Could you... survive in the wild?

So you're dropped off on the east coast of wild Canada... you have to survive as long as possible, it'll be hard but it'll be easy for some.

Judging on your mental and physical strength abilities, how long do you think you'd last? how would you survive it with no help at all just the wilderness to live with?

You can bring only 10 items with you, no food or water.

I am intrigued to read your ideas :*

No bein' lazy ;)

Could you... survive in the wild?Could you... survive in the wild?


Most Helpful Girl

  • 1. char cloth or cordite
    2. an acrylic fire piston
    3. potassium permanganate and
    glycerin in a double chemical container
    4. 1 charcoal infused 500ml bottle
    5. 1 standard combat knife and whet-stone set
    6. alcohol or povidone iodine
    7. 20 meter long hemp rope
    8. 1 ball of 100% cotton yarn
    9. 250mg potassium nitrate and 100mg
    white sugar in a double pouch pack
    10. 1 large blue tarpaulin

    1. the char cloth is useful for starting fires because it is extremely light and heat sensitive and also pressure sensitive and combusts rapidly enough, easy to use and easy to make, whereas cordite is more difficult to make but is a very powerful extremely rapid burning material that will combust from impact forces or heat, very useful for destroying compacted rocks or hollowed trees

    2. an acrylic fire piston an really only be used with char cloth but requires less of it to start a fire than without it, very useful for a variety of applications like emergency cauterization of deep wounds and initiating fuses, it is easy and cheap to build as well

    3. potassium permanganate is a powder solution that is useful for purifying river water and makes a powerful antiseptic agent in concentrations of water, however if it doesn't appear pink when a tiny amount is mixed into a bottle of water then dont drink it, pink is safe while purple is better for antiseptic, glycerin is a useful tool for burns, light injuries, mosquito bites, rashes and boils and neutralizes chemical burns, mix both potassium permanganate and glycerin together and you will create an unstable chemical that will easily help you start a fire and is safe to cook with, both of these sealed seperately in chemical containers make a perfect combination of sterilization, medication, and combustion

    4. water bottles are essential for survival since water is not always readily available in the wild, keep a rod of charcoal in it and it should kill organisms as well as alkalize the water, and the bottle itself can be used as a sort of parabolic mirror to help combust light sensitive materials in low light

    5. a trusty combat knife is always useful in survival, from defending yourself to making hunting tools like spears and bows, to making traps, to skinning and cutting your catch, a knife is essential for anybody's survival.. buying one that comes with a small whetstone is just icing on the cake


    • 6. alcohol and povidone iodine is always useful to disinfect injuries because no matter how minor an injury is in the wild it could be just as fatal as a pack of wolves, if left untreated injuries could become infected and could cause the person to gain a fever, become hallucinogenic, hysterical, and eventually die, best case without disinfectants or cauterization an amputation may be necessary to survive, which i doubt anyone would be willing to do

      7. rope can be very useful for building tents, setting up traps, vertical climbing, fastening equipment and binding animals, the best kind is real hemp rope because it is a strong material that only gets stronger when in the rain as opposed to nylon rope, while nylon rope is elastic it cannot handle excessive weight from items or equipment that become significantly heavier when wet, whereas hemp rope only gets stronger, on top of which hemp rope is much easier to grip and handle

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    • Thanks, a lot of people take way more than what is necessary. I go for a hike every other year up in Killarney Provincial Park with my brother and we do the bare minimum.

      It makes us realize how difficult life was back when you did not have all the portable gadgets for camping that makes life so easy. This ain't no car camping trip it's hard work and roughing it!

      This is what the terrain is like up there...

    • @oldanddecrepid which is partially why i chose these, so i can actually fit it in a shoulderbag without getting heavy, the last thing you want in the wilderness is dead weight xD

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What Girls & Guys Said

  • 1st, dress for success: I'd bring a set of thermal base layer + my hycreek pants and jacket

    2nd, water: forget charcoal filters and press2pure water bottles, if your going to survive long term you're not going to last long on those luxuries, so skimming and boiling water in larger quantities is going to be necessary. My second and third items are going to be a large cooking pot and a gallon jug

    3rd, tools for the job: everything from hunting food to building a suitable shelter is going to require durable equipment. And they're in order of importance.

    Rifle, 308 or better and nickel finished barrel and action ABSOLUTE MUST.
    Estwing hatchet
    Magnesium fire starter
    Waterproof bivvy sack
    Med kit.

    Why is med kit 10th on the list? Because the best medicine is preventative medicine. Don't traverse rocky slopes and break your ankle, don't cut yourself badly and need stitches. Pay attention to what you're doing and don't make poor choices because If you get hurt out in the bush beyond the capacity of your natural immune system, your practically fucked anyway regardless of what professional med kit you bring with you. it's practically a luxury in terms of long term wilderness living.

    that's what I'd bring with in order to survive, And yes I would make it a long time😊

    • Very interesting, :p smart! I'll gain some inspiration from that!

