How Long Could You Survive in the Wilderness?

By: Steven Miller
Estimated Completion Time
7 min
How Long Could You Survive in the Wilderness?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Do you have what it takes to build a shelter, hunt for food, and sustain a fresh water supply? Let's find out how long you'll make it or if your survival depends on a quick rescue.
Have you been hunting before?
I've never been hunting in my life.
I've been hunting a few times.
I've spent many hours hunting in the great outdoors.
I would consider myself an expert hunter, even with more primitive weapons.
How much time have you spent camping in the wilderness?
I would actually rather be camping than at my home.
I enjoy camping in a tent. I do it multiple times a year.
I've gone camping a few times, but I'm not a huge fan.
I've actually never gone camping.
Have you ever had First Aid or CPR training?
I used to have those certifications, but it has been a while.
I am current with both of those certifications.
I've never gotten either of those certifications.
I have advanced training in Wilderness First Aid and CPR.

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How confident would you be in identifying edible plants?
My knowledge is very limited, but I will need to take the risk and eat something.
I know a few plants that I can eat, and I would stick to only eating those.
I have a ton of training in identifying edible plants, and I would be 100% confident in doing so.
I don't know plants well enough, so I would avoid eating them entirely.
Have you ever built a fire without matches or a lighter?
I have done it before. It takes me a very long time, but I do eventually get one going.
I've seen some videos on the subject.
I am a master at building fires in the wild.
I have never done it, and I would have no idea where to begin.
Do you carry a pocket utility tool set of some kind?
Yes, I always have my Leatherman on me.
I never carry one.
I always bring my Swiss Army Knife with me when I go camping.
I used to have one, but I don't know where it is now.

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Could you create a water filtration system from natural elements?
I would have no idea how to do that.
I've seen a video on how to do that.
I've been trained in how to do that, but I haven't had the chance to try it yet.
Yes, I have done that before and it worked great.
How would you rate your physical strength?
I'm a very strong person.
I'm not a weightlifter or anything, but I have a decent amount of strength.
I'm not a total weakling, but I wouldn't call myself strong either.
Honestly, I'm pretty weak.
Which phrase best describes your health?
Out of shape.
Healthy.
Sick.
Fit as a fiddle.

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How do you generally deal with stress?
Stress tends to stick with me for days.
I just try to keep moving.
I move on from it very quickly.
It can haunt me for a while, but eventually I move past it.
Have you ever watched a survival show on TV?
I have watched a show about survival before.
I'd be interested in watching a show like that, but I've yet to see one.
I love those shows and watch them all the time.
I've never seen a show like that, and it wouldn't be interesting to me.
Have you had any formal training in survival skills?
I've been to a number of schools on survival.
Nope, not at all.
I attended a school like that once.
I've had a brief training on some basic survival skills.

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How good do you think you would be at building a shelter?
Odds are that it would fall down on the first day.
I've never done it before, but I'm guessing that I would be pretty good at it.
I've done it a few times. I would probably be pretty decent at it.
I've built a lot of shelters. I'm great at it.
Which best describes your body type?
Slim.
Athletic.
A few extra pounds.
Overweight.
How well would you be able to deal with extreme heat?
I wouldn't be happy about it, but I'd gut it out.
I'd stay in the shade as much as possible.
I would be totally miserable. I hate being hot.
I'm very comfortable when the temperatures get hot.

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Would you consider yourself to be a patient person?
I tend to get antsy pretty fast.
I'm a pretty patient person, but I definitely prefer to move along with things.
I'm a very patient person. I don't take action until the time is right.
I definitely struggle with patience, but I'm getting better at it.
Can you think logically, even under very challenging conditions?
I do a pretty good job of staying rational, but I have my limits.
I tend to throw logic out the window under extreme stress.
Yes, I can stay logical even in the midst of very emotional and challenging situations.
Honestly, I tend to be driven more by my emotions.
Have you ever slept outside under the stars before?
Yes, I love to sleep out under the stars.
No way, that would totally freak me out.
I've done that once before, but I wasn't a huge fan.
I've never done that before, but I'm guessing I would have trouble falling asleep like that.

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What's the longest that you've gone without eating before?
I've gone almost a full day.
I've gone without food for a day and a half.
I've lasted a little over two days without food.
I've fasted for more than three days.
Which strategy for conserving energy will you use?
I'll conserve energy during the middle of the day and do the bulk of my activity at dawn and dusk.
I'm going to pace myself, so as not to get my heart-rate up too high at any point.
I'm going to sleep a lot.
I'm not going to conserve energy. I'm going all out to get out of there.
How would you deal with extreme cold conditions?
I'd struggle mightily in cold conditions, but I'll just keep moving.
I'm not a fan of those conditions, but I'd survive.
I hate being cold. It's like my body just shuts down.
I'd figure out a way to stay warm.

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What should you do if you come across a grizzly bear?
I'd run away as fast as I could.
I'd make lots of noise and make myself look as big as I could.
I'd curl into a ball, protecting my vital organs.
I'd climb the nearest tree.
Do you tend to make plans or just wing it?
I generally make a pretty detailed plan, knowing that it will change as I go along.
I like to have a general idea of what I'm doing and figure out the details as I go.
I'm definitely a planner.
I just figure things out on the go.
How would you describe your attitude in general?
I'm the eternal optimist. I will find the silver lining in pretty much everything.
I'm definitely a pessimist. It's pretty common for me to get negative.
I tend to stay positive through most things.
I can get pretty negative, especially when I'm tired.

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What time of the day will you do the bulk of your activity?
Midday.
Afternoon.
Morning.
Dusk and dawn.
How would you do with extremely wet conditions?
I'd make the best of it. At least drinking water shouldn't be a problem.
Once I got my shelter all figured out, I'd be happy as can be.
It would bum me out, but I'd just keep slogging through it.
That would make me totally miserable.
What is your first priority in a survival situation?
Water.
Fire.
Food.
Assess any immediate danger.

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What is going to be your main signaling strategy?
Getting to the highest ground and waving my arms.
Smoke.
Fire.
Finding a reflective surface to direct at planes overhead.
When will you drink most of your water?
When I wake up in the morning.
Whenever I'm thirsty.
Dawn and dusk.
In the middle of the day.
What does STOP stand for in a survival setting?
Stop, Think, Observe, Plan.
Stand tall on principle.
Start to openly practice.
Sure to overly prepare.

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