1 week in the woods clothes on your back and 1 item

[JD Mandrell]

Originally posted by Rob Simonich
I cant believe all the votes for the water filter. American Indians lived here for the last 12000 years or so and never had a water filter.


Yes, but they had intestinal tracts that were accumstomed to alot of the things that will make modern "treated water" humans sick. Develop any of the common bacterial or microbial infestations that come from drinking bad water and no way to treat them, and your dead long before the week is up.

I have drank out of some pretty questionable streams, springs and such and have nebver been sick from the water.

So did I, but the last 20 or so years of mass chemical use it America has made this no longer safe.

That brings up another question though. Do some people have a natural resistance to giardia and other bad things in the water?

Yes, most indiginous peoples who drink local water, do build up a resistance to the more "minor" problems, but the more dangerous stuff is still out there.

 

[psy-ops]

given the time frame, the biggest "survival" threat is clean water.

why bet your life on a particular stream being clean. it is too big of a gamble.

if it was longer maybe I would chose a knife to make necessities. but my second choice is the tarp.

you can build a shelter with branches.
improv a knife with a rock/s different sizes.
but I don't think you can go past 4 days without water.

there is also the off chance that you find litter. like cans, glass and garbage bags which can help.

but you won't find a waterfilter.

 

[Ken Cook]

Hey Rob,

I contracted G. Lambia during an Ex in the Pisgah National Forest many years ago and I just damned near died. At one point, I lost 18 pounds in 24 hours. The stuff coming out of my mouth and my "other end" was identical in appearance and smell.
<b>Identical.</b> (Skip this situation if you ever get the chance.)

I couldn't keep down a glass of water, or any other fluids. Solids were out of the question and anti-diareal (sp?) suppositories were a waste of time. Couldn't keep them in long enough to even begin to work. The cramps were constant for almost two weeks and of a painful intensity I'd never have believed possible until I experienced it.

I was in and out of consiousness, started out on "Quarters" and "Bedrest" at home, and after three days, when my wife couldn't wake me, got the neighbor to carry me (no mean feat!) out to the car and take me to Womack Army Hospital. I stayed there on constant IV drip to keep from dehydrating and to be honest, I really have little recollection of what else was done to keep me from kicking off, but I'm told it was a near thing a couple of times.

I was over a month getting my strength back and lost a significant amount of muscle mass during my illness. (A really weak word for what happened.)

Sorry if this is "too much information", but I want to make sure everyone understands how serious that something as "minor" as G. Lambia can be.

Without hospitilization, I would have died horribly. In a survival situation, with no medical facilities at hand, G. Lambia is an almost certain death.

You bet, I'll take the water filter!

 

[allenC]

Actually, the native Americans DID sometimes get sick from contaminated water sources. But they had healers in their tribes that knew how to treat certain sicknesses. Since I don't know what roots or herbs or leaves will cure vomiting/diarrhea/abdominal-cramps/ and dehydration, I'll choose the water-filter.

Besides, imagine how much more difficult survival would be while puking and crapping your guts out for a week.

 

[Ken Cook]

One more thought...
As to the Native Americans drinking unpurified water;
Ever wonder what happened to the Anasazi?

Could BE!

 

[scotjute]

Are those of you who voted for
water filters, when you talk about
how contaminated the water in streams
is, are y'al talking about just
drinking water from a flowing stream?
I was always taught that you followed
a stream back to its source/spring,
and that you only drank of the water
that bubbled directly from the ground.
If that area didn't look good, you dug
down and waited til it cleared out
before drinking. Always getting the
water right when it comes out of the
ground. Now granted I've only done this
about 6-7 times, but I've never gotten
sick from it. By the same token, I'm
sure that if you did it enough, you might
get sick. On the other hand, I had an Uncle
I never knew who died back in the '20's who
got thirsty while poling logs down a bayou
to a sawmill in north La, drank some of the
water, got sick and died.

 

[psy-ops]

you can't take that chance in a 1 week survival situation.

