# Do you think you could survive in the deep woods with no outside supply for long?



## Fuzzee

You're supplies with you will only last so long if you bugout with them. Then what? Do you have the skills? Is there enough food you know how to obtain to survive from? You're not going to be alone if shtf to drive people towards the woods, unless you keep going away from civilization which is getting harder to do. Farming takes supplies, tools, hard and time. Can you survive?


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## Denton

That is one of the things I love about where I live.
Alabama has an abundance of food, from small game to fish to bugs to edible "weeds" to decent dirt for planting.

Yup, I am certain I can survive in the woods. Heck, my people ain't long out off the land. My father is the first generation to have a _job_.


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## Fuzzee

I'm down in the south myself and raised in the outdoors fishing, hunting, hiking, boating and camping. The swamp areas of the south are actually teaming with life still, but most people aren't willing to live in the swamps. Which is fine because that makes more for the rest of us who are.


;-)


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## Denton

Speaking of swamps, a lot of your critters are moving up north. Lake Eufaula, for example, is now teeming with alligators. The lakes and rivers around now have future boots in them.
Just another thing to put on the list for munchies. Or, being munched, I suppose.


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## Fuzzee

I love gator tail, yum. There's the new problem of privately owned snakes owners no longer wanting and released into the wild taking over too. When the shtf I'd say it may be plus possibly as snake is quite tasty. Catching them can be tricky though. And the bigger they, the more likely they may make a meal of you too I'd say.


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## MountainMan

Fuzzee said:


> I'm down in the south myself and raised in the outdoors fishing, hunting, hiking, boating and camping. The swamp areas of the south are actually teaming with life still, but most people aren't willing to live in the swamps. Which is fine because that makes more for the rest of us who are.
> 
> ;-)


Exactly. I was born and raised in NC. I've lived in the swamps along the coast most of my life. I've also lived in NE Ohio. Both extremes provide everything you need to not only survive but thrive if you're smart enough to find them.


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## Irish

absolutely can and plan to do so!

my woods are quite a bit different from your guys down south though


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## Fuzzee

A lot of the south is covered in Kudzu now too which is a great food source. I wonder how long it would last when people start living on it, but there is a lot of it and it grows like wildfire.


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## MountainMan

Where are you Irish?


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## Denton

Fuzzee said:


> A lot of the south is covered in Kudzu now too which is a great food source. I wonder how long it would last when people start living on it, but there is a lot of it and it grows like wildfire.
> 
> View attachment 740


A delicacy in Japan, I hear.

I read somewhere that dying of starvation in the woods is like doing so in a restaurant.


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## Irish

MountainMan said:


> Where are you Irish?


Colorado


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## Irish

I wish there was a "like all posts" button


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## Leon

Watch my youtube channel vids on wild edibles, you'd be surprised what tastes good in the woods.


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## Fuzzee

Denton said:


> A delicacy in Japan, I hear.
> 
> I read somewhere that dying of starvation in the woods is like doing so in a restaurant.


You just have know how to read the menu.


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## Denton

Leon said:


> Watch my youtube channel vids on wild edibles, you'd be surprised what tastes good in the woods.


Ah-HA!!!

Thanks, Leon!


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## Leon

Yeah Denton as you could see I barely for five feet at a time before finding all three of those. That day I found acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, paddle catus, water clover, grasses of all kinds, muscadines, blackberries, Cherokee roses, young pines, plantain, you actually could barely escape them- they were all around you.


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## Denton

If things allow for such planning, I am going to get several acres of uncut land so that I can make it the way I want. Some will be for gardening, some will be for the chickens, some for fruit trees, a patch for the house, and the rest left as-is. Why screw up a natural thing, I figure?


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## MountainMan

Irish said:


> Colorado


h yeah, Colorado is waaaaaaay different. lol. Still plenty of resources though. We're making a stop in Colorado Springs on our big move to Oregon next summer. The kids are looking forward to putting their survival practice into use.

