Living Off the Land? - NOT!

[Midnitemo]

I agree with Mort its more about supplementing than straight survival...people struggle in a survival situation because surviving is such a full time occupation requiring many varied skill's that the civilised world has mostly lost....the weight just falls of people when they get into survival situations and virtually nobody could go indefinately in this way.

[bigpaul]

if you were to ask most people where their food comes from you get the answer"ugh, the supermarket?", people these days are so removed from their food they don't even know what animal their meat comes from and they expect veg all year round, pre supermarkets we ate what fruit and veg was "in season" and if it wasn't in season we couldn't buy it, now it comes from the other side of the world. something happens and those shipments come to a halt, most people wouldn't have a clue even as to what can be grown in this country and what cant.

[Highlander]

(30 September 2013, 16:41)Midnitemo Wrote: I agree with Mort its more about supplementing than straight survival...people struggle in a survival situation because surviving is such a full time occupation requiring many varied skill's that the civilised world has mostly lost....the weight just falls of people when they get into survival situations and virtually nobody could go indefinately in this way.

I agree that its all about supplementing your stores,..and I agree that we would all loose weight,.... but I dont agree nobody could go indefinately in this way

People all over the world live off the land,...and not just jungle people, but many westerners have too

We would also have to learn to do this, because your stores will not last forever

[Midnitemo]

Most people that subsist like this have never known another way...they practice these key skills and knowledge everyday....i don't think any westerners are out there living of the land totally unsupported....the programs on tv are a farce,there survival doesn't depend on there success in the field , they have a crew , plenty of westerners have died in survival situation's because the the clock ran down on them before they could be rescued....my feeling is unless you are an indiginous population living in your own environment you are going to be seriously be up against it and i don't think you will last indefinately....i've done it for 3 weeks and lost 2 stone with some of the finest instructors in brunei.

[bigpaul]

what you see on a lot of these tv programmes is the MEN going off and doing the hunting, trapping etc. but what you don't see is the WOMEN doing the foraging/gathering AND sowing/harvesting and preparing the crops, usually a form of wheat or barley or in some places rice.

[Highlander]

I am not sure where the TV program came into this, because I didn't mention it,...

If you are telling me that no-one in the western world lives off the land completely, then you need to visit a few more remote places,...I could show you many places where this is the normal way of life,... try getting a supply truck into almost any area of Knoidart, not that far from where I sit now,.. many people live off their crofts

[Midnitemo]

Yeah agreed...that makes them indiginous and in there own environment.

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if you dropped an inuit indian in Australia's outback he probably would perish and the same with an Aboriginal in the remote north of Canada...both experts but in there own environment.

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I just mentioned the tv s they always come up with the goods be it fishing/hunting trapping...they always get a meal....not so in my experience , many many more failiures than sucesses.

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I think what charles was driving at originally was that its not feasible to take of into the back of beyond expecting a bowie knife and a small survival tin to keep you indefinately...if that's what he was saying then i agree...i believe you can increase your time in the field with survival skills but i don't think you'd grow old doing it.

[Oimccoy]

The whole idea of living off the land is one that does seem indelibly linked to the survival culture, and one which is probably not going to work for anything other than short term in the UK at least - it might just be possible in a pre SHTF situation but post forget it for most areas. I supose the only exception might be coastal areas with clean coastal waters but those areas are going to attract a lot of competition and personally I would prefer to avoid competition than confront it.
While urbanites are unlikely to have the skills to be catching wildlife you can bet the people who do will be utilizing them to catch animals/birds of any description to sell/barter which will soon lead to a catastrophic drop in population numbers - only adding to the problem of calories spent versus calories supplied by your catch as numbers decrease.
Historically groups in what is know the UK living a hunter gatherer lifestyle lead a much sketchier existence than those who farmed and supplemented by hunting.
I dont want to come across as trolling but farming is something which seems to be cruelly overlooked by survivalists both on this board and most others - but it is farming which is going to keep a person alive long term reliably (SHTF situation not being catastrophic climate collapse). Much can be learnt from the literally thousands of back yard growing forums and blogs on how to grow calories in as small as space as possible.

[bigpaul]

dosent living off the land INCLUDE farming/growing?

[Oimccoy]

(1 October 2013, 18:14)bigpaul Wrote: dosent living off the land INCLUDE farming/growing?

Im not saying the attitude of hunter gathering is prevalent here but it is prevalent across many preppers - and without wanting to create an argument the posts on the sub forum for food production and livestock are vastly outnumbered by the posts for hunting and storing shop bought food