Can I survive ?

SENGVIN

SENGVIN

Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
870
Ok guys so this is it. I'm going to do what I always want it to do !
With that being said let me lay down some details and than I would appreciate any recommendation you can possibly have for me :-)
I'm going to spend few months in the forest (Now I'm not sure where yet but maybe Alaska or some untouched nature forest in US ideally during the Spring and summer) living of the land Hunting etc.
The only two things I have figure out are knives :) and Tilley hat .
Now I need everything else Ideally in the same range of quality as the Tilley hats;)
-multicam pants
-good boots
-socks
-jacket
-belt
-bow
-some medical kit
-stuff for disinfecting water
-fire steel
and who knows what else

Everything needs to be good quality stuff no Chines junk (not breaking my bank either)

Any Input is greatly appreciate.
 
Questions:

1. Have you ever hunted before?

2. Have you ever studied wild edibles before?

3. Have you spent years studying wilderness survival?

If the answer to any of those is "No", you'd be an idiot to try to live in the wilderness for several months without proper shelter and supplies. Without the knowhow to do it properly, you'd either spend a few days suffering before wearily returning to your car, or just as likely end up dead where you would never be found again.

I know it sounds fun to commune with nature for a while, but what you're talking about is beyond a full time job just to stay warm and fed. You're talking a couple hours of gathering firewood every day, several hours a day working on a shelter so it'll stop leaking on you, and probably whole days at a time sitting in a tree waiting for a deer or a rabbit or something to step into range of a gun/bow.


I'm not saying you should never try this - if you've got the necessary skills and feel up to it, who are we to argue? Go for it, and I wish you all the luck in the world.

Just, try not to end up dead by going in unprepared.
 
1. Buy a copy of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.
http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon...&qid=1369272927&sr=8-2&keywords=into+the+wild

2. Read it.

3. If you decide to continue, plan a series of trips, each one just slightly more challenging than the previous. If you have not done anything like this, start by going with more experienced people, not alone. By the time you are ready for the kind of trip you propose, you won't have to ask what gear you need.

4. Wherever you choose to go, have an escape route, and be sure two or more reliable people know where you are.

Sorry for sounding patronizing, but the fact that you asked this question suggests you don't have a lot of experience. If I'm wrong, I apologize. The people here want you to be safe and will give you good advice.

Good choice on the Tilley hat.:cool:
 
I'm planning on renting Small cabin and will start with small trips but most likely will sleep in the cabin every night :) There will be two of us so twice the killing power :D
Back home (In Czech Republic) We use to go on camping trips to the Mountains with friends for three weeks up to a month in summer time. We always had "fun"
We didn't hunt however we did process herbs , mushrooms and than some. We always had a cans with food which we had to eventually resupply. I can do the same thing now + try to hunt for prey.
So like I said the gear that is available today is much better and I would like to take advantage of it.
 
I think ou seriously need to re-evaluate is idea. Wilderness living is not gear driven. Its knowledge and experience driven. Will the area you choose to survive in support the foraging efforts of 2 adults? What is your back up plan? Without hunting, i can't see you lasting long, especially on mushrooms and berries.
 
Definitely a great idea. Make sure to bring a decent video camera, and a solar charger system. You will want to record it all for us.


I can't wait.
 
We tend to train our snake-eater war fighters pretty well BEFORE we drop/leave in the boonies.

Would you survive may depend on circumstances you did not anticipate or are unable to control when they are presented.

Compass.

Best.
 
Sounds like you are setting yourself up for an uncomfortable, hungry, and generally unpleasant experience.

Anyway here are some resources to help you survive.
http://www.survivalblog.com/2009/09/letter_re_grub_and_gearlessons.html
^^ Read this, like seriously.

Add to that list the proper licenses for hunting and fishing. Most property is owned by someone and they will not take kindly to poachers.
Wool is good when you do not have access to modern conveniences since it takes longer to start smelling bad.
Bring enough toilet paper.
Canoes are great for transporting lots of gear. (not necessary if you are staying in a cabin)
Heavy duty tarps are very handy to have around. (not necessary if you are staying in a cabin)
 
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No offense, but the fact that youre asking for advice about the most basic of gear suggests, that you are not sufficently prepared. Seriously, if your as experienced as you think you are, you should know what sort of clothing works and what does not. And you definitely should know what sort of FAK to pack for such a trip.

That being said, i commend you on attempting to live out your dream. Just make sure it doesnt turn into a living nightmare.

Watch Alone In The Wild on Youtube. That guy got more than he bargained for.

