Adapt, Survive or Die

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
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4,453
I have read a lot of survival stories where desperate people resorted to eating raw fish, leather boots, flesh of dead people, uncooked meat of wild animals and other ordinarily unsavoury stuff - all raw with blooding dripping all over.

Is it really possible to digesting all these stuff without throwing up?

I haven't had the experience of being thrown into such a desperate situation like this but I was wondering if there are some of you out there who might have experienced this before.

How does it feel the first time? How does it feel after a dozen times?
I suppose the human will to survive will condition the body to accept just about anything.
A friend of my dad who was thrown into a prison during World War II by the Japanese forced himself to eat lizards, rats and any other creepy-crawlies, just to survive.

He didn't really go into details because he didn't relish talking too much about those terrible experiences.

I reckon perhaps when one gets to the point of near-death from starvation, one could certainly gobble anything that even remotely looks edible.


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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
No survival story, but I used to eat raw bacon and hamburger when I was a kid. I've eaten raw deer liver, not good, not bad. I certainly don't recommend eating any kind of meat raw. Go prepared and cook the stuff. I've eaten quite a few bugs before, but the experts on bugs would be Ron and Karen Hood. Greg Davenport could tell you some juicy stories about grubs as well. I think I could get hungry enough real quick to eat a human, especially a Democrat
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I wouldn't eat my boots, because you put your feet in your boots.

But I figure that bugs and creepy crawlies would be better than nothing. Also why not also work on your firebuilding after you make your kill. (just incase of deasease, or any other "bugs" that could harm you)

I still think that I would be a little squeamish about eating another person. But a good movie to get over the squeamish feeling would have to be Troma's Cannibal The Musical
That's right, the makers of southpark has teamed up with the makers of the toxic avenger. (It's a rather silly movie but good either way.)
 
Clayton Hufford;

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I think I could get hungry enough real quick to eat a human, especially a Democrat</font>
Click to expand...

ALL SURVIVAL BOOKS SAY THAT DEMOCRATS ARE POISONOUS.....DO NOT EAT!

Just the thought of taking this kind of poison into my body makes me sick, sick!
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Ron,
Bremerton, Washington
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Muzzelup, thanks for the advice. You may have saved my life
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. I guess I'd use a Democrat for bait instead
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I think the real breakthrough is when you are able to tear the fresh kill open with your teeth. Anything beyond that is just the question of food processing. The degree of processing might stretch from slicing up (sushi), grounding and spicing (Tartar beefsteak), drying (jerky), pickling (pickled fish) to thorough cooking/frying/broiling. During cooking, many attributes can be changed at your taste. Question is what is that you are able to achieve in a particular situ and what is the bare minimum that your stomach requires.
My two cents,

HM
 
Bradford Angier wrote something on the subject that made an impression on me (sorry, I don't remember which of his books it's in): he gave a graphic description of just what autocannibalism means ... how if you don't give your body any other food it digests itself.

Think about it ... you don't really have the option of eating nothing. You're either going to eat that lizard or you're going to eat your own body.

When you understand what your choice really is ... that lizard doesn't look so bad after all, does it? Charcoal-broiled lizard might even taste good....


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-Cougar Allen :{)
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This post is not merely the author's opinions; it is the trrrrrruth. This post is intended to cause dissension and unrest and upset people, and ultimately drive them mad. Please do not misinterpret my intentions in posting this.
 
I have had the pleasure of eating a variety of raw and cooked bugs...From worms to grubs to slugs. I have to admit that slugs are not my favorite. However, as a trainer... I can't expect my students to do something I wouldn't do... They have a moist center that leaves a film sensation in your mouth for sometime...

If you can't do it in training... the odds are you won't in real life (I'm not suggesting you go out and eat another human... there are limits
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to what you can do for the purpose of training.)

I just hope and pray that when teaching a class... we don't come across a bunch of slimmy banana slugs...

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Greg Davenport
Simply Survival's Wilderness Survival Forum
Simply Survival's Web Page
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?
 
I ate raw fsh last night!
But I admit sushi from take-out is defintly more appealing than raw fish chopped up the wild.
I would have to be pretty damm hungry to eat a Republican though I hear that they are tough and bitter tasting.
 
A colleague of mine has admitted eating Flying Fox, monkey, monitor lizard, terrapins (small turtles), fox, snake, wild pigeon and wild rabbit.
All well cooked, of course.
I believe at least half of these creatures are on the Endangered Animals list. I also believe the World Wildlife Fund people are looking for people like him.
I don't know if any reward has been posted.
This colleague doesn't have the stomach to eat raw stuff but I suspect if he is really hungry, he's not the type to hesitate.
His policy is survival first, regret later.



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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
I wonder how the starvation process actually works.

The sensation of hunger somewhat subsides after a few days, and, provided that there is an adequate amount of fluid and enough shelter to retain main cavity temperature, the body can carry on for quite an extensive period. True, I expect that our energy level would be lowered, but you should still be able to live for several months.

So, if we ever do find ourselves in a survival situation, is it better to expend time and energy foraging for food, or should we just remain calm and avoid risking potential injuries/illness during food gathering? Dissentary/diarrhea from taking in infected food, which can quickly dehidrate the victim, may be a far bigger danger than going hungry.



 
If I remember correctly the order of use of various energy sources of the body is the following: sugars, complex carbohydrates, body fat, proteins.
The last step (protein) is when the body starts degrading itself irreversibly due to starvation. I would definitely take steps to avoid this last stage. In a survival situ food is the third most important (after saving body heat and finding water).
As for what food, fat and complex carbohydrates are the best per weight, IMO. Oily seeds and starch from plants as well as grubs might be a good alternative of animal fat in real survival without the need of hunting/trapping. Also, can be collected on the way if climate and terrain allows.

HM
 
The big problem most people would face would be their preconceived notions of what is edible, nevermind what is good to eat. When growing up here in rural Arkansas I regularly ate turtle soup, barbequed ground hog, fried coon, grilled snake, and just about everything in between, including several birds that I'm sure are protected by one organization or the other
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. I came from a poor family that just didn't know any better, I guess. Food is definitly the least concern, considering that you can eat just about anything that walks, crawls, or flies.
 
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