Question for Younger Members: Is true survival fun???

[Sourdough]

I am wondering, based on the post to this form; if most of the young members and maybe many of the other members, think survival is fun...???

Do you kind'a expect it to be like on T.V.

I am not talking about training for survival. I am asking about real survival do you think that would be fun...??????

[Stealth]

the survival portion would be fun for about thirty seconds. i think i would get more enjoyment from completely providing for myself and being out in the wilderness. I do not wish for a situation that would force me to have to sustain myself, but i do believe i would be fairly well off if that was the case. the survival situations i see on tv are always less than a week. i feel that if i knew i was going to be found in less than a week then i would be much more happier and having more 'fun' than if i was uncertain if i would ever get rescued.

[Sarge47]

Why would you ASSUME you'd be in good shape to Survive? You might have sustained very bad injuries, lost all your equipment and sense of direction, etc..
The point here is that we don't know WHAT might happen to cause us to Survive. The T.V. shows are "set-up" situations and not real Survival. The Stars of these shows have back-up protection to pull them out of a really nasty situation as no insurance co. would cover them if they didn't; and if they're not covered by insurance then the Network won't be able to sign them. At best you have some guys demonstrating certain methods that COULD help in a Survival situation. In the series "I shouldn't be alive we find TRUE stories of Survival, which are not very pretty.:cool:

[Stealth]

i carefully chose not to say 'assume,' i know what trouble that could get me in:-P its very possible that any of your aforementioned situations could occur thus putting me in that situation. i believe that prevention is the first step in survival, so i attempt never to get in put in any of those situations in the first place. That certainly doesnt mean that i wont ever get hurt or lost, but it lessens the chances. who knows what will put them in a survival situation, you just have to plan ahead for the worst and practice, practice, practice.

[Sourdough]

I really want to hear from the younger members.....

[Daren]

It might depend on how you define survival and fun and younger. Is it long term or permanent like a boat accident on a desert island or nuclear war? Is it short term like a broken leg while hiking and I just have to make it back to civilization?

[Sourdough]

O.K. This is not working......The point I was wanting to make is that in a true survival happening; For me the odd's have shifted, so that, it is more likely I will Die than live.

If I "know" how to get out of the survival event, for me it is a P*ss-off event, I am mad, I am upset at the work, which must now be done, to solve the problem, but I know I am going to live. Yes, in fairness this might be another persons true survival situation.

What I wanted to communicate is: There is "NO fun, "NONE", in a true survival situation. By the use of the word "SURVIVAL" one is questioning if he will live. SURVIVOR mean's you live, NO-SURVIVORS means they "DIED" there DEAD, Game over.

There is no joy, no woopie, no wow can we do that again real soon, to being in a airplane crash. There is no fun in being lost in ice fog at -36 below zero. There is no fun in any true survival event, because you think your going to die, if you make the wrong decisions. There might be fun in practice for survival. Real survival events are horrible, maybe that is why it is such a wonderful fun thing to read about, or watch on T.V.

[Sourdough]

I think most people don't know what it is like to be in a true life and death situation. I have to think most young people have never experienced the "HORROR" of deadly events.

[FVR]

That's why many young'ns join the service, to be hero's. Because they think they are invincable.

It's just the way it is.

Then if they are lucky and get older and wiser, they realize that humans are not invincable and you can die.

But you can't tell the young pukes anything, just like we could not be told anything.

[trax]

Well, I'm not a younger member by any stretch, I reckon, but I have to say I'm pretty sure it'd be more fun than NOT surviving.....

[Sam]

Combat is the closest I ever came to what you're talking about.

[zervosc]

Ok my friend let me tell you what I am thinking,

True survival definately IS NOT fun. And it is not fun because a life is in danger. But true survival is not something that happens only in wilderness.

True survival happens every day where lives are in danger: floods, earthquakes, wildfires, tsounamis, collapsed buildings, terrorist attacks..etc. Unplanned situations that can happen any time any place. Here in Greece we are waiting for a very big earthquake (magnitude >6.5R) and we have a >5.0R earthquake almost every month, last summer we had >1000 wildfires in one place, in 2004 Indonesia had the tsunami, in 2001 US had the 911 attack.