[video=youtube_share;xugVC41uHbs]http://youtu.be/xugVC41uHbs[/video]
 
Maybe I didn't clarified that but we are going to have back up food supplies + all the fishing and hinting licenses so we are not going to stay on Mushrooms and berries :)
I'm going to elaborate on your replies guys and check every Link u guys posted .
The Alone In The Wild was kind of extreme :)
 
Saturday I depart for Boulder Utah where I'm going on a 7 day primitive skills learning course, their mantra is something like- know more, carry less.
anyway their gear list preference for clothing items in general, is for wool material
 
First you should try day or two and then you will realise that you need more gear. And you are asking for what gear you need IMO If you ever tried only one day trip into woods (if you didn`t your plant is :rolleyes:) you should now what kind of gear do you need. And if you won`t take saw with you then take massive chopper or axe.
 
Get the biggest machete you can find. When you get lost, fall on the blade and kiss your ass goodbye.
 
Anyways Like I said :) Thanks I got it from here Will let u know how it went if I go next year not me or either my friend are dying on that trip so some of u may be disappointed . We are not going to be filming our self neither I'm not donating any money to the charity and I can promise you that we are not going to be eating anything poisonous nor will be starving. I was really trying to get update on the new Gear thinking if I post it on this forum it will be the quickest way to get my info. Instead I'm getting some elaboration on some of your personal experience (or some unsuccessful guys that die trying something they where not up to) however I shouldn't have been lazy and should have do it the research my self.
Thank you I will post some pictures :)
PS. I would compare our ourselves more to this guy without us Building the cabin : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss and I'm sure the materials of his equipment did change since than :-)
 
So this is actually a hunting/foraging trip where you will have a cabin as base camp and make day hikes out to hunt and gather? You should have said that in the initial post. :p

As for the gear you can spend an awful lot of money on clothing and gear. Very little of it is actually necessary. I suggest you raid your closet and see what you have first and see if any of your old "city clothes" would do the trick. This will save you money, and allocate money towards purchases where fashionable actually counts for something. The animals do not care if you are wearing the model from last season.

For clothing layer up in 2 or 3 layers.
Base layer of merino wool (Redram, tshirts are good value for money. It is the chinese offshoot of icebreaker)
Insulation layer of fleece or wool
Shell layer of goretex that stops the wind and keeps the rain off.

OR

Base layer merino wool
Soft shell that keeps the rain almost off and wind out

Boots must fit with 2 pairs of socks, and swollen feet. They must also be broken in before the trip so no new shoes the day before you go! Boots in general are not necessarily the best choice. Boots are heavy and generally a pain. If you lighten your load (I mean you are day hiking after all) some people can make do with sneakers or sandals. This is something you need to test for yourself. I prefer samdals and wool socks tbh since it allows my feet to breath.

Socks can be merino wool or synthetic. Merino is warmer and dries slower, it also takes longer to start to smell.

Belt. Use whatever you have in the closet. Then buy a new city belt.

Disinfecting water is a bit of a pain. You can purchase filters, boil the water, or buy tablets. If you are going to town every so often to resupply you might consider a few large water containers that you fill when in town. Look at the katadyn filters if you go the filter route.

Fast drying pants are very useful to have. Cargo pants made of synthetic materials. The problem with synthetics though is that they are a bit noisy for hunting.

Fire steel... Bring a few lighters instead.

Packs. Get a light weight day pack and something heavier for the rest of the gear. If it is the light weight pack you will be carrying most of the time then spend the money on that. The rest of your gear can be hauled in with whatever suitcases, dufflebags, sacks you have around the house.

Chess board, playing cards, books and other things to keep you from going insane from boredom. :)

10 essentials

2 x Leather work gloves

cooking, fishing, hunting equipment etc. Look at the final gear list (bottom of the page) from that article I posted earlier.
 
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First - Hunting season will not open until the fall (October) so you are left with just fishing. Most cabins will be heated with wood so just in case an ax is in order. (many cabins will have one available). A True Temper True American boys ax should work. If it isn't supplied with the cabin you will need fishing gear. Can't make suggestions on the fishing gear until I know if you are next to a stream, lake or river. Mosquitoes! You will need repellent and perhaps one of those nets that go around the Tilley hat. This will help with other insects also. If you are in bear (grizzly) country a high power firearm is in order. A 30-06, 8 mm, or more powerful. This is not for hunting but for protection. Long sleeve shirts (you can always roll up the sleeves). Get a tight weave for your pants, good socks and 2 pairs of good boots. Avoid cotton except for a t shirt and your skivvies. Polypropylene long johns will help on those cold mornings. I'd like to be more specific, but for the type of survival you are talking about, the basic gear hasn't changed a lot over the years. You can of course upgrade and get the Gortex type of outer wear and lightweight everything else but your situation does not warrant the added cost. And of course the equipment that was mentioned in earlier posts.
 
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