Survival Scenario

[pgvoutdoors]

Situation:
You are being tested on your ability to utilize a minimum of supplies to survive in the wild for two weeks. You can choose from the following list any items you like but there's limitations on how much you can choose. Each item has been given a point value and you are limited to a total of (40) points. Additional limitations are:
1. only one item with a value of (10) points
2. only one item with a value of (8) points

Choose your items based on the following information:
1. the clothing you are wearing is; hiking boots, wool socks, jeans, cotton underwear, cotton t-shirt, NO belt.
2. Location: Colorado
3. Terrain: Mountainous, 8000 ft
4. Water: streams
5. Season: November

Answer the following questions:
1. Why you chose the items you did?
2. How would you signal for help?
3. How would you maintain your food and water supply?
4. How would you protect yourself from the elements?

(Value)
(10) High carbon knife, 6" blade
(8) Swiss Army Knife, ten tools
(7) Flashlight w/ batteries
(7) Shovel, military folding type
(7) Hatchet
(10) Axe
(10) .22 Rifle w/ (10) rounds
(6) Wire Saw
(8) Bow Saw
(7) SAS Survival Book
(7) MRE
(8) 10x10 Tarp
(8) Poncho
(8) Wool Blanket
(10) Sleeping bag, 20 degree
(10) Tent, 2-person dome
(10) Water Filter
(7) Water Bladder, 4 qt.
(4) Canteen, 1 qt.
(6) Water purifying Tablets, (20) tablets
(8) A piece of Flint, 4 oz.
(5) (5) Strike Anywhere Matches
(10) Bic Lighter
(5) (2) pieces of Fat Wood, 8x1/2"
(4) Plumbers Candle
(3) Bicycle Inner tube
(4) Razor Blade
(4) 100 ft. of Fishing Line, 10 lb. test
(6) 30 ft. of snare wire
(3) Coffee Can, metal 2 lb. size
(6) 120 ft. Climbing Rope
(6) Compass
(4) Signal Mirror
(5) Whistle
(5) Bow String
(7) Fishing Rod w/ line
(5) (2) Fishing Hooks
(7) (2) Trout Flies
(5) Weighted Jig
(7) 25 ft. of 550 Cord
(6) 3 qt. Pot
(3) metal Fork & Spoon
(5) Dental Floss, 70 ft.
(5) Antibiotic Cream
(3) (6) Band-Aids
(3) Roll of Gauze, 3x30"
(4) Aluminum Hub Cap
(3) (4) Safety Pins
(4) Trash Bag, Large
(3) Pen & Notebook

Good Luck!

[Rick]

Can you tell us what season this is?

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

items i choose :10) High carbon knife, 6" blade,(8) A piece of Flint, 4 oz.(4) Trash Bag, Large,3) Coffee Can, metal 2 lb. size,(7) 25 ft. of 550 Cord,(6) 30 ft. of snare wire
I chose the knife as I can make traps , a spear , a fire with the flint to keep warm and signal the trash bag is a expidient shelter of sorts coffe can for cooking and purifying water 550 cord for traps snares and shelter snare wire for obviously traps snares and shelter amungst other things . theres streams meaning i dont need fishing gear as a fish trap will do my fishing for me 24/7 hope i dont gain weight for the two weeks lol

[Sam]

Can you tell us what season this is?

I hope we get pants of some kind.

[pgvoutdoors]

Fall, November. Thanks I updated the post.

Can you tell us what season this is?

[pgvoutdoors]

You are wearing jeans for those who need them

I hope we get pants of some kind.

[crashdive123]

Based on location and time of year, here's my 39 points worth. I based my decisions on the rule of 3's to prioritize what I'd list.

10 - Sleeping bag
8 - Flint
7 - 25 ft 550 cord
7 - hatchet
3 - coffe can
4 - trash bag

Sleeping bag to keep warm (can wear it during day and crawl in it at night). With flint and hatchet can sart fire. Hatchet to replace knife for cutting, slicing, chopping, cleaning game or fish. 550 cor gives me 200 feet of line for fishing, building traps, etc. Coffee can for collecting boiling water. Trash bag to water proof shelter I build or expedient poncho if needed. I'd signal with fire/smoke. Food, although nice is a bit lower on the priority list - snaring small game, fish traps in flowing water.

With your scenario - I'm getting out in 2 weeks, so I'm staying put. Improving my shelter daily, keeping water supply up, gathering food. Heck, if the weather holds, I may ask them to give me another week.

[Rick]

I know Colorado consists of grass meadows and coniferous forest at 8000 feet. November has the ability to be pretty cold and probably some snow. Average temps is 40F and snowfall is 4.4 inches. Highs could be 80F and lows could be 5F. So.....