I've known for a long time that I could make it in the wilderness. The goal now is to make sure the youngsters can too. My 6 year old just had some cold weather survival training on the last camping trip we went on and she did great. Wanted to stay an extra day! Super proud of her fern salad.

We're collecting acorns today. Learning the menu is 90% of the battle.


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## preppermama

First of all, it would depend on the season. Could I survive in mid-February in the Maine woods? I probably could with the right gear, but not that well. Wild food is scarce and it's constantly wet and freezing. Honestly, if the SHTF in winter and I had to live in the woods, I wold probably BO to a less frigid climate if at all possible.


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## Seneca

In Idaho?
Depends on the mountains...and the season. I know some of whats edible. Though if it's covered in several feet of snow...and the game has migrated to lower elevations...which they do in the winter. It would be dicy at best even for a seasoned survivalist.


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## MountainMan

Seneca said:


> In Idaho?
> Depends on the mountains...and the season. I know some of whats edible. Though if it's covered in several feet of snow...and the game has migrated to lower elevations...which they do in the winter. It would be dicy at best even for a seasoned survivalist.


Dicey but thrilling.


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## joec

I've actually done it for 30 days living one what I could find including such delicacies and bugs, snakes, snails and local plant life or any larger game one can catch by hand. Don't particularly look forward to it again but could now that I've learned was is eatable raw and won't kill you. All I can say is it will keep you alive if that is living.


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## Alpha-17

I gotta say, nobody can survive alone in the woods indefinitely without some sort of outside world to get supplies/barter from. At least not with any form of quality of life. Hell, even the famous Mountain Men depended on Rendezvous and the like to get necessities like powder, lead, sugar, etc. Frontier farmers were the same way, occasionally trading for what they couldn't grow, make, or find themselves.

Now, if you're asking if a person has the supplies and skills to set themselves up in the backwoods and be over all self-sufficient, yeah, I'd like to think I can. Food can be grown, basic medical tasks can be taken care of, game shot/trapped etc. Eventually, I'd need to start trading with others, but again, I'd like to think I could make it a while.


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## Fuzzee

> At least not with any form of quality of life.


That's it basically there. A person can survive with the knowledge and physical capability to do it. Atleast for as long as they live which could be longer or shorter depending on what happens and the person. Afterall the length of an average lifespan has gone up with the further development of modern medical care, but if you have to go without it, a simple cut could get infected and take your life. It's the quality of life it would be that will drive most people back towards civilization. Some faster than others. Of course if you can't get back or civilization isn't there anymore you'll have little choice. I doubt anyone here isn't going to go looking if they can though. Whether to trade, scavenge or move back to. Me included.


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## Rogue_Scout

You know its funny, me and some co-workers were actually talking about this subject today during lunch. Sadly enough, even in our profession, none of us are prepared for a long haul (60 Days) disaster. But if I had to survive off the land for a few days I could do it. However, the environment down here where I live is extremely dynamic so things could get dicey. Over the years I have learned that no matter how skilled or knowlegeable you are about survival there is always that proverbial curve ball that gets thrown in your general direction and that has potential to make your outdoor stay a living hell.


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## Watercanlady

I think it would depend on the season here for sure. We have some pretty wicked winters. But with the right equipment I think I could with the hubby but not on my own.


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## kevincali

Being a city boy, I don't think I could survive very long. As long as I had water, I would probably look for nuts and berries at first, or watch what the wildlife is eating, to see whats edible....

BUT I live in a city, FAR FAR from any form of forest  so for me the point is moot...BUT if I HAD to bug out to the forest (~60 miles away) I would do my DAMNDEST to survive as long as I can. If I die shortly after getting there, then I failed. I don't plan on failing


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## Sinkhole

I grew up in the woods here in the north east and have a pretty grasp on hunting and gathering in this environment. As a boy scout I learned a lot of skills that I retain to this day. I vividly remember when I had to build my 1st shelter. It was a rainy afternoon and night and I built low lean-to under a large pine, with only 25 ft of twine and a swiss army knife. I was warm and dry all night. Also when it comes to survival nothing is off my menu as long as it's not poisonous. Bring on the bugs & worms if need be. However I did not vote "I know I can" because their way to many variables, but I would give myself higher than average odds.


