The Woodsman's Journal Online

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Surviving on Short Rations©

Author’s note -- I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource! To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE. Thank you and Happy Trails!

As we talked about last week, food is not necessary for short-term survival in the wilderness, but it will make the entire process much more comfortable. What is really critical is shelter and keeping your body at 98.6^o F (37^o C).

You can survive longer than you think, provided you can maintain 98.6^o F (37^o C), have access to fresh drinking water, and DON’T give up!

An example is Amanda Eller, who became disoriented and lost on May 8^th, 2019, in Maui's Makawao Forest Reserve after a short hike, before being found on May 24^th by a volunteer helicopter crew, She was lost for a total of 17 days, wearing only yoga pants, a tank top and sneakers, she did not have a cell phone, surviving by eating berries and bugs and drinking stream water, despite losing her shoes and later fracturing the tibia (shinbone) in her lower leg in a 20-foot fall, before being found. Later she said, “It did come down to life and death and I had to choose and I chose life. I wasn't going to take the easy way out”. During her ordeal Eller lost between 15 and 20 pounds, looking visibly thinner.

Another example is Tiffany Slaton, a 28 year old hiker, who became lost in the California’s eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, for 24 days from April 20^th, 2025, and wasn’t found until May 14^th. She was had been at Huntington Lake on April 20^th and headed by electric bicycle toward Mono Hot Springs that day; it wasn’t until April 22^nd that she considered herself lost. Early in her journey, she fell from a cliff injuring both of her legs. She’d started out with a bicycle, a tent, two sleeping bags and food, but she ended up losing all her equipment, leaving her with only her cell phone, a lighter, a knife and some snacks. She survived by subsisting on wild leeks, made tea each day with manzanita, pine needles and boiled snow (for more on pine needle tea, read “Scurvy, Native Americans and the Tree of Life©” HERE). She survived the 13th snowstorm because she found a cabin, that the owner had left unlocked, so that someone who was lost could seek shelter and increase their chances of surviving the outdoor elements and harsh weather. She found the cabin on May 13th and had only been there for eight hours before being found by the cabin’s owner. About her ordeal Slaton said, “The worst thing you can do in an emergency situation is panic”. By the time she was rescued, Slaton had endured 13 snowstorms and dropped 10 pounds (4.5 kgs) from the ordeal.

Each pound of fat equals two days of fuel...

Both ladies were ‘lost’, having been ‘misplaced’ for longer than 72 hours, both lost weight, and both refused to give up. Also, both women, had access to, and drank plenty of water, which is key to survival.

Amanda Eller started out with no food and survived for 17 days, losing between 15 to 20 pounds (7 to 9 kgs), about a pound a day on average. Tiffany Slaton started out with food for five days, she was lost for 24 days and lost 10 pounds (4.5 kgs). However Slaton had horticulture training, and she was able to forage for wild leeks (also known as ramps) which offer 54 calories per cup (90 grams), and a protein: fat: carbohydrate ratio of 7%:0%:93%.

Interestingly, according to The Physiological Basis for Various Constituents in Survival Rations, 1957, both Ms. Eller and Ms. Slaton, were lost in “cold environments, below the zone of thermal neutrality (75^o -85^o F) [24^o to 29^o C]”, which according to the NIH is the range of ambient temperatures where humans can maintain their normal core body temperature solely through regulating dry heat loss (via blood flow) without needing to increase metabolic heat production or trigger evaporative cooling like sweating. It is the range where the body is most comfortable, with the least energy expenditure.

The Physiological Basis for Various Constituents in Survival Rations, 1957, recommended an all-purpose, any-environment survival ration of 2,000 calories a day, with a protein: fat: carbohydrate ratio of 15%:33%:52%, and with three quarts (2.8 liters) of water in hot environments, and never less than one quart (.95 liters) of potable water, to minimize the body’s deterioration.

So if ever you are ‘misplaced’ or ‘lost’, you can survive on short rations, you’re just going to lose some of the extra weight that you, like most of us have. Research has shown that 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fat is equal to about 3,500 calories of energy, and burning this amount of body fat provides the body with almost half a quart or 14.5 ounces (416.5 grams) of metabolic water.

You will be able to live four to five days without “acute discomfort”, and even seven days, with only limited changes in your sleep patterns, mental sharpness, and attitude. You might want to talk about food and recipes, a lot though!

I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource! To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE. Thank you and Happy Trails!