    • I very much agree with the preventative medicine idea - be careful, always be aware, don't take risks.

    • And depending how bad you get hurt you can be in pretty big trouble - even from a small cut because of infection. I've done some stupid things out in the woods that I now look back on and think that was really really dumb.

  • I would bring a hatchet, along with one of my childhood favorite books:

    And then I copy everything that Brian Robeson does in the books with a hatchet to survive the Canadian wilderness. xD Foolproof plan!

  • Been there and done that. I just need a knife and a flint. As long as it is Canada's wilderness, I am good to go.

    1) I am a biologist/botanist, so I know what to eat and can make some damn good dishes from the forest floor.
    2) I can make a spear with the knife and/or make a fishing rod to catch fish. Perhaps grill up a trout and stuff it with dandelion greens, wild cranberries from the bog, wild leeks, some fresh basil and chives, maybe some pine-nuts.
    3) I can make a lean-to shelter in a couple of hours.
    4) I can make a fire from sticks, some.
    5) I can make snares and traps from sticks and lengths of white cedar bark. I can sew, so given enough time, could probably make some winter clothes out of the mammals I caught.
    6) I can make cedar tea with blueberries and wintergreen leaves.
    7) chewing gum from pine sap to hold things together and waterproof any seams/surfaces.
    8) I can make a rotisserie in case I catch a fish. I can clean the fish so there are not bones.
    9) I can lash a fire tripod together with a hook for boiling water over the fire.
    10) make a rainwater catchment vessel out of wood and capture my drinking water from my shelter, rather than risk drinking surface water in a creek, river or lake.

    I could go on and on, but I thing that covers the majority of what I have done.

  • Since I believe on education I had, my mentality and pysiqal strenght, yeah I would survive until I get out of there. Well I would take only 3 things with me, an axe, tent and bedroll ( dont need tent much, can be build ) since Canada isn't dry as Turkey it would be much easier to find ''water sources'' and plants which contains water which can resolve your thirst. It would be bad idea to settle deep inside a forest or inside a cave, so I would prefer somewhere close to any water source and not deep inside the forest. I would resolve my thirst by the water source I found, If water is salty I would fill some in my t-shirt and drop it into the ''hole'' where I digged and try to boil it there with using some firewoods, I would boil the water thats because it has an affect to turn ''salty water'' into drinking water. I would also use my t-shirt as a filter and it could work, but the first method is more better ;) The other thing I could do for resolving my thirst would be finding ''Taraxacum officinale'' which are mostly can be find in cold and wet countries, Nasturtium officinale would work aswell the plant which is mostly found near rivers, it would be much better boiling it.

    There is also another way to resolve your thirst which is a dirty way, I could piss on my t-shirt and drink its drops, but this method is not healthy and might make you sick, drinking just drops would be better. I wouldn't have problems with eating, I could kill animals around the forest, or I could eat worms living under ''tree shells'' white ones ain't toxic so there wouldn't be problem with eating them. There isn't a problem with eating a scorpion aswell ofcourse if you removed its poined needle.

    Keep waiting where you are would be a bad idea and dangerous, so I would always move and try to find way out.

    • haha nice! And i'd imagine being in the military you'll have had to survive in Anatolia?
      There'll be a lot of fresh water rivers and lakes too! but
      "Taraxacum officinale" oh yes we call that the dandelion! very good plant actually we use it for salads too.

      You get toxic worms?

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    • Lool man :D We dont have sand in Turkey, you can't even 1 desert here. Nah East Side of Anatolia isn't sandy but its so dry and rocky :D And not enough water source. Trabzon is very cool man I went there this summer, its very diffrent than some regions of Turkey. I could survive fo' sure ;D You can say so yeah, it was something like internship.

    • HAHAHA well not sand but you know what I mean the dryness!!! hahaha xD
      rocky and dry yes muddy. WOuld really wanna visit one day too. You are in the army... fucking of course you could survive ;)

  • I need to go camping dude. I never do that stuff. I think I would last a good while.

    >Camelpack (All equipment including rubber mattress/blankets/surefire flashlight ect)
    >Potable Aqua (water purification tablets)
    >.223 caliber rifle
    > First aid kit
    >Bring all my old uniforms (Woodland cammies*they look badass in comparison to desert, combat boots, fresh silkies on deck)
    >6 inch Kabar

  • I think I could survive if it was over the summer. We do pack pack canoe trips in the boundary waters so I'm familiar with the area. I would bring with me:
    2 tarps
    Fishing pole (w/ fishing line and hook.)
    Extra fishing hooks
    A knife
    And something to carry/store water

    And this is assuming I am wearing the proper clothes/shoes.

