# Survival > Primitive Skills & Technology >  Your first choice?

## Tracker

Ok The scenario is this:
You are out on the lake by yourself. You are alone with your thoughts when bang! you hit a dead head! Your boat is filling with water fast and you need to get out! There is shore about 400m away where as the nearest house is out of site.

You make it onto the shore and rest for a bit. It will take you 1/2 a day to walk to your rescue but it is already 4:30 and you dont want to walk through the dark. 

You decide to set up camp for the night and because you are drenching wet you need to dry off by starting a fire which is no problem since you have a match and bunch of softwood all around. Now the only thing left is food, your energy is 
low from the swim and boat ride.


What is your first choice for food? And how is that obtained?

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## crashdive123

> when bang! you hit a dead head!


What is Jason Montana doing in the middle of the lake????




> Now the only thing left is food, your energy is low from the swim and boat ride.
> 
> What is your first choice for food? And how is that obtained?


 I'm not concerned with food.  If I'm a bit tired after a 400 meter swim, I'm going to rest a bit to regain my energy.  If I'm spending the night, in addition to the fire to dry my cloths (it accomplishes much more) I'm going to focus on shelter.  Remember - I know where I am, and plan on walking out in the morning.

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## Sarge47

1st, I never go out into the wild without an MRE in one of the cargo pockets of my BDU's, which is what I always wear in the outdoors.

2nd, if I don't have an MRE then, like Crash says, I don't worry about food, I can go days without eating if I have to, & you said I'm only 12 hours away from rescue. :Cool:

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## tsitenha

Crash, Jason is standing on top of his sled whistling for his dogs!!!!!!!

As said rest, shelter for the night and walk out tomorrow.

I get to eat that can of sardines I put in my pack

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## crashdive123

> Crash, Jason is standing on top of his sled looking for his dogs!!!!!!!


I thought he was headed to the Dead concert. :Big Grin:

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## dbldrew

I’d eat that dead head, as long is he isn’t to rotten, ummm brains…

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## crashdive123

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## tsitenha

WAhhh look at the dent in that head....Jasons going to be madddd.

Run, Crash, for the love of God runnnnnnnnn

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## Tracker

all im trying to ask was what is your first choice when you are looking for food? I was just thinking of  more creative way to say that.

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## crashdive123

> all im trying to ask was what is your first choice when you are looking for food? I was just thinking of  more creative way to say that.


Cool.  Now that I understand what you're looking for....I would try several methods, expending the least amount of energy possible (no point in using more than you will gain).  Not sure what "stuff" you want me to have, so I'll go with what I usually have in my pockets.  I'll set some snares, make a fish wier, set up a trot line, look for some wild edibles (my knowledge of wild edibles is not that strong).

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## nell67

Start by scanning the waters edge for cattail,if its there you'll see it right away,and since most of the plant is edible,not much energy is spent gathering it.

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## crashdive123

Cattail is one that I (I think everybody) am familiar with...good stuff.

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## nell67

yup.can't go wrong with cattail.

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## Tracker

ya that is what i would tend to do, depending on the season i would get some cattail and eat the parts in season, as well i would probably set some pencil snares, i find them the most effective.

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## edr730

Yes, cattails for sure. Water lily roots too. If the lake was clear enough you may see minnows near shore. Set up a fish dipper with a tripod and a long pole, T-shirt and cordage. Toss some grass seeds or other stuff out or spit in the water for bait, push down on the lever and take the fish out of the shirt. If there was a creek nearby and you found an eddy you could dip there and probably catch all you could eat. It depends on how clear the creek or lake is and what spot you pick. We've caught lots of them, at times, with a towel and two people. Shallow creeks are easier to find minnows and crawfish. Sometimes there's  duck eggs.....it's best if you can tell the difference between a fresh egg or an old one...haha. I've ate all of them, but the only ones I enjoyed were the raw duck eggs (and turtle eggs).