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site. I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

Sources

Ding, Jaimie; “Missing hiker survived for weeks in California wilderness by foraging and drinking melted snow”, May 17, 2025, [© 2026 The Associated Press], https://apnews.com/article/california-missing-hiker-mountains-snow-fresno-9ede4b951c577c96d0fed3915b257cfd, accessed March 21, 2026

Flowers, Viola; “Hiker missing for 3 weeks details her survival journey in California mountains”, May 17, 2025, [© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC], https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hiker-missing-3-weeks-details-survival-journey-tiffany-slaton-rcna207298, accessed March 21, 2026

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office; “Rescued Hiker Shares Details of Her Incredible Journey in the Sierra Mountains”, https://www.fresnosheriff.org/media-relations/rescued-hiker-shares-details-of-her-incredible-journey-in-the-sierra-mountains.html, accessed March 21, 2026

Gibson, Robert C.; “Food not necessary for survival”, Lewiston Morning Tribune, July 12, 1977, https://books.google.com/books?id=nJxfAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA16&dq=%22food+not+necessary%22&article_id=5524,3212411&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiqy_37mq-TAxUa1fACHb-fOv0Q6AF6BAgIEAM#v=onepage&q=%22food%20not%20necessary%22&f=false, accessed March 21, 2026

Mikstas, Christine, RD, LD; “Health Benefits of Leeks”, WebMD, December 13, 2024, https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-leeks, accessed March 21, 2026

Reynolds, Eric; “Burning Calories for Heat ©”, December 10, 2023, https://thewoodsmansjournalonline.blogspot.com/2023/12/burning-calories-for-heat.html, accessed March 21, 2026

Unknown; “D.C. Trio Hungrily Emerges After Wilderness Survival Test”, The Free Lance-Star, September 6, 1958, https://books.google.com/books?id=m9NNAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=%22copter+unloaded%22&article_id=5573,4585464&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiN3Z685a6TAxW8kIkEHdbmKocQ6AF6BAgIEAM#v=onepage&q=%22copter%20unloaded%22&f=false, accessed March 21, 2026

Unknown; “Lost Maui hiker Amanda Eller reflects on her 17-day fight for survival: ‘I chose life’ ”, May 27, 2019, [© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc.], https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amanda-eller-maui-hiker-discusses-her-17-day-fight-for-survival/, accessed March 21, 2026

Wikimedia; “Ail des bois.jpg”, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ail_des_bois.jpg, accessed March 21, 2026

Zimmer, Jessica; “Trekker offers wilderness advice”, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, November 7, 2005, https://books.google.com/books?id=bu4hAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA29&dq=survival+after+wilderness&article_id=6898,3656629&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMtfDH5K6TAxUb1vACHbmjHLEQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q=survival%20after%20wilderness&f=false, accessed March 21, 2026

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Lost, Starvation and Losing Weight©

Because I got sick of my doctor yammering on about high triglycerides, I put myself on a low carb diet, 100 net carbs or less per day. It’s been four and half months and I’ve lost 20 pounds (9 kgs) eating essentially a higher protein and fat, lower calorie diet. This diet got me thinking about being lost in the wilderness, starvation and losing weight.

Everyone thinks that the biggest problem you’ll have if you are lost in the wilderness, is starvation. Statistically if one becomes lost in the wild parts of North America, it is likely that at most you’ll only miss a couple of meals, since across the American National Park system, 85% of lost individuals are found within 12 hours, and 97% are located within 24 hours.

If you are JUST “misplaced” it’s unlikely that you’re going to starve to death, however if you’re “lost”, that’s a different story entirely (for the difference between “misplaced” and “lost” read “You Are Never Lost, Only Misplaced…©” HERE, “You Are Only As Lost As You Think You Are ©, HERE and “Being Bewildered and Bending the Map ©”, HERE).

If you are truly “lost”, if it’s been more than three days, if the search has been called off, or no one knows you are missing, then starving to death is a possibility in the wilderness, depending on the season and your skill at foraging. For example Geraldine Largay became lost in the Maine forest, she survived for at least 26 days before dying of starvation and exposure (for more read “Should I Stay, or Should I Go, and the 72-Hour Rule©” HERE). And Christopher McCandless died in August 1992, in the Alaska wilderness after surviving for 113 days, mostly upon squirrels, birds, roots and possibly, poisonous, seeds.

It was estimated by the AMA in 1963 that you could survive for nine to ten weeks without having anything to eat. Without eating, your body first starts out burning stored carbohydrates and sugars, before switching to using stored fat deposits, these typically will last for approximately five to six weeks (for more living off your spare tire read “Burning Calories for Heat ©, HERE). After that, your body will begin to eat its own muscle mass. The amount of body weight that can be lost and survived is high, with some survivors having lost up to 60% of their original body weight.

