the little things we often forget

[burningredphoenix]

heres a list of some things we might tend to forget while in a survival situation...little things like these always add up. Feel free to add more if i miss anything...


don't chew your food too much, swallow it in small chunks...chewing expends energy and using as little energy as possible will allow u to stay alive longer.

if you plan on eating some plant you found, make sure it actually contains enough carbs so that it is worth eating; did you know that the energy you spend eating celery is actually greater than the energy it gives you? this means that you are wasting enrgy no matter how much celery you are eating.

vasoconstriction helps keep you warm, so smoke a ciggarette or drink some tea that contains caffeine...

you lose many calories when you sleep in cold as opposed to sleeping in warmth, so spend the time to make a shelter that will keep you as warm as possible...not just a half assed structure with a roof on top; chances are its not going to rain lol.

the earth is cold, get ur ass off of it when sleeping...

ashes keep animals away...they dont like the smell of fire...so make sure u dont set ur traps while u got campfire ashes all over you..

meditation isnt just for monks, it conserves alot of energy and relieves your stress...meditate for hours while you wait for your traps to yield something; or you can go to sleep while waiting, but meditation also keeps you mind at ease...most people need to tame their minds in a survival situation.

dont kick an animal or smack an animal that wanders into ur sleeping spot..just talk to it; you'll be surprised how many people get sprayed by skunks because they startle it...talking to it will let it know that you are there and it will run away...if you kick it or jump, it knows where u are at and will defend itself; talking usually doesnt give away ur position so much as if u were to hit the creature. Chances are that it doesnt know you are there or it wouldnt be there in the first place; just let it know you are there..."how you doin mr skunk" is my favorite line that ive used 3 times already.

if you are on the verge of death, start a forest fire; although this is a last resort...it will most likely get someone attention and dramatically increases your chance of rescue.


please feel free to add anything i may have missed

[MarksInnerDemon]

Originally Posted by burningredphoenix

heres a list of some things we might tend to forget while in a survival situation...little things like these always add up. Feel free to add more if i miss anything...


don't chew your food too much, swallow it in small chunks...chewing expends energy and using as little energy as possible will allow u to stay alive longer.

if you plan on eating some plant you found, make sure it actually contains enough carbs so that it is worth eating; did you know that the energy you spend eating celery is actually greater than the energy it gives you? this means that you are wasting enrgy no matter how much celery you are eating.

...................

if you are on the verge of death, start a forest fire; although this is a last resort...it will most likely get someone attention and dramatically increases your chance of rescue.


please feel free to add anything i may have missed

I am gonna counter this with some common sense here, not busting your balls. First yes chewing expends calories, however if you are so close to death that you are gonna die from chewing you might die from eating it anyways. The goal is to eat and live, and frankly not chewing might cause choking hazards, which will end your life faster then a burnt cal or two from chewing.

Also when you eat its not always for cals. Yes I agree with your statment but there is usually no way to tell, and eating is a far better choice then not in almost any case. I think this came from issues with eating rabbits, but I am not sure.

If you are on the verg of death and you set a forest fire chances are you will either burn up, or not be found. The firefighters generally ignore the ignition point thats burnt out and instead actually fight the fire itself which will probably be far away from you, or killed you. I wouldn't recomend that.

[forestdavegump]

Originally Posted by burningredphoenix

meditation isnt just for monks, it conserves alot of energy and relieves your stress...meditate for hours while you wait for your traps to yield something; or you can go to sleep while waiting, but meditation also keeps you mind at ease...most people need to tame their minds in a survival situation.

dont kick an animal or smack an animal that wanders into ur sleeping spot..just talk to it; you'll be surprised how many people get sprayed by skunks because they startle it...talking to it will let it know that you are there and it will run away...if you kick it or jump, it knows where u are at and will defend itself; talking usually doesnt give away ur position so much as if u were to hit the creature. Chances are that it doesnt know you are there or it wouldnt be there in the first place; just let it know you are there..."how you doin mr skunk" is my favorite line that ive used 3 times already.

Very native thinking and nice to see! Others need to learn our ways!

