'Deep Survival'

[WhyteCheddar]

Am currently reading this book for a class. It is by Laurence Gonzales and is geared more towards wilderness survival than any kink of SHTF stuff but I find the book fascinating and thought I'd pass the info along.
The Author is searching for reasons why some people survive and why some don't.
It would be interesting to discuss some of the perspectives with any of my fellow 'NWfirearmers' who want to take the time to read it.

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[Wheeler44]

I have read the book and recommend it highly...

It certainly provides food for thought, especially when contemplating extreme situations...

 

[speelyei]

I definitely took away the sense that you either have the will to live, or you don't... Most of the examples cited didn't really seem to indicate training played that much of a role. For instance the example of his father, being shot at close range after an airplane crash... In a few cases, training and conditioning worked against people. Interesting read.

"Bone Games" by Greg Schultheiz is another book you might enjoy.

 

[Riot]

Funny, I'm currently reading this book atm as well. It is a good read nonetheless...breaks down how "experts" don't comprehend the dangers that they are in and make mistakes that set themselves up for failure- which either costs their lives and/or the lives of others in the process.

 

[Wheeler44]

What I really took away ; Systems fail...Complex systems fail in complex ways....

And the meme of the tome; "Be here now"...

I also liked how the author explains the brain storing "memories" and plans the same way in the same place, which can lead to "cognizant dissonance" when what you see doesn't register as reality. Then the brain fools the victim into believing the plans and memories instead of what is real and in front of their face...

 

[WhyteCheddar]

Implicit learning/memory vs Explicit learning/memory.
Fascinating stuff.
The story about the Army Ranger who pushed away his rescuer in the rapids with a laugh, then drowned. The way the mind works is really beyond description. People will actually yearn to be in life threatening situations to such an extent that they fail to realize the real possibility of not making it back. Or the brain starting to shut down becuause it does not know where it is.
I don't think the writing style is all that, but the content is great. Can't put it down.

 

[Gunner3456]

I read it. I came away reinforced in my belief that not only won't I live forever, but also that I don't want to. There are some conditions in which I simply don't want to live.

Now, what I might do on my way out is another subject. All through history worthy men have believed that some things are worth dying for, and they have died for them.

If my first and only goal is survival (and it's a big goal if it can be reasonably achieved) then I might become a skulking, hiding, lone refugee. I "ain't hidin' from nobody" unless it's so I can come back out and fight later.

 

[WhyteCheddar]

Have any of you who have read this book ever been lost in the wilderness? Where you had to spend the night in the woods when you did not plan to?

 

[Wheeler44]

Have any of you who have read this book ever been lost in the wilderness? Where you had to spend the night in the woods when you did not plan to?

Your question reminds me of an ol' Leon Russel tune.....He had been in Africa and asked a member of the Zulu tribe how to say "Lost in the woods" The reply; "Zulu don't get lost in the woods"....

I grew up and spent the early part of my adulthood on the edge of the wilderness (one of the largest in our nation)....if a day trip got pushed to an overnighter it was generally no big deal....Same if a two day trip got stretched into a three day trip.......Our folks taught us well and trusted us.....If one of us were to be injured we were expected to know what to do.....

Short answer; Yep...

 

[speelyei]

Have any of you who have read this book ever been lost in the wilderness? Where you had to spend the night in the woods when you did not plan to?

ahh yes. not to mention break downs, intoxication, bad spontaneous ideas, getting chased, getting ripped off, unexpected weather, getting left behind, hitchhiking, sailing with no wind, being a bad leader, following a bad leader, etc etc etc. y'know.... growing up. The book's not really a "how-to", anyway.

 

[AOTAC]

I have a hard cover if anyone is interested in purchasing it.

 

[Decker]

Have any of you who have read this book ever been lost in the wilderness? Where you had to spend the night in the woods when you did not plan to?

I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once...

-d

 

[Quackerbacker]

Your question reminds me of an ol' Leon Russel tune.....He had been in Africa and asked a member of the Zulu tribe how to say "Lost in the woods" The reply; "Zulu don't get lost in the woods"....

I grew up and spent the early part of my adulthood on the edge of the wilderness (one of the largest in our nation)....if a day trip got pushed to an overnighter it was generally no big deal....Same if a two day trip got stretched into a three day trip.......Our folks taught us well and trusted us.....If one of us were to be injured we were expected to know what to do.....

Short answer; Yep...

There really is a difference between kids that grow up in the woods and city kids that earn their level 14 uber technical triple black diamond wilderness expert badge.

