Bugging out... in 1936 Siberia.

[Sun195]

An interesting story about a family of "Old Believers" - a fundamentalist Russian Orthodox sect - who moved out into Siberia to escape persecution in 1936. They lived there without any contact with other humans until discovered by a Russian geology team in 1978. It's some real "Swiss Family Robinson" type stuff - but with a lot more more suffering, starvation and cold.

You want to talk about really bugging out? These folks did it. All the way.

For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine

It's a pretty good read and shows just how tough people can be.

Read More

 

[jbett98]

Another really good book to read is called "Crusoe of Lonesome Lake" written by Leland Stowe.
After surviving WWI, a man "Ralph Edwards" hikes into the NW Canadian wilderness and single handed carves out a working farm.
Him and his daughter were responsible for saving the Trumpeter Swan from extinction.

 

[Kevinkris]

interesting.

 

[Silver Fox]

Wholly cow!!!!!!

I was in Samara Russia in Feb of 2006 and it hit -42 C. That was cold but that family had it cold. Dang.

SF-

 

[Sun195]

I found this part striking:

Lacking guns and even bows, they could hunt only by digging traps or pursuing prey across the mountains until the animals collapsed from exhaustion. Dmitry built up astonishing endurance, and could hunt barefoot in winter, sometimes returning to the hut after several days, having slept in the open in 40 degrees of frost, a young elk across his shoulders.

So, basically, this guy just chased animals around until they collapsed from exhaustion. Having chased a deer up through some woods this past hunting season, this just seems unbelievable. I can tell you who'd collapse first if it was me doing the chasing. Oh, and the fact he was running around barefoot in the winter....

 

[HansC]

The story is astounding. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Bushman]

This sounds a bit far fetched....Sleeping out in the open in that weather for days? Barefoot? lol OK...

 

[mrblond]

This sounds a bit far fetched....Sleeping out in the open in that weather for days? Barefoot? lol OK...

People do what they do. Remember this area is just north of Mongolia, not up in the arctic. I would guess the climate would be much like inland British Columbia.

 

[Bushman]

People do what they do. Remember this area is just north of Mongolia, not up in the arctic. I would guess the climate would be much like inland British Columbia.

I get that, but BC ain't exactly forgiving most of the year. Areas so secluded where you don't have human contact here in WA would be difficult to survive without proper equipment.

 

[Sun195]

This sounds a bit far fetched....Sleeping out in the open in that weather for days? Barefoot? lol OK...

Part of me is a little skeptical about this story, but Smithsonian is a pretty reputable publication and it was just a cool story, so I decided to share. Make of it what you will.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I found this part striking:



So, basically, this guy just chased animals around until they collapsed from exhaustion. Having chased a deer up through some woods this past hunting season, this just seems unbelievable. I can tell you who'd collapse first if it was me doing the chasing. Oh, and the fact he was running around barefoot in the winter....

I couldn't run down a hot dog! Thanks OP, Ill check this out!

PS: Wow! That was some story! Gives a good idea of just how tough Russians can be.
It reminds me, in just a small way of Lt. Hiru Onada of the Imperial Japanese Army. An intelligence officer, Onada was stationed in the Philippines in 1945 and while hiding from US forces missed the Japanese surrender! His last orders had been to hide with his squad and comense guerilla warfare after the island was overrun. For over thirty years, despite losing his squad mates, he carried out what little operations he could manage against the local population. Finally in 1976 he was persuaded by his former commander to surrender! At least he had a kinder climate than these poor Russian folks!

 

[eganx]

I found this part striking:



So, basically, this guy just chased animals around until they collapsed from exhaustion. Having chased a deer up through some woods this past hunting season, this just seems unbelievable. I can tell you who'd collapse first if it was me doing the chasing. Oh, and the fact he was running around barefoot in the winter....

That is how humans used to hunt......by injuring and out enduring the animal. Humans are built for endurance.....

 

[Boomerang]

So, basically, this guy just chased animals around until they collapsed from exhaustion. Having chased a deer up through some woods this past hunting season, this just seems unbelievable. I can tell you who'd collapse first if it was me doing the chasing. Oh, and the fact he was running around barefoot in the winter....

I've read that the aboriginal people in Australia hunted like that as well. Just follow the animal until it lays down and dies from exhaustion.

 

[mrblond]

I've read that the aboriginal people in Australia hunted like that as well. Just follow the animal until it lays down and dies from exhaustion.

yeah, I saw this as well. I also saw that they measured fossil footprints and by taking the length of the stride they think the Aboriginal people could run faster then Bolt could sprint.

 

[slimmer13]

Not exactly "bugging out" but how about Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi. Pretty crazy!


<broken link removed>


Shoichi Yokoi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[theguncrank]

I found a copy of Peskov's book about the Lykovs.

Out of my price range:

9780385472098: Lost in the Taiga - New & Used Books & Textbooks at Alibris Marketplace

And, of course, Amazon has it for a bargain:

Lost in the Taiga: One Russian Family&#39;s Fifty-Year Struggle for Survival and Religious Freedom in the Siberian Wilderness: Vasily Peskov: 9780385472098: Amazon.com: Books

A story like this begs for a new printing!

 

[Grunwald]

Tough maybe but stupid certainly.
It is not rocket science to make a bow and arrows. All you need is a knife, or if you are really in the stone age a sharp stone will do.
You can also setup traps without any advanced modern tools.