[burningredphoenix]

Originally Posted by MarksInnerDemon

I am gonna counter this with some common sense here, not busting your balls. First yes chewing expends calories, however if you are so close to death that you are gonna die from chewing you might die from eating it anyways. The goal is to eat and live, and frankly not chewing might cause choking hazards, which will end your life faster then a burnt cal or two from chewing.

Also when you eat its not always for cals. Yes I agree with your statment but there is usually no way to tell, and eating is a far better choice then not in almost any case. I think this came from issues with eating rabbits, but I am not sure.

If you are on the verg of death and you set a forest fire chances are you will either burn up, or not be found. The firefighters generally ignore the ignition point thats burnt out and instead actually fight the fire itself which will probably be far away from you, or killed you. I wouldn't recomend that.

and as for the celery example, there are some plants in the edibility books that really dont provide much nutrients....for example, i think clovers are one example, yet they do act as fiber and have some vitamins....the point is not to rely on stuff like these if you find a large patch in the forest....

i actually tried to change the language a bit on the eating part...i meant to chew but dont chew your food to a mush like you normally would were you at home...chew but make it just on the verge thats it is swallowable.....like the size of peanuts...in a survival situation, i would not chew berries or nuts, i would swallow them whole....maybe if it were the size of a marble or bigger i would chew a little.

for the forest fire, the fire department will always pay attention to where it started in order to find out if it was or wasnt arson....although this is a last resort

[ThoughtfulWolf]

Originally Posted by burningredphoenix

heres a list of some things we might tend to forget while in a survival situation...little things like these always add up. Feel free to add more if i miss anything...


don't chew your food too much, swallow it in small chunks...chewing expends energy and using as little energy as possible will allow u to stay alive longer.

if you plan on eating some plant you found, make sure it actually contains enough carbs so that it is worth eating; did you know that the energy you spend eating celery is actually greater than the energy it gives you? this means that you are wasting enrgy no matter how much celery you are eating.

vasoconstriction helps keep you warm, so smoke a ciggarette or drink some tea that contains caffeine...

you lose many calories when you sleep in cold as opposed to sleeping in warmth, so spend the time to make a shelter that will keep you as warm as possible...not just a half assed structure with a roof on top; chances are its not going to rain lol.

the earth is cold, get ur ass off of it when sleeping...

ashes keep animals away...they dont like the smell of fire...so make sure u dont set ur traps while u got campfire ashes all over you..

meditation isnt just for monks, it conserves alot of energy and relieves your stress...meditate for hours while you wait for your traps to yield something; or you can go to sleep while waiting, but meditation also keeps you mind at ease...most people need to tame their minds in a survival situation.

dont kick an animal or smack an animal that wanders into ur sleeping spot..just talk to it; you'll be surprised how many people get sprayed by skunks because they startle it...talking to it will let it know that you are there and it will run away...if you kick it or jump, it knows where u are at and will defend itself; talking usually doesnt give away ur position so much as if u were to hit the creature. Chances are that it doesnt know you are there or it wouldnt be there in the first place; just let it know you are there..."how you doin mr skunk" is my favorite line that ive used 3 times already.

if you are on the verge of death, start a forest fire; although this is a last resort...it will most likely get someone attention and dramatically increases your chance of rescue.


please feel free to add anything i may have missed

You should chew your few 33 times, ish (that's the number I've been given, there's probably an optimum number but that one has worked well for me so far)... this will allow a much larger break down of your food and more calories for you, ALSO it allows you to realize you're full rather than scarfing everything down beating the pressure sensors in your stomach to tell your brain you're full. You're forgetting that if you don't break your food down threw mechanical digestion, you'll do it from chemical, this also costs energy.

[ThoughtfulWolf]

Originally Posted by burningredphoenix

and as for the celery example, there are some plants in the edibility books that really dont provide much nutrients....for example, i think clovers are one example, yet they do act as fiber and have some vitamins....the point is not to rely on stuff like these if you find a large patch in the forest....

i actually tried to change the language a bit on the eating part...i meant to chew but dont chew your food to a mush like you normally would were you at home...chew but make it just on the verge thats it is swallowable.....like the size of peanuts...in a survival situation, i would not chew berries or nuts, i would swallow them whole....maybe if it were the size of a marble or bigger i would chew a little.

for the forest fire, the fire department will always pay attention to where it started in order to find out if it was or wasnt arson....although this is a last resort

We're using the wrong words. It's not that clover doesn't provide "nutrients" its that it's the caloric value.

