, the doctor's answer is usually preparation.
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