Not to denigrate wilderness training, it’s valuable regardless of your background, but those people who grow up with the woods for a backyard will always be at an advantage, particularly in orientation and knowing approximately where they are at all times and their overall situational awareness (time of day, weather, flash flood probability, fire hazards, etc etc) and just seeing the totality of a situation for what it is.

 

[zeezee]

A must read is "One Second After", written very well and covers many of the topics we see here on the NWFA.

 

[Wheeler44]

There really is a difference between kids that grow up in the woods and city kids that earn their level 14 uber technical triple black diamond wilderness expert badge.

Not to denigrate wilderness training, it's valuable regardless of your background, but those people who grow up with the woods for a backyard will always be at an advantage, particularly in orientation and knowing approximately where they are at all times and their overall situational awareness (time of day, weather, flash flood probability, fire hazards, etc etc) and just seeing the totality of a situation for what it is.

And when those "hill folk" get their level 14 uber tactical triple black diamond wilderness expert badge....It's Katy, bar the door....

W44

 

[Sabertooth]

Spent all my life running around in the wilderness. Advanced training provided by the U.S. Army. As well as OJT.

 

[A.I.P.]

I travel alone in the bush quite a bit and Have had several unintended overnighters. The worst occured at night @ 7000 ft. elevation in Febuary, no food no fire, wet socks and the batterys in my flashlight went dead at around 0 degrees, then it started to get REALLY cold!

 

[Mark W.]

To the best of my knowledge having tromped the woods and plains of Oregon for almost 40 years (that my survival depended on my own abilities) I have never had to have someone come find me.

I have had to spend the night in a place not planned when a 4 day hike on the Pacific Crest Trail had to end in the middle of the second day 23 miles from the trail head due to the trail being covered by snow and it starting to snow covering my tracks. I made it out to the trail head by finding sections of the trail and map and compuse. I ended up at the trailhead (I was dropped off no vehicle available) at 10 pm. I managed to hitch 3 different rides that got me to Interstate five in Medford. Where I walked to the South Medford exit and slept along the freeway. Got woke up by truckers honking their horns at 6am. I packed and hitched a ride into Ashland. Walked from the Armory to the dorm. Total distance walked to get home almost 30 miles with a 50lb pack. I was home by 8am and made it to breakfast.

Along with a dozen other adventures but never lost or unable to extract myself and those with me.

 

[Thebastidge]

Never been "lost" in the woods, despite spending a LOT of time there as a kid. My dad and I used to harvest forestry products (at one point it was our only income for several years- mushrooms, ferns, bows for wreaths, moss, firewood etc.) and I spent many days on my own (from around the age of 11), hauling bags of moss for miles out of the deep woods where I might not see my dad for 5 or 6 hours, merely following a trail he'd blazed, finding my own shortcuts back to the truck, walking miles along overgrown logging roads and skidder trails, and just generally being out of contact. I don't think that kids who grow up like that CAN get lost. To this day, I always know how to point to where I've been, and I may not know the best route to get there, but I know which way it is, no matter how many turns I've taken along the way. There's a difference between not knowing how to get where you want to be, and being lost. After all, I always know where I am: I'm "here". From here I can find my way to somewhere else. As long as a person keeps their wits about them, there's no reason to feel "lost."

It's a tough way to make a living, gathering in the woods.

 

[Sabertooth]

Never been "lost" in the woods, despite spending a LOT of time there as a kid. My dad and I used to harvest forestry products (at one point it was our only income for several years- mushrooms, ferns, bows for wreaths, moss, firewood etc.) and I spent many days on my own (from around the age of 11), hauling bags of moss for miles out of the deep woods where I might not see my dad for 5 or 6 hours, merely following a trail he'd blazed, finding my own shortcuts back to the truck, walking miles along overgrown logging roads and skidder trails, and just generally being out of contact. I don't think that kids who grow up like that CAN get lost. To this day, I always know how to point to where I've been, and I may not know the best route to get there, but I know which way it is, no matter how many turns I've taken along the way. There's a difference between not knowing how to get where you want to be, and being lost. After all, I always know where I am: I'm "here". From here I can find my way to somewhere else. As long as a person keeps their wits about them, there's no reason to feel "lost."

It's a tough way to make a living, gathering in the woods.

And then there is ferns, Red Cedar rounds and Pine cones.
Lost means that you need to be some place for something really important. So from that point I've never been lost. Had to back track a few times and have been late a couple of times. But on the overall picture "No worry's mate"