Why the obsession with 'living off the land'?

Modoc ED said:
Everything in your post was ok until the last word -- squirrels.

Squirrels are readily availabe, easy to harvest, and delicious. Same for rabbits. If you can kill 1 squirrel a day or 1 rabbit every othe day you can survive forever. Often while out squirrel or rabbit hunting the guys I'm hunting with and myself will skin out one or two of them and have them for lunch on the spot.

I don't camp out anymore but when I used to, I'd take 3 tins of sardines, 3 tins of potted meat, and a handful of Slim-Jim pepperoni (sp?) sticks no matter how long I was going to be gone. That way I always had enough to eat for at least 6-days no matter what came up.

I do think some guys over plan for the what if the SHTF scenario but Hey!!!!, that's their gig and if it makes them happy .............. . Me. In the old days, I'd go out and practice woodsmanship but at the end of the day, I climb into a nice snug sleeping bag in a nice tent so as to rest up for more practice the next day.
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In a down and out survival situation, you'd be better off going after groundhogs, beaver or coon. More fat content then rabbit or squirrel and calories are what counts in the timber. Lots of fat burning going there.
 
harpoon41 said:
In a down and out survival situation, you'd be better off going after groundhogs, beaver or coon. More fat content then rabbit or squirrel and calories are what counts in the timber. Lots of fat burning going there.
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Actually, you'd be better off going with whatever you can get. The important thing is eating something as often as possible.
 
For me, the knowledge has more to do with "What am I capabale of in the worst possible scenario"- that simple thought transcends any one field. "Can I do it if I had to?" gives you a sense of comfort that you are in good shape to face things. If you can gain that knowledge and experience without hurting anyone and enjoying what you are doing, why not?
I did not train MMA out of a desire to one day face multiple armed assailants. In fact, I will be VERY happy to die peacefully having never had to do that. I did it because I enjoyed it and it built skills I might need "just in case"- no harm done.
2Door
 
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hollowdweller said:
I think Jim is sort of succumbing to all or nothing thinking.

Most people here (I think) are into the eating wild food and making stuff to "smooth it" not rough it.

If you can cook with wood you don't need to carry fuel.

If you can cook over a fire you don't need to carry a stove.

If you can supplement part of your provisions with food you can pick along the trail gourmet aspect aside, you don't have to carry as much food.


To me there are a couple aspects to the mindset:

First is the practical aspect like the things mentioned above that don't make your trip in the woods harder but SMOOTHER.

Second is, for a lot of people you need some sort of things when you are recreating to pull you out of the mindset of the workaday world. By doing a few of these things instead of say reading a book around camp you pull yourself more into the woods and slow down your mind which is a great relief to some of us.:thumbup:
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I am in this group. I know how to be UNCOMFORTABLE and I don't care for it. I grew up very poor and this so called survival was everyday life for me. ALL the meat we had was what we hunted or trapped. But I can honestly say that that time in my life was some of the best time in my life. Plus the skills I learned growing up served me later in life when I was without a job or roof over my head. In that time period I still stayed warm, dry and well fed because of the knowledge I had. Keeping things smooth in a crisis is easy if you know how to adapt to your situation. I don't intend to survive, I intend to thrive. Doesn't matter where I am or what circumstance. Knowledge and wisdom allows me this.
 
jimh0220 said:
Why do so many folks here want to learn every bit of minutia about everything you can make, eat, hunt, fart, and lick off the land?

I get the interest in honing one's outdoor skills, and survival skills are a crucial part of that, BUT why plan to live out there with nothing but a knife for a year? When was the last rescue of a victim that survived that long? Why would you deliberately intend on oing out to the woods and hunt critters and eat native plants to survive for months. Not a good plan! Your body uses more than it gains in that situation.

If the shiz hits the fan, how about having a plan that involves what you have already,and not munching ferns and squirrels?
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I also like the woods because the trolls stay under their bridges and leave people alone now run along you stinky troll
 
While I find the OP's posts to be mildly confrontational, opinionated and condescending I congratulate all those who have posted their considered responses.
Gentlemen (and ladies?) what you have written is pure poetry; nourishment for my aching urban soul. Thank you for your words.
I have not spent time before a fire in the bush in almost 3 years and it hurts.
Someday soon I shall move on and join you by that campfire again.
Hopefully the OP has learned something of value.
 
I've never done it, but to me it seems like it's the ultimate form of independence, living off the land I mean
 
Something has been lost in the world we live in. Its too complicated and busy. Important things aren't important but rather taken for granted. I\m not wishing to live in a trapper cabin with a supply of food I managed to fit in my canoe but I sure would like to do it for a few months. See if I could. Life has gotten easy at least physically and most guys I know feel that void. I could see it my self and then as I aged in the young men I trained in MMA and kickboxing. I don't want to live with out antiboitics, my cool truck but I sure would like to know if I have what it takes to make it with out the lights and feed my family.

Frankly part of me does it to escape the busy life. After a stressful day I'll make a spoon or take my daughter to woods for hot chocolate.

That's why I sit here with my PC and type away while looking at my kukri and think how long will it take me to make a bow with it.

