Results 21 to 30 of 95
Thread: living-off-land-delusions
-
29-09-2013, 21:18 #21
- Join Date
- Feb 2010
- Posts
- 913
Re: living-off-land-delusions
I spent 10 days living off the land way back in the Voortrekkers youth organisation.
We were allowed sleeping bags, knives, matches and self made bows and arrows.
I can still remember the hunger pangs. They used to become more severe at set meal times, and then get less intense. then they would be back at the next meal time. We were a group of 20 matric boys and girls.
I can also remember just how small a leguan (killed with bow and arrow while hibernating in a rock crevice) or guinea fowl (thrown off its roost with a knobkierie) becomes when divided by 20.
We also scrounged some very hard yellow mealies, and pumpkins (yech!!) off a neighbouring field.
Everyone shed between 5 and 10 kgs of weight during this time. So all of us were at a nett calorie (or kJ) loss.
I suppose when this activity is stretched over a year or more, you would either die, or reach a kind of balance with some seasonal gains and losses in body weight.
When somebody voluntarily practise this kind of survival today, they set themselves rules, eg:
-Don't take ratpacks/ tinned foods to last the whole time -then its just camping, not surviving.
-Allow yourself certain tools - knives, sleeping bags, maybe a rifle - to at least be able to collect some foods.
-Abide by hunting laws/ respect for property. - (Otherwise goats, cattle etc would make for some high calorie diets!)
If you really end up in a survival situation, you would not care for nature conservation- or property laws.
You can simply ask the policeman/ land owner/ game ranger who arrest you, to stop at the first Macdonalds!
Willie barnard
-
29-09-2013, 23:02 #22
- Join Date
- Sep 2011
- Location
- Strand
- Age
- 38
- Posts
- 10,408
-
29-09-2013, 23:33 #23
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- Republic of Texas
- Posts
- 2,070
Re: living-off-land-delusions
It is why a Paleo family group spent every waking hour gathering food. Men and boys hunted and fished, women and young children gathered berries, roots, nuts or fruits or just about anything edible.
Living off the land can be done, if it didn't work there would be no people on planet Earth.
-
30-09-2013, 08:48 #24
- Join Date
- Apr 2013
- Location
- Kzn
- Posts
- 3,147
Re: living-off-land-delusions
I tried this some time ago when I did my FGASA 1+2, wasn't easy and we were allowed a set list of equipment (machete,rope,single ground sheet, 1x plastic container, and 1 jacket + knife) we were out for 5 days. I think its got alot to do with mindset. I wont say I really enjoyed it as I am a firm believer in "Camping Comfortably" dont see why I should rough it if some prior planning can provide a sustainable level of comfort.
-
30-09-2013, 09:19 #25
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Posts
- 2,126
Something else to keep in mind in this type of scenario is that it will only be sustainable if the ratio of man to area is low. So in Messor's case if he is the only man on a 200 hectare piece of land it is doable but it gets more difficult as the number of people increase while the land area stays the same. Doc Willie already highlighted that it was quite difficult to feed 20 people so just imaging if you had to share your 200 hectares with 999 other people?
In the example of 1000 people on 200 hectares an individual will probably not survive. You will have to form groups/gangs to protect your food and security against others. Inevitably you will have to reduce the number of people per area (kill off others) or use strong leadership/violence to organize everyone if you want to survive long term.
-
30-09-2013, 09:24 #26
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Posts
- 13,531
Re: living-off-land-delusions
-
30-09-2013, 09:35 #27
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Posts
- 3,502
Re: living-off-land-delusions
Springer:
You will have to form groups/gangs to protect your food and security against others. Inevitably you will have to reduce the number of people per area (kill off others) or use strong leadership/violence to organize everyone if you want to survive long term.
-
30-09-2013, 09:41 #28
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Posts
- 13,531
Re: living-off-land-delusions
The whole concept is supposition Bushboy. However, history will reflect that mankind is better able to survive collectively than alone.
-
30-09-2013, 09:46 #29
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Posts
- 2,126
You are correct, I do not give humans much credit. History and human nature dictates that there will not be a homogenous working towards a single goal in a survival situation.
-
30-09-2013, 09:46 #30
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
- Location
- Durban KZN
- Age
- 47
- Posts
- 5,884
Re: living-off-land-delusions
as a papau new guinean cannibal once said, "if God didn't want us to eat men, why did he make them out of meat?"
Similar Threads
-
we living out our passion
By fivefivesix in forum Small TalkReplies: 0Last Post: 15-06-2014, 08:56 -
What do you do for a living?
By sa-shooter in forum General DiscussionReplies: 250Last Post: 23-03-2014, 13:44 -
Regulations/Laws about hunting on your own land/co-owned land in Limpopo
By LoopSoosStroop in forum General Hunting DiscussionReplies: 3Last Post: 06-06-2013, 16:11 -
Old Bob's living it up...on your money.
By Wanderin' Zero in forum General DiscussionReplies: 17Last Post: 16-04-2013, 10:49
Bookmarks