So how well are we prepared for any unplanned situation that may put our life in danger? People are not being killed in the wilderness of a forest. But mostly in the cities where car accidents take thousands of lifes every day. So if you are drive when you are drunk forget any discussion about survival techniques and protect yourself from your habit.

Also keep in mind that nature has the big survival problem - not we.

I respect the enthousiasts of outdoor activities - i am one of them (scouts are doing a great job every time they bring together the small children with the nature) but don't forget also that most of us live in big cities and we need to be prepared for any unplanned and dangerous situation.

Christos - Athens - Greece

[Rick]

I like your post, Zervosc (I like your avatar as well). Survival might mean taking the time to buckle your seat belt. And it certainly is all the things you outlined. Good post.

[Last Mohican]

My Boy Scouts think that the drills are fun, but I often remind them of how serious the situation can become if it is for real.

[hermitman]

I think when people talk about it as fun its more of the traning. It is the opposite of the real thing you can be completly fine and go and try something. Go out on a bright summer day and start a fire and practice first aid. People tend not to thing about it as your sooking wet and your friend goes into shock from blood loss.

[Sourdough]

ZERVOSE, you are right'on. Most of my true survival stuff is more like, vomiting into my regulator at 105 feet deep, (Bad scrambled Eggs) scuba diving. Or VFR on top, and low on fuel, and lost, and no hole in the clouds to come down through, and a panicked assistant guide in the back seat, who knows just enough about flying to know we are going to die, and keeps reminding me he ain't HAPPY.

[Rick]

Oh, well, that's just nasty. That's worse than haggis. Hopeak, old friend, bad things keep happening to you. I ain't sayin' it's a signal from God but I ain't sayin' it ain't, either. Perhaps a cozy fire and a book would be in order. Put your feet up and have a cup of tea. Just be real careful when you sit down, okay?

[trax]

and make sure that tea's not too hot....

[Last Mohican]

I think when people talk about it as fun its more of the traning. It is the opposite of the real thing you can be completly fine and go and try something. Go out on a bright summer day and start a fire and practice first aid. People tend not to thing about it as your sooking wet and your friend goes into shock from blood loss.

Good point hermit. Maybe I will have them build a fire w/ wet or damp tinder to make it more realistic.

[Smok]

Zervosc . Rick... Your right just drive on the freeways today is survival and you cannot tale me that is not a Wilderness . To me any day is a survival day , some are just more so .

[hermitman]

Smok is right and the best thing in any and all survival situation is to believe in yourself and just have the will to live above everything eles.

[WildGoth]

Fun not a chance happy i'm prepared for sure

[Sarge47]

Zersovec, great post!!! (hope I got the name right.) Ever since I joined this group I've said that Survival is NOT the next Extreme sport, but LIFE OR DEATH! Cody Lundin reports the same thing in an e-mail that I posted awhile back. Some of you might remember the post about the fellow who was robbed, shot in the head, and fell off of acliff, only to be shot again, but drug himself back to civilization by his own "attitude". My thread on "Camping vs. Surviving was basically going in the same direction. Great answers guys!:cool:

[warman87]

uummm survival is never fun if it was it would be camping lol

[BruceZed]

I cannot comment on this since I am now clearly middle aged, but we do have an instructor in training who clearly meets your demographics and recently wrote an article which answers part of your question and talks specifically about how to train to survive in what I believe is a very innovative way.

Here is the post: Fiction in Survival Training (http://boreal.net/Research/fiction-in-survival-training.shtml)

Hope you enjoy the read.

[trax]

In another thread currently running, the question was raised about the difference between junior and senior members. Surprisingly, I had a smarta##ed comment,not like me at all. Nevertheless, with this thread asking questions of "younger" members, we should clarify some things.

What's a younger member? Someone's only been on the forum for a week, but has been practicing outdoor survival skills for ten plus years clearly shouldn't be considered younger.

