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Grex > Travel > #74: The Return of the Alaska Item | |
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| 25 new of 122 responses total. |
tod
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response 44 of 122:
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May 17 19:49 UTC 2007 |
I'm with Sindi on this one: Wash yer ass in the water after you take a dump.
It is much cleaner and you won't have to worry about keeping your TP dry.
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mcnally
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response 45 of 122:
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May 17 20:21 UTC 2007 |
Sounds cold and nasty to me.
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cyklone
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response 46 of 122:
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May 17 20:30 UTC 2007 |
Plus I think marcvh and slynne were gonna use the TP to smoke their BC bud.
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slynne
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response 47 of 122:
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May 17 20:45 UTC 2007 |
*rolls eyes* Puh-leeze. I would use my knife to whittle a pipe!
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marcvh
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response 48 of 122:
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May 17 20:52 UTC 2007 |
Not just nasty, but potentially hypothermia-inducing in some conditions.
You can just use smooth rocks, but I don't know how common those are in
those parts either.
How about a deck of cards? More entertainment value per weight than a
book, and equally useful as TP (or as an emergency funnel or whathaveyou.)
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slynne
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response 49 of 122:
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May 17 21:02 UTC 2007 |
A deck of cards is a very good idea.
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keesan
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response 50 of 122:
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May 18 00:00 UTC 2007 |
Can't kids amuse themselves in the woods without something to read or play
with, for one day? What time does it get dark in Alaska now?
Much of the world thinks using paper instead of water is nasty.
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mcnally
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response 51 of 122:
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May 18 02:35 UTC 2007 |
re #50:
> Can't kids amuse themselves in the woods without something
> to read or play with, for one day?
We're no longer talking about the kids. We're talking about
what I (or the other respondents, in the case of their responses)
would bring. But more importantly you're missing, as you often
seem to miss, the fact that most people find there is more to
life than securing the bare minimums necessary for survival.
> What time does it get dark in Alaska now?
The answer to that question depends on where you are, not just
in Alaska, but in the close vicinity. On a west-facing beach
it probably stays light enough to read or play cards until after
9 pm this time of year -- we're only about a month away from the
summer solstice after all.. However, in the shadow of a mountain
or hill, in an area where there's heavy forest canopy, darkness
would be an issue much sooner.
> Much of the world thinks using paper instead of water is nasty.
By all means if they find a naturally-occurring bidet in the
middle of the forest they're welcome to use it. Personally if
my goal is to survive comfortably until rescuers can find me
I'm willing to pack a few extra ounces of weight to avoid
resorting to leaves and moss and to avoid contaminating a
convenient water supply with my own feces.
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tod
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response 52 of 122:
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May 18 06:12 UTC 2007 |
I thought we were talking about being stranded on an island. If we were, then
I think wiping the old bum in the ocean is preferred to wasting paper. Now
we're talking about a forest?
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mcnally
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response 53 of 122:
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May 18 06:32 UTC 2007 |
If you're stranded on an island in southeast Alaska, you're stranded
in the forest.
Because except for the water, the beaches, and mountain peaks above
the treeline it's ALL forest here. Every island that's high enough
above the water to be dry at high tide has trees on it, usually
quite densely spaced and trees in southeast Alaska grow in the
damnedest places, including half sideways off of cliffs so steep
you wonder that any seeds could ever land on them.
Travel overland is difficult because of the denseness of the forest
and the rugged terrain and the inhospitability of some of the
predominant vegetation in the undergrowth (I'm looking at YOU,
Devil's Club..)
If you really were stranded on an island in SE Alaska your best
bet would be to dip into the forest to look for potable water and
edible plants but otherwise you're better off remaining as close
to the beach as you can -- assuming there *is* any beach (in plenty
of places the forest runs right up to the tide line and the shore
below that is a rock wall.) On the beach you can find shellfish,
crabs, several varieties of edible seaweed, and you have the
opportunity to catch fish. It's also where you are most likely
to find good fuel for a fire if there is driftwood that has washed
up above the tideline. Not to mention nobody will ever find you
in the forest unless they pass within 20-30 feet of you..
If you want to be spotted, stay on the beach.
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bru
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response 54 of 122:
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May 18 13:30 UTC 2007 |
Sport water bottle. Create your own Bidet..
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marcvh
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response 55 of 122:
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May 18 13:54 UTC 2007 |
Let's not forget that, in this exercise, you're not in a "real" survival
situation and you're with a bunch of your peers who you will continue to
know for the rest of your lives, and you're at an age where peer
interactions and approval are vitally important to you. That means
there are certain things that you would do in a real survival situation
that you'd never consider here. If you come back from the trip having
survived but being awarded a nickname like "enema boy" you can hardly
call that a success.
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cross
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response 56 of 122:
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May 18 15:08 UTC 2007 |
Not to mention that hypothermia can be a real consideration.
Water temperatures near freezing just to clean the dingleberries off my crack?
No thanks.
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keesan
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response 57 of 122:
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May 18 15:18 UTC 2007 |
You don't need a bidet, just a bit of water and your left hand, which you then
wash. I lived one place for a few months (until late Nov) where the privy
had a bottle of water in it for cleaning with. It seems unlikely that the
kids would use the 'facilities' as a group rather than privately.
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cross
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response 58 of 122:
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May 18 17:31 UTC 2007 |
There's still the issue of hypothermia.
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jep
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response 59 of 122:
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May 18 19:41 UTC 2007 |
re: packing the can... anything you put in there, you'll have to take
out and then probably put back in again, unless you're planning to find
a location and stay close to it for the 3 day trip. I wouldn't pack it
too tightly, or I would pack it into compartments or separate bags.