  • I could for a while yeah, items I would bring are.

    1. K-Bar
    2. Flint
    3. Survival Axe
    4. Wet Stone
    5. A metal pot
    6. A clean metal container
    7. String
    8. Rope
    9. Hooks
    10. Poncho material

    Also I am very stunned and surprised that no one said flint as an item they'd take considering flint will enable you to create sparks for lighting, light foliage almost anywhere and will last way, way long then either a lighter or matches lol

  • I could survive yes
    I'm a very good animal manipulator (idk if my manipulation works with wild animals lol)
    Phone , a pair of clothes , a sword or axe , a soft thing to sleep, water bottle ( I can't drink like an animal lol) I don't know what other lol there are a lot of things

  • Yes, I could survive and I would just face the reality and toughen up. I would take:
    A tent
    Those things that you could start a fire with
    A water bottle with a built in filter
    A machete
    Bow and arrows
    A blanket
    A pan
    A little knife
    A book about the plants in my area
    A tooth brush and toothpaste
    Face wash

  • Can i bring someone with me? If so i would take my boyfriend or my best friend. 😍❤️
    I think i can survive for more than three months 😃 I'm really into these kinds of environment so maybe I'd move there for the rest of my life 😂😂😂❤️❤️
    Maybe that'd turn me into a monster and I'll kill people for food 😂😂😂😂 if i find some 😂😂

  • i will take with me:
    a hammock so i can sleep off the ground
    25 meters of paracord
    a machete, it can function as axe and knife
    a pack of XLL condoms, they can store 2 liters each
    water purification tablets
    a lighter
    a tarp to put over my hammock when it rains
    mouse traps to catch animals for food
    and a backpack to put everything in

  • I can survive there forever. No joke. I am serious.
    My grand father was a woodcutter, I am expert with "axe" and chopping woods. So it gives me fuel and protection. Plus he taught me about plants and fruits I can eat in a forest.
    I live in a place where temperature can go -30 C so, temperature no problem.
    My uncles taught me how to catch fishes. So proteins , no problem.
    So the needful Items are
    1. A Axe
    2. Knife
    3. A fish hook
    4. A rope
    5. My common sense.
    That's all I need.😄

    • Teach me bro!! Do you live near the himalayas?

    • Show All
    • Only problem with that philosophy is that logging requires a great deal of energy especially with someone who's built like a brick house, you'll need a very protein and nutrient heavy diet otherwise your body can't handle it over time..

    • @renogaza
      Thanks for the opinion

  • I used to hike and i got lost the woods once and although i'm tempted to believe i would survive longer because i experienced it but the reality is i would likely die from dehydration or starvation. My knees got shaky from climbing walking over the rough environment and i'd fall to the ground without actually feeling tired. Also when i realized i was thirsty the concept of finding water made me panicked when i realize i didn't know where water was.

    Even when i found my way and went to bed i was so sore and tired it hurt to walk. I couldn't imagine what i'd if i was still lost.

    • Woah! Yeah it really takes a strong body to survive

    • Easiest way to find water is to look for downward streams, all streams lead to rivers.. you can also (if you have a knife) cut a hole through a tree and sap should flow out, be sure to identify the tree before doing this because some treesap are like glue or melted rubber, good trees are like oak, pine, cypress, birch, and ashwood, all fruit bearing trees are also safe.. alternatively fruits have some water content with coconuts and grapefruit having the most, blood from wild game also works as long as its not boar blood, and beehives also have lots but better smoke them out first (best done with tobacco or marijuana) good luck :)

    • Smoking beehives with bits of charred termite nests also work but be prepared for the overpoweringly foul stench that comes with it :p

  • I would bring:
    1. An activated charcoal bottle (no water but I can get that from wilderness)
    2. Fishing rod (for food ofc)
    3. Tent (need shelter)
    4. First aid kit (just in case I get any cuts- don't want to get an infection)
    5. Change of warm clothes (including a beanie so that head doesn't escape from the top of my head at night)
    6. Surplus of matches (for keeping warm at night and cooking food/sterilizing my tools)
    7. Knife (for cutting things lol)
    8. Rope (for tieing things)
    9. Compass/map (so I know where I'm going)
    10. Signaling flare (just in case someone sends rescue)

  • Practically I never was in the wild , I was in the desert
    I think I would survive but I don't know where to get the water from the wild , in the desert we can get water from Cactus

  • Real question here is, would the wild survive with me in it?

  • 10 items hunh? Sounds like cheating.
    Assuming clothing is counted as 1
    2 good pair of waterproof boots
    3 knife (good size hunting knife)
    4 300 square feet of tarp
    5 100 feet of lanyard
    6 One of those Firestarter with thermite and flint
    6 a hand axe
    7 navigation compass the plastic kind with the ruler and rotating bevel
    8 a decent sized camel back
    9 water purifier
    10 area map

    I believe I can probably do just fine for a good while depending on the weather.

