Learning To Live In The Wild

My character/s in the novel will be living wild for some time here and there throughout the plot.
That means, they need to know how.
That means I need to know how.
So I'm learning.
Yesterday, I used my spy/thief magic and I managed to sneak into my brother's room and steal some of his "How To Live In The Wild" books.
I then shut my bedroom door and quickly looked through which pages I'd need.
For about 2 and 1/2 hours last night I sat at the photocopier - which kept breaking - and now I have about 100 pages of information.
I can now write my own notes on the pages and I can learn how to live wild without anyone knowing!
If my family saw me doing this, they'd think I was going mad!
I do like camping - and they know that - but I've never been one for the wilderness!
Until now...reading up on and learning how to make knots and create shelters from nothing really makes me want to try it for myself! So today, I ransacked the house for rope and I've started to learn for myself.
I think, to make the lessons on how to survive in the wild believable in my book, I've got to understand them as well.
By the end of the next few chapters, I'll be as good as Bear Grills!
I've been making sketches on how the knowledge I've gained could be used.
It's as if, everything I learn, my characters learn. So if I decide to skip out a page because I really cannot be bothered to learn it (seeing as I'll most likely never be in that situation), I feel guilty because I'm stopping my character from learning it herself.
Is that weird?
Anywho, I need to get back to my wildlife studies.
Adios!
M. x