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## FVR

Again, another scenario with limited information.

What time of the year?

Is it cold, below 32 F?

Are you duck hunting in the cold, if so, you will die.  Is it summer and hot, spring and cool, is the water cold enough to cause hypothermia?

If you are freezing cold and wet, and already suffering from hypothermia, try to make a fire.

Do you have life preservers?  

When you were in the boat, what were you doing, fishing, going for a row, hunting, or just floating.

Is it a river with an undertow?

Is it a lake?

How much energy did you use on the swim in.

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## Sarge47

Did I have any fish in the boat?  Frogs around the lake?  Are the Morals out yet? :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):   Don't forget my MRE!  So, okay then, now how far are we from rescue?  Anything over 72 hours is pretty unrealistic given the scenario you just laid out!  However, I'd never get into a boat without a waterproof floating bag of stuff, including food.  The bag would be tied to my belt with 550 cord & could be towed along with me.  Again, it's a dumb Question. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 
BTW, what do you want to snare pencils for? :Confused:   Aren't they hard to dress out? :Big Grin:

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## old soldier

> Again, another scenario with limited information.
> 
> What time of the year?
> 
> Is it cold, below 32 F?
> 
> Are you duck hunting in the cold, if so, you will die.  Is it summer and hot, spring and cool, is the water cold enough to cause hypothermia?
> 
> If you are freezing cold and wet, and already suffering from hypothermia, try to make a fire.
> ...


 what region of the country, north, east,south,west, or any combination.?

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## wareagle69

a couple of things to pay attention to folks - he said open water 4;30 pm and you had to swim and don't want to walk in the dark so if its getting dark close to 4:30 then we assume it is fall you are wet and need to build a fire and get dry and to stay warm thru the night, second,is in all the open water that i have been to around ontario i have yet to see any cattails, lilly root yes, but no cattails they are more in swampy areas bogs marshes what have you, also if it is getting close to dark do you want to be foraging around and risk misidentification?
tracker most of us here would have had a bag in the boat with at least 72 hours of food and a spcae blanket (large) i also have change of clothers in a water proof bag which also floats so i can just hang onto it and flutter kick my way in saves lots of energy, i personally only kayak or canoe can't stand them motorized gidgits(boats quads snowmachines)hard to be in touch with mnature on them loud stinking smelly foul things.
but i hope the first part answered your questions, to the rst of you pay attention to the details, always makes me laugh when i see folks just type "well i'd start a fire  go hunting and fishing and be great" ya ya thats allot easier said than done and if you are that good come up here to my place and i'll drop you off in the middle of a lake film ya swim back and get a fire going with enough wood for the night then let you film yourself all night after all that see if you have the engery to go foraging
just keeping it real folks

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## wareagle69

> Again, another scenario with limited information.
> 
> What time of the year?
> 
> Is it cold, below 32 F?
> 
> Are you duck hunting in the cold, if so, you will die.  Is it summer and hot, spring and cool, is the water cold enough to cause hypothermia?
> 
> If you are freezing cold and wet, and already suffering from hypothermia, try to make a fire.
> ...


frank i just stick with what he gave us, see my above post 4:30 and close to dark up here means fall, also good point on the PFD they are mandatory here in ontario

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## crashdive123

Paying attention to details is cool - that's why he got some of the initial responses that he did.  He went on to clarify what he was looking for with 


> all im trying to ask was what is your first choice when you are looking for food? I was just thinking of more creative way to say that.


 which is why he got the latter responses.

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## nell67

Yup,and I assumed he meant in your local area,and here cattail grows around most bodies of water,and since some parts of the cattail are pretty startchy,it's a good way to get some quick energy without expending much more if you see it.

