What is your your definition of Wilderness, and do you have what it takes to live there?
Being lazy I am citing the first dictionary definition that popped into my search engine. Merriam-Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilderness defines wilderness as (paraphrasing): 1)uncultivated and uninhabited by humans, 2) undisturbed by human activity and/or 3) an empty or pathless area or region.
To me this definition is spot on. Wilderness is pretty much rare today. In the US, you may find it in ANWR, parts of interior or western Alaska, or in the inside passage. Maybe in locations in the western parts of the United States if you are liberal with the definition. But finding land untouched by humans is rare. Where I live, during the winter, there is no one within many mile of my place, but it isn’t wilderness. There is certainly a path to my place, off the road system, but there is still a path. I purchased an old homestead so it cultivated and it’s inhabitated by me.
Is this distinction even relevant in general discussion? Probably not. Is it relevant for SHTF? Maybe, maybe not. What are your thoughts?
I, and others on this forum, have argued that when the end of the world as we know it happens, it would be preferable to be isolated from human contact for as long as possible as SHTF happens. It would be good to be able to retrograde to locations well away from humans quickly. So I think being able to access wilderness is relevant for increasing the odds of survival. In many situations, defending in place may be a wise strategy, and I intend to do so where I’m at as long as possible. But I like being in a location that’s already well off the beaten path having the ability to easily and quickly disappear into “wilderness.” And in order to disappear, you need hundred or thousands of miles of uninhabited, untouched and pathless wilderness. Not hundreds of acres. Why isolation? Disease, absence of rule of law, currupt government, etc. This could be an extensive list. As much distance between you and this the better.
Do I have what it takes to live off the land in the wilderness? Heck no, but I know this. But I’m learning what I need and know that I need to learn a whole lot more before I think I can be successful at it. A week ago we had a week of extreme cold weather, the first I’ve really seen like this in my decade in Alaska. I discover that metal simply breaks in cold weather. Several bolts and pins holding critical machinery together simply snapped in normal use due to prolonged exposure to extreme cold. I didn’t have what I needed to fix the equipment. Fortunately SHTF isn’t happening and a week later I was able to make a trip into town and I bought over a hundred dollars of assorted springs, bolts, pins, etc just to be prepared the next time this happens. Bottom line, even though I think I’m ready, nature has a way of slapping you up the side of your head telling you that you aren’t. But you learn and you adjust.
There are a lot of forum members who have a heck of a lot more experience than I have living in extreme and isolated locations. What have you learned? What does it take to survive an extended period in what you call wilderness?
Borrowing from a post from Hick Industry, who borrowed it from an article called “Grub and Gear–Lessons Learned from an Alaskan Trapper,” this is a list of what one person would need to survive about 6 months alone in the wilderness while trapping.
Food,
50 lbs Flour
50 lbs Bisquick
25 lbs Pancake mix
35 lbs Sugar
50 lbs Pinto Beans
25 lbs Rice
40 lbs Salt pork
25 lbs Salt
10 lbs Dried prunes
10 lbs Raisons
10 lbs Dried apricots
10 lbs Dried apples
10 lbs Dried peaches
25 lbs Oatmeal
10 lbs Honey
2 cases Tomato paste
25 lbs powdered milk
15 lbs [canned] Butter
25 lbs Corn meal
25 lbs [canned] Cheese
20 lbs Spaghetti Noodles
10 lbs Crisco
15 lbs Hot cocoa mix
10 lbs Dried eggs
5 lbs Strawberry Jam
3 lbs Apricot Jam
2 boxes Pilot bread
1 gal Maple Syrup
180 Multi vitamins
180 Vitamin C
1 lb [powdered dry] Yeast
180 Tea bags
1 lbs Pepper
1 lbs Baking soda
8 lbs Dried onions
1 lb Baking powder
1 lb. Corn starch
24 oz Garlic powder
12 oz Vanilla
Consumables,
2 rolls aluminum foil
1/2 gal Dish soap
5 bars non-scented soap
36 Canning lids
8 oz Hydrogen peroxide
2 oz Iodine
12 rolls Toilet paper
2 Small sponges
2 Scrub pads
1 roll Duct Tape
4 boxes of wooden Matches
24 Plumber’s candles
500 rounds .22 long rifle hollow point ammo
100 .308 ammo 125 grain hollow point varmint ammo
20 rounds .308 ammo 180 grain (for Moose or Caribou)
Trapping license and regulations
Hunting license, moose tags and caribou tags
Repair items,
New snowshoe bindings
1 truck inner tube
3 New hacksaw blades
2 New Ax handles
8 Bow saw blades
36 oz Lanolin
6 Disposable lighters
12 gal White gas [aka Coleman Fuel]
12 Lantern mantels
6 oz. Gun oil
Trapping Lures, urine and musk
10 lbs Trap wax
2 rolls Survey ["flagging"] tape
1 pair Heavy Neoprene trapping gloves
7 lbs Trapping wire( 50% 12 ga and 50% 14 ga)
50 ft Trap Chain #2 and #3
24 Links
24 Swivels
AM Radio with 8 extra 9 volt batteries
8’ New stove pipe for cabin stove
4 Leather awl needles and 50’ waxed thread
Extra shoulder straps for pack frame
Extra hip belt for pack
New lid for fry pan 14”
100’ – 3/8 nylon rope
12×18” glass to replace cracked window
Personal items,
1 Wool Jacket
2 Wool pants
2 Work pants
1 Pair insulated Carhartt coveralls
4 Pair work gloves
2 Pair heavy winter over mittens.
1 Winter trappers hat
1 pair Pack boots with 2 sets liners
1 pair Bunny Boots
1 Wool sweater
4 pair long sleeved wool shirts
3 pair Wool long john pants
3 pair Wool long john shirts
8 pair Wool socks
8 pair Cotton socks
6 pair Underpants
1 Bible
2 flying ground school books
6 Short sleeve Cotton shirts
Tooth brush
Tooth powder
2 rolls dental floss
Carried or in an external frame pack,
308 rifle
22 pistol (Colt Woodsman)
Rain coat
Rain pants
Insolite sleeping pad
Sleeping bag
10×12’ and 4×8’ light nylon tarps
Flashlight
Flashlight batteries
Binoculars, 10×40
Green River skinning knife, caping knife, boning knife.
Small stone, small file and small diamond steel
Compass
Topo maps 1:250,000 scale
2 Candles
Matches in waterproof container
Lighter
Small cook pot with lid
Water bottle
100’ Parachute cord
Small First aid kit with Large suture needles and suture, in sealed pack
Mini channel locks (Snap-on) used for sutures and other things
Pack repair kit
¾-length Hand ax. (Estwing)
Small shovel
Bow saw with extra blade
1 pair wool socks
Wire snares
Fish hooks and line
25’ .042” stainless wire
1 lb Dried soup mix
This list is certainly location specific, but the intent is to show that logistics are an important consideration if you want to thrive in complete isolation without contact in the wilderness.
What are your plans and are you ready? I know I have a lot of work to do. I’d love to hear from the more knowledgeable and experienced forum members.
What is Wilderness? Can you survive in wilderness?
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