If you and your children were dropped in the middle of a remote area with just a knife would you be able to survive?

[LizaRadleywasonthespectrum]

Following on from an early morning conversation with DP. Obviously this is an unlikely scenario but not beyond the realms of possibility. Can you build a shelter, make a fire, find food and water? Can your (say 8yrs and older) children make a fire or set a snare and skin a rabbit.

We are a scouting family so yes, most likely. But don't really want to.

This is the thing, I’m confident I could build a shelter and I might even be able to set a fire (maybe) but there are only so many dandelion leaves you can eat before you have to get carbs and protein

No we’d be completely screwed 😂 Also I’d feel too sorry for the rabbit. We might make it a week or so if it wasn’t too cold.

No

Me and my children? Probably not. Me and dh and my children, probably yes.

A knife isn't enough. Can I also have a lighter and some wire?
And can I swap the kids for a lurcher?

Nope not a chance

Can your (say 8yrs and older) children make a fire or set a snare and skin a rabbit.

8 year olds these days can’t even make a sandwich or tie their shoelaces. I doubt they could skin a rabbit.

Nope. Modern medicine and modern life is the reason I even exist. Without medication and supplements I would die pretty soon. Thankfully I don´t have children who inherited my bad genes.

Pretty sure I can skin a rabbit. But trying to catch one would probably kill me. Does my dog count as a child? She could catch one and but probably eat it in front of us.

Depends. In the Sahara dessert? no. Anywhere with coconuts in sight (and no sneaky deadline snake?), yes. In my country I would know what plants to eat so I would survive though snakes would be worry. In England I don't know non poisonous plants but no dangerous animals and water and water fowl everywhere so I would survive except perhaps in winter. Oh, can I have matches please. Or flint stone but would rather the matches.
Oh for how long before rescue comes with q steaming cup of hot black tea? No milk and sugar please.

@unlimiteddilutingjuiceknife only I’m afraid. No lurchers. No wire. No lighter. You’d need to get creative with the snare.

What sort of knife is it? I would not get much done with a fish knife. A Swiss army knife yes I think we’d be fine.

I can catch, kill and pluck a chicken. I can make a fire n shelter. I can skin a goat (or deer). Have never hunted though. Off to learn about edible and poisonous uk plants

Ds(16) and I could make a shelter and start a fire. I couldn't set a snare but could probably catch a fish, and, depending on time of year, find birds eggs, nuts, berries etc. I have a reasonable knowledge of what is edible.

Having worked for Search & Rescue for years, I know how to navigate us off a hill and out of the worst of the weather safely. And I can still walk 25 miles in a day, so I think we'd be ok getting home - in the UK.

Elsewhere, different environment, different risks, I'm not so sure.

I’m cheating a bit because my kids are adults and one is a naval officer and loves line extreme hiking.
so he would crack on with the shelter, rabbits etc and I’ll find some water for a cuppa

No, unless I can have a fishing rod, I don’t know how to catch or skin rabbits but I can gut a fish. I know my mushrooms from poison and pretty good on other wild plants. My map reading plus natural navigation is decent so i would find a town!!!

Not a chance. Mainly as my 4 year old would likely chop us all up and eat us. She’s fucking mercenary.

As for me, unless there was a Tesco metro hidden in the brambles, I’d be fucked.

@Chaseandstatusyou wouldn’t get much done with a swiss army knife tbh. It would be a proper hunting knife.

Me and teen DS. Easy, he's DofE, army cadets , police cadets and a runner. I'd basically organise around the edges and he'd tell me what to do.

With DD, might be harder.

One of my dc is military so pretty practical

@minnienono you’ve been dropped there to survive an apocalypse. You don’t want to be near any towns!

Definitely not! My children are 6, 5, and 5 though and there’s no way I’d be able to hunt down enough snacks

No way. I’m a lifelong vegetarian and soft as shite. I’d be dead.

I don't think there is enough wildlife in the UK now - mind you deer are prolific, not easy to catch though.