I really liked the article.

I'm going to take what seems here to be a fairly unpopular position and say that not only can a survivor go 3 weeks without food, but probably even longer, so long as they have access to decent water and shelter (dry & warm).

I've thought about this for a while, and did some research on fasting (consuming water, but no food). Fasting has been commonplace for thousands of years and has proven medical benefits. Researchers have found that even thin people can successfully fast for 30-40 days or more without serious consequences . They even say that people fasting tend to feel better and have more energy after 4-7 days of fasting than they do in the first 2-3 days.

Here is a farely comprehensive article: http://www.answers.com/topic/fasting .

My own view is that surviving is the act of taking care of basic needs such as first aid, obtaining shelter/warmth, finding water, and signaling for rescue while staying put and being as "findable" as possible.

If those in a survival situation have time/energy to fish, trap, and hunt, more power to them. Doug mentions in his PSP description that he didn't think fishing gear was all that essential, but he found buyers expected it, and figured fishing might provide a calming influence. I"d agree with that so long as the survivor doesn't put themself in any danger of falling or getting wet/cold. Plus I'd agree that the phsycology of survival is often as important as the physiology of survival.

Truth be told, if you really needed to consume some calories, turning over logs looking for worms and grubs to eat would provide calories without much risk, though it won't be as tasty as fresh fish.

I hope the holidays find all my ETS friends safe and happy,

Ken K.