Would you really survive?

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Depends where I am when I need to survive. Single digit body fat is all well and good in some environments and for being healthy in general but I wouldn't survive in the Arctic like that (yes I have done survival training in the Arctic). Having low body fat did help me survive better in the jungle and desert though.

Look at Ray Mears he's got a little padding but he is survival fit. He has built in stamina for long distance walks/hunts and is ininsulated against the environment. It's all a balance.
 
RoyalM said:
Depends where I am when I need to survive. Single digit body fat is all well and good in some environments and for being healthy in general but I wouldn't survive in the Arctic like that (yes I have done survival training in the Arctic). Having low body fat did help me survive better in the jungle and desert though.

Look at Ray Mears he's got a little padding but he is survival fit. He has built in stamina for long distance walks/hunts and is ininsulated against the environment. It's all a balance.
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very well said, with minimal verbiage... :D
 
moosez45 said:
Let me see if I can get this wreck back on track.

Yes, I would really survive. Not necessarily based on my body weight, but my knowledge, skills, and gear that I depend on. I'm a long time believer, after years of excercise, eating right, and being active, the body will grow to the mold.

Which means, my body adapts to its lifestyle, its a difficult time, when you're bodies adjusting, but survival is based on a myriad of variables, some you can control, others not so much.

Could I win a 5K race tomorrow? No, I would die. Pure and simple. Could I get my fat, saggy, smoking carcass across the 5K mark, yes, yes I could. The difference is time. I'm not built to be a runner, never have been, even when I was. I'm built to be a tank. Slow, heavy, and knocking down everything in its path.:D

I do believe that in a "survival" situation, a slower metabolism is a greater asset, than a higher one. I won't need to eat as much, and I carry around fat reserves that will keep me working without food, longer than a bean pole with a hypermetabolism. I've seen it in action. I've seen very large, muscular guys, very fit, and in great shape, lose damn near all mental faculties, after just a single day without food. He was used to eating 5-6 times a day, small light meals, etc. When he needed food, and didn't have it, he lost his edge, a clear head.

Me, I can go a few days without eating, no problem. I do it at least twice a month, to make sure I got the mental side of it down, quell the big hunger pains, drink water, and stay focused on being active.

Food is not even in the 3 most important things in a tough spot, or "survival situation", its really not in the top 5 if you wanna get real technical about. Fitness on the other hand is good to have, but endurance is almost paramount. Just because I can't work as fast as you, doesn't mean I won't get my work done. Its about conserving calories, and energy, not about bushcrafting a nice living room.

Moose
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Well said moose. Good post.
 
Told myself I wouldn't but gonna respond again. First to all those that are argueing about who will live longer fatty or skinny...well of course the peson with more fat stores will last longer...but if you re read my first post I was talking about being on the move not sitting still. And in my opinion and my opinion only the more fit individual has a better chance of moving a greater distance at a greater rate of speed then a less fit individual. as far as any smart ass comment after that well I'm sorry but when you pop off to me I pop back, thats just me. No I was not trolling and no i was not bragging, I was merly telling you that I lost weight and I feel better because of it. Yes I go to a gym, I have on and off for the last 35 years or so. But during the time I lost the weight I never even set foot in the gym, I did it all by eating smarter than I had been. someone mentioned the old bodybuiders saying..abs are built in the kitchen not in the gym...this is so true, Buy Becker!
 
Don't forget about being flexible, stretching on a daily basis will save a lot of potential injuries. Flexibility also applies in social conversation.
 
Zombie land rules



Cardio
The Double Tap
Beware of Bathrooms
Wear Seat Belts
No Attachments
The “Skillet”
Travel Light
Get a Kick Ass Partner
With your Bare Hands
Don’t Swing Low
Use Your Foot
Bounty Paper Towels
Shake it Off
Always carry a change of underwear
Bowling Ball
Opportunity Knocks
Don’t be a hero (later crossed out to be a hero)
Limber Up
Break it Up
It’s a marathon, not a sprint, unless it’s a sprint, then sprint
Avoid Strip Clubs
When in doubt Know your way out
Zipplock
Use your thumbs
Shoot First
A little sun screen never hurt anybody
Incoming!
Double-Knot your Shoes
The Buddy System
Pack your stain stick
Check the back seat
Enjoy the little things
Swiss army Knife
 
Would I really survive? Sure like to think so. Depends on the situation. I am so far out of shape, I get winded singing along with the radio. The stress I endure on a regular basis though has taught me to be decisive but not rash. Clear thinking is going to be as important as how many pull ups I can do.
This is not intended as a back handed attack to anyone, but I was a judgemental fitness nazi in the 80's. Then I got into a meaningful relation and a family followed and time was spent doing other things. I admire the discipline people exercise and hope to sometime join a group different than "morbidly obese" as my health care provider has labeled me.
I will say this about fitness and survival, fatigue makes cowards of us all.
Be cool everyone.
 