The risk is too big! your life

hyperthermia is another danger, so while you are the you got to bulid a shelter and start making fire. that should be your first 2 objectives since you have the filter you can not worry about drinking water.

top 3 physical priorities

1. find a water source
2. build shelter
3. make fire

the order can change according to weather.

 

[Outdoors]

Originally posted by scotjute

I was always taught that you followed
a stream back to its source/spring,
and that you only drank of the water
that bubbled directly from the ground.
If that area didn't look good, you dug
down and waited til it cleared out
before drinking. Always getting the
water right when it comes out of the
ground. Now granted I've only done this
about 6-7 times, but I've never gotten
sick from it.

The method you describe is what I was taught as a scout (mid 70's), but isn't considered safe anymore. Giardia is darn near everywhere now, even in remote wilderness areas. I understand that the cysts can stand several months below freezing (say, in an adjacent snowbank). There's also Cryptosporidia in the more urbanized areas, not to mention fertilizers, pesticides, and random chemicals from industry and fly dumping.

I've drunk from wells in Ireland (early 80's) and gotten sick from every glass of unboiled water, and drunk straight from mountain streams in the Black Hills and not gotten sick at all (mid 80's, in the spring, before tourist season). Maybe I'd built up some microflora in Ireland, or maybe I was just lucky. I don't take the chance anymore.

That being said, I voted for the firemakin's. Hey, consistancy is the hobgoblin of small minds

Patrick

 

[kb0rrg]

#1 Tarp. If you are wet, you are cold. If you are cold you are in danger from hypo and expelling a lot of energy in keeping warm. If there is rain, the tarp can collect clean water.

Firestarter is #2.

(2&3 may reverse depending on temp)

Knife is #3

The water filter is at the bottom of my list. I have a week or two before girdia (most common) will incubate and be a problem.

 

[Mykl Clark]

Well if it didn't count as clothing I'd have to say one of those really cool "buffs":barf: from survivor.

 

[Ken Cook]

<b>The water filter is at the bottom of my list. I have a week or two before girdia (most common) will incubate and be a problem.</b>

Anyone know the average incubation time for Liver Flukes?

 

[Johnclarke]

Cloths on my back and one item? I would take the water filter, my buddy that I was traveling with would have the knife.

 

[Pentlatch]

Please read this article at

http://equipped.com/andre.htm

 

[Jimmy the Jet]

I would take the knife so I could kill myself quickly for being stupid enough to be in the bush with only one item

Jet

 

[JD Mandrell]

Originally posted by Jimmy the Jet
I would take the knife so I could kill myself quickly for being stupid enough to be in the bush with only one item

Jet

Yuk Yuk Yuk...Good one!

 

[Diligence]

Some people use the Rule of 3's....

a body can survive:
- 3 min without oxygen
- 3 hours in a storm without shelter
- 3 days without water
- 3 weeks without food

So, for me and where I go, shelter is priority number one. Doesn't do me any good to have a water filter if I'm freezing to death.....

AND, I know the above is a vague generalization, but thought it might be interesting....

 

[allenC]

Good point, but I can build a shelter and without needing a tarp or a knife.
I suppose it depends on "where in North America". Autumn in the Florida keys is alot different than Autumn in Yakima Washington.

Good luck,
Allen.

 

[Diligence]

allenC......agreed!

Once again, it becomes a situational problem, which is unique in every situation!

And as always, we relate our needs to the type of activities we mainly participate in and lo and behold, the requirements for glacial mountaineering vs bass fishing are different....go figure.

Cheers,
D

 

[LongRifle]

I got Giardia from drinking out of a spring. Actually I got it twice, once when I was 8 or 9 and then when I was 12. Nine years later I still drink water out of springs- at least when I am in the mountains . I would filter it first. The water filter would still be on the bottom. A knife would be #1.
Matthew

 

[Rick1955]

A knife

Originally posted by chrisaloia
what would you chose?