Wildlife survivalist

Me, first a weapon, pointy stick, how to make point? Then food and water. Shelter next.?? I would be scared not to be near a tree. But then, how long would this pack of wolves sit there waiting for me to come down??
 
birch said:
bamboo would be great but not available. hunting would be difficult and dangerous unless it was close to your abode. setting traps would be safer.

do you think you can..

build a log cabin?

make pottery and glass?

grow and weave some type of cloth like linen?

hunt wild game?

do you know the steps and how to locate and transform the materials required?
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I've just been re-reading The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne. The castaways do all of that.
 
sweetpea said:
Me, first a weapon, pointy stick, how to make point? Then food and water. Shelter next.?? I would be scared not to be near a tree. But then, how long would this pack of wolves sit there waiting for me to come down??
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I would put water first.
You need a litre of water a day. It might not be that easy to find before dark sets in, so I would make sure I've got that nailed down first.
You can go several days without food, but not having shelter could be a problem sooner, depending on the environment and weather. I'd put that second. Once you have a place to retreat to for the night, I'd use it as a base to go looking for food.
If a fire could be made by rubbing sticks, that would likely serve as shelter (from cold and animals, though less so from wind and rain).
A crude spear could be made by grinding a stick on a flat rock.
 
One of the best weapons/tool is a sturdy walking stick of about 6 ft. in length.

And if you are ever confronted by an animal that is acting aggressive - do not ever run. People cannot out run anything dangerous (OK, except insects or a rabid vole, but you get my drift). Running triggers a chase response in predators and you are easily brought down from behind. Just back away talking in a loud voice and make your self look as big as possible.
 
origin said:
One of the best weapons/tool is a sturdy walking stick of about 6 ft. in length.

And if you are ever confronted by an animal that is acting aggressive - do not ever run. People cannot out run anything dangerous (OK, except insects or a rabid vole, but you get my drift). Running triggers a chase response in predators and you are easily brought down from behind. Just back away talking in a loud voice and make your self look as big as possible.
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Unless it's a gorilla. In which case, avert your eyes, turn your back and look passive. (Of course, they are not predators, but they are territorial.)
 
I didn't disagree with you.
origin said:
Ok I looked it up. There have only been 4 wolf attacks in more than 120 years in North America. One of those was from a pack that had taking to eating the garbage from the camp and had associated food with people. I am not counting rabid or captive wolves. So again, I would consider it extremely lucky to see wolves and not something to be scared of.

A fatal attack from a deer is more likely than an attack from a wolf.


Yep, and your chances of being involved in an attack is about the same as winning the lottery, so relax.

So like I said, the most dangerous aspect of being lost in the woods is dehydration, exposure or injury from a fall.
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I know of two since 1960.

Did you look up bears?
 
origin said:
One of the best weapons/tool is a sturdy walking stick of about 6 ft. in length.

And if you are ever confronted by an animal that is acting aggressive - do not ever run. People cannot out run anything dangerous (OK, except insects or a rabid vole, but you get my drift). Running triggers a chase response in predators and you are easily brought down from behind. Just back away talking in a loud voice and make your self look as big as possible.
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Waving that stick in big circles is one way to look bigger.

Also, let the critters know you're coming. My walking stick has rattles on it to let them know something unusual is on the way.
 
DaveC426913 said:
I would put water first.
You need a litre of water a day. It might not be that easy to find before dark sets in, so I would make sure I've got that nailed down first.
You can go several days without food, but not having shelter could be a problem sooner, depending on the environment and weather. I'd put that second. Once you have a place to retreat to for the night, I'd use it as a base to go looking for food.
If a fire could be made by rubbing sticks, that would likely serve as shelter (from cold and animals, though less so from wind and rain).
A crude spear could be made by grinding a stick on a flat rock.
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one would need to use their shirt as a sieve (particles, dirt) and then find some way to boil the water or else you could end up with diarrhea. what would you use as a container to boil water?

if one were next to a seashore they could use a large shell but what if you are not near one?
 
birch said:
one would need to use their shirt as a sieve (particles, dirt) and then find some way to boil the water or else you could end up with diarrhea.
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That would be a chance one would have to take.