For example, Ralph Flores and Helen Klaben, who survived a plane crash in the Yukon wilderness in February 1963. They had four cans of sardines, two cans of tuna fish, two cans of fruit cocktail, part of a bottle of vitamins, enough food for two people to eat two meals a day for ten days, before their food was gone. Over their 49-day ordeal, Ralph dropped from 178 pounds (80 kgs) to 120 pounds (54 kgs), about 33% of his pre-accident weight, and Helen lost 40 pounds (18 kgs), 29% of her normal weight, dropping to a weight of 100 pounds (45 kgs). Just like wild animals living in the wilderness, survivors who lack food cannibalize their fat stores to survive, particularly during cold weather when the body needs to work harder just to maintain 98.6^o F.

During the first 72 hours of being “misplaced”, the most probable cause of death isn’t malnutrition, but rather hypothermia and dying of exposure. Even after 72 hours, not keeping a temperature of 98.6^o F (37^o C) is the true wilderness killer.

One of the things that helped Ralph Flores and Helen Klaben to survive the below-freezing Yukon winter temperatures, and no food was their limited movement due to injuries, the fact that at the time of the crash they were a little bit overweight and that they both drank a lot of water.

The Victoria Advocate, as part of its 10 Commandments for Wilderness Survival, had some particularly good suggestions for surviving a limited food emergency, see below.

I hope that you are never in a situation where you must survive a low or no food emergency, but if you do, I hope this article helps. Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Surviving on Short Rations” for more on being lost in the wilderness, losing weight and surviving on short rations.

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

Sources

CP; “Face World Publicity Glare”, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, March 27, 1963, page 1, https://books.google.com/books?id=STRgAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=Saskatoon+Star-Phoenix+March+27,+1963&article_id=7273,3746548&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj0g9nrwKCTAxXMEmIAHWshNuwQ6AF6BAgIEAM#v=onepage&q=Saskatoon%20Star-Phoenix%20March%2027%2C%201963&f=false, accessed March 12, 2026

Hamblin, Dara Jane and Jarvis, Wilbur; “Girl Behind a frozen Scream”, LIFE April 12, 1963, https://books.google.com/books?id=VkkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=%22Ralph+flores%22+yukon+journal&source=bl&ots=35ZUM4iatv&sig=ACfU3U1BmH4xLcRk1ULyfoyS1OmitfnbHQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjV_u2NhqrqAhVCYTUKHXvDDmMQ6AEwCHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Ralph%20flores%22%20yukon%20journal&f=false, accessed March 14, 2026

Oates, Bob; “10 Commandments for Wilderness Survival”, The Victoria Advocate, July 20, 1976, page 9, https://books.google.com/books?id=DBlZAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA102&dq=10+commandments+of+wilderness+survival&article_id=6901,3794394&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjcw8Db6puTAxWpvokEHXK6O5MQ6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q=10%20commandments%20of%20wilderness%20survival&f=false, accessed March 12, 2026

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/how-backcountry-search-and-rescue-works/, accessed March 14, 2026

Rare Historical Photos; “Into the Wild: The Real Story of Chris McCandless Through Rare Photos”, https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/chris-mccandless-photos/, accessed March 14, 2026

Unknown; “Severe weather leads to minimal losses”, McCook Daily Gazette, February 9, 1996, page 11, https://books.google.com/books?id=fdcgAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA5&dq=wilderness+survival+starvation+calories&article_id=4649,3491634&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOt6qF3J-TAxWTlYkEHbwQHmE4ChDoAXoECAgQAw#v=onepage&q&f=false, accessed March 14, 2026

Unknown; “Hey, I'm Alive”, The Whitehorse Star, March 1963, https://www.whitehorsestar.com/History/hey-im-alivepart-2#:~:text=In%20Whitehorse%20hospital%20it%20was,California%2C%20and%20his%20six%20children, accessed March 14, 2026

UPI; St. Joseph Gazette, March 29, 1963, page 10,

https://books.google.com/books?id=JVxiAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq=%22interesting+facts+about+body%22&article_id=959,4733292&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQ_fTUqZKNAxWqvokEHUaOAIoQ6AF6BAgFEAM#v=onepage&q=%22interesting%20facts%20about%20body%22&f=false, accessed March 12, 2026

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Would You Have Survived?©

Most of you will never have to worry about surviving a crashed helicopter in an active war zone. But I believe that many of the lessons that the author of “A Story of Survival” learned, can help you in any crash survival situation.