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## gunnut69

In my experience all you need is a trusty shovel and the snake wont be giving you anymore issues but those were only 6 foot chicken snakes


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## Fuzzee

gunnut69 said:


> In my experience all you need is a trusty shovel and the snake wont be giving you anymore issues but those were only 6 foot chicken snakes


What about when you're sleeping and the snakes finds you a nice warm spot to coozy up to? Best to build an elevated position off the ground.


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## Denton

...same quality of life.

Hot dang, I get sick of this "quality of life" anyway.

I got stuff in the house. Nick-nack bricka-brack bull stuff. I got stuff in the house I don't need, don't care about and wouldn't even notice if it were gone.

You know what I like? You know what is quality to me? I nice cup of tea or coffee. I feel rich when I have that. You know what I am looking for, now? Land. Doesn't even have to have a house. Land. I'll build something, dig an out house and be damned-well happy. 

I'm gonna plant a bunch of fruit trees, nut trees and have a garden. I'll be in the house with a cup of tea or coffee when there is nothing else to be done on the land.

How in the heck I've survived in this neighborhood is what amazes me. If the aircraft exhaust fumes at work do not get me, the crappy GMO food is going to get me. If neither get me, I look forward to being in the woods.


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## WVprepper

We could survive for a time, but may have to forage towrds town for things eventually.


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## Lattice

Surviving in the wild is simple. Painful but simple. It is no great feat. An understanding of the simple things is all you need to know. 

It is the skills that take you out of the woods that you need to know.


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## shotlady

id like to think id do well. with out stuff, i wouldnt do well by myself in snow and cold. i have moderate outdoor, farming, ranching experience and a strong constitution. initially i think id do okay, long term... maybe im super adaptable.


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## tbone

I would rather be in the woods myself, I feel more at home. I know the mountains here in Tennessee, and Virgina and North and South Carolina. I've hunted and fished them my whole life. Several years back a good friend and myself spent a year living in the mountains, so I believe I would do pretty good.


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## Desert Marine

I am sure that two course that I mastered in the Marines will help out:

1. Jungle Enviroment Training: Philippines 
2. Combat Squad Leader Training: Okinawa, Japan

Man I can tell you some stories about both courses.


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## shotlady

desrt marine, you did that on the std tour, huh. my boy came back with crazy stories! and he only told me half of one.


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## usav8er

Too many variables in this question. If I went to our deer hunting shack up north, with adequate food(and water from the lake), I could probably survive depending on the winter weather. I would be snowed in 25 miles from nearest town, assuming it was still functional. My only heat source there would be wood. Therefore I would need gas/oil for my chain saw, & vehicle gas if you could still find it. Once snowed in I would be there till Spring so emergency services are out of the question for approximately 3-5 months and the temperature would hover somewhere around -20F for 2-3 of those months. I suppose if given enough notice I could begin stockpiling food at the cabin and hope the critters didn't get to it. If I ran out of food there are deer to shoot and fish to catch, assuming I could chisel through the lake ice. For water I would have to melt snow or chop ice out of the lake and take my chances with parasites. Electricity could be had by using my generator sparingly because once again I would have to find a source for gasoline.
In reality,my best choice would be a plan to defend my home and use the cabin as a last resort, but if things got that bad would you really be safe & secure anywhere?


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## Walking Bear

The thing I see most here saying is "I could Hunt/fish/forage" What if wildlife/plant life is minimumal in your area due to the disaster? Could I do it; maybe; I would be dependant on grab and go of food and ammo. Assuming my car still worked there are a number of places to bug out to. Given time I could walk to a couple of them; one has house to forage from if the owners are dead or buged out (If I were them I would be bugging in but . . .) The other two I would have to slip in and out of town to supply.