Sure, in ideal circumstances, you'd have a pot and a fire and find water on the first day.
 
birch said:
one would need to use their shirt as a sieve (particles, dirt) and then find some way to boil the water or else you could end up with diarrhea. what would you use as a container to boil water?

if one were next to a seashore they could use a large shell but what if you are not near one?
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You could drink rain, or find a tin can, or use iodine, or drop it a bit at a time on a hot rock, gather the steam in a cloth, wring it out. Or drag a cloth through the dew early in the morning. Alternatively, you can wring out a fresh fish, or eat snow.
 
spidergoat said:
You could drink rain, or find a tin can, or use iodine, or drop it a bit at a time on a hot rock, gather the steam in a cloth, wring it out. Or drag a cloth through the dew early in the morning. Alternatively, you can wring out a fresh fish, or eat snow.
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there are no tin cans or iodine. you must fashion everything yourself from the earth. there is no civilization in this scenario. imagine pre-history but with no dinosaurs like t-rex chasing you.
 
birch said:
there are no tin cans or iodine. you must fashion everything yourself from the earth. there is no civilization in this scenario. imagine pre-history but with no dinosaurs like t-rex chasing you.
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It could be done by some - not many. However, if you start with a million Homo sapiens, you will probably end up with sufficient breeding stock - nature does not care about individuals. The species would survive. What's your point?
 
DaveC426913 said:
I want to hike where you hike.
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aye, there was nothing. the thought of having to do everything was quite depressing. in that scenario, I probably would find the nearest cliff to jump off of as I wouldn't want to live for long without some modicum of modern amenities.

I can't even sew and I don't want to wear fur. even as a caveman might be okay for awhile but I could live with medieval luxuries. if there was a cabin and some cast iron pots/pans, axe etc, I think I would have some glimmer of hope of happiness/comfort to live.

if I knew how to weave, at least and grow flax and have an ox to pull a plow, I could be okay with the situation. I would need to fast-forward to a time when these amenities exist already. I also need a wheelbarrow which means I would need to fashion a wheel. do you know how time consuming that would be?

having a tudor cottage (log cabin is fine) in the woods with a vegetable patch in the back and a fenced in yard with domesticated animals, well etc sounds romantic if all those amenities exist and I could learn how to sew, grow crops, chop wood, forage for edible plants etc. I would need parchment paper and ink as well as a lyre or some type of musical instrument. I would get tired of this eventually and I would need a canvas and paints to create art to hang pictures. I would have a cat, dog, chickens, squirrels and maybe deer as pets.

I would not want to live for long just surviving.
 
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Randwolf said:
It could be done by some - not many. However, if you start with a million Homo sapiens, you will probably end up with sufficient breeding stock - nature does not care about individuals. The species would survive. What's your point?
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there is no one but you so it would be hard.
 
birch said:
there is no one but you so it would be hard.
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That is a view from the microcosm - namely, one individual. If there is only one individual in the gedanken then the trials and tribulations of that individual matter not. Extinction has already occurred...

(Unless you have somehow preserved cloning)
 
Randwolf said:
That is a view from the microcosm - namely, one individual. If there is only one individual in the gedanken then the trials and tribulations of that individual matter not. Extinction has already occurred...

(Unless you have somehow preserved cloning)
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so you are saying you wouldn't be able to do it on your own or would want to. it puts into perspective the realization that the simplest items you take for granted would be most likely monumentally challenging to make from start to finish on your own and from the ground up.

but being able to and having that knowledge would be very rewarding, increase confidence knowing that you have the ability to create something from the very root to completion.
 
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birch said:
so you are saying you wouldn't be able to do it on your own or would want to.
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I'm quite egotistical and have survival training so I believe I could survive. Beyond the rule of threes and into winter. After that, who knows? We all have a limited life span. Hopefully, I could find a willing chickie before I expire and pass my genes on.

But again, it all depends on sample size. If it's only me (and perhaps a hypothetical female) then it's irrelevant - we have passed the genetic bottleneck and it matters not if me and mine survive - too late. If I am but a cog in the genetic wheel of a million, I believe I would survive long enough to seed. If I'm mistaken, no problem - my million brethren will even the odds.
 
Randwolf said:
I'm quite egotistical and have survival training so I believe I could survive. Beyond the rule of threes and into winter. After that, who knows? We all have a limited life span. Hopefully, I could find a willing chickie before I expire and pass my genes on.

But again, it all depends on sample size. If it's only me (and perhaps a hypothetical female) then it's irrelevant - we have passed the genetic bottleneck and it matters not if me and mine survive - too late. If I am but a cog in the genetic wheel of a million, I believe I would survive long enough to seed. If I'm mistaken, no problem - my million brethren will even the odds.
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no, this scenario is similar to being stranded by yourself or being dropped on a pre-historic planet.
 
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