Final answer:
The author leverages personal wilderness experiences to bolster credibility in survival advice and connect emotionally with the reader. These experiences serve both as personal testimony and informed opinion, adding considerable weight to the author's insights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author uses his own personal experiences in the wilderness to develop his ideas about surviving therein various ways. One approach is by highlighting his experience with survival in tough conditions and rescuing others to reinforce his credibility regarding survival advice. Additionally, the inclusion of details from personal experiences works to establish a personal connection with the reader. Moreover, by sharing these encounters, the author targets emotional concerns that may resonate with the audience, such as the challenges of wilderness life and the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming them. These narratives are not only effective in conveying the message but also serve as a testament to the author's expertise and lived knowledge.
Furthermore, by using personal testimony and informed opinions based on direct experiences, the author's insights into wilderness survival carry significant weight. This personal element in narrative nonfiction, akin to Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild and Thoreau's Walden, allows for a vivid understanding of the realities of living in nature, the necessary survival skills, and the philosophical reflections that arise from such an existence.