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## Fuzzee

If plant and animal life is minimal anywhere after the trucks stop rolling to the stores, people will starve. It's no different in the woods. The north in the winter time is almost the same as the desert. Barren in ways. Plants frozen and buried, animal life sparsher compared to other warmer places. Ice and snow, freezing temperatures to deal with and keeping yourself warm and free from hypothermia and frostbite. It's why people work hard to store up supplies in the summer for the winter haul and hold out so much in the warmth of their shelters and homes. Lack of knowledge and spine can kill you down south though just the same. The hard facts of life are and our government knows it, is that if those trucks do stop rolling, the power goes off and society breaks down, a lot of people will die. No two ways about it.


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## jimb1972

The trick would be keeping my family alive, I can eat anything, grass hoppers, grubs, any vegetation I can find. My wife won't even eat a lettuce salad, and I am not sure she wouldn't starve to death before eating cat tail tubers and worms.


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## Not Crazy Yet

Sinkhole said:


> when it comes to survival nothing is off my menu as long as it's not poisonous. Bring on the bugs & worms if need be


I remember watching Bear Grylls one time and he said something along the lines of, the key to surviving in the wild is getting over your societal norms as far as what is food and what is not. Meaning, if you want to survive, you need to get over the mindset that cheeseburger and fries = food and that bugs and worms are gross, because if you want to survive, those "gross" bugs and worms are what's going to keep you alive. So you have to go past your comfort zone in order to survive, he said that's why many people don't make it in the wild because they can't get past their comfort zone, that's why I believe it is crucial to expose children to it as early as possible so it's normal for them. But anyway, I agree with you that for me nothing is off the menu as long as it won't kill me after I eat it


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## Alaska

Keep in mind. If there is mass exodus from the cities towards rural areas your fish and game WILL BE impacted.

There are accounts of it happening during the great depression and there were a heck of a lot less people then.

Also remember that when you bug out you are essentially a refugee until you get to a static stay point.

Just some food for thought.


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## Not Crazy Yet

Alaska said:


> remember that when you bug out you are essentially a refugee until you get to a static stay point


That's why I'm currently planning on moving to where I would bug out, so that way I just have to bug in. I figure this way it's safer because if there is an EMP or a mass exodus and I can't get out before the mass exodus of the panicked, then I won't be set back. I'll be right where I need to be and where I have prepared to survive. Just makes it easier I think.


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## Alaska

yuppers


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## Fuzzee

Not Crazy Yet said:


> I remember watching Bear Grylls one time and he said something along the lines of, the key to surviving in the wild is getting over your societal norms as far as what is food and what is not. Meaning, if you want to survive, you need to get over the mindset that cheeseburger and fries = food and that bugs and worms are gross, because if you want to survive, those "gross" bugs and worms are what's going to keep you alive. So you have to go past your comfort zone in order to survive, he said that's why many people don't make it in the wild because they can't get past their comfort zone, that's why I believe it is crucial to expose children to it as early as possible so it's normal for them. But anyway, I agree with you that for me nothing is off the menu as long as it won't kill me after I eat it


This is one of the reasons my BOB has a jar of peanut butter in it. As an intake of calories yes, but as a covering for the less tasty additionals too. I'll cook what bugs I can as there just nicer to eat that way for me, but if that's not a option at the time you've got to do what you've got to do if you want to survive.


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## Not Crazy Yet

Fuzzee said:


> you've got to do what you've got to do if you want to survive.


Exactly, another problem is sometimes people will instinctively wait until they are absolutely starving before they start to eat the less desirable foods, but by then it's too late. That's why once shtf, you need to be able to flick the switch and get into survivalist mode and do whatever it takes to stay alive. The peanut butter is a great idea though


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## Alaska

Free packets of hot sauce from taco smell go good in a bag and help make lots of things a lil more palatable.
And the price is right.


