Famous Things Nobody Tells You about Living in the Wilderness

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Introduction

Living outdoors, going green and getting back to nature may seem a rather trendy way to live in the modern age and for some it is a way of shunning the mod cons and potentially damaging environmental impact that we could be having. Shun the rat race, live a simple life and be happy is often the mantra that accompanies the plea. Well, the brochure didn’t tell you about the drawbacks

 

1. Darkness

Darkness

We have become so used to the light ‘ from houses, from public buildings, street lights, car lights that we don’t seem to be able to ever truly escape it. People who go sky-watching have to go great lengths to find it. Here it is the norm, at new moon it will be so dark that you won’t be able to see much at all. The reassuring mobile phone light, the powered down television, even the occasional flash of vehicle lights ‘ all gone

2. Sounds

Sounds

There won’t be many and what you hear will change. We live in a noisy world and it has become so noisy that we just don’t notice it any more. Even when we are out in nature, we can nearly always hear the sound of cars, aircraft flying overhead, of people. All that will go and you’ll need to get used to a lot more different sounds ‘ animals at night for example. Not all of them are pleasant either. The shriek of a fox is spine chilling when hearing it for the first time. You will hear rain arriving and every little snap of twig

3. The Damp

damp

In continental Europe and North America, there is always the constant threat of wetness. Even in spring and summer when it is warmer and drier, you are still highly like to wake up to damp clothes and equipment in the form of dew and when it is wet, it is invariably cold. Our dry houses have been a comfort and that is a mod con you will have to do away with. Wet gets everywhere and sometimes this wetness will lead to’¦

4. Illness

Woman with Headache

When we lived in nature we had lower life expectancy. Part of the reason for that is the number of illnesses we could contract. Some viruses thrive in damp areas and the damp itself gets into the lungs and irritates the respiratory system. Bronchitis and even pneumonia are very real threats. Even if you have had your tetanus jabs, you can get infections from the sharp spikes of brambles and other perils of nature. The cold is going to get to you too and that in itself can cause sickness

5. Insects

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Stagnant water attracts certain insects that can carry diseases ‘ mosquitos for example. Even if they don’t carry anything, you are going to get fed up with biting insects very quickly, ants especially. Your skin will soon come to resemble a pin cushion. They are most common in the autumn when it is damper anyway. In the summer months you are going to be pestered by wasps or bees depending on which breeds are local ‘ and spiders. The great outdoors is no place for the arachnophobics

6. Food & Water

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You can’t go without too much of this for very long. You are going to have to be careful of running water; springs are fine but if it has been above ground for too long you run the risk of ingesting pollutants. There are ways of reclaiming water from the ground and you are going to have to boil most of what water you can get your hands on. Food will be scarce ‘ it feels noble to live off the land but remember that wild food does not come with ‘use by’ labels

7. Rats

rats-together

Rats are as common as humans and just as common in towns as in cities. It will be a constant battle against them for food. Some might carry diseases so if you find something that has been gnawed, chances are it has been chewed by a rat and is therefore unlikely to be safe. There are also no exterminators out in the wild so you will see them every day. With all the food you are likely to attract them ‘ a lot of them

8. Isolation

isolation

Humans are communal creatures; our evolutionary history speaks of small communes, tribes and group activity. Even those who crave personal space need human interaction for the sake of their mental well-being. Unless you live in a community, you’re going to spend a lot of time alone. That can be a great feeling, just you, your thoughts and the great outdoors. Soon the isolation is going to get to you ‘ why else would it be used as a punishment in prisons?

9. Fire

fire-07

You don’t have central heating any more, nor do you have electricity. You are going to have to rely on fire for warmth, for cooking and boiling the large quantity of water you are going to need every single day. When it is dry, it is going to be easy to create fire but when it is damp you are going to struggle. You are also going to need to maintain a fire and it will die out overnight. At night you need to sleep and the fire could spread

10. Weather

weather-icons

Snow, rain, wind, storms, extreme heat and extreme cold: these are just some of the weather experiences you are going to go through. Summer evenings are pleasant and dry, crisp winter mornings can be nice. You have no heating aside from your fire and no air conditioning when it gets too hot. You are going to get sunburn and you are going to experience all the illnesses that come with the cold. You will take a lot of adjusting to the difference between a home that is temperate all year round and the outdoors with so many fluctuations

 

Conclusion

Are you still unconvinced? You might want to consider what you will do for toilet facilities, where you are going to wash and shower every day and even clean your clothes because you are going to smell. If you can put up with all of that then maybe, just maybe that lifestyle is for you.

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One Response

  1. Sam

    May 4, 2014 7:15 am

    Whoever described the ‘evils’ of living “in the Wilderness” in this article seems to forget there are transport facilities just about anywhere, running water, electricity, schools, buildings, shops, markets, tradesmen, hotels and pubs; you won’t get severely isolated unless you want to. Furthermore : there are ‘bugs’ in towns too (pretty dangerous ones at that, spreading disease…), as well as rodents! Not to mention humans with diseases of their own… – As to the weather: just about the same everywhere you go, there is no difference whether town or country… – I suggest you mention some of the drawbacks of city life next, and compare the two!

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