Someone who's been on the forum for a year, picking up some of the really good survival advice but is only a teenager probably shouldn't be considered a younger member either.

Sarge is consistently asking people to go to the introductions page and let us know more about themselves when they come in. Some hesitate, but it should be made clear to them that this is the kind of information we want. No one's asking for your home address or phone number (or at least I hope not) We've had a few so-called "experts" who have shown their true colors in a very short time, conversely we have a lot of people who I suspect are keeping their wisdom to themselves and that's not good either. Older or younger member...we won't know unless you speak up and I encourage all to do so.

[Beo]

I believe he means age by "Younger Members" like the teens on here.
True survival is an emergency situation, no it is not fun but one can learn from it if one looks back on the experience after having survived.

[trax]

That's kind of my point bro, there've been teens posted on here that I think would do a d*** sight better than a lot of other people in the outdoors survival scenario, other catastrophic events I can't say, but still....I think "younger" should relate to one's experience level (and/or survival education, my preference is still experience) and it's up to each of us how honest we're going to be about that.

[Beo]

True, it should depend on experience level, which does he mean age or experience.

[Sourdough]

I started the thread......because I felt that some comments reflected a kind of exciting adventure to true survival events. As if they were looking forward to some survival event being thrust apon their life. I was at the time thinking younger to me means under 18, remember I am 61 so anyone under 40 is young to me. However you guys are correct, it could be both Age or Experience.

Allow me to delete the word "YOUNGER". And simple state that reguardless of your AGE or Experience, if you think being thrust unexpectingly into a survival event will be "FUN", you will not feel that way after it is over, if you live.

[Sourdough]

It might be good to have a new section called: "This happened to me, and this what I learned".

[Kemperor]

I'm 23. Am I a youngster to you? Do I think a survival situation would be fun? Gee, I don't know, I didn't think having a root canal was that fun, which had to be done for me to not get blood poisoning from an abscessed tooth which would have possibly killed me, so therefore was done for my survival. I didn't think that the car I was driving hitting a patch of black ice and spinning several times and almost slamming down a ravine was very fun. Having to keep my head clear and steer out of the spin, not fun. Being born with my umbilical cord around my neck, well I don't remember it, but from what my mother tells me of her baby boy coming out blue, didn't sound too fun. Getting t-boned by a car while riding my bicycle was not my idea of fun, regardless of if I walked away from it. I never said, "Let's do that again!" Getting caught in an undertow and having to drag a woman out with me at Atlantic City was not fun. Being in the midst of a drunken brawl and a guy pulling out a bow out of practically nowhere and shooting it at the other guy in the brawl and hearing the whiz of the arrow as it whizzed passed my head doesn't make me jump for joy.
Please pardon me if I get a little indignant about this thread, but when the below assumptive statement is posted, that tends to happen. I don't know though, maybe it's just because I'm young and full of angst, eh?





I think most people don't know what it is like to be in a true life and death situation. I have to think most young people have never experienced the "HORROR" of deadly events.

[trax]

I have to mirror what Sarge has said from the start, we're not talking about the next 'extreme' sport here. In a couple of threads, I've tried to sort of get a few people to look at what's happening realistically. Starting a fire in a snowstorm for instance, or, today's thread about going through the ice. People too often think, whatever their age, that surviving outdoors is going to be like something they've seen in the movies, unless they have had the experience. I find it most interesting especially when dealing with bad weather, just in my office for instance, there's a young lady who's a real "fashion plate".. skin tight jeans and lacy tops and skimpy leather jacket. Well, it's only minus 10C today so she's thinking she's pretty well dressed for the weather. What would she do if she had to go out on one of the side roads around here (which her job sometimes requires) and her car skidded off the road and she couldn't re-start it? Hypothermia would be setting in in probably about 20 minutes. She'd become very aware of the wind which seemed like a light breeze when she left the office...If her cell phone is out of range of town...she could die. I'm glad we do these posts, to remind everyone of the seriousness of the things we talk about.

