Survival by boat

A personal watercraft may be one of the most useful survival items in a nation with the most navigable waterways in the world. Add to that the fact that pack rafts and light weight canoes and kayaks can be portaged between waterways or dragged over shallow spots in streams that are not technically navigable and you have a transportation method that helped primitive humans survive and civilizations develop. So whatever wind or human powered watercraft suits your local wilderness areas the best, if you are able to camp and/or find/make shelter near a body of water: ocean, lake or stream you will more likely be able to find food there.

Also if flooding like after recent heavy snow fall near Buffalo NY, melts and floods in your area you may just need it to travel by boat down the local roadways to buy food and fuel. Small plastic kayaks also make fairly decent toboggans over snow and ice.

This article in the Washington Post got me thinking that among all the other skills and survival items, a boat in many parts of the USA is very useful:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...ab6_story.html

"Peter Zeihan’s “The Accidental Superpower” begins with geography, pointing out that the United States is the world’s largest consumer market for a reason: its rivers. Transporting goods by water is 12 times cheaper than by land (which is why civilizations have always flourished around rivers). And the United States, Zeihan calculates, has more navigable waterways — 17,600 miles’ worth — than the rest of the world. By comparison, he notes, China and Germany each have about 2,000 miles. And all of the Arab world has 120 miles."

BTW I have noticed over the years that this journalist, Fareed Zakaria, like many others often gets his numbers wrong but the general gist seems to be correct that the USA is economically strong partially because of its coastal and river systems that reduce the cost of transportation of goods. Also river flood plains are generally good farmland with plentiful wildlife and/or livestock grazing land.

interesting, I wonder what Russia has for navigable waterways?

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Originally Posted by randyt

interesting, I wonder what Russia has for navigable waterways?

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I agree, these two authors under estimated the waterways of other countries, some of Russia's rivers may freeze over but transport tons of minerals and grain during many months of the year.

Iraq is a major Arab country and has 3 major rivers with thousands of miles, much is navigable by shallow draft watercraft, not to mention Egypt. So the 120 miles is BS.

Then there are thousands of river and coastal miles in Brazil.

But consider huge wilderness areas in USA easily explored by canoe/kayak: BWCA at MN and Canadian border, and South Florida, Everglades National Park. I have never been to the Denali National Park and Preserve (about 400,000 people do every year). I assume a personal watercraft or a larger raft could be use to explore the Federally protected wilderness area there, which is larger than the country of Switzerland. Frank Church-River Wilderness in Idaho on Salmon/Snake Rivers, now that is also some difficult area to access by foot and motor vehicle alone.

Edit: May have been wrong about Switzerland: looked it up: over 10 million acres while Denali Wilderness is 2.1 million acres from what I could find online, cannot believe everything you read or hear in documentaries. Perhaps doc was referring to total wilderness area in all of Alaska? or USA?

Hummmm....
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114898/

So a few boats around......"The Place" is on a river.....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...m/DSCF1090.jpg

Rio Chama, north central New Mexico is a favorite camping area of mine. By foot or boat. These photos of me taken by a friend on a 31 mile segment from El Vado to Big Eddy.

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This kayak is basically a recreational boat with some white water kayak features, a 4600 cubic inch hatch and some space in front of the foot pegs. Enough for several days of primitive camping gear, 2 weeks if you know what you are doing and purify your own water etc. BLM permits for this area are not super easy to get (but much easier than GC-NPS), but if you go from Monday - Thursday no permit is required just travel very light because with little water released from dam you may need to drag ur boat across rock, sand and mud up to your (whatever), many shoes lost! Also great side hikes so pack an ULA Epic Backpack (or similar), strap on a dry bag and head for the ridge line up a box canyon for a night or two. Evidence humans have lived, not just survived here for thousands of years.
My daughter's cat is named Rio Chama, cat does not like to camp however. LOL
Pets of any type just bring in the Mt Lions, which are fun when they scream close by, but spook the dogs.

Mulberry River in NW Arkansas is a fun area of National Forest for either car camping or more primitive camping out of your boat (canoe, kayak, raft, SUP or whatever). Many trees to hang hammocks from and bit of uneven ground for a small tent. Also great hiking trails, better not to paddle a bright yellow banana boat but one that is easier to hide in the bush if you want to hike up into the National Forest from remote river access. Depending on recent rains the rapids are typically even easier here than at Rio Chama but flotation bags are still a good idea for canoe and kayak both.
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Good place to practice survival by boat, you can always hike up to a road/highway close by, or float down injured even in the off season such as Jan-Feb when you may be the only people on the river especially during the work week.