Many survival experts will tell you that survival is more about your mental and emotional state than it is about your specific survival skills, knowledge, or whatever equipment you may have with you.
In The Long Dark, we manifest this idea in the form of a [Polaroid Photograph] or [Locket] that [Will Mackenzie] has in his inventory and can refer to in times of need. When he looks at it, he is reminded of what he's fighting for, what he has to live for.