Writing a Wilderness Survival Book
A debate came up recently about wilderness survival. And I thought I would bring it here. See, a man decided to go into the wilderness for a year and survive. Using only what he could carry in a back pack. Among these supplies, would be notebooks and pencils to document his journey. After the year was up, he would write a book about the journey. The question for you is, what do you think about this? Where would you go to do this? And what would you bring? Can't wait to hear what you all put.
oikos answered:
This depends so much on where you are.About the only things that would be useful anywhere would be a field guide to the area, a machete, and a sheet of aluminized mylar. The mylar can be used as a shelter or (shiny side down) to make a solar still. Generally useful items would be wire, a good jack-knife, twine, fish-hooks, a magnifying lens, a pot, and an assortment of plastic bags. The whole kit would be light and compact enough to allow for the adding of a few luxuries. However, so much would depend on whether you are in the polar regions, tropical rain forest, hot (or cold) desert, marshland...
SilentDo answered:
You are watching too many TV shows, but this is an interesting topic. It all depends on where he would land if he had a choice. Big desert, he would move to where there is food and water. This is what animals do if there is no food they migrate with the changing weather food sources. Even the salmon and whales migrate constantly in the lakes and oceans.
He should be able to read the stars to find out his general location. Above or below the equator. He would not need a compass to determine east or west., just follow the sun. He needs a vast knowledge of poisonous plants and animals. You have to compile a survival packet for all areas. Concentrate on water, food and shelter. You need a good knife for sure and how to make fire.
guitarwi answered:
I would go to a forest area in the mountains of North Carolina. It is a very pretty area with plenty of food and shelter opportunities. It wouldn't get too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer. I would bring a couple of strong knives, a sewing kit, an axe, and a mosquito net. I think it would be really cool to do something like that. Oh, and a flint stone for starting fires. Maybe some strong string too.
To answer your first question "...what do you think about this?":
My opinion is that anytime a person desires to write about their experiences is "outstanding" (a word I use a lot). If this person ventured forth and accomplished this endeavor in "real time" so much the better. There are to many armchair quarterbacks, politicians, preachers, and of course outdoor experts. So, to sum up my answer to your question, "Great idea, outstanding".
Where would you go to do this?:
My choice would be Southeast Alaska because I already live here and have spent a lot of time in the wilds here. I have had some "real time" experience where a river would try to suck me into its grasp, or a brown bear determined that I might provide a diversion to the standard fare of moose meat, or trying my luck sleeping with a wool blanket on the side of a mountain in drizzling rain because I could, and a host of other excursions on land and water. Southeast Alaska is my answer.
And what would you bring?:
Great question. There are so many cool products on the market it makes my mind spin. Since this is a year long project one would need to be fairly supplied to have at least some comfort. My personal attire would be standard logger wool longjohns, wool pants, wool socks, wool coat, a balaclava (you guessed it, wool), good ol' Heley Hanson rain gear, and a Filson tin brim hat. The same gear I used everyday as a logger. For footwear Ketchikan Sneakers, or otherwise known as Extra Tuffs. If I didn't mind the extra weight a stout set of waterproof lace up boots. Would have to have a strong meat pack with bag. Of course a small skinning knife, a larger knife, bow saw, axe, file, an intial way to start fires, couple of large canteens or waterbags, para cord, a bit of a first aid kit, small wall tent, small woodstove with stove pipe, fishing line, my trusty bear buster rifle.....whew, the list is getting long here. Well, before you laugh, these items would be mostly needed to just get started in a semi comfortable manner. There would still be a lot of making the "primitive" items to eat off of, store foods, trap game, collect seaweed and other edibles. Obviously one could just take some gear in a backpack and tough it out until you got tired of being cold and wet every day. Or you could build a debris hut and hang out in it wondering how you're gonna start scribing your story amongst your soaking wet paper. Essentially, if I was going to go into the bush to write about it, I'd have the basics to get started. But stretch my hand forth to implement primitive activities to see how they worked out and then put the experience on paper. It wouldn't do you or anyone else any good to head out to the bush to write about the experience if you never came back to publish the book.
But if one needed to bug out and live out there in Southeast Alaska without nothing but a stick, rock, the ability to run from hungry brown bears, all the while trying to keep from getting hypothermia and staying fed; it could be done. The local natives did it before we got here. But life wasn't much else than beating your brains out to survive and turning eagles, ravens, bears, and whales into your local gods. Of course during those days you could stay warm carving a totem pole.
Just some quick thoughts and answers to your questions.