Could a person actually live off the land?

Question

And not be a begger or anything. I mean like actually go off into the woods, and make a life for themselves and survive like people used to do along time ago.

Answer 1

I'ld give it a try, . . . but

I'm bringing a case of toilet paper and my TV remote (sentimental value)

Answer 2

if people did it a long time ago...why shouldn't people be able to do it now? If you have the right knowledge, skill, attitude and plans, it could work. Just dont tresspass...you could get shot!! ;-)

Answer 3

alot still are. One type of religous group condone  harems, like 8 to 10 wives and they work each farm, without power or water through pipes and every once in a while someone escapes and lets our world know whats going on and where and the husband is so they can put him in prison for bigamy and slavery. they do live off of the land.

Answer 4

You answered your question, in your question.  "...like people used to do along[sic] time ago."   I guess the sarcastic answer would be no, absolutely not.  The fine art of building a shelter and hunting for food as been lost to the ages.  All those people milling about at LLBEAN are just faking it.  No one really knows what to do in the woods.  If you tried, you would just wander around aimlessly until you died of starvation.

Answer 5

Ok people did this thousands of years ago and they can now. They could easily survive. But does the woods or island have food water and the possible shelter then yes

Answer 6

I'm quiet suprised at how many answered that a person could do this.

The real answer is no, most people could NOT do this.  Are you capable of brain tanning hides and sewing your own clothing from leather?  How about making your own shoes?

Can you make a shelter that will get you through the winter?  It's ok if you "cheat" and use a metal ax to build your own log cabin.  Can you actually get the timbers notched and stacked up about 6 feet?  What about the roof?  Could you build a chimney that actually draws the smoke out of the cabin (not easy, it's an art form)?  

You will need to cut, haul, split, and stack about 12 cords of wood to provide heat/ability to cook during the winter if you are just using a chimney.  One cord of wood is 4 feet high, by four feet wide, by 8 feet long.  So for 12 cords, it would be 4 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 96 feet long!

If you cheat again, and go with another man-made invention, like a wood stove, you will only need about 7-8 cords of wood.

Do you know how to make your own snowshoes?  You will need to hunt and gather, even during times when snow is on the ground.

The bacteria, and pollutions found in most rivers, creeks, streams, ponds and lakes nowdays is going to make you very ill.  You would probably die in gouts of diahrea.

Along with your log cabin, you need to dig a large hole, and build your outhouse.    If you plan to dig a well, and have a hand pump in your cabin, then place your outhouse at least 80 feet from the well, if not farther.

You will need traps, so you can run a trapline during the winter, and have hides to trade come spring.  You will still need things from civilization, like sugar, flour, salt, and iron things, like needles, pots, knives, and axes.

If you try to live this life in a tropical area, where you don't have to worry about snow, your life may actually be even harder.  

Clean drinking water is going to be even more of a problem.  You are HIGHLY likely to contract malaria.  Eventually a tropical storm, or hurricane is going to come along.  It will probably completely flatten your home, pollute your drinking water, and destroy any trees or bushes you gather fruit from.  It will also ruin the fishing, possibly for months, until the area recovers.  You will have many months of dire famine...a meal of cockroaches will become appealing.

Even in your tropical home, you will still need to produce something, so you can trade for things.  You will need to trade for fabric, since hides will be too hot to wear, along with flour, sugar, fishing hooks, and other iron things.  Salt can come dirrectly from the ocean....however that is quiet likely to contain a lot of toxic things too.

There are very few people in the world who could actually live off the land.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 7

Sure...why not? All they would need are the necessary tools for working up a garden and harvesting game, building a shelter, and getting water (such as digging a well). Surely one's "superior knowledge" in these modern times would place him at a better advantage than a person back in the 1800's.

Answer 8

Yes, if they did it long ago, there's no reason we can't do it now, it would just be much harder for us since people back then started from scratch, and adapted, and were much better prepared to survive the wilderness.

Answer 9

Yes, it is very possible. This is how life should be in my opinion. Unfortunately, we would die at younger ages though.

Answer 10

depending where you live sure.. like in the tropics for sure... people still do all the time..

Answer 11

Yes!

Answer 12

Read some of the works by Euell Gibbons.  He's considered The Father of Modern Wild Foods.  

He was a naturalist who lived off the land.  His book "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" is a must read for those who want to live off the land.

Yes it can be done, but it isn't as easy at the local quickie mart.

Answer 13

Why would I want to go off into the woods when I could do it at home?

This is what all people used to do.  Many people still live this way.

Answer 14

yes- if you know what is poisonous and ok to eat, are resourceful, etc...basically if you know a lot about the environment like people did a long time ago then a person definitely could! (of course, you'd have to be in a place with lots of plants and natural resources...not like the desert or anything lol)