If you could...

[commandocal]

I honestly dont know how this topic is going to go down because there is so many Ifs,do's,donts,maybe's

If you could would you want to be put on an island with or without like minded people if it could provide for you long term? - I know i would

also about Britian used to be 75% forest and no longer is about 1% would anyone have loved to lived in these times, I personally would jump at it - I personally feel i have been robbed of this

I made this because i am curious to see who see's Bushcraft./Survival Skills as a mere intrest / hobby / need to know skill , Or just has a woods handy near their back yard! , etc its late hope it made sense

 

[mjk123]

Actually, the deforestation, and reforestation of GB is quite interesting. 10,000 years ago the whole of the UK was forested. This declined as human settlement encroached on wooded areas. 75% was reached about 1000 years before the Romans landed. By the 11th century coverage was about 20%. This then went into marginal decline over the next 600 years till the industrial revolution to reach about 15%. The demands of the first world war brought coverage to nearly 5%. Since then coverage has risen to about 15% again.

These stats say nothing of individual species or ecosystem types though; clearly ancient woodland is still scarce.

To me its surprising how early on the UK was deforested and how quickly it's recovering now.

 

[demographic]

Errrr, I am on an island And so far its provided for me long term.

You would call mainland UK an island wouldn't you?

 

[spamel]

I'd call it a s**thole given half a chance! It is getting ruined more and more, the junk in some out of the way places begs belief. I sometimes wonder how these people are allowed to live when all they do is ruin everybody elses life.

Given half a chance, I would scram to the canadian backwoods with a few people, pretty much anyone from these boards, and live a simple life in a log cabin, hunting moose and fishing for, erm, fish and actually live instead of just existing like I do now. There has to be more to life than the constant grind and monotony of a crap job, the constant worry of where the next buck is coming from, worry about housing for my family, schooling for my kids, basically it is all worry! Nothing could be wrse than that I think, so the canadian backwoods would do for me!

 

[Chris G]

Don't forget the UK motorways which are such a joy to drive on - especially the M6 between Stoke and Warrington during the rush hours!

 

[Chester`C]

ditto spamel I could quite easily leave it all behind and live the indiginous lifestyle the only thing to worry about being your next meal which are plentiful if you know what to do

 

[john scrivy]

I think most every one one here would love the life in the wilds but weve got what we have and make the most of it and escape when we can to our bush craft escapes what ever they are

 

[Eric_Methven]

I'm with Spammel. Canadian backwoods would suit me fine. I wouldn't like to have lived back when this island was completely forested. I'd probably have been a simple peasant scratching a living and still bound by serfdom to someone higher up the echelon. I'm fifty six now, back then I'd probably have been dead for fifteen years (and I'd have died of old age at that).

Now's a good time to live, it's just what selfish uncaring ignorant people and politics are doing to the land we live in is crap.

Eric

 

[falling rain]

I love our country and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I love Dartmoor, the Lake district, Devon, Cornwall, Scotland our wonderfully interesting history and our beautiful coastline amongst other places.
I agree with Eric that we certainly have a lot of social and other problems and things that really need to be changed. Fish quotas, open door policy on immigratiuon putting a large strain on services are the ones that get me but that's for another place and time.................but In my opinion our countryside and coast is absolutely stunning and I'd happily visit other countries but this will always be home for me.
I'm off to Strathdon in Aberdeenshire in November and I'm planning a 2 or 3 day fishing session in December on the coast somewhere, havn't made my mind up yet but it'll be remote and I'll be having a fire from driftwood and cooking any fish I catch within minutes of them being pulled out of the sea. Marvellous stuff.

 

[Big Geordie]

I'm with falling rain and Eric. I'm just back from a stint in America, high desert Nevada. I missed our trees and water. I loved the adventure, but I missed our beautiful country. America can be beautiful , but they have people there too who make crazy rules and do the stupidest things to @@@@ up the environment for everyone else.
They want me to go back,but I haven't had my fill of trees and water yet.
So Cal, could I live in a primitive forest? I would love to I don't think you would need serfdom to survive there/ live well. There is a difference between living well and survival. I suspect with the right education from an extended family of hunter gathererers and plenty of mutual support we could do really well. Remember they lived in small wandering bands. Heaven. So I might die early like Oetzi in a sqabble with some neighbours. Isn't that in the nature of all Scottish rugby players??:notworthy
Well done to England btw, and good luck in the next round.
G

 

[PJMCBear]

It would have to be a rather big island to support even just one of us, allowing us to live comfortably. You just couldn't get the divercity of flora and fauna on anything smaller than say the Isle of Man.

 

[Matt Weir]

Don't forget the UK motorways which are such a joy to drive on - especially the M6 between Stoke and Warrington during the rush hours!

Drive Chris? I thought everyone was testing their first gear, clutch and brakes at that time!!??

 

[Matt Weir]

It would have to be a rather big island to support even just one of us, allowing us to live comfortably. You just couldn't get the divercity of flora and fauna on anything smaller than say the Isle of Man.

Plus, where would you go for your holidays?

 

[Grooveski]

Once a year, twice if I can swing the holidays right, I try to get away for a week(and weekends at either side).

I find it takes me a day or two just to flush the big bad world out my system and settle into camp life.
Then sometime through the week there'll be a bleak introspective period lasting only a couple of hours where I wonder what I'm doing out on my own shunning society. This is no place to go into my psycological hangups but not being a stranger to loneliness I do wonder sometimes why I should choose to wander off on my todd so often.

By the end of the week I couldn't be happier, and for a few days I really feel at home. I've never had the chance to stretch this out and see how long it lasts or what happens next.

What does happen next is that it's time to go back to work. It's a horrible feeling, packing up and tidying the camp, travelling back to the car(as slowly as possible to put off the end).
One day I got back and there was a carnaval set up next to where I'd parked, I'll admit I felt nervous and thought about just paddling past and coming back when everyone had gone away.

So much as I'd love to try an extended time in the woods I'm not sure what the result would be on my frame of mind. If after just a week without human contact I'm loathe to speak to people what would it be like after a month, or a year? Won't know 'till I try I guess, and not sure if I want to.