How long could you survive?

[jonajuna]

I agree that a group increases survival for all reasons given.

During my survival course, tasks soon became divided up, one collecting wood, another water and processing it, another tending to shelter another building signal fire and so on

Its the basis of team work and division of labour. Or "many hands make light work"

But more people require more food... But if water, shelter, fire etc is being sorted by others, a member is freed up for constant hunting, gathering, snare tending etc

 

[steve a]

It can't have been exactly the same course (Woodlore Journeyman) as nobody caught any fish or rabbits on the one I was on.


Same course different year, we must have been lucky, we caught trout and eels from the lake, rabbit and pheasant from the snares. Peter the gamekeeper was not that impressed that his pheasants were on the menu LOL.

 

[sandbender]

It can't have been exactly the same course (Woodlore Journeyman) as nobody caught any fish or rabbits on the one I was on.

Same course different year, we must have been lucky, we caught trout and eels from the lake, rabbit and pheasant from the snares. Peter the gamekeeper was not that impressed that his pheasants were on the menu LOL.

Peter, not a guy you'd want to cross.

The cattails were the game changer though, any group which failed to source those were in a bad way by the end of the week.

 

[TeeDee]

Bump

I'd give this a serious go if I could find the right location.

Plenty of us have enough of a gut / blubber on us that we could go for quite a stretch without food as long as we were hydrated our bodies would start to convert Fat into Ketones and keep us going.

 

[forestwalker]

Bump

I'd give this a serious go if I could find the right location.

Plenty of us have enough of a gut / blubber on us that we could go for quite a stretch without food as long as we were hydrated our bodies would start to convert Fat into Ketones and keep us going.

Without replenishing your vitamin stores you will starve to death within about 45-60 days. With B1 supplements you will survive about 150 days.

Ståhle, L. Vitamin B1 store is decisive for survival of human beings without food
Läkartidningen, 2012, 109, 528

Altun, G.; Akansu, B.; Altun, B. U.; Azmak, D. & Yilmaz, A. Deaths due to hunger strike: post-mortem findings
Forensic science international, Elsevier, 2004, 146, 35-38

Leiter, L. A. & Marliss, E. B. Survival during fasting may depend on fat as well as protein stores
Jama, American Medical Association, 1982, 248, 2306-2307

You should also read up on refeeding syndrome: eating after prolonged starvation can kill you.

Wernicke's lethal encephalopathy in voluntary, total, prolonged fasting
Forensic science international, Elsevier, 1990, 47, 17-20

 

[forestwalker]

Without replenishing your vitamin stores you will starve to death within about 45-60 days. With B1 supplements you will survive about 150 days.

Ståhle, L. Vitamin B1 store is decisive for survival of human beings without food
Läkartidningen, 2012, 109, 528

Altun, G.; Akansu, B.; Altun, B. U.; Azmak, D. & Yilmaz, A. Deaths due to hunger strike: post-mortem findings
Forensic science international, Elsevier, 2004, 146, 35-38

Leiter, L. A. & Marliss, E. B. Survival during fasting may depend on fat as well as protein stores
Jama, American Medical Association, 1982, 248, 2306-2307

You should also read up on refeeding syndrome: eating after prolonged starvation can kill you.

Wernicke's lethal encephalopathy in voluntary, total, prolonged fasting
Forensic science international, Elsevier, 1990, 47, 17-20

And the classic:
Benedict, F. G.; Goodall, H. W.; Ash, J. E.; Langfeld, H. S.; Kendall, A. I. & Higgins, H. L.
A study of prolonged fasting
Carnegie institution of Washington, 1915

 

[breff]

I wouldn't stand a chance!
Traumatic brain injuries mean I absolutely Must have a lot of drugs, even a few hours late can knock me down. Water, more brain injury stuff on the Pituitary gland in my brain, means I have Diabetes Insipidus and can't hold water in my body for long. I'd need a constant supply of clean drinking water, 5 to 8 litres a day. A few days without water could, actually, kill me. I'm a total beginner to this bushcraft stuff and, until I know what I'm doing, I need safety nets and back up plans.