--J said:
Flexibility also applies in social conversation.
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And in certain other modes of social contact. ;) :D

Bill Murray rocked Zombieland BTW.

I think this thread is back on the straight and narrow. Let's keep it that way. Nothing wrong with honest questions and assessment. Please leave the accusatory and inflammatory posts to other subforums.
 
BRL said:
but dick jokes are cool, right?
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Only if you say member. As in: Don't be such a member, member. :D
I'm joking. If it's antagonistic to another member (ha!), take it to Whine and Cheese.
The Becker forum has loftier business to deal with--like how to consume half a Nebraska cow in one day.
That's survival.
 
Guyon said:
That's frightening. Every time you knock back a wee dram, there's Edwood's ghost messing with you. :eek:
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TW977.jpg


mmmmmmmmmmmmmm......


I love bacon a lot.
That is all…………………..
 
A favor to ask... I've been back and forth with the OP a bit via PM. I believe he honestly wanted to raise an important point about fitness, but just went about it poorly in the early going.
My fear is that others will come along, just read the opening couple of pages, and then want to fire off their antagonistic shots. For those of you in the know, let's just steer any such business back onto a constructive path.

Fitness is important. I'm lacking in it of late. Moose and I utterly failed at our weight loss bet, and neither party had to pay up. My desk still rules my life (I'm still at work right now), but hopefully, for not that much longer.
That said, here's something I pointed out to Idaho Guy: While fitness is a topic that comes up from time to time in Wilderness Skills, it probably doesn't come up enough. I don't think you should substitute gear for skills, or skills for fitness. But by the same token, if someone is just fit and spending time outdoors, he could do well to acquire some decent gear and some efficient skills. It's a total package, not a contest IMO.
 
Idaho Guy said:
Told myself I wouldn't but gonna respond again. First to all those that are argueing about who will live longer fatty or skinny...well of course the peson with more fat stores will last longer...but if you re read my first post I was talking about being on the move not sitting still. And in my opinion and my opinion only the more fit individual has a better chance of moving a greater distance at a greater rate of speed then a less fit individual. as far as any smart ass comment after that well I'm sorry but when you pop off to me I pop back, thats just me. No I was not trolling and no i was not bragging, I was merly telling you that I lost weight and I feel better because of it. Yes I go to a gym, I have on and off for the last 35 years or so. But during the time I lost the weight I never even set foot in the gym, I did it all by eating smarter than I had been. someone mentioned the old bodybuiders saying..abs are built in the kitchen not in the gym...this is so true, Buy Becker!
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Even on the move, its still about getting the most, with the least. I keep a pretty good pace when I am walking. Not at Power Walker Speed, but I get where I'm going. I'm also conditioned to be able to keep it up at 4hr intervals too. It tuckers me out, but like I was saying in my post, I can do it. Plus, the more energy I burn, the thinner I'm gonna get. Working my way down to the "balance", at that point, muscle will tone, and become leaner.

If I have to run for a long distance for speed, I'll just drop my pack, lock and load, and get ready to duke it out there, because, I know my limits.

Losing weight is always better than gaining. I'm overweight, but I don't have a problem being mobile. Back when I was a rock climbing knut, I was lean and mean, had endurance, my diabetes were under control, and the asthma really didn't exist. But I was conditioned for burst of energy (up), and resting shortly after (belay). I worked that into my workout routine.

When I was a soccer player, I could run and run and run, for long periods of time, but I couldn't maintain a high rate of speed. My contitioning was focused at developing long periods of high activity.

When I was lifting free weights and gaining mass, I had no endurance, but I could deadlift the rear end of a Ford Ranger. It was about raw power.

Right now, I'm conditioned to none of the above, except clear an 8hr workday, whether it be phsical or mental.

The body will mesh with what kind of physical results you need, its just not gonna do it nicely. Its gonna hurt.

Moose
 
On a side note I didn't drop the weight to be better than anyone. The doc said my blood preasure was through the roof and like another poster my wife is also a nurse. you can take it from there ;) also I am only 5'9" and when I was lifting heavy I was eating big too. I got up to 210 and was carrying as much fat as muscle. Anyone that knows anything about building muscle knows that you have to eat to do this. It is quite a science to get your diet to where you can lose fat and retain lean muscle at the same time. I dont pretend to know enough about nutrition to do this corectly. so I took some time off from working out and got my calories at a deficit and let nature do the rest. I'm getting back to the gym now and will get my calories to a maintenance level and eventually to a surplus as training dictates. As you see knives arent my only hobby and I guess i didnt think it through as to if I would offend people i'm sorry for my callous original post as guyon pointed out to me it could have been written a lot nicer..I agree
 
Keep in mind also that constantly being on the move means you're burning a hell of a lot of calories. Where are these coming from?

You could shoot things, but you need a gun and (limited supply of) ammo. You could set up some snares, but that means you have to wait (therefore you're no longer on the move). Or you could expend even more calories carting around 15 lbs of Clif bars.
 
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