Most people do not chew their food "to mush", typically they eat too fast and do not chew nearly enough. I don't understand why you say this. Please explain. If you chew your food "to mush" you will allow for greater chemical break down through saliva in your mouth, increase surface area which allows for easier digestion in the intestines (IE, less calories wasted and more calories absorbed). Your statement seems counter intuitive to how I understand the process of digestion.

[ThoughtfulWolf]

Originally Posted by MarksInnerDemon

I am gonna counter this with some common sense here, not busting your balls. First yes chewing expends calories, however if you are so close to death that you are gonna die from chewing you might die from eating it anyways. The goal is to eat and live, and frankly not chewing might cause choking hazards, which will end your life faster then a burnt cal or two from chewing.

Also when you eat its not always for cals. Yes I agree with your statment but there is usually no way to tell, and eating is a far better choice then not in almost any case. I think this came from issues with eating rabbits, but I am not sure.

If you are on the verg of death and you set a forest fire chances are you will either burn up, or not be found. The firefighters generally ignore the ignition point thats burnt out and instead actually fight the fire itself which will probably be far away from you, or killed you. I wouldn't recomend that.

Yes as you sorta said, nutrients does not always mean "calories". You still need your proteins vitamins minerals fibers, blah blah blah.

What's interesting is things like spinach. It has tons of iron in it, but most of it is inaccessible to us due to I believe phytochemicals that act as inhibitors to the absorption of iron from the spinach. These things become interesting and it's kinda' a puzzle.

While things like celery don't give you calories, it gives you vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, etc. All very vital nutrients.

[pillar8100]

Quote:
"if you plan on eating some plant you found, make sure it actually contains enough carbs so that it is worth eating; did you know that the energy you spend eating celery is actually greater than the energy it gives you? this means that you are wasting enrgy no matter how much celery you are eating."


A large part of survival is mental health. While certain plants may not contain a lot of calories, they do fill your belly. When you are feeling hungry that is all you will think about. Having a full belly makes us feel better about ourselves and our situation. So, I would say, go ahead and eat the safe, low calorie edibles


Quote:
"ashes keep animals away...they dont like the smell of fire...so make sure u dont set ur traps while u got campfire ashes all over you.."


Ashes are also a great way to keep flies away from your latrine/cathole. After doing your business, spread some ashes on it and then bury it. I have used this several times and have never had it fail. It also works in an outhouse, if no hydrated lime is available.

[lanahi]

Originally Posted by burningredphoenix

dont kick an animal or smack an animal that wanders into ur sleeping spot..just talk to it; you'll be surprised how many people get sprayed by skunks because they startle it...talking to it will let it know that you are there and it will run away...if you kick it or jump, it knows where u are at and will defend itself; talking usually doesnt give away ur position so much as if u were to hit the creature. Chances are that it doesnt know you are there or it wouldnt be there in the first place; just let it know you are there..."how you doin mr skunk" is my favorite line that ive used 3 times already.

if you are on the verge of death, start a forest fire; although this is a last resort...it will most likely get someone attention and dramatically increases your chance of rescue.

It is helpful to the animal to know where you are so he can avoid you. My experiences with skunks show me that they just go about their business and then leave in their own good time, and they arn't aggressive unless you are. So, I agree, talking to it isn't a bad idea so he knows you're there.

If you are on the verge of death, start a forest fire? This is the most insane thing you can possibly do! How can someone on the verge of death (too weak to move) get away from a burning inferno? Have you actually seen a forest fire and how fast it can move? I have...you wouldn't have a chance to survive it in your condition. How soon do you think anyone would spot it and firefighters could get there? Soon enough? Not hardly. Several acres at least would burn before that, and you with it.

Not to mention the possible death or injury to firefighters who have to stop what you started. Not to mention the incredible loss of life to the forest animals and plants. Yours wouldn't be the only death, but yours would be certain. And I couldn't think of a more painful way to die than by fire.