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## wareagle69

well keep in mind he is new and we no nothing about age and experience, by his first post that is the way i answered, now his second post tells me that if i am out foraging what is my first picked food, my answer to that is what ever is around, i'm not going to pass up one thing to try and find another

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## wareagle69

he also said 400 meters from shore in any direction thats at least 800meters wide then thats open water and allot of swimming

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## crashdive123

Wellllllll, he really didn't say it was 4:30 and close to dark, but rather 


> You make it onto the shore and rest for a bit. It will take you 1/2 a day to walk to your rescue but it is already 4:30 and you dont want to walk through the dark.


  So if it takes half a day to walk to your rescue, then it could be getting dark and 9:00, which would be during the summer.

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## Tracker

> Again, another scenario with limited information.
> What time of the year?
> 
> Is it cold, below 32 F?
> 
> Are you duck hunting in the cold, if so, you will die.  Is it summer and hot, spring and cool, is the water cold enough to cause hypothermia? I dont duck hunt on a lake 
> 
> If you are freezing cold and wet, and already suffering from hypothermia, try to make a fire Already said that 
> Do you have life preservers? They are mandatory  
> ...


I answered all the Questions in red  without any additional info being added.

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## klkak

I would probably take my clothes off and wring them out then put them back on. Rest for a bit, then start walking.  After all its a lake, if I follow the shore I can't get lost in the dark.  The walking will increase my body heat drying my clothes.  I'm just not one to sit around waiting for a rescue that might come if I can get myself out.  *Food would be the last thing on my mind!*

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## FVR

The try to make a fire comment was scarcastic.  Have you ever tried to make a fire while wet, cold, and shivering.  Hands don't work all that well.

Well, assuming that I made it to shore and I was not yet nekked, take off all my clothes and wrap myself in my wool blanky.  My wet wool blanket will keep me warm.  At that point, I guess I will start hoofing it until I can get a bar or..................


400m swim, many may drown if they try it fully clothed with shoes on.  

But hey, it's your scenario, really does not matter what I would do, what would you do.

Alot depends on the water temp, a river with undertow, you may make it to the shore and be completely whipped.  Unless you are in good shape.  If the water is too cold, it changes your whole scenario.

I'm thinking, since I grew up in NJ swimming in the Deleware, 400 m, wow.  You may start swimming and depending if there is a tide like the Del., you may end up a mile or two from where you want to be.  That's if you make it by swimming with the current, if you fight the current, you're dead.

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## klkak

> The try to make a fire comment was scarcastic.  Have you ever tried to make a fire while wet, cold, and shivering.  Hands don't work all that well.
> 
> Well, assuming that I made it to shore and I was not yet nekked, take off all my clothes and wrap myself in my wool blanky.  My wet wool blanket will keep me warm.  At that point, I guess I will start hoofing it until I can get a bar or..................
> 
> 400m swim, many may drown if they try it fully clothed with shoes on.  
> 
> But hey, it's your scenario, really does not matter what I would do, what would you do.
> 
> Alot depends on the water temp, a river with undertow, you may make it to the shore and be completely whipped.  Unless you are in good shape.  If the water is too cold, it changes your whole scenario.
> ...


Most of my boating is done in Prince William Sound in the winter (normal winter water temp is 34 - 37* F).  So if I found myself in the water 400 meters from shore I think I would just drown myself to save me the suffering.  Even if I was in a survival suite, the chances of making it to shore are slim and none.  I wear a life jacket while on the boat out there but it is in case I slip off the bow while jumping to shore or back to the boat.

This pic is me with what I typically wear while trapping.  If I wear a coat, I wear it over the life jacket.

In the pockets of the life jacket I have:
1 Coastguard wistle
1 Laser flare
1 really good fire starting kit

Else where on my person I have:
1 leatherman supertool 2000
1 3 wat led flashlight
1 Benchmade 2 3/4" folder
1 S&W 629 worn cross draw on my belt left side w/ 18 extra rnds
1 Wetterlings wildlife hatchet

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## FVR

Klkak,

I use to duckhunt the Del. river in late Dec. and Jan. and the Ches. in Md in my younger years.  400m, I'd have died, water that cold, all the clothes.  If I did get to shore I'd probably by past spent and have to very lucky.