  • The biggest issues would be enviromental forces, food and water. If i can get a good shelter made. Steady of stream of water and fresh fish and other random stuff... maybe. But this is Canada so that means winters are coming. I doubt it for winter

  • Oh i'd love to !
    Sounds super exciting tbh. Gotta love the wild.

  • I think I would do pretty well in a survival situation.

    I would bring:
    1. My SAS Survival Handbook
    2. A Parang
    3. Magnesium Fire Starter
    4. A saw that is a chain (not a chainsaw)
    5. A tube of neosporin
    6. A condom
    7. Gallon plastic bag
    8. Duct tape
    9. Tent
    10. Emergency thermal blanket.

  • Ah shit dood, there's mooses and stuff

    I'd bring:
    1. Clothes
    2. Warm stuff
    3. Lighter
    4. Tent
    5. Some damn rope
    6. Rations for a week
    7. A bow and some arrows
    8. Fishing pole
    9. Knife
    10. Leaving this slot empty cuz I'm that hardcore

  • i could survive, as long as i have my:
    1) Water bottle
    2) knife
    3) phone
    4) clothes
    5) Gun

  • Well seeing I spent a good portion of my youth camping bymyself in the woods
    And I've spent a considerable amount of time self training
    I can outlast a large portion of you
    1. Swedish fire steel
    2. A life straw
    3. A full size marine spec k bar knife
    4. An ultralight fishing setup, preferably a ugly stick gx2
    5. Beginners crappie lure kit
    6. Gamo big cat 1260 pellet rifle with full reservoir
    7. A stainles still water bottle, at least 1 liter
    8. Medium size SOL truama kit
    9. Space blanket sleeping bag
    10. Lots and lots and lots of 550 spec paracord

  • For as long as I needed to.
    I'm surprised looking at people's answers so far, at the top of my list would be a compass, map, and survival manual. So that's three, seven to go. A sleeping bag, canteen, and water purifier tablets I think I'd pick next. Then, a rifle, ammunition, and a lighter. Last, a book bag to carry it all.
    How I'd survive, well I'd walk downhill, since water runs downhill, until I came across a river. I'd than follow the river southwardly. Towns, villages, and cities are typically built on/around waterways. So eventually I should come across a road or a building.

    • Plus I was a 13f in the army which is basically a scout for the artillery. So I'm pretty good at reading maps, identifying landmarks, and using a compass. I would imagine, by the end of the first day that I'd know pretty much exactly where I am.

    • Oh nice man! You'd know what to do, would you really be using that. Compass, or an axe? 😉

    • Compass, anything you're planning on doing with an axe will require burning a lot of calories. Better hope you have a steady food source.

  • All I need are my snuggies and I'm good..
    I'll survive anything.

  • Good shoes + socks
    Tarp with rope
    Knife (ideally leatherman)
    Flint and steel striker
    2 liter water bottle (empty)
    Book of wild plants
    Space blanket (s)
    Bow and arrows with quiver (not even kidding lol)
    Compass (or thick cloak)

    Those are my 10 items. Ideally antibiotics would on that list too but i sort of count those as food. Medicinal plants can be in the plant book.

    I'm not great at survival I guess but I'm a decent shot and know things like "boil water so you don't get giardia" and what kinds of habitats wild animals prefer and kind of how to stay dry/warm and such sooo

    • Having some potassium permanganate is better because a tiny amount of it purifies water without boiling, fires are impossible while its raining after all :)

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    • ultraviolet rays can kill germs over some time, but if this is done in a plastic bottle its more likely to poison your water, a glass bottle is better for this but glass is inherently fragile..

      i have spend a lot of time in the woods, but its more like jungles and rainforests in my country, i've also spent some time in mountains and caves as well as caves leading to sinkholes and underground rivers xD

    • personally i only bring upto 100mg of potassium permanganate, bringing too much will only weigh me down, plus my firestarter/water purifier is only for immediate survival and once i get settled in i can build more longterm methods that dont require ingredients like these for starting fires and instead just dedicate it for water

  • 1) tent 6) GPS
    2) insect repellent 7) first aid kit
    3) knife 8) TP (because I'm not using a leaf)
    4) bottle 9) pan
    5) matches (or lighter) 10) gun &ammo

  • I watched enough Bear Gyrlls drinking his own piss that I probably could.

  • No, I'll be eaten by a bear and probably die of hypothermia.

  • Is there internet in the wild?

  • Have you played the game Survive?

  • I'd definitely die lol

  • Probably not. I would just give up.

  • A helicopter along with a pilot.

  • maybe, not sure

  • I might die in a week...

  • I'd be fine.

  • I would die


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