I don't know. Deliberately going without food in a survival situation when food is readily available just seems counterintuitive to me. I mean, if it's available why not eat? And has been mentioned, it also seems logical to assume that fasting would result in increased risk of hypothermia in cold weather. Have there been any studies done on this?

You make a great point about testing your limits prior to an emergency. And shelter, water, and rescue all come before food. But once those are taken care of, what's the harm in trying to stock up the larder?

Regards, Vince