I've spent many a night and day in the Pacific swimming and doing ops in the USMC.  400m may not sound like much, but depending on conditions, it could be a death swim.  

Pacific, Jan. night operations, 1 mile off shore, by the time you reach the beach and have to make the assault, it was hard and we were all in top shape.

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## wildWoman

the scenario in my case would be a bit different because I always have a drysuit with me, plus a complete set of extra clothing and hiking boots in a dry bag, and food for 3 days. So I would not be wet, I'd be well-fed and have no trouble hiking home.
Generally in the north, it's the under-equipped people who need to bailed out. Certainly, when out in the back country with a vehicle, boat or otherwise, there can be no excuse for not bringing the gear to save your own azz.

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## Gray Wolf

If Sir Grills is going, there would be room service....  :Big Grin:   :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):   :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## ryaninmichigan

Only 400 m to shore? He is my plan. Bamm hit something boat is going down. Me oh no the boat is sinking. Grab my bag of chips throw it in the cooler with what is left of the beer and bologna. I better put my cigs and lighter in there to or they will get wet. Grab the fillet knife throw it in. Lay on cooler paddle to shore. Open beer light cig, holy cow that sucks. I think I build a fire drink the rest of this beer, eat my chips and bologna and walk out tomorrow.

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## trax

You take beer when you're out hunting RiM?

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## endurance

I'll go with author's intent, but couch that getting dry is priority one, shelter is priority two, and there's a chance starting a fire is necessary for priority one (usually priority two).  Getting food is well down the list, however, since that was the intent of the questions, I'd drop a few lines with baited hooks if I had them with me while going out to forage for some food.  I'd focus on what I know, which in Colorado in high mountain lakes is going to be cattail roots, dandilions, canadian thistle, wild raspberries, wild strawberries, pine nuts, and maybe some spruce needle tea to warm me up.  

From my luck, 95% of the time I'll come back to empty fishing lines after an hour of foraging and the odds of getting something in a snare in short order is far worse than that (at least in my limited attempts).  Being able to identify edible plants in your area is an invaluable tool for summer outdoor activities.  I'd like to learn more plants that are out there, but don't really hang with folks that have the experience to share.

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## ryaninmichigan

> You take beer when you're out hunting RiM?


The OP said nothing of hunting. I assume I was enjoying a afternoon of fishing. In which case. I am sure there would be some of the following on board along with fish. Cooler, Cigs and lighter, Beer, and some ring balogna or venison sausage, and some chips. I am sure there other things but knowing I only have 1/2 day hike to help, well screw everything else I am going to make sure I at least enjoy what I have left. Why do I need flairs when I clearly know exactly where I am and know where I need to go in the a.m.. It wouldn't be the first ti me I said screw it I think I will stay out all night. The part about losing the boat and having to pay to have it brought out of the water by salvage sucks. The thought of spending the night on the beach by a fire with everything listed above is pretty cool in my book.

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## trax

> The OP said nothing of hunting.


You are right, sir. I stand corrected.

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## Tracker

Ya one guy threw in duck hunting somewhere... ryaninmichigan you carry all that stuff every time you are in a boat? why a fillet knife? and can you even drink in a boat? well you can i guess but thats pretty close to being illegal....

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## FVR

That was me, I asked if you were duck hunting. Basically, what the he ll were you doing on the water. 

Your scenario is a little like, I'm walking down the street and trip and fall on my face, how do I get up?  What made you trip?  did you get hurt during the fall?  

Next time, put us in a real situation.  Tell us what you were doing, where you were going, what the weather was like, etc.  Or maybe you are the type of person who just does things on a whim and ends up dead in the end.


I would expect your next thread topic to be, "what's the best survival knife?"

