[GrumpySloth]

> We can already do that at leisure, but most would not care to go a whole day (let alone every day) trudging around by necessity.

We can do that at best 2/7 days a week. In reality, modern life forces us to dedicate even less time to that.

I've done that many times. The feeling at the end of the day is always unlike any other. Wouldn't swap those experiences for anything else.

> You seem to be framing the search for food as a low-stakes endeavor.

Have you ever picked mushrooms? Do you know how little time it takes to get enough mushrooms for weeks to come? And then how much meat there is in a deer?

I agree that the risk of being murdered is higher. Although I think you overestimate the frequency of encounters. There weren't a lot of people back then on Earth. I also don't think this decreases happiness all that much. The slow senseless willowing away in an office everyday seems like a much less happy existence, even if it's a longer one.

[Cthulhu_]

> In reality, modern life forces us to dedicate even less time to that.

That's ultimately a choice. Nobody is making you work, however, if you want a certain standard of living and a location it's one way to raise the funds to do so.

Personally, I choose to work 9-5 and live comfortably, safely and predictably, and I don't much care for long walks or whatever.