[Rick]

I don't know that anyone thinks it's fun. Younger people, as a general rule, are more apt to be risk takers because of the feeling of immortality. The "It can't happen to me" feeling that we all shared when we were younger. I did some stupid stuff when I was younger and once it was all over thought, "That was pretty cool" not that I wanted to do it again. Today, I don't think I would allow myself to get into those situations. Every time I go out the Grim Reaper packs a bag and travels with me. It's my job to make certain he doesn't use any of my stuff while we're out. So far, I've been pretty lucky.

[zervosc]

Zersovec, great post!!! (hope I got the name right.) Ever since I joined this group I've said that Survival is NOT the next Extreme sport, but LIFE OR DEATH! Cody Lundin reports the same thing in an e-mail that I posted awhile back. Some of you might remember the post about the fellow who was robbed, shot in the head, and fell off of acliff, only to be shot again, but drug himself back to civilization by his own "attitude". My thread on "Camping vs. Surviving was basically going in the same direction. Great answers guys!:cool:

Thank you very much my friend!

[zervosc]

ZERVOSE, you are right'on. Most of my true survival stuff is more like, vomiting into my regulator at 105 feet deep, (Bad scrambled Eggs) scuba diving. Or VFR on top, and low on fuel, and lost, and no hole in the clouds to come down through, and a panicked assistant guide in the back seat, who knows just enough about flying to know we are going to die, and keeps reminding me he ain't HAPPY.

Thank you hopeak. Please when flying VFR stay away from the clouds and don't ever try to sell your scuba regulator!

Christos - Athens - Greece

[trax]

You're just not having any fun at all. I, for one, am glad you survived all that. I think that's why I was making the point about experience counting for more. Unfortunately, from my perspective, 23 still makes you a youngster...big sigh...I'm staring down the big 5-0 and just grateful that I made it this far, LOL

[Rick]

Since you're still a youngster I'll give you some free advice. When you get older you start to fill out. Now, don't take this as a sign of getting fat. No, sir. You're actually getting smarter. Your head can only hold so much knowledge and once it's full your body starts filling up. So the next time you see a chubby guy in the woods don't think that poor guys is fat. Remember my explanation of say, "My. Look how smart he is." ..... It's my story and I"m stickin' to it.

[Sourdough]

So a "Ricky ButterButt" is in reallity "Ricky BrainyButt"

[zervosc]

.................. Here in Greece we are waiting for a very big earthquake (magnitude >6.5R) and we have a >5.0R earthquake almost every month, last summer we had >1000 wildfires in one place............................

Do you remember my post? Amazing: An hour ago we had two (2) earthquakes with magnitudes 5.4R and 5.5R! And with the same epicenter!

C

[Rick]

Hopeak - By jove, I think he's got it!

Zervosc - When the jello stops jigglin' start packin'.

[Sarge47]

A "newby" means, to me, a new-comer to this site. A "Know-nothing Nimrod" is someone who doesn't know much, if anything, about the outdoors, not to mention Survival. A "Numpty" is UK for "idiot"; hence: "TBWN" stands for "The Bare Wilderness Numpty's" The reason I lumped all the TBWN posts together in a "sticky" was to show everyone here, and who'll show up later, that there are some people too foolish too listen to wise advice....even after they, themselves, asked for it. Also to show the kind of people who pop-up every once in awhile who think that Survival is "cool".Discovery has been running a series on Shark attacks and one "Survivor" I saw had lost his right arm, yet he "Survived"(lived) to tell his story. Any bets on weather he wants to go out & do it again? Does he think it was "Cool"? I don't think so. Like others have wrote here: When it's fun, it's "Camping"; When it turns into a deadly menace, it's "Survival". I never had to go through any really tough times, and I'm very thankful for that. The odds have proven that those who stay "focused" on learning & "being prepared" rarely ever get into those kinds of situations. Zervosc posted that his favorite quote was: "Assumptions are the Mother of all (BEEEEEP!) I heard that line on "Under Siege II with Steven Siegal. My favorite from the same film was: "Chance favors the prepared mind". :cool:

