Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

A dozen or so tents formed a circle, and several barbecue grills emitted the aroma of cumin.

A group of young people are carrying boxes of beer.

A college student jumped onto the roof of a nearby SUV and raised a beer.

"A toast to the lost traveler, the mad poet, and the fools who come out to feed the mosquitoes!"

Beer foam splattered, and the barbecue sizzled.

The guitar began playing "Kill That Changshan Man," and everyone sang along.

Seeing that there was food, drink, and music to listen to, Gu Lang was no longer reserved.

They joined the men and women who were having a great time.

The college student squeezed over and hooked his arm around his shoulder.

"Do you know why I recruited you? When you were setting up your tent, you had this 'keep away' look on your face."

He imitated Gu Lang's cold expression and burst into laughter.

"But the Mavericks all have a fire burning in their eyes, they just need a gust of wind!"

Gu Lang remained wary of him, fearing that the other party was after his looks.

Fortunately, although the guy spoke with a Sichuan accent, he did manage to pick up girls later on.

Gu Lang then gradually relaxed his buttocks.

After a while of commotion, the hikers from all over the country finally sat down together.

When they started chatting, it was like a chaotic dance of demons; one of them was a National Geographic contracted photographer.

There are white-collar workers who quit their jobs to travel around the country, and couples from Northeast China who ran away from their families.

There was even a white foreigner who communicated with people using a mobile phone translation app.

After telling his ghost stories, Gu Lang lay down on the lawn.

Listening to the song "Mohe Dance Hall," I admired the night sky.

A thin mist rose over the wetlands at dawn, and the Milky Way, like silver powder blurred by water, adorned the heads of those who were still awake.

During the conversation, the couple from Northeast China mentioned something that caught his attention.

Because this year is a peak year for solar activity, the aurora borealis will be visible to the naked eye in Northeast China when the weather is clear.

Gu Lang really wanted to see it for himself, and the other party also strongly recommended it.

Due to the drastic population decline, the cost of living there is now very low.

The idea of ​​a 10-yuan all-you-can-eat buffet made Gu Lang's mouth water.

Aside from the fact that it's too cold in winter and difficult to find a job, it's a paradise with low prices.

Gu Lang thought about it for a moment, realizing that he had been active in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

We've explored most of this area; it's time to move on to a different place.

Summer is approaching, and the south will gradually experience scorching weather.

Going north to escape the summer heat and enjoy the aurora borealis seems like a great option.

The fire in the oven gradually dimmed.

Empty beer cans were piled up into a small mountain on the grass.

The previously loud singing turned into intermittent humming.

The tide of revelry began to recede, and the crowd exchanged vague goodnights.

Gu Lang saw the college student hugging a girl and then crawling into the tent.

This wasn't the only couple engaging in "mixed-gender sex."

This is more common during light outdoor activities.

By this point, after strenuous outdoor activity, your body is basically exhausted.

Anyone who seeks excitement in various circles.

It's not just about releasing desires, but more about enjoying the process and the feeling.

Compared to hotels, camping lacks the protection of concrete and cement.

People will become more open and honest with each other, enriching each other's journey.

People rely on their courage to strike up conversations and on empty promises to get some sleep.

It all comes down to mutual consent.

Whether or not to participate in this kind of fun is a matter of personal opinion.

Because Gu Lang is quite good-looking, some girls did come up to him earlier.

But after he saw the red sores that were faintly visible between the stockings and the short skirt, he avoided the other person.

"It looks like Ai You is in her second stage. I hope she recovers."

Gu Lang pulled up the tent and crawled into his sleeping bag.

He was woken up by "strange noises" again at three in the morning.

In the nearby grove, someone was having sex in the open without turning on the silent mode.

Enraged, he pulled out his flashlight and shone it at maximum brightness.

"Holy crap? Men! Three men? And they let people watch! Ugh! That's disgusting!"

After cursing and chasing the person away, he went back to sleep.

The next day, sunlight filtered through the trees and illuminated the tent.

Gu Lang reluctantly got out of bed and aired out his sleeping bag and clothes.

He drank a bit too much beer yesterday and has a headache.

He has a very low alcohol tolerance; his face turns red after just a little bit of alcohol.

This stems from a genetic disorder that affects alcohol metabolism.

Mutations in the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase gene are a common genetic characteristic in East Asian populations.

They make up about 40% of the total population, but are not common among Europeans and Americans.

This mutation causes the body to convert ethanol into toxic acetaldehyde.

It is impossible to further convert acetaldehyde into non-toxic acetic acid.

Acetaldehyde poisoning can cause alcohol-induced facial flushing.

The intense discomfort can quickly overwhelm the slight pleasure brought by ethanol.

The pain response it triggers will cause the body to actively reject alcohol.

These people have low tolerance to alcohol and poor metabolism.

Alcohol consumption also increases the risk of cancer, increasing the risk of esophageal cancer by 10 times and the risk of liver cancer by 8 times.

Therefore, the medical community generally recommends that such people strictly abstain from alcohol, rather than trying to "build up their alcohol tolerance".

After packing up his things, Gu Lang gave away his old bicycle and useless equipment to the other hikers.

They then headed to the train station to prepare to board a northbound train.

"Passengers, boarding for train K4294, bound for '77har', is now open..."

After passing through the bustling platform, Gu Lang entered the sleeper car.

This is because it is a journey that lasts 38 hours.

After weighing the pros and cons, he spent a "huge sum" to buy a ticket for a lower berth in a hard sleeper car.

I packed my luggage and put on my headphones.

The phone started playing "All the Way North".

They didn't talk much along the way, only talking about eating, drinking, and relieving themselves.

Outside the car window, night gradually covered the Huabei Plain.

The train slowly pulled into Pengcheng Station.

Accompanied by various noises from passengers getting on and off.

The carriage was filled with the smell of various instant noodles.

Feeling his stomach empty, Gu Lang got up and rummaged through his hiking backpack.

All the food I got from farming has been used up.

Only two 1-kilogram cans of meal replacement solid beverage remain.

This was a gift he received in return from a fellow traveler after giving his bicycle to him.

Gu Lang glanced at the ingredient list, which mainly contained soybean flour, oat flour, milk powder, pumpkin powder, and fish meal.

It contains a very balanced range of nutrients.

It contains everything: protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Each 100 grams contains 430 kilocalories of energy.

"It's called 'Human Feed'? It looks very filling. I wonder what it tastes like?"

Gu Lang scooped out two spoonfuls, then carried the outdoor aluminum cooking pot outside to pour out hot water.

After brewing and stirring for 3 minutes, he stood up and tasted the paste.

"The taste is like a mixture of soy milk, milk, and cheese."

For this type of portable food that can quickly bring a feeling of fullness.

My first impression of Gu Lang was pretty good.

If the price is cheap enough, it could be used as an emergency food for outdoor use.

After finishing the feed, Gu Lang washed the pot and spoon clean and put them away.

Back in the carriage, I found an elderly couple sitting on my berth.