Has anyone ever spent any extended period of time living in the wilderness?
I don't mean with a GPS, freeze dried/canned food, and all the other comfort items. I mean a gritty existance where you live off the land and the amimals and fish with your trad bow and maybe a few other items. Even a canoe trip would do, or a long hunting trip in the mountains in a tent.
I'm just curious because it's something I've always wanted to do.
It doesn't have to be in the vast wilderness of Alaska or Canada (even though that would be fine). I think I'll just start off small and go with the north woods of Michigan and move my way on up to bigger things.
So go on, share your story or a maybe a dream that you have for living in the wilderness.
Bakes
Every couple of years, my wife and I backpack in the Wind River mountain range in Wyoming. Maybe it's not the completely primitive experience you had in mind, but we backpack in with pasta, rice, dried beans, dried potatoes, some spices and dried tomatoes, and some hard cheese like parmesan, and don't come back out for a month or more. We fish for our meat, which isn't all that hard once you get a day or more off the trailheads. We generally camp by any of a thousand lakes, and after we set up our tent, she might say, "I'd like to start dinner in about 15 minutes; could you go catch us a couple of fish?" And in 15 minutes or so, I come back to camp with a couple of nice trout.
It isn't uncommon for us to go 3-4 days in between seeing any other people.
I remember the last time we were there, we were cooking on a backpacking stove next to a huge boulder, near a lake. On our other side was a hedgelike bush. What looked like a yearling deer stuck his head around the bush and watched us cook for a minute or so. As we stared at him, he stared back at us, and we could imagine his mental conversation going on: "Uh oh, they don't seem to be afraid of me, so maybe I should be afraid of them!" And he ambled off at a fast walk. One time, a deer bent down his head and looked into our tent in the morning. I don't think he had ever seen such a thing before.
McDave, that's awsome! :D
Dried food or not that is still pretty cool.
I can't wait to get done with high school and get out and do thinds like that.
Kinda like that movie Into The Wild, except maybe not that extreme. :)
I love to read about living in the wild and being in the outdoors, I just have a great passion for the outdoors, and all aspects of it.
I really like Gary Pulson's books, especially Brian's Hunt, that's kinda what I want to do.
I did a month long canoe trip through ontario and quebec covering 600 miles in 21 days. We only had some flour and a couple other basics along. We ate fish we caught and were lucky enough to get a few dumb grouse now with a throwing stick. We also picked berries now and then. I was skinny when I started the trip. I was skinnier when we got done. It was an experience to remember.
WAY BACK WHEN I JUST GRAD FROM HIGH SCHOOL(40 PLUS YEARS AGO) I SET OUT ON GRAD DAY,SKIPPING THE CEREMONY, FOR THE ADK MTNS HERE IN NEW YORK! SPENT THE ENTIRE SUMMER UP IN THOSE MTNS,HIKING,CAMPING AND JUST LIVING! STARTED OUT WITH TWO WEEKS WORTH OF DRIED FOODS,FISHED EVERY DAY! BUT UP THERE,THERE IS ALOT OF OTHER HIKERS, I FOUND MYSELF SPENDING MORE TIME HELPING LOST HIKERS OUT AND THE FEW THAT DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP THEIR FOOD AWAY FROM BEARS AND OTHER ANIMALS SUCH AS PINE MARTINS, THOSE I HELPED WITH MY FEW DRIED FOODS!! I WENT IN WEIGHING 175LBS/CAME OUT 120LBS OF RAW MTN MADE MUSCLE!I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT AND ALWAYS WISHED TO GO SOME PLACE BIGGER!! JOBS,WIVES,AND KIDS KEPT THAT DREAM FROM HAPPENING!BUT I WOULDN'T TRADE THAT EXPERENCE FOR ANYTHING!! I STILL CAMP,BUT ONLY FOR WEEK LONG TRIPS! I DID LOVE THAT MOVIE INTO THE WILD, MY DAUGHTER HAD ME WATCH IT AS SHE SAID IT REMINDED HER OF ME!! I WASN'T EVEN CLOSE TO BEING THAT EXTREME! I HOPE YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE YOUR DREAMS!! JIMMERC
Great thread! Good luck - I've always wanted to do something similar and I plan on making it happen in the next few years. Probably start off some where in the Northeast.
I have not done it for "weeks" or "months".....
But,years ago (rifle hunting) I would head back into the Adirondacks for a few days,carrying little or nothing.(gun,ammo,knife,compass,fire kit) I would sleep in a D.E.C. lean-to,and I knew the area well so fresh water was not a problem.