[trax]

Nice to have a professional definition of newbies, nimrods and numpties. Alliterative too. If you check out some of the other posts, btw, you'll find that you're like "y" is to vowels (...and sometimes Sarge)

By the way, what shirt should WarEagle wear tomorrow? :D :D :D :D

[Kemperor]

I was just offended by the statement I quoted. I know that I'm young. I was stating the fact that that was an assumptive comment that just shouldn't have been made in general. I have been face to face with deadly situations, I know the horror of them, and I know how much life should never be taken for granted and I am more than grateful to still have it. Everything else that was posted in this thread is, more or less, true. The young people, who I'll go ahead and ruefully call my peers, today are too busy chasing tail and marveling at how wonderful their lives are to even think of the possibility of every bit of their comfortable commodities getting taken away. So, all in all, I see what Hopeak was getting at with that statement, but he still could have stated it better, and I shouldn't have taken it so personally.


I'm not getting a spankin' for back talking am I?

[FVR]

I don't know, seems as young people today are doing what they did yesterday, and the week before, and the year before, and so on and so on.

Yeh, 23, you're a youngster. If you're old enough to be my son, you're a youngster. Don't mean ya can't teach an old (er) dog new tricks though.

I have learned alot by watching youngsters (by my def.) in the woods. Old Farts know alot, but they know they know alot also.

[Last Mohican]

Since you're still a youngster I'll give you some free advice. When you get older you start to fill out. Now, don't take this as a sign of getting fat. No, sir. You're actually getting smarter. Your head can only hold so much knowledge and once it's full your body starts filling up. So the next time you see a chubby guy in the woods don't think that poor guys is fat. Remember my explanation of say, "My. Look how smart he is." ..... It's my story and I"m stickin' to it.

I must be a friggin genius then.

[Rick]

I spent some time chasin' tail only to find out I didn't have one. Got dizzy as he**, too. My dog still does it. Stupid dog.

[Smok]

Trax ... It is not just the young that do not wear the right type of cloths for the weather . People think they live out side the Mother Earth that it will not bather them . Or that they will ever have to walk home in it .They go from a warm house , to a warm car , to warm office , and may never once look at the weather as more then an encanvinc A I said before ever day is survival and I carry a kit all the time and I do mean all the time

[NY MtnMan72]

I personally relish the idea of a post-apocolyptc world (providing i "survived" the intial event)....
No more car payment, take off in my jeep and head for the mountains- where I
A) know how to make a liveable log cabin with my survival axe and saws.
B) know how and love to hunt for deer and other game on which to survive. I Keep my rifle, mags, and cleaning kit always ready to go.. Also know plenty of edible greens, ferns etc etc...
C) have a certain place in mind that has running water year round, plenty of game for years of managed harvesting, is waaaayyy (miles of off-road/no path hiking) off the beaten path. Also the largest civilization is a town of 1000 people over 15 miles away... nearest city Binghamton NY is about 35 miles or so as the crow flies.

D)a mad-max vigilante type civilization where i can rob people of their posessions, kill them if they give me hard time, and generally cause chaos and destruction whereever i go.... :D

OK so maybe D) is pushing it a bit, but im allowed to dream arent I ? ;)

[Rick]

What is the attraction? What makes that life style better than the one you are living now?

[Sam]

Dude, I spent time in Beruit Lebanon. Anarchy on that scale sucked. World wide, F*** that! I like soft beds, running water, and lights to raid the fridge by.

[Sarge47]

By the way, what shirt should WarEagle wear tomorrow?

