small vs. large people in survival situations

Dr. Mudd said:
Sam Colt designed it and its cap-&-ball predecessors to fit the hands of the men of his time. Nutrition then was not at all what it is today, so most kids didn't get fat and sassy back then. They were lucky just to get enough to live on in many cases.
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Sam Colt was also left handed which is why the SAA works great for a lefty, not so hot for a righty.
 
I knew a couple of special forces guys when I was in. We had several scattered throughout our infantry battalion. As I remember they were all about my size, maybe a little bigger, at the time I was 5'7" and 155. I asked one of them that I knew pretty good about it and to my suprise he said many of them were our size. At least it suprised me.

KR
 
As I remember they were all about my size, maybe a little bigger, at the time I was 5'7" and 155... many of them were our size.
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That is my experience as well. Most are small and light with lotsa endurance. Not many tall guys and no fatties. Not many muscle bound weight lifters either, contrary to the TV image. The other issue, beyond endurance, is that you must attempt to blend in with indigenous forces. Guys who look like Arnie or Stallone in Rambo can't do that very well.
 
A lot of people have ideas about what soldiers and special forces soldiers are and what they do, most of them are wrong. Special ops guys even the elite of the elite are just normal guys who have a special job, it is more a mind set than anything else. I am afraid most average joes would be disapointed if they had a few beers with "operators", I cringe everytime I hear that word. Chris
 
Im a big guy , no weakling .
My cousin is little , and wiry , but he is no way near a mr universe

He thinks things thru and gets the same stuff done I do , but using about 1/3 of the energy to do it .

I fractured some vertabrae , and had to think stuff thru before just moving in and making it happen thru size weight n muscle

I never realised the difference between the way we did things untill we sat down and talked about it , and he had a laugh at me for having to do things the way he does now

likely big folk who without realising it do rely on their size and power to do stuff will have serious trouble when they are in a situation where they lose their strength

where as smaller folk who are kind of naturaly used to having to figure out how to do stuff anyway , wont have such a problem ...

just a thought , I could be wrong .
 
I think Chris is right. Every occupation tends to be a pretty representative mix of the population. There are some groups that don't lean towards this, and others that don't lean towards that, but for the most part, we see the Schwarzeneggers and Stallones on screen, but look down the street and tell me how many of them live in your home town.

Rome conquered the world with tough Italian farmers about 5'5" and pushed back gigantic Germanic barbarians -- of maybe 6'.

All you tall people out there, better .. watch .. your .. step! :)
 
They sure did...at first!

I know I need a lot more food than a little guy would, so all else being equal, I agree, a little guy would have an advantage over me, until I ate him. But I do notice I need about 3500 calories a day to keep going.

I can remember being a skinny teenager at 160 pounds (I'm about six three) and needing about the same amount of food, though!
 
kr1 said:
Absolutely. I'm just saying that there are many more of my size than I would have suspected.

KR
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It has been my experience that 5'9" seems to be way more common the 6'plus, I always remember the big guys that survived in that environment were more the exception than the rule.
 
Horned Toad said:
It has been my experience that 5'9" seems to be way more common the 6'plus, I always remember the big guys that survived in that environment were more the exception than the rule.
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As a general rule isn't 5' 9" way more common than 6+ across the board? Chris
 
runningboar said:
A lot of people have ideas about what soldiers and special forces soldiers are and what they do, most of them are wrong. Special ops guys even the elite of the elite are just normal guys who have a special job, it is more a mind set than anything else. I am afraid most average joes would be disapointed if they had a few beers with "operators", I cringe everytime I hear that word. Chris
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Now that everyone is using the word operator I would cringe also. Action Jackson gave a speech like that once. It didn’t go over to well. I think a better description would that other than SEALs with workout videos most special ops types don’t have big egos. Where they may say they are not special, I would think that it’s a proven fact that very few people can do what they do consistently and well. If anyone could do it they would call it Larry the fat cable guy ops.
 
I think alot of it would depend on the situation and the length of time people had to be out. I`m not huge, but I`m big 5`11" and 120 Kg. I live in Japan surrounded by smaller people and see these things alot.

Yes I need more calories to get buy each day. And enduance-wise alot of them can work longer than me. But alot of it depends on the work. If it`s strictly endurance work they bury me, if it requires strength they`re dropping like flies while I`m still cruising along without a care.

We have extremely hash winters here, picture Minnesota in January. Just because I`m bigger with more thermal mass I stay warmer　longer with less effort. I run around in a sweater while all my friends and coworkers put on their heavy coats and still shiver. But in the summer I lay around like a pig with sunstroke trying to catch a breeze while they all say "Suck it up Dave, we`re all going for a hike." (The body uses more calories maintaining temperature throughout the day than any other activity. I think a small advantage in that regard could make a big difference in the long run.)

In the end I think knowledge and mental toughness would matter alot more than bodysize. Guts will get you through alot of things you never thought you could handle until you had to.
 
Horned Toad said:
Where they may say they are not special, I would think that it’s a proven fact that very few people can do what they do consistently and well.
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Agreed, and I never meant to say they are not special, far from it, all I meant is that they are not the superhuman ideals talked about on internet forums or played by actors in hollywood.

Horned Toad said:
If anyone could do it they would call it Larry the fat cable guy ops.
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Why is it that when you try to discuss things it seems people always have to take it to extremes, what sane person would say or think anything close?
 
To all these persons that believe can small man have advantage against a big man in survival...
They are mistaken to belive this statement+ extremes false; viceversa is also false.
Small man have unick quality... to be small... wick in determined situation can live to advantage!
Viceversa is true...Big man have is on advantage up to the situation!
All the being human we are one by one different and UNICK
knowledge,metabolism,as the will to live!


Esav Benyamin said:
Rome conquered the world with tough Italian farmers about 5'5" and pushed back gigantic Germanic barbarians -- of maybe 6'.
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Small Viking conquered only Europe:D
 
In the end you are what you are and can do little to change your size. I know when I weighed in at 225 that I was far to large to be much of a survivor. After a solid year in the gym five mornings a week I was down to a very fit 185. I also ate like a horse at that weight and activity level and really felt it when I got hungry. I don´t know anyone who would lug a 40 lb pack full of lard for survival. I would say ditch the pack full of lard first and then see how you do. Right now I´m up to 193 (stable weight for 2 years) and need to get working again. Common sense tells you that people in good shape increase their chances of survival. It also greatly increases your enjoyment of the outdoors. Mac
 
willm said:
Small people because no one wants to eat them.
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ROFL.gif
 
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