# Just how far could YOU go to stay alive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272 "2007-06-08T15:54:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/1 "2007-06-08T15:54:30Z")
I just spotted this [story](http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/209428.html) about a California logger who ended up caught in a deadfall, and had to amputate his own leg _with a pocket knife_ to get away and get to help. I cannot imagine being able to do that. I mean, I know that in the majority of cases a crushing injury like that is going to mean amputation in the end. But going from admitting that the leg is gone to using a small knife to cut it off oneself? I don’t think I could do that. If I had access to the chain saw, that might be something different - quick and relatively easy to do. But having to work at it with a small knife - that would unman me, I think. How many Dopers think they could? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/2 "2007-06-08T16:26:27Z")
Pfft, what a [copy cat!](http://hike.mountainzone.com/2003/news/html/030502_amputate-arm.html) In all seriousness, though, I don’t think I could ever amputate a limb as these two men have done. I think I’d cling to the hope that someone will hear my cries/find me before I die if dehydration or complications from the log/boulder crushing my limb. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/3 "2007-06-08T16:31:17Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] Pfft, what a [copy cat!](http://hike.mountainzone.com/2003/news/html/030502_amputate-arm.html). [/QUOTE] Man, talk about one-upmanship. ---
**Author:** ![melangell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@melangell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melangell)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/4 "2007-06-08T16:33:01Z")
I think that I am capable of a great deal in the name of survival, but hope that I am never confronted with this question in reality ;). Actually, I am not sure that cutting off the leg would be the wisest course of action. I mean, you will most likely lose consciousness during the process, which is not necessarily expedient to survival. Also, even if you don’t lose consciousness, how far would you be able to drag yourself before you lost too much blood? Not to mention the fact that if you are not familiar with human anatomy, you may end up cutting some sort of major artery and, in effect, just hastening your own death. Maybe I didn’t read the story closely enough (I just skimmed it), but it seems that he was rescued because someone heard him screaming for help not because he cut off his leg and dragged himself to civilization :dubious:. Good story though and kudos to the man’s bravery. Perhaps all of this is just rationalization for me not thinking I could cut off my own leg (I guess I can add another deficiency to the already long list) ;). ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/5 "2007-06-08T16:54:04Z")
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone] Man, talk about one-upmanship. [/QUOTE] Within the next 12-18 months, someone will be in the wilderness, get his twig and berries caught in some rockslide, and be forced to make the ultimate coyote choice. You ehard it here first. ---
**Author:** ![Zambini57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4491bb/32.png) [@Zambini57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zambini57)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/6 "2007-06-08T18:43:27Z")
I’d probably hack at the tree, not my leg. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/7 "2007-06-08T23:54:54Z")
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone] Man, talk about one-upmanship. [/QUOTE] He was just trying to get a leg up on the other guy. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/8 "2007-06-09T23:56:00Z")
Yikes. I don’t think I would have the guts to do that. I’d probably just keep waiting and hoping someone found me until I died sooner than amputate my own leg. Since you would think his family would have noticed his absence fairly quickly, and I assume his employer would know what area he was supposed to be in to send a search team, I am surprised that he took such an extreme measure, really. Still, I can only hope that the person who left this comment on the story wasn’t serious: > [@](#): > > As an old-timer and experienced logger, he must have cut down so many timbers that take years to grow. Now he can related to how painful it is to be cut down something alive. It is sad to say that a lesson that I hope he and other buddies of him would now have a second thought whenever they want to cut down another trees. Sheesh. California hippies. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/9 "2007-06-10T16:12:32Z")
[QUOTE=lavenderviolet] Yikes. I don’t think I would have the guts to do that. I’d probably just keep waiting and hoping someone found me until I died sooner than amputate my own leg. Since you would think his family would have noticed his absence fairly quickly, and I assume his employer would know what area he was supposed to be in to send a search team, I am surprised that he took such an extreme measure, really. Still, I can only hope that the person who left this comment on the story wasn’t serious: Sheesh. California hippies. 😛 [/QUOTE] Well, it makes sense – now that he has a stump, he can better empathize with a tree. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/10 "2007-06-10T19:00:07Z")
I’d totally cut off my leg. Hell, I’d probably cut off an arm too, just to even myself out a little bit. Maybe just start slicing off all my limbs so my friends can call me “Mr. T” (for “torso”), although I suspect it’d be difficutl hacking off an arm w/ a knife in my teeth. No, but really. His leg was CRUSHED, not just pinned down. He wasn’t like “Oooh, eek, owwie. This blade kinda hurts.”, he probably couldn’t even feel it. Even if he could, a simple t-shirt tourniquet would solve that problem. People do it all the time in these situations. If he were a real man, he’d dig out the limb and have a snack before hobling back to civilization. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/11 "2007-06-10T20:03:10Z")
I think many people would be surprised by what they’d be willing to do and of what they’re capable given an extreme situation. I already know I could: eat human flesh amputate my own limb drink my own urine, etc… The will to survive can be amazingly powerful ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/12 "2007-06-11T12:52:07Z")
[QUOTE=Shamozzle] I already know I could: eat human flesh amputate my own limb drink my own urine, etc… The will to survive can be amazingly powerful [/QUOTE] You must have had an interesting weekend… Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/13 "2007-06-11T12:56:17Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] If I had access to the chain saw, that might be something different - quick and relatively easy to do. But having to work at it with a small knife - that would unman me, I think. [/QUOTE] Unman you?! If you were able to do that, you’d be just about the world’s biggest badass. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-far-could-you-go-to-stay-alive/407272/14 "2007-06-11T12:59:24Z")
Aron Ralston said that the most common reaction he’s had since his episode was “I’d never be able to do that”, and he always responded “Yes, you would”. According to him, you don’t know what you can do until you have to. I still don’t think I could, though.