Why, War Eagle should wear a hair shirt, or, lacking that, a nice little Tu-Tu with cute little ballet slippers....:D:D:D:D

[NY MtnMan72]

Guys... i was just joking about the anarchy/apocolyptic talk- hope i made that clear......

where/when i grew up..... Upstate NY/ Western Catskill Mtn's- there was no/little TV... So my brother and I when not in school, and sometimes when we were supposed to be in school, spent lots of days, and sometimes overnight trips into the woods/fields.
For me there is no more comfortable scenario than to be in nature, to be self sufficient, and to concentrate on "basic survival" as a daily form of entertainment, including short and long term planning, preperation, and having things under control and being able to kick back and appreciate being away from society in the middle of no-where, and not having to worry about where a meal is coming from, or if i have to find other people to help me survive......
I have (even when it got me in minor trouble) parked and hiked in with bare essentials to parks and wilderness areas and camped over night, including several winter camp outs- with others, and on my own.
It's peaceful, its fulfilling, and I could easily see myself wandering off someday and being content living some sort of a "grizzly adams" type life- without the native american buddy, and pet bear of course.

I believe i would have enjoyed being born into a different time- being a trapper, or explorer/guide for less knowledgeable types who wanted to venture into/ through the wilderness.

[Smok]

Be very careful of what you wish for a time may come when your skills will be called upon to help others those less knowledgeable types in the wilderness and it will not be fun

[dilligaf2u2]

From what I posted earlire today.

I have only found myself in what I consider a true survival situation three times in my life.

As a POW I had to use skills I learned, to survive, as best I could.

One time I lost all my gear. Everything but what I had in my pockets. It was 3 weeks of covering ground to a supply/ pick up point with no one around to help. This last one was somewhat planned for. I knew this could happen and carried a kit in my pocket to cover the basics.

Once I was confronted by a group of fellows with ill intent. I took a beating but did as much damage as I was able, before I was put under. A month in a hospital for me and months of recovery for some of the survivors I left behind. Also 2 years of expensive legal issues before it was decided I acted with just course.

In 2 of those cases it took over a year for me to be where I was before it happened.

Fun is not a word I would use for it!

Don

[Sam]

POW, Lucky to be here now. I don't know that kind of hard. I got a plate in my head, and
a few healed holes here and there, but I knew my team was coming, so it does not seem as bad in comparison.

[Rick]

Don and Sam - Thanks seems a bit inadequate but the feeling is sincere.

[Beo]

I agree with NYMtnMan72, I would do fine in a world wide tragice event, but that soes not mean I hope for such an event to happen but am practiced (and always practicing my skills) and ready if one does (at least as far as I think), I am more at home and comfortable in the forests and mountains than in the suburbs & cities which is why I spend so much time in the forests. And I too believe I was born about 250 years to late. This does not mean I look forward to bad events only that I am able to survive if one happens.

[Rick]

Yeah, me too. Unless of course the meteor lands on me, I get outrun by the pyroclastic flow, stagger out on the beach to find out where the water went, the building falls on me during the earthquake, I happen (just by good luck) to be standing where the earth cracks open, I visit the Keys during their annual migration of hurricanes, I'm still on the surface when the solar winds rip the ozone layer away, I stand staring skyward looking at the incoming nuke (dude, look at this! he said pointing skyward), Aliens kick me out of their spacecraft during take off (I understand they hate sarcasm and irony. I'm doomed) or Lex Luther decides I'm of no value to his evil cadre (remember that thread?).

[Beo]

