How long would you survive in the wild?

Naked and afraid style, just by your lonesome with one item of choice. You start in the late spring in a Midwest United states temperate environment (forest or plains your choice) How far could you go and what kind of technological advances do you think you could conjure up?

If you are reliant on medications to keep you alive just imagine if you were a standard person.

There are no other humans in this scenario nor domesticated animals.

What do you think would be the thing to due you in? Infection, animals, sickness, dehydration, starvation etc.

I have decent knowlage of bushcrafting so I think I'll be mildly fine until infection from a wound or sickness would kill me. Though I belive I would try to at least be able to produce alcohol and vinegar for medicinal purposes a year or so in. To that end I think should be able to make advanced materials such as glass but probably not metal unless I find a surface deposit.

Less than 3 days 4
A month 2
Month to a year 1
Five years 2
Until I die of "natural causes" 4
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Comments ( 34 )
  • Doesnormalmatter

    Literally probably less than a week. The reason is because of my current body composition. I am pretty lean right now, so I would not have much stored up, and also I eat like 7 meals a day and probably 6000 to 7000 calories. Helps me look good naked, but surviving in the wild at a lean 235, sounds impossible. Also can I have pornhub as my one item? It boosts morale, and I don't think I'd be getting laid much.

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  • megadriver

    Well, I know basic survival and assuming I can make a bow and use it accurately enough to kill animals and make good traps, I'd say months.

    I could build myself a rudimentary tree house away from bitey ground insects and even fabricate a stove area in my tree house. Or If I find a large river, build a house boat and eventually get to the beach and live there.

    Tho I'd probably go crazy at some point without cars, whiskey, other people and the internet.

    When you have everything set up, house, firewood, water, food, etc... what do you do for the rest of the day?
    You can't fabricate complex tools. You can't make quality booze. You have absolutely nothing to do.

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    • I'm pretty sure you could experament trying to fabricate stuff. Like glass. Or you could take on large projects as a one man army. Like try to build a fortress of mud or stone bricks.

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      • megadriver

        Glass? A fortress? Why? Protect myself from seagulls? Too much work... XD

        Not worth it. The only thing worth it would be finding a way to make relatively safe to drink alcohol.

        Assuming this is a scenario where I'm all alone forever and there are no other people. If there are other people, I'm going home baby XD

        Still, without the stuff I like, I'd probably drink myself to death. Being stranded in the wild is not fun.

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        • Making the mash and then fermenting and distilling is somewhat simple enough seeing how humans have been doing it for thousands of years before metal. Wether or not its palatable is really dependent on how badly you want to drink. I would honestly just brew it as an antiseptic.

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  • Indigo1

    I could be over optimistic on my abilities here,

    But I reckon i'd have fair chance of surviving a long time, at least 5 years +

    I don't have a ton of survival skills aside from knowing how to identify many types of plants I can eat, but that's about as crucial as any.

    I think I do have a fair level of common sense too and a very strong will to live that would push me through.

    Not saying i'd be Mr.Bear Grylls, and be all that stylish with all my knowledge, But I can build a shelter, identify plants to eat, and find a water source.

    If anything took me out it would probably be something in my water, if i can bring one tool with me it would be a huge multi tool with flint, if thats cheating though i'd bring a knife that has a huge chunk of flint on the back of it. That way I can always start fires easily, boil/purify my water in some sort of make shift container or found object ect.

    A bow in arrow would probably be the second choice of item, because the amo is mostly renewable ( go pick up the arrows, unless the animal runs off with it in it's side of course) , but if i cant start a fire to begin with their is no sense bringing that as my number 1 object if I cant cook my meat. ( Im vegan too but i'd definitely eat meat in necessity of course) lol

    Would probably hang by the river a lot, try to build ways to catch/trap fish in my spare time.

    My second biggest risk of dying might be a bear or other dangerous animal.

    would be fun to try this for awhile, only under the insurance of bringing a "back-up-bag" and trying to go as long as possible without resorting to it.

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  • Grunewald

    A month. I have zero survival skills, knowledge or dexterity but I do have a brain in my head.

    I'd probably get food poisoning from pushing my luck and scavenging a slightly-too-old carcass, and not be able to find enough clean water and salts to rehydrate myself. Or I'd be too ham-fisted to light a fire, not be able to purify water, try to resort to foraging for food, and eat a poisonous berry or plant. I do have one of those survival bracelets with a compass, cord and serrated edge and that create a spark - *somewhere*.

    I'm not much good with weapons but a very sharp knife might come in handy for cutting meat, string, duct tape and smaller bits of wood for the fire, trap-building and teepee repairs. If I watched a chosen prey's behaviour for long enough and took stock of my resources, I might be able to improvise a trap. String and duct tape are always helpful. As would a pair of protective gloves. Your hands are so important in survival. If I hurt my hands, my capacity to survive would be greatly diminished.

    I could also get sepsis from an infected insect bite, though I'm normally pretty resilient to infection from cuts and wounds. An antiseptic would be a good thing to bring along. Tea-tree essential oil works. The mosquitoes around here aren't malaria carriers although there have been rare sightings of tiger mosquitoes that carry the zika virus. Given proper care, that's not fatal, although the availability of 'proper care' in the wild is questionable.

    I'd bring a pot for cooking, a steel bucket for heating water and a non-toxic disinfectant. Again, tea-tree oil is good. I'd also bring 2 large waterproof sheets ane some tentpegs - one sheet as a teepee groundsheet, and one to go over the top of the branches I'll arrange. I'd repair the sheet with the duct tape.

