Survivalist?

[bulldogeagle]

we dont get any homeless around here, too far from large urban areas i guess.

[JohnRio]

I grew up on a farm which had quite a lot of woodland, I've never had any fear of it and I remember fondly being a 14 years old, shooting rabbits in clearings and cooking them under the stars with my cousins over the summer holidays.

There are a few cases of homeless people living in the woods, I know the year before last they found one dead (over dosed), it was know locally he was living there but as he didn't bother anyone people let him be.

Yeah, I grew up right next to a wooded, disused quarry and I'm very much at home in woodland.

Re: Homeless living in bushes and woods - There were certainly a fair few camped out in the woods and bushes around the river during the years when I lived on my narrowboat. As a general rule the closer to shops, pubs etc. the more likely there'd be folks living rough in any given patch.... The further out of town you get, the fewer I found... Only one old fella I know of camped rough more than 3miles out of town...

[Chef]

Could we have a survivalist in our midst?..

Probably just a Bushcrafter chilling out in the woods, practising his skills.

We have a tramp lives in my nearest woods but he's close to the beach (bout 120ft drop) and close to the town (bout a mile), he only goes back to the woods to sleep.

I'm quite happy camping out for the odd night or two in the woods when exploring an asylum or something that's 100s miles away, just pack the tent and a bag and enough provisions and camp nearby out of the way of security. Looking at getting a tarp and hammock so I'm more mobile.

[diamond lil]

People are found dead in tents in forests here, often been dead for months. Even with the best gear its not possible to survive long with our weather. If things went to custard you'd be far better using a derelict farm than a tent, and getting in a lot of firewood.

[jansman]

People are found dead in tents in forests here, often been dead for months. Even with the best gear its not possible to survive long with our weather. If things went to custard you'd be far better using a derelict farm than a tent, and getting in a lot of firewood.

Damn good reason for not getting into this "I am just heading to the woods when shtf" obsession on the web. The uk climate will kill,even on a cold Summer night. Tents are ok for a bit of a holiday-but so is a nice hotel!

[bulldogeagle]

if you think "I'll play Rambo in the woods when TSHTF" you'll be dead the first cold winter we get....even in the mild South West!

[Ian]

In my youth I once woke up to discover the tent was totally buried in fluffy snow. One night and a day is fun, more would be a trial. I suspect if the weather had been warmer I would have suffocated in my sleep beneath an ice blanket.

One more criteria to remember when pitching a tent. Avoid the lee of a wood in snowy weather. You just get dumped on.

[jansman]

Few yrs ago I had to jump into the lake I was fishing to drag a kid out who was drowning. It was July and hot. I thought I would dry out in the sun. WRONG. Within 1/2 an hour I was going Hypothermic. Fortunately my mate spotted it. Red hot day and only 1/2 a mile from home. Never underestimate nature.

Not long after I read Cody Lundins book 98.6 degrees. The basis of his ENTIRE survival philosophy is Core Body Temperature. It rang true to me,as I always carry a whistle and space blanket when fishing now. Mobile phone? They stop working in the water!

[PreppingPingu]

It rang true to me,as I always carry a whistle and space blanket when fishing now.

I always have one in the car (for accident or breakdown) and one in my hand bag. Going into shock can be a killer. You never know when you will need it. I wish I'd had one when I banged my head in a cave on holiday, fortunately for me, the first response guy was quick on the scene as were the paramedics but since then I have always carried one. It often takes a personal emergencey or for you to actually be in a given situation before you realise what "would have been" useful to have!

[metatron]

if you think "I'll play Rambo in the woods when TSHTF" you'll be dead the first cold winter we get....even in the mild South West!

Quite a few people live year round in benders in eco villages. I have no intention of going rambo but as long as you can knock up a stove you can live just fine. Water/food/shelter is all that is needed.