How to survive on the Mississippi River

"We catched fish, and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn’t ever feel like talking loud, and it warn’t often that we laughed, only a kind of low chuckle." Hold up Huck, would living on the river be that laid back?

During our in class discussion Friday, we got a bit off topic and began discussing whether or not those of us in the class would be able to travel on the Mississippi River like Huck and Jim. This got me thinking, what would one realistically need to do to survive on the Mississippi River? Now we are going to assume that the individual only has access to what Jim and Huck had access to. So for transportation, you would be using a raft.

Let's talk a few numbers real quick: The Mississippi River is approximately 2,350 miles long and the average speed is about 1.2 miles per hour. That would take roughly 1,958 hours or 81.5 days to travel on. So it wouldn't be a short trip.

Now, what basic skills would one need to be able to survive? Well for one, knowing how to fish/hunt to acquire food and how to properly clean it. Making a campfire with would also be essential, not only for cooking but to prevent hypothermia as well. Now unfortunately, it would be impossible to travel using only what Jim and Huck had since drinking the river water would cause illness. Unless of course you're that hardcore.

Not to mention all the other dangers that would be along the way. From mosquitoes to alligators, there are plenty of natural hazards. But things like bears and snakes are mostly on land right? And aren't I on a river the whole time? Well, one would have to set up camp on land so you can start a fire, also, there are several portages (areas where you have to carry your canoe to the next section of water) along the way as well. So knowing how to deal with these hazards is also something one would need to know.

Overall, there would be more to it than simply floating down a river on a raft. One would need to know a plethora about wilderness survival. Also, if you dislike getting dirty, you may as well just stay home. And if snakes aren't your thing, better stop before you even start. However, if you think you can survive for 80+ days on a river and don't mind getting dirty, then you may be able to survive the Mississippi River.