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## Fuzzee

I've tossed around adding a small amount of Crystals hotsauce to my BOB, but the weight for how long it would last just won out. Other things like a few more coffee singles and sugar packs took presidence. I'll miss it I'm sure.


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## Not Crazy Yet

Fuzzee said:


> I've tossed around adding a small amount of Crystals hotsauce to my BOB, but the weight for how long it would last just won out. Other things like a few more coffee singles and sugar packs took presidence. I'll miss it I'm sure.


I've heard of hotsauce, I think it was my grandfather who always had a small bottle with him when he would go camping, it's always a good idea to try and mask the taste if possible. Like I said I'll eat anything if I have to, but making it taste a little more edible never hurt


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## Jazzman

Alaska said:


> Keep in mind. If there is mass exodus from the cities towards rural areas your fish and game WILL BE impacted.
> 
> There are accounts of it happening during the great depression and there were a heck of a lot less people then.
> 
> Also remember that when you bug out you are essentially a refugee until you get to a static stay point.
> 
> Just some food for thought.


 I'm going to point out something , it may very well prove to be rather unpopular though it *IS* based in reality. I have " lived bush" for extended periods.

A great many folks are decidely unrealistic as regards " living off the land" , it's a great deal more difficult and one hell of a lot more work than many folks seem to think it is. Many folks have watched one two many episodes of " Survivorman" or too much of the clown known as Bear Gryls , keep in mind that such shows are most often geared towards survival for a few days until help gets there , not towards extended living within the context of a wilderness environment.


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## Alaska

Those shows are going to get people killed.

And yes, if I didnt articulate well enough allow me to do so now

Get the "running off to the woods and being a cross between Grizzly Adams & Rambo" out of your mind

I have done some "normal" things up here that put city slickers,for lack of a better term, way out of their comfort zone.

Like a 4 mile hike on a well established trail to go fishing whooped their ass and they knew they would be in their bed at the ed of the day.


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## MountainMan

Not Crazy Yet said:


> I remember watching Bear Grylls one time and he said something along the lines of, the key to surviving in the wild is getting over your societal norms as far as what is food and what is not. Meaning, if you want to survive, you need to get over the mindset that cheeseburger and fries = food and that bugs and worms are gross, because if you want to survive, those "gross" bugs and worms are what's going to keep you alive. So you have to go past your comfort zone in order to survive, he said that's why many people don't make it in the wild because they can't get past their comfort zone, that's why I believe it is crucial to expose children to it as early as possible so it's normal for them. But anyway, I agree with you that for me nothing is off the menu as long as it won't kill me after I eat it


Bear Grylls is full of it. That show has been proven to be staged on more than one occasion. He's a spoiled rich turd that most Britts I know don't care for.


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## Not Crazy Yet

MountainMan said:


> Bear Grylls is full of it. That show has been proven to be staged on more than one occasion. He's a spoiled rich turd that most Britts I know don't care for.


While this is true, that doesn't negate the fact that the information he teaches is accurate for the most part. So what if he sleeps in a hotel during the night, as long as he's teaching the viewer the skills and information then the show is doing exactly what it's supposed to. Plus the quote I used from him is true, doesn't matter who says it, the key to surviving is getting passed your comfort zone.


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## jimb1972

Franks Red Hot, I put that shit on everything.


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## gunnut69

that wont really help ether snakes climb rather well my house is on piers and they like to get up in the insulation of the floor to keep warm


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## Fuzzee

jimb1972 said:


> Franks Red Hot, I put that shit on everything.


LOL, I spit up my food on that one.


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## Fuzzee

gunnut69 said:


> that wont really help ether snakes climb rather well my house is on piers and they like to get up in the insulation of the floor to keep warm


That just means there close to be found for the stew pot also.


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## Lucky Jim

If Eskimos can live in near-lifeless frozen lands, and Australian aborigines in arid deserts for thousands of years, our woods and forests are a well-stocked larder by comparison..


