How long would you survive?

In My Humble Opinion
1

…in a wilderness situation?

You’re on a ship in the Pacific Ocean that is shipwrecked. You are the only survivor, waking up on Auckland Island (although you don’t know where you are). You are sodden casualware; combing the beach you find a plastic bag containing 40 waterproof matches, 2 litre plastic bottle of mineral water, a ball of twine and a shealthed knife. That’s it; that’s your lot. The sea is rough and cold so your best bet is it wait for rescue.

Based on your physical and psychological health and survival knowledge and experience, how fucked are you?

2

Depends on if I can find water in a few days. If there’s potable water I’d have a chance.

3

If I had a computer with internet access, I could create my own replacement civilization. As long as I have Google, Wikipedia, some YouTube “how to” videos and a copy of Excel to draw up some plans, I can do anything.

Oh, I don’t have any of that, you say? Then I die instantly from fear and boredom, or at least very shortly from bungling incompetence. Bye-bye.

4

There is freshwater on the island, with fish too. Picked Auckland Island so you know I’m not setting you up for immediate death and know what the climate and terrain is like; in the 19th century shipwreck survivors survived there for 18 months before rescue.

5

Dang it! I answered indefinitely and I didn’t even think about the water bit. It doesn’t matter how good you are, with out water, you wont survive for long.
Also, if someone can survive for a year, they can survive indefinitely.

ETA: Ah good. So we have water.

6

Indefinately.

7

Insulin-dependent diabetic. I’d be dead within a week.

8

If the first night isn’t too cold while I fortify my shelter, at least a few months (assuming no bites by outrageous Gondwanaland creatures).

9

Assuming there’s fuel and water I should be OK, until a tooth abscesses, a cut gets infected or I die of boredom.

Do the plastic bottles have BPAs? I might need to change that indefinitely :smiley:

10

A week would be optimistic. Unless I can find the hidden camera that tells me I am starring on the latest reality show. In that case, three days.

But killer ratings.

Regards,
Shodan

11

Was this before or after goats were introduced to the island in the 1800s? (The last goats were removed a couple of decades ago, so that resource isn’t available to someone stranded there today.)

It’s at latitude 50° south, so at this time of year it’s gonna be pretty damn chilly at night.

In fact, since I’ve got 2 liters of water to get me through a day or so, I’m thinking the most immediate danger is hypothermia during my first night on the island. If it’s been raining sufficiently that I can’t find anything dry enough to burn and get a fire going, I probably wouldn’t make it through the night. And even if I did have a fire, I’d probably have a major case of fever and chills by the wee hours, and in my weakened state I’d be screwed.

So totally fucked, within a few days at most (and quite possibly within hours) before sickness and hypothermia do me in.

12

I’m handy enough that shelter and fire will be no problem, especially with the luxury of a knife, matches, and twine. Food will be trickier.

I’ve never hunted or trapped anything, and wouldn’t be able to identify what plants or shellfish are good to eat. I’ve gone fishing a handful of times, in ponds stocked with stupid fish that happily bite the first hook they ever see. But I do have a better-than-average knowledge of biology, including ecology, critter behavior, and anatomy. And I have read the usual array of survival novels and guides.

So feeding myself would come down to a lot of trial and error. If unsuccessful, I would die in a few weeks. If learned how to get enough food, I could probably survive indefinitely, or at least until some random tropical disease did me in.

13

I’d be okay right up till those Nazis show up. I guess I could try hiding.

14

Indefinitely. That water bottle can be used to purify water by leaving it out in the sun. At least at first I would want to purify water this way, but eventually I would want to get used to the bugs in the water there to drink it freely (in case the bottle falls apart). If there is enough edible sea life that is accessible, I could do OK for a long while. And depending on what plants are available, that would help as well.

15

I think I would do okay - I have some training (building shelter/fire, etc) and am not without any skills or resources.

But it wouldn’t be much fun.

16

I supposed I’d last a while but I suspect not much more than a year; I think I would slowly weaken over time due to insufficient diet or some other medical issue. Remember any injury or even serious cut without access to modern medicine would be life threatening.

17

After, it looks like. Although there are feral pigs still there, as well as penguins, seals and rats if you get really hungry. Here’s the climate data - assume you’re shipwreaked this time of year.

Perhaps - although I wanted to account for all possibilities, like if you’re prone to injury or something. On the water situation, looks like there’s freshwater up there.

18

With a knife, twine, matches and a bottle, you’re set up pretty well as far as survival is concerned.

I’d do ok- the Auckland islands have feral pigs, cats and mice, as well as seabirds. I imagine I could rig up a deadfall trap or some kind of snare to catch some. And I’m fat, so I’d have slightly more time without food to figure it out without dying.

There are forests, so fire is likely, and there’s fresh water as well.

I’d be most worried about injuring myself in some way that would kill me slowly- infection, inability to move, etc…

19

Indefinitely. At risk of sounding hubristic:

  • I’m 40, reasonably fit and in good general health.
  • Thanks to LASIK, I have great eyesight, so a lost pair of glasses won’t render me helpless.
  • I’m a complete omnivore, and fairly well-versed in edible plants and animals (maybe not of Oceania, though).
  • I was a Boy Scout; I’d probably be fine even without the matches.
20

I think I could survive initially as long as I’m wrecked in summer. And I can stand to lose a stone or three so short term lack of success hunting isn’t going to be a problem. Problems are going to be accidents (a fall, breaking a limb, losing or breaking the knife) and illness. And winter.

Winter is the biggie. It’s not warm there and I don’t have winter clothes.