I don't tell this alot because i'm not too proud of it.
Survival is more than skills…
It’s a state of mind also and the mindset of never giving up. I’ll share this little story with you even though its not one I’m proud of as far as survival skills go. Let me tell you all something… if you think it can’t happen to you you’re wrong. This is a short story of how a young and dumb Sergeant with a few military schools almost lost his life.
In July of 1988 I was 22 and a Sergeant in the 101st Airborne as a Cavalry Scout and I was in training in California at NTC (National Training Center or 29 Palms for you Jarheads), we were there for 45 days of desert training and things were going well. One morning at about 0530 my scout team (9 men all together) and I were in two (2) HMMWV’s (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle - also called Humvee or HUMMERS) and pretty well lost in the middle of nowhere, Army maps suc and let me tell you everything in the desert looks the same and is really a lot farther away than it looks. We stopped by a rock outcropping and I jumped out of the lead HMMWV and ran up a big hill and behind a large boulder to do my morning daily. The team gathered and looked the map over and then all jumped back in the HMMWV’s and pulled off at pace only soldiers use when not on post, each thought I was in the others vehicle. As I finished up my business and came around the boulder and down the hill I found myself alone in the searing heat of the desert with only my Web Gear and a half canteen of water. So being the smart soldier and ranger graduate I sat down under the rocks and waited for my idiot squad to return, three hours later I got up and decided to head back the way we had came since we were lost, BIG mistake. I marched until sunset and then sat down by another outcropping of rocks, as I looked back the way I had come I saw a Blackhawk Helo searching the area. I had nothing on my web gear to signal with and only my knife so sat and slept until morning which took forever to get there because it gets damn cold in the desert at night. The next morning tired and hungry I stayed put for about 2 hours and no one came, so I headed out again and continued my march back the way we had come. By the end of the second day I had little to no water and had taken my BDU shirt off and tied it around my waist (mistake) to cool off. On the morning of the third I headed out again and by that afternoon had no water, that evening I cut into a barrel cactus and sucked on the pulp (illegal in California) but it’s a far cry from replenishing your water. I even found a handful of water in a crevice in some rocks and sucked it out but it was little to none. By the afternoon of the fourth day I had sun blisters on my neck and arms, and yes even on my back and chest from my cotton t-shirt rubbing my skin raw. I continued on and by 1900 or 7pm for you civilians, I had wondered into the fuel/water station and sat down by a pump. A Marine MP (yes a Jarhead) walked up to me looked at me, cracked and chapping lips, sun burnt and blistered, and dragging my web gear and said “Are you Sergeant York of the 101st Airborne” and I nodded yes and fell over. Waking the next afternoon the doctor told me I was one lucky soldier for making it so far without any water. My CO wanted to give me an Article 15 (loss of one stripe and one months base pay) but my 1st Sergeant (God bless Top) said I was a testament to the unit and did as I was trained by driving on to survive.
In hindsight I was I’ll prepared because I thought “I’ll never be in a survival situation” and didn’t take the kit I should’ve. Oh, and my idiot scout team, they did KP everyday and Guard Mount every night until we left (32 days later) for leaving me behind, although they felt real bad I didn’t give a rats azz :D

[Rick]

Good story, Beo. Thanks for sharing. We all have some stupid stunt behind us that we aren't proud of so don't be too hard on yourself. Survival is a lot of luck, too. A lot.

[pgvoutdoors]