The darker side of me likes to know that I'm better able to care for myself and my family than most. I guess it is nice to know I have knowledge and skills and I am good at something.
 
Apart from a constant ache of wishing I could have more bush-time, I really can't say that I want my bush time to be more than bush time as opposed to 'my life'. I love being in the bush and think if I could get 40% more time then I get now, I would be 40% happier. But at the same time, I don't want to spend 100% of my time in the bush either. I do like my life, my family, my home, my collection sharp thingys, my dog, my vehicles and even my job. I really don't fantasize or wish for TEOTWAWKI or the SHTF. Sure, it would be nice if I was suddenly completely debt free, but I live within my means. Sure, I wish my job was more forgiving of time away, but its pretty darn reasonable and there are lots of times I spend a weekend at my job because that is where I want to be.

So its complicated. Learning to forage wild edibles? Why is that bad. Freshly picked food tastes great! Learning to maximize my time out there practicing skills is a heck of a lot of fun to do. I almost wish I could get 20 years of my early days of camping back. In my youth I had this stupid idea that spending time in the woods meant I should cover the most ground possible with backpack on my back. I wasn't living so much for being in the wilderness, but rather grinding the stress of life away through the soles of my boots. I wish I knew back then what I knew today. You can have a total blast opening your eyes and looking at the stuff around you. You can have a blast starting fire using primitive methods, eating and sampling stuff from natures bounty and watching the routines of wild animals.

I don't really want to live in the wilderness a year with only a knife. But the more I learn of primitive skills, the more I enjoy and appreciate my dirt time. Its like turbocharging your vacation!
 
Rather you stay urban or run the woods living in each during hard times or crisis is not a given instinct but takes study and application and obsession to learn those skills to survive is a good thing.
 
Jeff H said:
Me - I was just raised that way. I am amazed at how much less independent people in general have become in just my own lifetime of a few days short of half a century. Don't forget the "Wildernes" part of "Wilderness and Survival Skills." It's not ALL about survival and it does teach one more that the direct application of "munching ferns and squirrels." Squirrels are quite tasty too, by the way. Mmmmm, squirrel gravy and biscuits...... now you're making me hungry.
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Jeff H, my grandparents had a farm in south central Ohio when I was growing up in the late 50's, early 60's. I can remember my younger brother & I could not wait until we got to go spend the 3 weeks summer vacation with them. I can distinctly remember they raised chickens, cows, hogs, a garden that seemd humongous at the time, & the only items they bought at the store was flour, sugar, rice, coffee, etc. The eggs, milk, butter, & meat products were taken care of. All the vegetables were grown in the garden, along with 2 grape arbors. They, along with others in that era, were probably the onstart of the "survivalists" & didn't even know it. I have such good memories of growning up in that time, but only someone who did would understand what I am talking about. Thank you for reminder.
Be safe.
p.s.: Oh yes, Saturday's dinner usually consisted of that squirrel & gravy, rabbits or pheasants, biscuits, etc. like you described.
 
RedbeAR15 said:
72 replies - Amazing


RedbeAR15, I would wager the one common theme from 71 out of those 72 replies would be their insatiable desire, their individual love, & the calm, quiet & peacefulness the outdoors offers to each of them, myself included . . .
Be safe.
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I think the real survival, will be the survival against viruses etc.When the Anti-biotics have lost their effect because of a couple of Super bacteries(not zombies)being immune to antibiotics because of overuse on animals or some scenario like that.
Then when there is an epidemic of these diehardbacteries there will be true survival for mankind.
The Bushcraft thing we see so much these days ,Ray Mears ,Bear Grylls(show), I consider it a bit as fashion, if you ask me(look what i can do).Not that it isn't of much use ,look at some people who were so poor,as I read here, that they had to hunt some animals to got some meat.So it's for most of an extreme hobby yeah,I would say.For most it's probably something just like the Rambo fantasy and buying tacticool knives(Busseknives i see as one of them ,being so 'cool and tough'),and fighting'zombies'with it.Some have this kind of feelings but the about being into Bushcraft knives with 4inch blades,and their folding saws etc. ust to prove themselves they can live of the land.not really necessary.
 
"you done taken the wrong turn.

what shall we do with him?
he sure got a pretty mout aint he?
:eek:

squeal squeal EEEE ! EEEEE !
louder !"

the end was good though:)
bow and arrows are always handy
 
From a brief editorial article online I sourced this quote.

“The West of which I speak is but another name for the Wild; and what I have been preparing to say is, that in Wildness is the preservation of the World. Every tree sends its fibers forth in search of the Wild. The cities import it at any price. Men plow and sail for it. From the forest and wilderness come the tonics and barks which brace mankind. Our ancestors were savages. The story of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a wolf is not a meaningless fable. The founders of every state which has risen to eminence have drawn their nourishment and vigor from a similar wild source. It was because the children of the Empire were not suckled by the wolf that they were conquered and displaced by the children of the northern forests who were.” Henry Thoreau, “Walking” A lecture published posthumously by The Atlantic Journal

you can find the rest here: http://www.purcelltrench.com/wilderness.htm
 
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