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## ryaninmichigan

A fillet knife is to bleed fish. Drinking? Nothing illegal to have a beer or two. Driving a boat drunk is not legal or a good idea. But most people assume when you say drinking you mean doing keg stands. a beer or three does not make a drunk person...

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## FVR

Actually, in Georgia it does.  

On the lakes they have police in boats.  They give tickets, they give sobriety tests, and you will get a boat dui and go to jail.

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## crashdive123

If drinking while you were in a boat in Florida, there would be a whole lot less of it ........... boating that is.

Just don't go over the legal limit.

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## Sarge47

...whatever "floats your boat!" :Big Grin:

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## ryaninmichigan

> Actually, in Georgia it does.  
> 
> On the lakes they have police in boats.  They give tickets, they give sobriety tests, and you will get a boat dui and go to jail.


Well my boat is in Michigan. And in Micchigan you can enjoy boating and also have a beer. Same law as driving a car here. Except you can have open containers in boats. Peneltys for DUI boating are the same as a car. They make no distinction. The serif department patrols most inland lakes and the Coast Gaurd patrols big water.

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## Sarge47

RiM, you started me thinking...which is always a bad thing. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):   So let's say a guy's on the lake and his boat sinks, stranding him 400 meters from shore.  He's got a choice...stay with his cooler full of bear or strike out for shore without it.  He decides to stay with his beer, drinking it while treading water.  Before you know it the "boat cops" show up and bust him for public intoxication..or what ever...but he's SAVED!  Problem solved, he even gets free room & board for the night! :Big Grin:

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## ryaninmichigan

What if the guy was really prepared and when his boat started sinking he simply got into the spare boat he never goes out with out?

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## tsitenha

Now I may be wrong but aren't built flotation devices required on watercrafts? 
(so that a boat would sink but only to a certain level?)
When I was about five yrs old my father did hit a rock which madea rathe large gash and with 4 adults and 2 kids we only went as low as the gunnels, that was 50yrs ago in and old boat of that time.

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## crashdive123

> Now I may be wrong but aren't built flotation devices required on watercrafts? 
> (so that a boat would sink but only to a certain level?)
> When I was about five yrs old my father did hit a rock which madea rathe large gash and with 4 adults and 2 kids we only went as low as the gunnels, that was 50yrs ago in and old boat of that time.


I hadn't heard that it was requied.  Some boat manufacturers do, but I don't think it's a requirement.  (can you imagine what your canoe would looik like :Big Grin: )

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## tsitenha

Both my last canoes did have at the bow and stern a small compartments with floatation material inserted (liquid just like insulating foam) into them, and my wife got a 14' john boat (Tracker), again with floatation material under the seats. All my Lund, and my Misty River boats had this foam material in any open/enclosed space such as seat wells.

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## crashdive123

I'm sure many manufacturers of smaller boats do that.  Boston Whaler is pretty renowned for making boats that won't sink.  Around here at least it isn't a requirement.  I used to have a 20 ft Sprot Craft that would have had no trouble sinking. :Big Grin:   My wife (long before we were married) had an 85 ft sail boat.....there are now bouys marking where it sank.

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## ryaninmichigan

I can atest that a mid 80s ski natique will sink..

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## klkak

The boat we use for trapping is 20' long and has a stern tank for floatation.  But attached to that stern tank are two 60hp Yamaha 4 strokes.  I think that if it had a gaping hole in the bottom it would sink like lead brick.

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## wildWoman

That's what I love about my kayak; can't sink it. No motor to crap out on it, either.

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## FVR

Kayak, yeh it won't sink but you may end up face down in the water.

I had a great boat back in the 70's and 80's.  It was a 17 1/2 foot Folbot.  It had a wood frame and a real thick viynl skin.

We shot the Del. rapids in Trenton NJ, a place where many a canoe broke in half.  My boat just bounced off, did break a rib but the viynl never ruptured.  We also shot the Lambertville wingdam, boat was full of water and still floated us down river.