It was fun!!!!!
Into the Wild is thrilling and enthralling. But don't make the mistakes McCandless made. Our ancestors were trained for years and had deep tribal knowledge on how to live off the land. Learn how to live off the land before you try it for real. A summer of learning will prepare you for a fall of adventure and you won't pay the ultimate price. You will still lose weight I bet :)
Bakes, have you ever looked into Tom Brown's Tracker School. It's something I've always wanted to do.
I have friends in deep bush AK, 250 air miles north of Fairbanks, 125 miles from nearest village or road, who have been there for 25 yearfs, raised three kids and lost another during an extended sled dog trip, and they prosper. I'm urging him to write a book on his life. The real thing that would prevent most of us from doing this is not grizzly bears or -50 winters, but ... boredom and bugs. A subsistence hunter generally has a monotonous life. In this case, they east grayling 3 times a day all summer, and the same for moose all winter. Not for everyone but paradise for the few. Dave
might I recommend the Boundary Waters Canoe area on the Minnesota/Canadian border. Once you get past the portages, you can go days without seeing a soul.....Also a good place to disappear for good if ya dont know what youre doing.
John Scifres mentioned "Into the Wild" and I just saw the movie last night. It was a bit troubling, but I would recommend it to anyone considering spending some time away from society.
I like reading Sam Fadala and his adventures into the desert for a few days with only his bow.
QuoteOriginally posted by BabaLoo:
Bakes, have you ever looked into Tom Brown's Tracker School. It's something I've always wanted to do.
Ditto! I read Tom Brown years ago. Would recommend looking for his book(s).
Another good writer is Farley Mowatt. Read about how some of the natives in the Great North subsist(ed) and you'll understand the value of a Walmart around the corner.
I can relate with your yearnings. After school I loaded up my car in Wisconsin and rolled into Alaska with thirty bucks left to my name. Lived on the beach all summer off Dolly Varden and flounder. Moved into an abandoned uninsulated Quanset hut with an old leaky wood stove in it for the winter. Most my times was spent cutting firewood and packing coal off the beach. Every morning Id wake up to an icy mustache and frost covering my sleeping bag. At the worst I spent a couple weeks living on popcorn.
I went on to make a life up here and have had some awesome experiences. It's my opinion that there is just too much nature has to offer to spend all ones time just surviving. Even a fly-in drop-off hunt can seperate the men from the boys so to speak.
Dropped off in the middle of nowhere on a mountain lake with the bare essentials to last two weeks, weather kept the pilot away for an extra week, a two mile hike down to the river bottom when the bottled gas is gone and a two mile hike back up the mountain with firewood. Blew at least 40 miles and hour the whole time and gusts broke two poles on my six pole tent!!! Rained hard for most of the time. Just staying warm and staying dry consumed me. Had plenty of water though!! never ever though I could get tired of caribou backstrap.
Great experience in hindsight, but it was rough going through it.
Theres a mountain I call my own that sticks up out of the tundra five miles from the rest of the brooks range. Have spent a great deal of time on it. What i love about being alone on the mountain is how small it makes me feel. The closest Ive come to seeing God. Dont have to be in survival mode to experience His awesome creation away from the plastic throw-away society of ours.
It's important before heading out to learn survival skills and just the knowledge that you can if need be survive provides the confidence to be out there and truly enjoy it all.
My best to ya in your adventures. Be smart and be safe so you can have many.
Randy
Several solo backpack archery elk hunts in the wilderness area in CO and the annual month and a week sojourn at my cabin tucked away in the woods in which I hunt solo during archery season here are as close as I get to "wilderness experiences". I always bring adequate food during these trips because I want to spend the time chasing the quarry I'm after, not trying to survive. But even then, a person spends a considerable amount of time tending the fire,getting up firewood,preparing for inclement weather. I rarely see anyone the entire time I'm in the woods but a friendly unexpected guest is always a nice surprise after you've spent quite a bit of time alone and talking to yourself. I'm just now debating a solo "road trip" to Montana to scout out a bighorn sheep area. If it materilizes, I will be out there until mid-August primitive camping then I will return to repack and go back to CO for the annual elk hunt.Good luck!
