Could you rough it?

[Winkle]

Just walked my dog monty down by the river (and no he didnt get bashed up the dirt box) and as it was just drawing into dusk, I thought, If there was a nuclear war,and I survived, could I rough it? What I mean buy rough it would be going into "hunter gatherer mode". Could I build a shelter? Light a fire? kill a rabbit or something for food, that would be hard but Im 100% sure I could do it if I was hungry enough. The thing Is we all take for granted our nice cosey homes with central heating, electric, oven, beds with soft nice sheets and fluffly pillows and 12 togg quilts.
Now I also know 100% that my missus could never ever ever, rough it. She could not possibly go without washing for more than a day, and the thought of not being able to use her hair straigtners fills her with absolute horror. Do you ever see a female "Bear Grylis? I mean generally, woman folk are good at cleaning. organising, and other mundane things but if push come to shove could they suck an eyeball out of a fish or whack a wiggidy grub down there neck?
My answer would be a big resounding know. Could your partner rough it?Answers please!

 

[sufcintheprem]

let's be honest, if your girlfriend could be referred to as Grizzly Anna then you probably made a mistake somewhere along the line.

No.

 

[Bielzibubz]

Me - definately yes. When push comes to shove and survival is at stake it's amazing what the male of the gender is capable of.

As for the fairer sex, I doubt it. Somehow I can't imagine either of my ex's (even the homicidal first one) coming close to popping a Bambi on the bonce with a rock or peeling the fur off a fluffy wuffy bunny.

 

[Benfleet A1]

Survival or Bushcraft is far more difficult than most people imagine and watching Ray Mears or Andrew Price making it look simple does give the false impression that it is easy. Creating fire using the friction method is bloody difficult even with the right wood and unless you have a good knife and para cord handy then the Bow Friction Method is impossible. And you could try all night with the wrong bit of wood and achieve nothing but blisters. We can all spot a Oak tree but can you spot a Yew or Ash?

Building a shelter that stays up and gives protection from the elements is a must know skill while out in the wilds. Try a debris shelter and see how long it takes.

Hunting fur or feather with no previous experience is difficult in the extreme. Unless you know how to set traps and also know where to set them then you will not be eating fresh meat for dinner. Spear fishing, although illegal is a art form in itself and very hard to master. In over 5 years of practicing I have caught nothing. Knowing what berries, mushrooms etc you can eat safely takes a lot of practice but there are loads of books that will help identify the good from the bad. Do please remember that some mushrooms will kill you in a matter of minutes if you eat the wrong ones.

Don't just think you can do it, get out there and try it. It's great fun and very rewarding when you get something right. I would advise you get a good knife and always carry a magnisium block just in case you do get stuck. Decent boots and a waterproof warm jacket/coat are a must as well. I have a bundle of kit that I have built up over the years and enjoy nothing more than hiking into the woods for a couple of days. Just go prepared and be safe.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Not a chance!

 

[Winkle]

Just to *bump* this thread as she went ghoust hunting last week and her attire consisted of, a low top, heels, hand bag with makeup, hair straigtners nail replacement and a bottle of vodca for the scarey moments!
oh yes, and her phone only to be used as a torch in an emergency.

 

[Aberdeen Shrimper]

Just to *bump* this thread as she went ghoust hunting last week and her attire consisted of, a low top, heels, hand bag with makeup, hair straigtners nail replacement and a bottle of vodca for the scarey moments!
oh yes, and her phone only to be used as a torch in an emergency.

I think that i could rough it, i have done it enough times in the past. When push comes to shove and it is the real think, your animal instincts would take over. Human beings have a natural instinct to survive.

Not sure about er in doors though, she is quite practical and very methodical in her thinking so i would imagine that she would fair better then most.

 

[Nobby Snide]

I'm roughing it here in Spain....

 

[Lester Bangs]

I've not really read the thread but I'm gonna reply anyways. I had this mate who was always a complete loose cannon (and when I saw loose cannon I mean mental).

He always found social conformaties a problem and opted for a more 'free' lifestyle. I was constantly worried about this fella as he would spend nights on end away from home making the best of what he could get hold of and living rough.

One night I decided to live the life of this fella, to add support to him and to experience this lifestyle myself. It started of plesantly enough with 8 or so pints (courtesy of myself) and a game of crib in the local establishment and then kicking out time came.

We headed over to some woodland that wasnt too far and had a few cheeky spliffs and chatted for a while, he produced a few bottles of 20/20 that he had recently liberated from the local offy (unknown to me - this guy had skills when it came to this sort of thing) and we were happy enough.

The next thing that was on the agenda was sleeping in a ditch. Obviously this was completely new to me but I bunked down and made the most of it. What amazed me most was how cold it was (this was autumn, early October). After about 30 minutes sleep I woke up absolutely freezing my tits off.

The night pretty much continued like this, 20 minutes sleep then being rudely awakened by the cold. It was truly **** but I lasted out til 5ish. At this point we decided to have a 'wander', after an hour of aimlessly walking the local commuter station opened there doors.

My mate hot footed it to the waiting room and I followed. I woke at about 8.30 after two and half hours of decent deep sleep surrounded by prime time commuters giving me the evil eye. My mate of the other hand had done a runner and was no where to be seen.

Apparently he'd headed off to a place he knew for breakfast but didnt want to wake me as I 'looked so peaceful'. That was the first and the last time I'll ever sleep rough. It was athe worst night of my life. Saying that I know realise how tough it is!

 

[jassyfa1]

Yes I could survive.
As a keen fisherman (okay a very good fisherman) I was fishing Orford Island, this is a spit of land mot an island in Suffolk, where a boat takes you across in the evening and picks you up again in the morning (its 10 miles to walk to Aldbourgh the 1st bit of civilization). During the night the wind changed direction causing my tent to fly away like a kite over the island and into the nearby river. Without a tent and being the only person on the island and with no shelter I had to use my brains in how to keep warm.
The obvious choice was to find a ditch and lay in that as the wind would go over the ditch.