If you were sitting down in the boat, you could not get thrown or fall out, now if you folded the seats up, ya could take a spill.

I used it as a duck boat for years, rebuilt the interior and it carried me safely through the waters of the Del. in Dec. and Jan., then carried me through many more duck seasons on the Ches. and Patapsco river in Md.

As you can see, I just love duck hunting.

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## Stony

make camp wet?
i go home to my girls, complain a few sec. and I get dry cloth and warm food.
the bonus of having a few (girls, that is).

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## klkak

You have a few girls? :Confused: 

I thought they were called "ewe's" :EEK!:

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## nell67

> you Have A Few Girls?
> 
> I Thought They Were Called "ewe's"


 :d:d:d:d:d

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## klkak

> :d:d:d:d:d


I just couldn't help myself.........I am so weak.... :Big Grin:

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## bulrush

I'm in Michigan too.




> Well my boat is in Michigan. And in Micchigan you can enjoy boating and also have a beer.


Only if you don't meet the alcohol limit on a breathalyzer. Don't know what that limit is for impaired operating a motor vehicle (boat or car).




> Same law as driving a car here. Except you can have open containers in boats. Peneltys for DUI boating are the same as a car. They make no distinction. The serif department patrols most inland lakes and the Coast Gaurd patrols big water.

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## crashdive123

Klkak - you're so ba-a-a-a-a-a-ad.

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## klkak

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## Tracker

> (can you imagine what your canoe would looik like)


most canoes do have them... but in the bow and stern the most likly to get hit and damaged

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## Swamp Shuck

> Now I may be wrong but aren't built flotation devices required on watercrafts? 
> (so that a boat would sink but only to a certain level?)
> When I was about five yrs old my father did hit a rock which madea rathe large gash and with 4 adults and 2 kids we only went as low as the gunnels, that was 50yrs ago in and old boat of that time.


I don't think they are required but I can't imagine having a boat without them.  Heck, if the boat doesn't come with one just put some of that expandable foam in a can into both ends of the boat and you're set to get back to land.  I've run rapids in my more foolish days and torn big holes in my boats.  They never sank, though some did become rather unique sculptures on the shoreline.

If the author really wants me to figure out what I'm going to eat (I need to be out longer than overnight before I panic about food), I'm in a lake, I'm walking the last few feet into shore.  My feet will stir up the wapato tubers that grow in abundance here and they'll float to the surface.  It doesn't matter what time of the year it is, they'll be there.  A few of them cooked over the open fire and I've got supper.  

In Wisconsin though I would have that beer in the boat too, as well as munchies for after I've drank the beer.  I'm thinking that I would just enjoy a nice fire, watch the stars, and think I was the smartest person in the world (which often happens after a few beers).

shuck

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## skunkkiller

every canoe I have owned has had floation in the bow and stren . in wi. to be drunk it is 0.08 car or boat but in canoe or kayak you can drink all you want just dont make a seen.

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## smoke

Im going to go with the wild edibles I can find by the lake. Since its late already and i am wet the least amount of energy I spend looking for food the better of I am.

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## Geronimo!

To give my answer to the original question, I would make some tea out of pine needles to warm my body and get some vitamin C in me.

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## joeblkwolf

first rule to survival be prepared, most of us if not all should have a dry bag with survival gear, getting dry and warm would be first for me, liveing up north dont like to be wet and cold specially in winter the rest would be a walk in the park

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## SnipAR-10

I thought someone would try "using their waterproof mobile phone to order pizza, and ride back with the delivery guy"

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## biddysere

Why food at all. Remeber the "Rules of Three's" here. Water is more important, esp. since I know I have only a short walk ahead.
Using the term "Dead Head" I would guess it is in the south. Pick some palmetto hearts, ferns, etc. while you are resting around your fire and then stop off for some biscuits in the morning

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## Revelation1412

What I do appreciate is that people on this forum are not afraid to express what they really think.

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