    Let's not forget the importance of a torch...

    Humans don't have any natural predators where I am.

    Also - I have good social skills so I'd probably go looking for a big strong man also lost and scared, and we could work out a partnership arrangement - he could hunt and use his technical skills/knowledge and I could cook, disinfect and look after health. Or adopt a stray kitten so that it brings back mice and birds (as cats do...). Humans are social creatures. We live in families and communities, no matter how tenuous.

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    • McBean

      Don't forget the importance of wolves. You can follow them around and eat their left overs after they kill a deer. Be sure to cook the meat long enough that all the germs and insect larvae are well done. BTW, a liter of gin makes a good antiseptic.

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  • Grunewald

    People who need medication to keep them alive vs. standard people.

    I'd bet you're not over 25.

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    • Diabetics?

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  • CozmoWank

    So what happened to the rest of humanity? What happened to the existing shelters/buildings, liquor stores?

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    • Parallel universe.

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  • curious-bunny

    Until I die. I'm pretty basic educated in that stuff. Not enough t not have some fuck ups but i got a basic education. If I have my bow I'm all set, now saying one item does that mean my bow comes with its string? Or any arrows how about its quiver? Cause it is a set item. Ir would it just be the bow shaft itself? Cause if that's the case I'll take my knife cause I have no idea how to make a bow string.

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    • LloydAsher

      Bow strings can be assembled from a variety of sources. Hide, hair, plant fibers, animal ligiments, animal intestines. A bow can be made from a supple wood branch. Arrows would be the tricky part. Sticks obviously, but the fletching could be worked with simple leaves. Of course if you want to go advanced and poach a bird then you could have classic fletching.

      Preferably your first weapon should be a spear, and not even a fancy one. You could flame harden the tip to maintain its edge while the shaft is flexible enough to not break. It can be thrown or thrusted.

      Traps would also work. I'm not just saying snares but some real traps. Like an Apache leg breaker. A simple whole built to swallow a deer's leg with protruding spikes to keep it in place. Deer dont have the teeth to naw its leg off. Bears (if you had to) you would use a ball of fat and guts with cooked bones in the the middle that would splinter and internally bleed the beast to death (or make a bathroom run extremely painful)

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      • curious-bunny

        Spears are great choices but I'm experienced with nows. Shot my whole life. So spears for others would be good but not me unless tgere q abundant of boar around. Traps can be made in the fly. If I can only bring one thing with me though I'm bot wasting it on a trap

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        • LloydAsher

          Bringing a knife or a machete would probably serve you better. So I guess you can pick either a bow or a bushel of arrows. Not both. Its naked and afraid rules.

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          • curious-bunny

            Bow, arrows will be easier for me to make, though a good axe would be a solid choice as well. Let's be honest using a stone age axe till/if you figure out metal working would be a straight up bitch to use all the time

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    • I imagine you would have the complete bow. But why? Do you think a bow will last the rest of your life? If it gets broke then all you have is string and a stick. A knife is way, way more useable in the long run. When it gets dull you sharpen it. If it breaks you can still use the blade.

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      • curious-bunny

        Neither will last the rest if my life but in that situation in more concerned about short term survival setting up a hut food stuff like that, with my bow I can do alot including make fire using that stupid string trick. Once I have my basics immediate needs covered I can learn how to make a new bow and strings, making bows I have a basic understanding of as well. It's the damn string that will kill me. Making knives spears etc I can do. Same with making glue no problem but with my bow I'm set. A steel knife is meh I can use a stone or bone one all day long. But yea bow. 100% of the time for me. Plus I cant thriw a knife for shit haha

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        • Could just throw a rock and have the same effect. To that end make a sling, to throw the rock way faster. Short term is good but wouldnt it be more reasonable to set up by a stream or lake where you could eat fish? Also the source of water. To boil it you would need a vessel, clay is abundant enough to make a simple pot that can boil water.

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          • curious-bunny

            Yes I'm well aware, but were talking about what would we bring with. Me that's a bow. You can catch fish with a bow especially in streams. Besides not setting up near water would be a deadly mistake

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            • So with no arrows you think it's just going to be easier to snipe fish out of the water. Instead of just using a damn stick with two or more points?

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      • LloydAsher

        Not to mention the fact that it can easily be replaced by a chunk of flint as well, it will be a fuck ton less efficient at hide trimming but it would get the job done.

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        • curious-bunny

          Yea exactly. A knife is less valuable in my hands than a bow is. Important yes but I dont have the skills for it to be the more practical choice

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  • LloydAsher

    This kinda reminds me of that YouTube channel primitive technology. Making clay houses and the such. I suppose if I were to survive I would have to take up a nomadic life or at least have a year around movement schedule. Then again how much environmental change would one human be able to accomplish? Especially if I only kill for resources.

    Surviving the winter would be a realitive ease if I prepared obviously before hand. Smoked meats, pickled berries or jams. The only problem would be wolves because wolves were partly domesticated to humans before we bred them into dogs. I suppose with the proper precautions I would survive a long time.

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  • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

    so far all my life

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    • Eh?

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      • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

        i already live like that

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        • Indigo1

          with an internet connection ...

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          • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

            sometimes

            i just had a 2 week hiatus

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            • Indigo1

              ok.. so not like that, "that" being the survival situation he described.

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