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## Jazzman

Lucky Jim said:


> If Eskimos can live in near-lifeless frozen lands, and Australian aborigines in arid deserts for thousands of years, our woods and forests are a well-stocked larder by comparison..


 You're missing something , both have thousands of years of respective cultures geared towards and evolved to survive in those environments.


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## Lucky Jim

Jazzman said:


> You're missing something , both have thousands of years of respective cultures geared towards and evolved to survive in those environments.


Yes the survival mindset is bred into native peoples and comes natural to them, whereas city-slickers like me wouldn't last 5 minutes out there..

_"Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. 
The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. 
The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. 
The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man, all belong to the same family. 
The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes.
The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. 
There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring or the rustle of the insect's wings. 
The clatter only seems to insult the ears."- Chief Seattle of the Suquamish_

American Indian Quotes










PS- Ironic that the massive Seattle metropolis should be named after him.
_WIKI- The Seattle area had been inhabited by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years before the first permanent white settlers.
Arthur A. Denny and his group arrived at Alki Point on November 13, 1851. 
The settlement was moved to its current site and named "Seattle" in 1853, after Chief Si'ahl of the local Duwamish and Suquamish tribes._


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder

Interesting post..

Alone? Wouldn't even want to try it, the boredom would kill me before the starvation did. With husband and kids in tow, a good chance of survival. As a group with some family and neighbors in tow...I honestly think if we could keep from killing one another for all trying to be the Big Chief in the group we would survive. We have way to many skill sets and where one might not have the ability, another would.

I have said it before, but I never thought of the things I've been doing since birth as prepper skills till I joined up in here. And as a "woman" that's been out in the woods since she was a little girl, the things I learned, I've held dear and have continued to use them as an adult, adding more along the way learning from others in our fold, plus it helped marrying a man with the same interests.

So, yes. We'd have a good chance of survival....


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## PaulS

In the woods, I am either trying to get back to civilization or hide. It is easy for me to get back unless I am injured - done it my whole life. If I am trying to hide you won't see me.

Surviving in the wilderness is hard work. It would depend on the time of year, the location and the amount of preparation I was allowed. But yes, I could survive in the wild - be it desert, mountain, woods, or plains. I have some skills, I have some knowledge, but best of all I have the attitude.


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## Inor

It depends on the woods... If I were in the woods in the upper-midwest, I would be cold, wet, cussing and swearing the whole time, but I expect I could get by for quite a while. In the desert south-west, I think I would have about a 50% chance to make it two weeks. In the bayou country of Louisiana or east Texas or anywhere in Florida I would be dead by dawn.


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## Montana Rancher

Alone in the wilderness it would be pretty easy, in competition with 350 million it will be very tough. The native Americans had the advantage of a much smaller population competing for the limited resources a hunter/gather society requires.

I Imagine the woods will be crawling with starving mountain men wannabes and it will not be a safe place to live let alone survive.


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## The Fark Knight

If you have second thoughts about your outdoor survival skills, Mr. Tom Brown Jr. has many books related to such shenanigans. His books are very detailed, and sometimes illustrated. Great items to keep around for reference!


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## PaulS

Books are fine for learning from with the aid of someone who knows the area well. You won't be able to carry, read, and put to work thos books when you are running for your life and trying to hide from the other 100000 people from the city of a quarter million that you left. You need to know the information - it has to be second nature to you. You need to practice it everytime you go for a walk, a hike or a bicycle ride. You need to recognize edibles, game trails, areas of water, and areas that might be dangerous as you go about your daily life. when I go into a restaurant to eat I get a place that faces the door and my back is against the wall or a place that people won't come from. I notice the people and which ones could ba a danger to me. I watch the door and the people that are coming and going. I do all this while enjoying a conversation with my wife and friends or family. It is just part of my nature - it resides in the background.


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## alterego

Squirrels, will feed you well, in my area. 

Easy to hunt and plentiful.

