According to the Epilogue, Brian is changed forever after his ordeal. What are the changes? How will these changes affect him for the rest of his life?

After Brian finds the survival pack, the novel ends very abruptly. In the span of a few pages, the floatplane pilot catches his radio transmission, lands on the lake, and rescues him. This was a necessary choice by Paulsen; the novel has to end here, because Brian has learned everything he needed to learn. He learned how to survive using only the things around him, learned how to be resourceful and tune his mind to nature's frequency. If he remained in the woods he would now survive off of the pack, rather than use the skills he has cultivated over the weeks. His transformation process is complete, and this is why he must leave.

There are permanent changes in Brian as a result of this experience, not just in the way he looks but also in the way he thinks. While this was a tragedy, he has grown remarkably because of it, developing a resilience and understanding of the world that had not been there before. One thing that has not changed is his parents' relationship; they do not end up getting back together, and the Secret still remains a part of Brian's life. However, what has changed is his ability to deal with it. In the forest, he learned to accept and move through his problems rather than dwell on them, so he no longer allows the Secret to drive him to near insanity the way he used to. His perspective on his life has changed, and he can live more peacefully because of it.