Bakes168,
Don't wait too long after your out of high school. If you go to college there isn't much spare time to do anything but school. If you get married and have children after that, then forget it. If you don't go to college then you'll probably be working all the time. If I knew when I was in high school what I know now, I probably wouldn't have spent much time in school! LOL.... High school doesn't compare to college, and college doesn't compare to real life. Do everything you can now while your young but prepare yourself for it. Safety first! Start small and work your way up with experience and find someone to share your time with that will enjoy it as much as you will.
I still dream of adventures like you are talking about but will most likely never get to experience them. Live life while you are young and able bodied.
Aaron
Back when I was much younger several friends and I would go camping pretty much with what we were wearing and could carry easily. We always had a great time whether we were out for a weekend or a week. An "adventure" can be however long or short a time you have to devote to it. In fact, it is advisable to keep things simple and short at first. Learn the "hows" before you bet your life on your abilities. Mother Nature doesn't care whether you are comfortable or not or whether or not you even survive. A first aid course is a really good idea. Plan for the worst and anything less will be easier to deal with.
Before it sounds like I'm trying to rain on your parade, I'm not. Like I said, some friends and I made memories that last a lifetime. I'm just advocating that you start slow and work your way into longer adventures.
John
Thanks for all the encouragement and advice guys, it really means a lot.
Yes, I have looked into Tom Brown's school and it looks very interesting.
My first thought after seeing Into the Wild was that he went off into the harsh wilderness lacking skills and unprepared. This is something I would never do, I would test myself first and make sure I was up to the challenge.
I need to find some of these books you guys are mentioning. A great one I would recommend to anyone is Wild at Heart, it's a great book.
Living alone in the wilderness for a while does sound pretty boring, but if I had some books and a bible I think I'd be alright.
I also think a dog would be a great companion to have along, protection and friendship :) . The only thing that bugs me is how to keep it fed, you can't pack too much dry dog food and what if there isn't enough game to share?
It feels like people and society are telling me to go to college, get a job, make money, get married and be successful.
But it feels like God and my heart are steering me towards the wilderness, trad bowhunting, and maybe guiding for a living. Living an exciting life filled with my passions, successful or not. I think I'll let God guide me and hopefully I can take that path :) .
If youre talking about John Eldredges book, Wild at heart... I have it. Youre right!! Great Book!!
Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and heart in the right place.
What I hear being said is that once one starts college and work and a family and all, it becomes more and more difficult to make or find the time to do the things you are talking about wanting to do.
Society, family and friends often do seem to have ideas about what we should and shouldnt do, but God gave each of us our own unique gifts and passions.
By all means, go after the desires of your heart and share your passions with others.
I can second all the posts voicing the idea of going sooner then later. I'm single without a wife or kid to worry about but I can't afford to leave work. Student loans, car payments, insurance, phone bills, etc., keep me from having any length of time to pursue my dreams like this. Life happens in a hurry and next thing ya know you're just a slave to the bankers and the government.
Stumpthumper, thank you. Your words mean more than you know.
Lytic, I dont want to be a slave! If I were in your boat I'd drop off the grid, live in the woods, become a mountain man! :) Or maybe just take up a different line of work.
Thanks for the advice.
Bakes
I work for an ambulance service and see a lot of hikers that get caught unprepared and if not rescued would probably die, even when they are able-bodied and have good weather. Last October I decided to test myself to see how I would do if something happened to me while hunting in the mountains by myself. The most practical scenario I could come up with is to break my ankle. I had my wife set an alarm without telling me what time it would go off, then I went hunting with nothing but what I would normally carry for a day hunt. When the alarm went off, I had to build a shelter within a hundred yards of where I "broke my ankle" and survive overnight. That night was extreemly windy and cold, but I stayed relatively warm and I ate some native plants that I found out were edible. I think doing test runs like this are very valuable for if the real thing happens. Even with different circumstances, it helps to recall other survival situations to give you confidence. I would like to try a winter snow cave survival trip next. The work-up-to-longer-and-harder-trips is good advice.
I think we all here have a bit of the wild adventurer in us. I have cretainly been taking my baby steps, I grew up in New York City. And my dad would always watch TV show about "The West" for which he always had an affinity for. Being Just Like you Bakes When I was old enough to know enough I moved Here to colorado, and started doing all the things you want to do A little bit at a time. TOM BROWN was definately an inspiration to me I have read all his Books and Seen many of the TV shows and documentaries. I highly recommend Getting them, and PRACTICING everything you plan to do. Doug Treat had a great example as well. remember this little quote too..
"If you don't plan to succeed plan to fail."
I could see Ken Mowry doing an extended wilderness adventure.