.22 and you are set.


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## rickkyw1720pf

Frontiersmen and Mountain Men would do it for years at a time. Some of the first settlers in Kentucky not only had to support themselves but provide for there family. The biggest question would be how many people would be trying to do the same thing because the land will only support so many per acre. Luckily there are a lot of modern devices that can give you an edge that didn't exist back then.


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## Montana Rancher

alterego said:


> Squirrels, will feed you well, in my area.
> 
> Easy to hunt and plentiful.
> 
> .22 and you are set.


And you would be dying from scurvey in 3 months, it's hard to chew squirrel when your teeth fall out. A meat only diet is never a solution for subsistence, without vegetables or fruit you will die a painful death from malnutrition.


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## rickkyw1720pf

Montana Rancher said:


> And you would be dying from scurvey in 3 months, it's hard to chew squirrel when your teeth fall out. A meat only diet is never a solution for subsistence, without vegetables or fruit you will die a painful death from malnutrition.


One reason to have multivitamins. Walmart sells them in bottles of 300 so by taking just a half a table a day would give you the vitamins you need daily for over 1 1/2 years so there is no reason for anyone to not have them in their supplies, because you may not know if you are getting the vitamins you need. In a TEOTWAYKI (step above SHTF) most nourishment would probably come for plants more than animals.

Edit: Vitamins is something that people take for granted because a lot of our food is fortified with vitamins and it is very rare anyone ever has a deficiency.
Britains were called limeys because of the Royal Navy's practice since the beginning of the 19th century of adding lemon juice or lime juice to the sailors' daily ration of watered-down rum (known as grog), in order to prevent scurvy.


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## bennettvm

I grew up hunting and fishing all the time. My father insisted that we all knew how to find food, make fire and survive in the woods. 

Most people just need the confidence and familiarity with being in the woods.


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## pastornator

The OP question was "without outside supply.". That would eliminate things like bullets or vitamins. 

Yes, for a time, with length of time dictated by when one started the process. February in Wisconsin? Probably a day or less. Now seeing the effects on the animal world from our winter season and they are a million times more well equipped than we. If one could start now and prepare for winter then chances would be much better, even potentially favorable for long-term life.


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## csi-tech

Being in Tennessee I am sure I could build adequate shelter, keep warm in the winter and stay hydrated, clean and fed. The problem with our hardwood/deciduous forest is that the understory is comprised of plants that may be edible, but are mostly cathartic and give you the runs. There are few edible mushrooms and unless you are damned sure you should avoid them altogether. I can noodle for catfish, snare bunnies, make pits for deer and propagate with my wife to re-populate the woods. My only issue would be locating edible plants.


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## Lucky Jim

People lived on farms or small communities for thousands of years and did alright, so there's no mystery about it and i'm sure we could muddle through.
I mean, we'd simply plant seeds and harvest the crops with enough surplus to see us through the winter, and we could go out in the woods to kill bunnies and things; rivers and lakes would provide water and fish, and if we were near a seashore we could get cockles and mussels from rock pools.
All we'd need is a plot of land like this and we'd be laughing. The coils of barbed wire round the house is to keep zombs from coming up and peering through the windows-


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## rice paddy daddy

Montana Rancher said:


> Alone in the wilderness it would be pretty easy, in competition with 350 million it will be very tough. The native Americans had the advantage of a much smaller population competing for the limited resources a hunter/gather society requires.
> 
> I Imagine the woods will be crawling with starving mountain men wannabes and it will not be a safe place to live let alone survive.


And the mountain man wannabes, IF they were able to actually kill edible animals would no doubt waste most of it through ignorance.


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## SAR-1L

Statistically seasoned mountain men live to be an average of 34 - 36 years old if they try to do it alone and by themselves, due to the hardship and strain it puts on both the mind and body. We are by design a social creature, designed to collaborate and work together.

No man is an island.


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## breakingcontact

Survive...sure...but it wouldn't be pretty.


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