[MarksInnerDemon]

Originally Posted by burningredphoenix

........

i actually tried to change the language a bit on the eating part...i meant to chew but dont chew your food to a mush like you normally would were you at home...chew but make it just on the verge thats it is swallowable.....like the size of peanuts...in a survival situation, i would not chew berries or nuts, i would swallow them whole....maybe if it were the size of a marble or bigger i would chew a little.

for the forest fire, the fire department will always pay attention to where it started in order to find out if it was or wasnt arson....although this is a last resort

Yeah I get the cal thing, and agree with you, but its better to eat and not know then not to eat at all, like the above poster said it can be mental as well.

The chewing thing I do get what you mean, but we chew it to mush to help the digestion process, and a lot of the benefits of eating is absorption in the mouth. For instance I can put sugar in someones mouth (while rotting teeth) and the sugars energy will be consumed in the mouth without swallowing. Chewing to mush facilitates a initial boost of energy, and primes the body to consume the rest when it hits the stomach. I think peoples natural chew is "probably" the best for them and shouldn't be changed. I maybe totally off base, as this is a educated guess and nothing more. I just think your wrong on that.

Yes firefighters do look at the starting point of a blaze but with a forest fire that is a concern well after the fire is contained. Initial responders are hitting the flames, not the ashes. Both my parents worked around brush and forest fires before and that is nearly the last spot they hit which is investigated by the arson investigator. You would be better off staying put and making a huge fire then starting a forest fire, as the FD will probably try to catch it as fast as they can. Also I can't condone burning everyone's lives down and possibly killing fire fighters, people, etc to save one person. I know that's callus and its your own *, but it seems like a bad idea.

The rest of what you said I can go along with for the most part or see the benefits. I don't agree with the meditation as I think trying to work your way out is better, but the meditation has major advantages psychologically etc. There I will only disagree with myself, but its good wisdom.

[burningredphoenix]

Originally Posted by MarksInnerDemon

Yeah I get the cal thing, and agree with you, but its better to eat and not know then not to eat at all, like the above poster said it can be mental as well.

The chewing thing I do get what you mean, but we chew it to mush to help the digestion process, and a lot of the benefits of eating is absorption in the mouth. For instance I can put sugar in someones mouth (while rotting teeth) and the sugars energy will be consumed in the mouth without swallowing. Chewing to mush facilitates a initial boost of energy, and primes the body to consume the rest when it hits the stomach. I think peoples natural chew is "probably" the best for them and shouldn't be changed. I maybe totally off base, as this is a educated guess and nothing more. I just think your wrong on that.

Yes firefighters do look at the starting point of a blaze but with a forest fire that is a concern well after the fire is contained. Initial responders are hitting the flames, not the ashes. Both my parents worked around brush and forest fires before and that is nearly the last spot they hit which is investigated by the arson investigator. You would be better off staying put and making a huge fire then starting a forest fire, as the FD will probably try to catch it as fast as they can. Also I can't condone burning everyone's lives down and possibly killing fire fighters, people, etc to save one person. I know that's callus and its your own *, but it seems like a bad idea.

The rest of what you said I can go along with for the most part or see the benefits. I don't agree with the meditation as I think trying to work your way out is better, but the meditation has major advantages psychologically etc. There I will only disagree with myself, but its good wisdom.

for the cal thing, i mean dont rely on it...ive been with some people who will find a patch of clovers and want to camp near it for days because theres enough nutrients...this was a sort of survival training thing...we wanted to last as long as possible out in the woods; we weren't trying to get out of the woods, so the idea of staying in one spot for a long time was a good one; however, i didnt want to do it soley because there were clovers....clovers are good and all but if its gonna constantly give you the ****s with low to no carbs, you are just losing body heat and possible some undigested nutrients by ****ting it out early, as well as water...

and for the forest fire, i mean it as a very last resort thing...maybe you have plenty of body fat and have broken a leg and cant walk...bunker down in a river or stream and let the fire loose...i am against this though but just know that the option is there as a last resort

[burningredphoenix]

Originally Posted by MarksInnerDemon

Yeah I get the cal thing, and agree with you, but its better to eat and not know then not to eat at all, like the above poster said it can be mental as well.

The chewing thing I do get what you mean, but we chew it to mush to help the digestion process, and a lot of the benefits of eating is absorption in the mouth. For instance I can put sugar in someones mouth (while rotting teeth) and the sugars energy will be consumed in the mouth without swallowing. Chewing to mush facilitates a initial boost of energy, and primes the body to consume the rest when it hits the stomach. I think peoples natural chew is "probably" the best for them and shouldn't be changed. I maybe totally off base, as this is a educated guess and nothing more. I just think your wrong on that.