Both, most likely. A 1 lb coffee can holds a fair amount of stuff.
I'd take:
wooden matches
a few small candles (such as birthday candles)
fishing line, hooks, sinkers and bobbers
a poncho
two pocket knives (in case I lose one)
a metal cup
a set of camping silverware (fork, knife, spoon)
several yards of aluminum foil, folded up
salt and pepper
tabasco sauce
a flashlight and some extra batteries
a couple of small notepads and a couple of pens
a compass
some rice
some oatmeal
some candy bars
extra socks
deck of cards
a spool of wire
iPod (heck of a way to take a good supply of music)
insect repellent
water purification tablets
*Everything* would be in ziplock bags unless it's inherently waterproof.
Essential items like matches would be found in more than one bag.
NOTE: I benefitted from some of the items listed by others.
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cross
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response 60 of 122:
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May 18 21:15 UTC 2007 |
This sounds like a good exercise for teaching essential survival skills.
I'm surprised that acompass took so long to show up; I'd give up my iPod to
have one with me (though a nano or shuffle might not be a bad use of space;
a good way to stay connected to the outside world while I wait for a ship to
come rescue me).
I'd take a leatherman, about 50 feet of 550 cord, maybe some 100MPH tape, a
poncho, some powerbars, a zippo and some flint/magnesium strips, some
ziplock bags and that would probably be about it. Maybe some toilet paper,
a pen, and something to write in. Oh, some extra socks and some foot
powder, and maybe a pair of cuticle scissors. I strikes me that putting
this stuff into a coffee can isn't very convenient. I understand the need
for a small kit (otherwise, what's the point of the exercise?), but it
seems like a small bag would be more practical.
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marcvh
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response 61 of 122:
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May 18 21:36 UTC 2007 |
If you're stranded on an relatively small island waiting for rescue,
what's the use of a compass?
Unfortunately an iPod doesn't include a radio, so the degree to which it
allows you to stay connected to the outside world is iffy. An AM/FM
(and maybe other bands) receiver might do better and is even smaller.
Better still would be a hand-held marine VHF transciever and an EPIRB,
but I guess that violates the spirit of the exercise.
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bru
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response 62 of 122:
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May 18 21:43 UTC 2007 |
the nice thing about the can is it can be used to make a couple of useful
items such as a pot or a stove. actually it might be nice to put several
stackable cans together.
survival blanket (can be used as a drop cloth under the sleeping bag, or
a reflector for the fire, a signaling device to get attention, or as a
survival blanket.
candles, not cake candles, but rather a heavy wax candle.
matches in a waterproof container.
firestarting kit (flint and steel, chard rag, wax soaked string)
light twine
bullion cubes
tea bags
tin cup
Condoms (non lubricated, can be used to carry water or waterproof other items)
leatherman tool
Small Mirror
fishing line and hooks
small notebook and pencil
everything in ziploc bags
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nharmon
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response 63 of 122:
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May 18 21:48 UTC 2007 |
Here is what my kit would be:
- water purification tablets
- magnesium fire starter
- lifeboat matches
- fishing line
- fishing hooks
- glock knife
- signal mirror
- large tube of triple antibiotic ointment
- mechanical flashlight of some type
- couple space blankets
- glock entrenching tool (if there is enough space left)
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cross
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response 64 of 122:
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May 18 21:48 UTC 2007 |
Regarding #61; Well, I guess I don't really know how small these islands are,
to be honest. If it's really really small then yes, you're right: there's
little point in bringing a compass. But, if it's not so small, it would be
a good thing to have.
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cross
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response 65 of 122:
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May 18 21:52 UTC 2007 |
(Note that, even on a very small island, this can be useful as if the
undergrowth is particularly dense, it can be difficult to tell which direction
one is going in).
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mcnally
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response 66 of 122:
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May 19 00:36 UTC 2007 |
Regarding island size: some of the islands around here are no
more than a few feet across when the tide is high. I doubt they'd
be selected as sites to leave students. Other islands are available
in pretty much any size range from acres to square miles to hundreds
of square miles. The island Ketchikan is on, which apart from
Ketchikan is essentially uninhabited, is approximately the size of
the entire state of Rhode Island.
Some of the islands are flat and swampy, some of them are steep and
solid. Betton Island, which is a likely place for one of more groups
to be deposited (within a mile or two of the road system on the north
end and only 1/2 mile away from two marinas) is about 4 miles long
and 2 wide, but it has a 1500 foot high peak and 600-foot sea cliffs
on one side. Then again this exercise may stick to some of the smaller
islands. There are wolves on Betton, and probably bears.
Anyway, the kids get back today and I haven't heard anything about
fatalities, so I presume they're all accounted for. They were fortunate
to get very good weather for this time of year -- three days of sunshine
with only occasional rain showers, though Wednesday's showers were a
little on the heavy side..
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tod
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response 67 of 122:
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May 19 11:30 UTC 2007 |
re #55
Let's not forget that, in this exercise, you're not in a "real" survival
situation and you're with a bunch of your peers who you will continue to
know for the rest of your lives, and you're at an age where peer
interactions and approval are vitally important to you.
Ok, then. I'll skip the minimalist rambo rig and say I'd probably take a
waterproof faraday flashlight, some waxcoated matchsticks, waterproof bag of
oatmeal, some vitamins, salt, tobasco sauce, garlic powder, fork & knife,
tinfoil, twine, ivory soap, fish hooks and line, entrenching tool, and some
kind of thin tarpaulin.
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keesan
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response 68 of 122:
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May 19 13:04 UTC 2007 |
Vitamins for one day? Nobody has mentioned a small trowel to dig a pit
toilet. Or a small folding saw to cut dead branches off trees. How are the
mosquitoes there?
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