True, but still faster than a US Marine..

http://www.military.com/military-fitness...al-fitness-test

Doug - I like your standards.

I should say I run because I can and it is good for my heart (I think?). In a disaster situation, I'd walk, I don't imagine myself running someplace unless it was totally necessary. In a a bad situation, I think running would be imprudent, twisting an ankle on a Saturday morning would be inconvenient, doing it while I'm trying to get away from fire/flood/etc. could be something worse than an inconvenience.

Haha, uh, I just looked, I do 3 miles in about 30 minutes, at my age I'd have to do it in 29, I'd fail by a minute. Plus I bet realistically marines my age are doing 3 miles in more like 24 or 25. Ultimately though, for the situations I imagine physical fitness being important in, I don't think running is the key, it is how I elect to keep myself reasonably fit (but like I said, I've got a long way to go), but I don't think it in itself is critical.

Mind is number one. That includes knowing how to use gear, and not necessarily your own equipment. It's good to know how the sewer system works, how electricity is supplied to your home, etc. In a survival situation, the lawyers, stock brokers and hedge fund managers will all have little value if they don't know about anything outside their profession.

I agree that physical fitness is number two. When I am physically fit, everything works better - my brain, my reasoning abilities, my sense of humor, my stamina, my morale, etc.

Having said all that, in a survival situation, what's most important is the thing that you need at that moment. Perhaps you're hurt, but you're the only one in your team with the necessary knowledge to survive. You can instruct/teach more able bodied people. Mind is most important there. Or maybe you don't know much, but you can take instructions from somebody who is knowledgeable. Perhaps, physical fitness is most important there.

So, the best preparation, in my opinion, is to prepare myself for a variety of survival situations. That way, I have a better chance of doing well in the real thing, and I don't have to depend on luck.

On a site like this, experienced people already have the mindset down. They sometimes treat the mind as a given and are free to talk about gear. New people to survival topics need to be reminded that they need to train their minds first and foremost. Basically, they need to know how to do stuff. They need to be out there testing their gear, and not just talking about it.

Interesting thread. Doing SAR, I was impressed at how different skills and strategies interplayed in achieving a successful outcome, often demonstrating the wisdom of Ecclesiastes -There is a time and place for all things.

There were situations where blinding speed and raw physical ability were required. There were times when pausing and careful observation were needed. Sometimes, it was both, by different elements of the operation, in communication and acting in concert.

I was also impressed how often experience and knowledge enabled me to perform as well or better than people half my age who were in better raw condition. I knew what to expect and I was familiar with the fatigue that developed about 3 AM on an allnighter. I knew I could deal with it. Younger folks were experiencing these joys for the first time.

Same thing with survival. Sometimes you should hike all night to reach safety, and sometimes you should stop before night and prepare a secure bivouac There is a sort of yin/yang connection between rescue and survival when you think about it.

Diversity is good. A mix of young and old, new and experienced, knowledge and enthusiasm, combined and led properly, is often the best way to achieve a good result. Both survival and SAR are, or should be, team efforts.

Each activity is a three legged stool. Gear is important, but so are mental aspects (knowledge and attitude), as well as physical conditioning. All three interact to lead to a successful outcome. Good knowledge and the right attitude can often compensate for deficiencies in physical abilities and shortcomings in gear, so, yes, the mind is the most important single aspect. But isn't that true in most of life's arenas?

Fit is better than not fit, no matter the subject at hand.

Knowledge is king. Mental toughness is queen. Or vice versa, depending on the survival situation.

I'm reminded of Laurence Gonzales' book, Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-...2378&sr=1-1

Excellent book. IMO it should be considered required reading for all on this site.

15-20 years back my typical run was 4.5 miles in ~34 minutes. These days when I run it's with a dog on a leash and the risk of injury is much higher. Walking is a much better survival mode.

Being physically fit is always good going into a survival situation if for no other reason than the mental stress. That said, survival is rarely a race. If you're alive at the end with all your fingers and toes, you did good. If you're alive but missing a few parts, you need to reassess your limitations. Personal opinion.

Just being able to run a long ways won't always help. As the wise man once said, "No use in runnin' if you're going the wrong direction." The aforementioned woman who died covered a lot of ground but it's not clear that she had any idea where she was going. Often you see people make trule heroic treks in an attempt to reach safety only to die 30 miles off in the wrong direction. Oh, I won't dispute being in better condition will improve nearly every element of your life- it will. But having a cool head and some wilderness savvy will beat being young, dumb and full of...something.

Yesterday I was cutting a tree , or big part of a tree using a saw. It was very very exhausting !!! Confession time : If I was in a survival situation and needed the wood for fire and shelter, I would be in trouble.

I had to take frequent breaks to catch my breath and bring back my heartbeat to near normal.

Upper body strength is also important, no doubt about it. Imagine your self under some rubble or wreckage and couldnt move that pile of stuff on your chest !! The stonger you are the better. Even in less desperate times, if you are strong enough you can haul that deer you shot on your shoulder. Defintely not me !! I'd cut a small part for a meal and hope the wolves or bears become dumb enough not to find the caracas until I have eaten enough meals out of it. LOL !!

On the serious side, I have to get in shape. At least I can spare my ears the nasty comments of my DW. LOL.

BTW, have you seen any U-tubes by (dsarti1) ?

He reminds me of myself being fat and losing breath easily . However, I admire his guts , buying a farm and doing everything from milking goats to catching chickens .. LOL .