I don't tell this alot because i'm not too proud of it.
Survival is more than skills…
It’s a state of mind also and the mindset of never giving up. I’ll share this little story with you even though its not one I’m proud of as far as survival skills go. Let me tell you all something… if you think it can’t happen to you you’re wrong. This is a short story of how a young and dumb Sergeant with a few military schools almost lost his life.
In July of 1988 I was 22 and a Sergeant in the 101st Airborne as a Cavalry Scout and I was in training in California at NTC (National Training Center or 29 Palms for you Jarheads), we were there for 45 days of desert training and things were going well. One morning at about 0530 my scout team (9 men all together) and I were in two (2) HMMWV’s (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle - also called Humvee or HUMMERS) and pretty well lost in the middle of nowhere, Army maps suc and let me tell you everything in the desert looks the same and is really a lot farther away than it looks. We stopped by a rock outcropping and I jumped out of the lead HMMWV and ran up a big hill and behind a large boulder to do my morning daily. The team gathered and looked the map over and then all jumped back in the HMMWV’s and pulled off at pace only soldiers use when not on post, each thought I was in the others vehicle. As I finished up my business and came around the boulder and down the hill I found myself alone in the searing heat of the desert with only my Web Gear and a half canteen of water. So being the smart soldier and ranger graduate I sat down under the rocks and waited for my idiot squad to return, three hours later I got up and decided to head back the way we had came since we were lost, BIG mistake. I marched until sunset and then sat down by another outcropping of rocks, as I looked back the way I had come I saw a Blackhawk Helo searching the area. I had nothing on my web gear to signal with and only my knife so sat and slept until morning which took forever to get there because it gets damn cold in the desert at night. The next morning tired and hungry I stayed put for about 2 hours and no one came, so I headed out again and continued my march back the way we had come. By the end of the second day I had little to no water and had taken my BDU shirt off and tied it around my waist (mistake) to cool off. On the morning of the third I headed out again and by that afternoon had no water, that evening I cut into a barrel cactus and sucked on the pulp (illegal in California) but it’s a far cry from replenishing your water. I even found a handful of water in a crevice in some rocks and sucked it out but it was little to none. By the afternoon of the fourth day I had sun blisters on my neck and arms, and yes even on my back and chest from my cotton t-shirt rubbing my skin raw. I continued on and by 1900 or 7pm for you civilians, I had wondered into the fuel/water station and sat down by a pump. A Marine MP (yes a Jarhead) walked up to me looked at me, cracked and chapping lips, sun burnt and blistered, and dragging my web gear and said “Are you Sergeant York of the 101st Airborne” and I nodded yes and fell over. Waking the next afternoon the doctor told me I was one lucky soldier for making it so far without any water. My CO wanted to give me an Article 15 (loss of one stripe and one months base pay) but my 1st Sergeant (God bless Top) said I was a testament to the unit and did as I was trained by driving on to survive.
In hindsight I was I’ll prepared because I thought “I’ll never be in a survival situation” and didn’t take the kit I should’ve. Oh, and my idiot scout team, they did KP everyday and Guard Mount every night until we left (32 days later) for leaving me behind, although they felt real bad I didn’t give a rats azz :D

I can imagine what you went through, I've been there while in the Corps and it's one hell of a place to be stranded. We lost a Marine due to a similar situation. It was very sad! A survival situation can occur at anytime, and if it was fun I would guess that it's not truly a survival situation.
You were very lucky, God blessed you!

[Last Mohican]

Beo,

I was at Ft. Irwin as well, during the summer of 97'. I know exactly what you mean. We were out in the 5 tons because they said it was too hot for the helos to fly. I think it was near John Wayne Pass where we went up through the hills. We were playing op-for. Well anyway a couple of guys from my unit made a greusome discovery. They found a Marine that had never left his post. He had been there for about a month they said. Everyone else thought he was with someone else so nobody thought he was missing. It is a sad story, but I know first hand that it happens.

P.S. I also found out first hand not to mess with those little scorpions out there either.

[crashdive123]

Here's a survival story that I still have trouble imagining. In the mid 70's I was stationed in Guam. Wonderful little island. A few years before I got there (I can't remember the exact year, but I think it was around '71) they discovered a guy living and hiding in a cave. Turns out he was a soldier (Japan) that didn't know the war was over (WWII) and was waiting for rescue. He returned to Japan as a hero. Imagine the back pay!

[Rick]

1972. There was actually a lot of those guys. Talk about survival ability!!

http://www.wanpela.com/holdouts/registry.html

[zervosc]

........................................... Unplanned situations that can happen any time any place. Here in Greece we are waiting for a very big earthquake (magnitude >6.5R) and we have a >5.0R ........................

Today in Greece @ 12:15pm we had a very strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3R.... (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/at00298376.php) so earthquakes can be predicted.....

Christos - Athens - Greece

[NY MtnMan72]

Here's a thought for young and old to ponder and chew over....

In my limited travels (36 yrs), i have met both young and old stupid people, and i've met both young and old wise people... the young and wise seeming strangely so for their age.....
Age itself should certainly not be "the measure" of someones experience... look at our President... he's been around for a while and he can barely speak a sentence of English... poor fella... (thats what years of coke snortin does to your brain by the way)....

Your all correct in the respect that a newbie who comes on all preachy and full of himself without having had the experiences that would warrant the attitude deserves nothing less than a royal smackdown from all of you.
Berating newer members because of "percieved" inexperience or because they dont have many posts should also be discouraged....

my two cents, for whatever/how little their worth.

ART