Yes firefighters do look at the starting point of a blaze but with a forest fire that is a concern well after the fire is contained. Initial responders are hitting the flames, not the ashes. Both my parents worked around brush and forest fires before and that is nearly the last spot they hit which is investigated by the arson investigator. You would be better off staying put and making a huge fire then starting a forest fire, as the FD will probably try to catch it as fast as they can. Also I can't condone burning everyone's lives down and possibly killing fire fighters, people, etc to save one person. I know that's callus and its your own *, but it seems like a bad idea.

The rest of what you said I can go along with for the most part or see the benefits. I don't agree with the meditation as I think trying to work your way out is better, but the meditation has major advantages psychologically etc. There I will only disagree with myself, but its good wisdom.

when you are trying to get out of a survival situation, you cant keep constantly moving...eventually you will need to stop and set some traps for food, then you will need to wait at least 10 hours for those traps; in this time you can try a little meditation if you arent actually sleeping.

[MikeK]

U, ur?

Don't chew your food? Smoke a cigarette?

Ooookay.

[fatcat55]

Maybe I am missing something but-

If you have the capacity to start a fire and a fire will draw the attention of rescuers, then why wait until you are "on the verge of death" to start a fire?

Just build a signal fire (or better yet, a series of three) and create smoke to signal your presence.

If fire will draw attention then sufficient smoke should do the same thing and you should be able to do this before (given your scenario) you get to the "on the verge of death" stage.

Just thinking.

[vegasrandall]

if you are in a dry climate keep your pie hole shut.you lose a lot of moisture through your mouth.keep a small piece of gum or a small pebble in your mouth to keep your lips sealed

[MarksInnerDemon]

Originally Posted by burningredphoenix

when you are trying to get out of a survival situation, you cant keep constantly moving...eventually you will need to stop and set some traps for food, then you will need to wait at least 10 hours for those traps; in this time you can try a little meditation if you arent actually sleeping.

I am not saying constantly move like that, but keep busy traps set up a signal fire, shelter etc anything to increase chances of life. Very few times have I practiced survival and had time to sit and do nothing. I think were cutting slices here, but I agree with the direction of your statement if you have nothing to do shut the help up and dont waste energy. Good idea.

As for the fire thing, I still think its a terrible idea, but the other stuff some I can get behind.

[ackbob]

Just start a very smoky greens burning fire rather than a forest fire --- smoke will get help alot quicker than a huge fire will........ plus you can be billed for the costs of extinguishing a huge fire ---

Originally Posted by burningredphoenix

if you are on the verge of death, start a forest fire; although this is a last resort...it will most likely get someone attention and dramatically increases your chance of rescue.


please feel free to add anything i may have missed

[Smudge]

Sorry to jump on the bandwagon about the forestfire but WTF????. Thats not only the most dangerous piece of advice Ive ever seen its also the most horrific.

[burningredphoenix]

Originally Posted by Smudge

Sorry to jump on the bandwagon about the forestfire but WTF????. Thats not only the most dangerous piece of advice Ive ever seen its also the most horrific.

well i guess in most places it wouldnt be practical at all; and every situation is different depending where you're at...but in the places that i've been, theres little to no chance of anyone seeing smoke signals....most places i guess you would be able to have smoke signals seen but like i said, forest fire as a last resort...and by the way, please dont argue against it as if i was out to be selfish and destroy the forest just to save my ass...i personally would not do it; however, im very sure there are some people out there who would when they feel that all hope is lost....right now it may not seem like a very attractive idea; however, i think for someone whos been lost and hasnt had much luck with food for at least 3 weeks would really like to know that this option is on the table....its sort of like the russian cyanide pill..not everyone will take it; however, if one feels the need to serve country to be so great then suicide away...its an option that isnt pretty and i don't intend anyone on this forums to take it very lightly.

its also sort of like cannibalism if you are with someone else....its a last resort thing and its been done throughout history to survive; i think some time within the last 20 or 30 years there was a plane that went down and some people cannibalized others....its a last resort option.