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#299022 - 05/26/21 04:26 AM Re: Average American thinks they could survive two wee [Re: Doug_Ritter]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Many if not most ETS folks should have a decent chance! At least if we practice what we preach. I'd like my chances if I was allowed to carry my standard survival gear. But it wouldn't be fun in my AO as the nights are still pretty chilly up high. I've trained with all the items I carry and have used them all "for real". Water is abundant here so the biggest challenge would be to stay warm and dry.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

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#299070 - 06/07/21 03:29 PM Re: Average American thinks they could survive two wee [Re: Blast]
Tyber Offline
Sheriff
Enthusiast

Registered: 04/27/09
Posts: 304
Loc: ST. Paul MN
The average person thinks they can do that, which they hypothesis in their mind. Most people tend to see things as best-case scenario in their minds eye. And that often is what throws people into deeper issues when things don’t go as they played in their heads.

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#299246 - 07/04/21 10:33 PM Re: Average American thinks they could survive two wee [Re: Doug_Ritter]
amper Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 07/06/02
Posts: 228
Loc: US
The average American could easily survive 14 days under ideal conditions so long as they have access to clean water. But when are conditions ever ideal?

That being said, even a minuscule amount to preparation exponentially increases the chances of survival, even without much training. A good sharp knife, a reliable firestarter, and a flashlight with a spare battery will go a long way even in untrained hands. And every additional piece of gear you add to that only makes life that much easier to sustain.

Without food, they will be miserable, but unlikely to die unless they have no shelter. Here in Northern New England, where I’ve been living since 2014, I wouldn’t give anyone good odds surviving without careful preparation in Winter. My first Winter here saw temps as low as -25°F with windchills to -50°F.

I lived on a mountainside in a cabin with no plumbing, no electricity, no communications other than my ham radio, an outdoor composting bucket toilet, only a woodstove for heat, and only a two-burner propane stove for cooking. The cabin was well-insulated, thankfully. I did have a single 45W solar panel with a Group 24 car battery. The solar panel was in a clearing about 100 yds away, and I had to carry the battery out there and back. It was enough to run a couple of 3W LED lamps at night, and charge my cell phone and laptop (no cell service tho), and run my Yaesu FT-100 for a few days to a week.

Most of my friends thought I was “so brave”, but it really wasn’t terribly difficult. The hardest part was making sure I had enough firewood and hauling fresh water from the artesian spring at the base of the mountain. Even refrigeration wasn’t a problem, because I set gallon jugs of water outside to freeze, then swapped them in and out of my cooler inside. Oh, and the snow shovelling…

I live on the edge of the downtown area of the biggest town in the local region, now.
_________________________
Gemma Seymour (she/her) @gcvrsa

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#299250 - 07/05/21 12:39 AM Re: Average American thinks they could survive two wee [Re: Doug_Ritter]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
I hope you'll regale us with some more tales of your off-grid years, Amper! Sounds like a great experience.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

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#299252 - 07/05/21 02:47 AM Re: Average American thinks they could survive two wee [Re: chaosmagnet]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3217
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted By: chaosmagnet
With shelter and water this is pretty do-able in parts of the US. For most of us, it would not be fun.

Yeah, true, when I think back to avoidable tragedies we've looked at, someone with simple shelter and ample water has a good chance. Much better if they know someone will be looking for them, stay put, and try to make themselves visible to searchers.

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#299273 - 07/06/21 08:07 AM Re: Average American thinks they could survive two wee [Re: Doug_Ritter]
amper Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 07/06/02
Posts: 228
Loc: US
Several years ago, one of my old university friends and his family unfortunately made the national news because they found themselves in a survival situation completely unprepared while on vacation. Fortunately, everyone survived, but his wife lost a couple of toes to frostbite. She was the more athletic of the two, so she stuck out through the snow to seek help while he stayed with their young son at the rental car that had gone off the road into a snow drift.

She never actually made to find help, lost her footwear, and sought shelter in a closed ranger shack. He ended up leaving their son with the car and climbing until he finally got a cellphone signal to call for rescue. The SAR finally found his wife, but as I said, she suffered frostbite and lost a toe or two.

I didn’t even find out about all this until it was all over, of course, and it hit the news when they returned from vacation. I just about had a heart attack when I realised it was my friend.
_________________________
Gemma Seymour (she/her) @gcvrsa

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#299278 - 07/06/21 09:50 AM Re: Average American thinks they could survive two wee [Re: Doug_Ritter]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Wow! That would be a shock to see on the news.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

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#299557 - 07/31/21 08:08 PM Re: Average American thinks they could survive two wee [Re: chaosmagnet]
Plainsman Offline
Stranger

Registered: 08/06/06
Posts: 11
Loc: Grand Forks, ND, USA
Originally Posted By: chaosmagnet
With shelter and water this is pretty do-able in parts of the US. For most of us, it would not be fun.


I agree and would add fire to the mix. If one had water, fire and shelter and no serious injuries and stayed put, two weeks should be reasonable. Change any of those variables and the odds change drastically!
_________________________
Plainsman smile
plainsmanscabin@yahoo.com

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