Manage Your Energy
THE MAIN EFFECT YOU’LL NOTICE FROM LACK OF FOOD is a significant decrease
in your energy level. In many survival situations, I’m fine without eating
for a week, but I really notice the loss of energy. As my energy fades and I
tire quickly, I can work for only an hour or so at a time, and then I have to
sit down and rest for 20 or 30 minutes. Then I work a little more, only to
have to sit or lie down again. I repeat that pattern throughout the day.
So forget about needing massive quantities of food on which to feast,
accept the stomach growling as part of your ordeal, and focus on getting
something, anything, into your system that will increase your energy.
Closely manage your activity level so that you require less food than
usual. This means sitting down if you don’t need to stand, lying down if
you don’t need to sit, and sleeping if you don’t need to be awake. Anything
you can do to slow your heart rate and relax will preserve your energy for
the things you need to do to stay alive. The major risk you run from lack of
energy is that it can lead to listlessness, apathy, and ultimately, depression.
stroud’s tip
The more food you eat, the more water your body
needs for digestion. So if you are short on water, then eat
less food, or you’ll speed up the dehydration process. On the
other hand, if you’re near a large source of fresh drinking water,
force yourself to drink every half hour. This not only keeps your system
flushed and clean but also makes your stomach feel like something’s in
there. This is a trick I use all the time while filming survival ordeals.The Myth of Wild Edibles
PERHAPS NOTHING IS AS OVERROMANTICIZED IN THE world of survival as the
notion of gathering and eating wild edibles such as plants and mushrooms.
Many people envision the wilderness as providing a bounty of plants to
feast upon. Don’t be fooled; the search for plants to eat can be fraught with
danger. These are the some of the challenges you’ll encounter.
(^182) | Survive!