Nekkid Arctic Survival - How would you do?

[BOD]

forestwalker started a thread about surviving with no knife or means of making a fire.

Some members quite rightly pointed out that being suddenly without anything is extremely rare and the test is not realistic as people usually have something

However such events sometimes happen.

I was talking to an IB TOK teacher and he told me that Wade Davis, the ethnographer, is a resource to the TOK programme and that Davis told an audience of TOK teachers about an attempt by the Canadian government to relocate a group of older Inuit who did not want to move to the settlements provided by the Government.

All but one eventually gave in to the pressure. The modernised family of the recalcitrant’s took all his possessions taken to the settlement thinking he would be compelled to come in.

He left.

He survived and recreated his world.

All he needed was ancient knowledge and what was inside him.

What is actually lacking is the knowledge to make the tools.


What could you do to survive in that environment?

 

[rik_uk3]

In the Arctic? I'd die in all likelihood.

 

[BOD]

rik. he went for a poop and moulded the warm stuff into a blade. Spat on the edge as it froze.

He had a knife - he made tools killed animals got fur sinew hide bone etc.

Moved elsewhere started over.

 

[Galemys]

rik. he went for a poop and moulded the warm stuff into a blade. Spat on the edge as it froze.

A sh?tty knife!?!?!?!?!
You´re kidding...

The first to film that himself would make a hit on youtube though...

Cheers,

Tom

 

[BOD]

No not kidding.

I Checked and it's correct.

Never say your knife is Sh!T. All that means is you are unskilled and ignorant.

All of us on BCUK would have died no matter what blade we had - Becker Siebert Skookum etc.

Unless we turned and fled to the settlement

 

[forestwalker]

Well, first of all I did not start this thread. But I did post to it.

The high arctic (i.e. the polar regions, not the northern taiga or subarctic that RM -- and other -- courses label "arctic") is an area where I have only book learning, no actual personal experience. If I ended up in the situation that you describe I would die, after a few weeks. I don't have the hunting and fishing skills needed to survive long term there. I know a few tricks that would possibly be of use (e.g. the snow shovel made from a forked branch, a piece of fabric and urine), but not enough to bootstrap a full "ecosystem".

The reason those discussions are valid (IMNSHO) is that we often get to dependent on our "toys", knives, saws, FC sticks, etc. Once you are confident that you can survive without all the kit, then you can make a sensible evaluation as to what items really make a large difference, which are really nice to have, and which ones are just nice to have.

 

[AussieVic]

Amazing, but I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that people who have lived “primitive” all their lives can quickly adapt items for use.

As already commented, even with a knife etc, most of us would really struggle to survive for long.

What is incredible is the intimate knowledge of the environment. Its one thing to have a knife, or tent, or matches; but knowing where food is and at which time of year, and what you need to do to get it. That is the real skill.

 

[BOD]

Well, first of all I did not start this thread. But I did post to it.

...The reason those discussions are valid (IMNSHO) is that we often get to dependent on our "toys", knives, saws, FC sticks, etc. Once you are confident that you can survive without all the kit, then you can make a sensible evaluation as to what items really make a large difference, which are really nice to have, and which ones are just nice to have.

Sorry mate! It was tommy11.

Anyway I am with you pretty much on this. While it is true that most of us on BCUK would probably bring or have a few things with us when bush bashing it is still valid to set a hypothetical question what would we do.

Saying we always carry a knife, torch and fire starting kit is not very different to the townies who say I never go without my mobile phone and I'd call the police. Just a matter of degree.

If you wnat another case of surviving with very little try Pedro Serrano

 

[cbr6fs]

I think human determination and adaptability can be an amazing thing, add in there a fair old dollop of luck and anything is possible.


As for surviving naked.
With most modern clothes if your wet and it's cold your better off naked as most clothes will just sap heat away from you if wet.
There are obvious exception like wool etc.

I'm pretty sure that 95% of people that'd try the above would die within 3 days, another say 4% within a week or 2.

If you came across a dead seal, a sheltered outcrop etc then IMO your chances of surviving through the toughest part of winter just went up though.


Me personally i'd stand not a snowballs chance in hell

 

[Tengu]

I think this mans family were greatly irresponsible to take away his kit; In the arctic that is tantamount to murder, expert or no expert.

 

[bilmo-p5]

Me personally i'd stand not a snowballs chance in hell

You could freeze to death in Greece easily enough! I was in Salonika when there was several inches of snow on the ground