Here is an example of a guy who seems to have done just about everything right, with the glaring exception of the part that ultimately spelled his doom: if this truly was his first such outing in rougher than normal weather conditions, then he should have packed better gear as a fall-back
'Plan B' even if his intention was to try to go without using it.
Likely, he couldn't get a fire started for the first time and he panicked. Freaking out, he then pushed himself harder than he should have, breaking a sweat (virtually a death sentence under such conditions), leading to hypothermia and death. And, all for the want of a good sleeping bag, a simple magnesium fire-starter and perhaps a baggy containing some cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly.
----------CTV Toronto - T.O. man died testing wilderness survival skills - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television:
"A Toronto man found dead in the Muskoka wilderness was testing survival skills he may have learned from watching a reality show and reading books.
Richard Code, 41, left Thursday to test his survival skills in the Ontario bush. He was found dead Monday in a snowy, marshy forest north of Huntsville. He had ventured out on a four-day trip with only an axe, basic fishing gear, and the clothes on his back.
Barbara Ellis, who was a family friend and landlord to Code, told CTV Toronto that he was an avid fan of the Outdoor Life Network show 'Survivorman.'...
... Ellis said Code went on four previous trips without a tent or food, but she was especially nervous about what would turn out to be his final trip to the Huntsville area...
... She said Code would take precautions before going out alone, including notifying police of his exact location and bringing a survival checklist with him.
Code planned to return Sunday. He left Ellis a note to call police if he did not come home by Monday morning.
His cause of death is still unknown, but Code's brother Stephen said OPP told him Richard likely died from hypothermia...
... Peter Demos, who owns a wilderness supplies store in Muskoka, told CTV Toronto that even experienced survivalists need to take precautions in the cold to avoid freezing to death.
'You can die of hypothermia if you get wet, regardless of the temperature,' he said.
The temperature in the area dropped to -12C during the time that Code was missing."