For the young out there do it before life gets in the way...
Bakes168,
Not telling you what to do with your life at all. That has to be your decision. I even played with the idea of becoming a guide when I first started college. Hated school. But I finished school, got a job, got a family, got a mortgage, etc......... Now there isn't time or money for the adventures you refer to. But I have a good job, a great wife, and three wonderful children that I get to watch grow up and share that time with. That may not be for you. You have to go with your heart. Good luck with whatever you choose and be safe in any of your adventures.
Aaron
I guess there is one other thing I'd like to say. If you think wilderness living will test your ability to survive, it's nothing compared to "real life". Getting up every morning with the responsibility for 4 other people's livelihood...and not just for a week or a month but for at least the next 20 years...now that's a test. More than half the men in this country fail it too.
Plus, just because you enter into the college- work-family phase of your life, it doesn't mean you are on a track. I have more meaningful and fun adventures now than I ever did when I was a kid.
Life is a journey. Enjoy all your steps.
All that being said, explore the world now.
Well said John!
And BTW Bakes, schooling and outdoor adventure don't have to be independent from each other. I was much like you upon graduating high school, and really didn't know where I was going next, I just wanted to be outside. Good fortune and guardian angels got me to the Adirondacks and VERY small college, with an even smaller program in Wilderness Recreation Leadership. Camping for Credit! Not only did that hone my skills and build my confidence, but the connections made there led directly to many more wilderness excursions.
These days there are many more outdoor-based college opportunities if you look for them. If you want more info on my old program, I'd be happy to share what I can, though it's been years since I've been in touch with the school. Good luck with whatever you pursue!
When I graduated college in 96', a buddy of mine and I decided we would head out west (from Louisiana) for a week and see what happened. A friend of mine was inn the Natl. Guard and gave me a case of MREs.
We got in the car and drove. We were gone a week. we camped out everynight in either a state park or off the beaten path somewhere. We hiked the Grand Canyon, and I mean we hiked. We drove all over New Mexico and Arizona. We went to Lee's Ferry, hiked a wash to the Colorado River, camped and fly fished for 3 days, eating the MREs and whatever we caught.
We took one shower that whole trip and spent only 100 bucks per person, due to gas.
The BEST BEST BEST trip of my life. I will always remember it for the rest of my life. Now that I am a little older, make more money, have a child, etc...it won't happen again for a while. I did go on a hiking trip through the mountains of China 3 years ago, but it was about 4000 more than that trip with my friend, and not nearly as fun.
Long story longer.....do it while you can. It doens't have to be living off of bugs and coyote scat for months, do it for a week or two...but in the long run, you will be glad you did and will always have great stories to tell.
If you don't go for your dreams now, while you can, you will regret it for the rest of your life.
That being said, John Scifes said a mouth full there!!!! I have worked my butt off for the last 34 years to support my family, would,nt trade it for nothing. Now at 52 I can start taking some time to do the things that I enjoy.
I found, family does not mean as much to you when you are young and full of piss and vinegar but when you get older, it's means the world to you!!
bakes168
i have gone elk hunting in new mexico for 10-14 days in a row and loved it...met an actual mountain man / clan and he helped us pack out one of our elk...long story...i'm in muskegon if you ever want details...even got a video of an elk that i hit with a video camera...i'm 40 now and think of those times every day...all i can say is you're on the right trail letting GOD help you...good luck with your decision...
steve
I lived in a 12' x 14' log cabin in the woods for about a year back in '79 or '80. I subsisted on fish and game plus what I grew in the garden or gathered in the woods. My water was a spring that was under the cabin floor. I was working full time though so I don't guess this counts as a true living off the land existence since I could stop in for a cheeseburger any time I was in town, I simply chose not to. It was fun but a lot of work when I wasn't working at my job.
Bob
A friend and I have done a 1-2 week trapping trip to the UP every winter for the past 4 years. We pack only as many traps as we can carry, a little food (mostly jerky, rice and some chocolate) usually take a 22 since he's not a trad bow guy and I carry my bow.
We stay in a old dirt floor hunting shack in the middle of a few hundred acres surrounded by state/fed land.
I've always lost 10-20lbs but had a blast, only had one scary incident where he fell through the ice in a beaver pond and took me with him as I was trying to get him out...a few goose bump/heart pumper incidents with wolves a year ago.
I look forward to it every year! Best of luck, packa journal so you can write your thoughts and what you see...I leave the camera at home because those memories are special to just me and my bro.