Immediately after a plane crash, prioritize evacuating the aircraft instantly without personal belongings to avoid fire, smoke, and debris. Move at least 500 feet (150 meters) upwind from the wreckage. Assess yourself and others for injuries, administer first aid, and signal for help if possible.

First, Get Away:

The first 90 seconds after the crash are critical since most deaths occur during post-crash fires that can spread quickly after impact. Immediately exit the aircraft wreckage and try to move any survivors away from the wreckage, upwind. You don’t want to survive the crash just to die in the burning wreckage, and while not every crash turns into an inferno, it happens often enough to be cautious. So get everyone far enough away so that they aren’t caught in the explosion or by the flames.

Second, Assess and Tend Injuries:

In an aircraft crash, injuries pile up quickly. Use the ‘cABCDE’ checklist, to assess any injuries. The lower case ‘c’ for critical bleeding comes first because a patient with catastrophic or uncontrolled bleeding can bleed out in minutes and often die faster than they would die from a blocked airway. The first four items on this check list are critical care items that can lead to death in minutes and are easy to spot. Items ‘D’ and ‘E’ are longer term injuries, like neurological disabilities and exposure or environmental injuries, which can be harder to spot.

As you check the victim, using both hands, and starting at the top of the victim’s head, working your way down to their toes, looking for spinal cord, traumatic brain injuries and other neurological issues. Keep the patient as motionless as possible while you are assessing them until you are certain no spinal cord injury exists. Always try to keep the victim’s head aligned with the midline of their body.

If you find bleeding at any point, stop and, whenever possible, expose the skin, preferably by removing clothes, not cutting them. If you must cut away the victim’s clothing, tape it back together afterwards to retain warmth. Whenever possible, leave footwear on the victim’s feet, since once it is removed it will be difficult to replace because of swelling. Additionally, if there are fractures of the foot or ankle, the shoe or boot will serve as a splint.

Triage your patients into three classes, ‘now’, for the life-threatening injuries; ‘later’ for broken bones and lacerations; and ‘last’, for everyone else. And always remember, as a care giver, you cannot treat and care for your patients if you are suffering from life-threatening injuries yourself. So, if you have ‘now’ injuries, like life threatening hemorrhage, treat yourself first. Then, treat the head injury, the possible heart attack and, last, the hysterical woman with a broken arm.

Third Inventory:

S.T.O.P and see what you have and what can be salvaged from the wreck. What is there in the environment immediately around you that you can use to help you survive.

Fourth Signal for Help:

Generally you should stay near the wreck, while you wait for rescue, because wrecks are easier to spot from the air than survivors. Whatever you can do to help rescuers find you, you need to do, even if that means moving to a nearby clearing so that you are more visible.

I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource!

To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE. Thank you and Happy Trails!

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

Sources

Martin, Thomas E.; “A Story of Survival”, United States Army Aviation Digest, May 1978, Vol. 24 Issue 5, page 22 to 23, https://archive.org/details/sim_united-states-army-aviation-digest_1978-05_24_5/page/22/mode/2up, accessed March 7, 2026

Rafowell; “Signal Mirror Flash Seen from Airplane”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt-_zjGKY2c, accessed March 7, 2026

Watson, Tom; “Effective Ways to Signal Help During Wilderness Emergencies”, March 4, 2025, https://www.actionhub.com/outdoors/effective-ways-to-signal-help-during-wilderness-emergencies/, accessed March 7, 2026

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Life Gets Lifey

I hate to do this to you two weeks in a row, but sometimes life gets lifey, and you article just isn’t ready. Don’t forget that there are plenty of other articles at https://thewoodsmansjournalonline.blogspot.com/, just pick one!

About Me

I live near Buffalo, New York and have more than 25 years of experience in the outdoors. I enjoy being in the wilderness, paddling a canoe or exploring the woods, when I am not researching survival, woodcraft, camping skills or life on the Old Northwest Frontier of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I am a published author and I have been a guide for Birchbark Expeditions and an Outdoor Skills trainer for the Boy Scouts since 2014. I am also a martial artist, having studied several different combat arts over the past 30 years. Currently, I am the author of The Woodsman’s Journal Online and BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.

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Sunday, March 22, 2026

Surviving on Short Rations©

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Lost, Starvation and Losing Weight©

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Would You Have Survived?©

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Life Gets Lifey

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