(8) Swiss Army Knife - I considered the ax but it's heavier requiring more energy to carry and use so I'll go with a cutting tool that is lighter and this conserves my numbers.
(8) Wool blanket - I'll use it as a modified capote to stay warm and it will help with my cold, maybe even wet, cotton clothes.
(8) A piece of Flint, 4 oz. - It should be dry enough to make fires with the knife and flint.
(3) Coffee can, metal 2 lb size. - I can boil water and cook in the can.
(4) Signal mirror - I want something for immediate signaling. If a plane flies over I won't have time to build a fire. I need to signal NOW.
(5) Dental floss - Pretty versatile stuff. I would have preferred the 550 cord but I'm conserving numbers.
(4) Canteen. Relatively compact and simple. Cap prevents loss of water even if you drop it.

[Merriwether]

You are being tested on your ability to utilize a minimum of supplies to survive in the wild for two weeks. 3. Terrain: Mountainous, 8000 ft
4. Water: streams
5. Season: November

Is this above the treeline? I'm a flatlander, so I have no idea. I'm going to assume that it's right at the treeline so I have some access to wood. From the scenario description I have to last two weeks, I'm not trying to actively get rescued. If that's the case I'll make a base camp with the following stuff.

1. High Carbon Knife. Useful for cutting, carving and starting a fire when struck against flint, chert, petrified wood or other really, really hard rocks (speaking from experience).

2. Wool blanket. Warm even when wet. This will be my coat/cape/sleeping bag/shelter. It's insulating aspects will be improved with some sort of debris shelter, grass insulation or other naturally occuring shelter.

3. 550 cord. I hate making cordage in the woods. This will be used for lashing, making a gill net, or inner stands used as fishing line (with gorge-hook).

4. 3 qt pot. Since it's a pot I'm going to assume it has some sort of bail to hang it over the fire. It will be used to boil drinking water and cook any fish/game I catch.

5. Snare wire. This will be one of my five main ways of catching meat. I'll also make some fish traps (weir-style and traps, maybe the gill net if I can spare the cordage). The third way will be deadfall traps, the fourth will be bird traps, the fifth will be fishing (paracord strands for fishing line). If I'm not moving camp every few days trapping is definately the way to go.

6. Coffee can. This can be used to suppliment my boiled water, cook in, use as an oven, and also to make char cloth for fire starting.

I've left off any of the obvious fire starting devices as I'm confident I can start a fire with the knife and a rock plucked from one of the streams.

The main problem I forsee is collecting enough wood. In those temperatures I'll go through a lot of wood and will clean out the area around me fairly quickly. I'm not sure if it'd be easier to move camp to fresh wood or drag the wood to camp.

-Merriwether

[pgvoutdoors]

Nice job of researching the typical terrain. One problem though, you can only have one item valued at (10) points and one item valued at (8) points. You do not need to choose one of each but no more than one of each.
Back to the front of the class and choose again.

I know Colorado consists of grass meadows and coniferous forest at 8000 feet. November has the ability to be pretty cold and probably some snow. Average temps is 40F and snowfall is 4.4 inches. Highs could be 80F and lows could be 5F. So.....

(8) Swiss Army Knife - I considered the ax but it's heavier requiring more energy to carry and use so I'll go with a cutting tool that is lighter and this conserves my numbers.
(8) Wool blanket - I'll use it as a modified capote to stay warm and it will help with my cold, maybe even wet, cotton clothes.
(8) A piece of Flint, 4 oz. - It should be dry enough to make fires with the knife and flint.
(3) Coffee can, metal 2 lb size. - I can boil water and cook in the can.
(4) Signal mirror - I want something for immediate signaling. If a plane flies over I won't have time to build a fire. I need to signal NOW.
(5) Dental floss - Pretty versatile stuff. I would have preferred the 550 cord but I'm conserving numbers.
(4) Canteen. Relatively compact and simple. Cap prevents loss of water even if you drop it.

[trax]

10-the 6" knife, 8-wool blanket, 4-100 ft of fishing line, 3-coffee can, 5-fish hooks, 4-trash bag, 5-matches=39 points

With the knife, I can make a pretty windproof shelter, the blanket will keep me warm enough when I roll up into it. ( I know FVR and WE are shaking their heads but I really like steel knives) If I have to I can use the trash bag either as a shelter cover or rain jacket, I can use the fishing line for fishing, snaring, tieing down the base poles of my shelter, the coffee can will work both for heating up my water for purification and for making my lovely rabbit stew and for a signaling device if I scrub the bottom and for flipping over and keepin a few coals burning inside the shelter over night (want 4 matches back?) I could fashion my own fishhooks if I had to, but what the hey? I can tie pebbles to the hooks with fishing line, set the snares and the hooks, gather as much firewood as I can find, get a nice big stack of pine and spruce bark for future vitamin intake, and crash out in my little lodge and stay home as much as possible. At 8000 feet I should be able to hear aircraft or searchers approaching, so I'm going to keep a pile of firewood nearby for building the fire up huge. I'm also gonna peel that t-shirt off and make it into a hat, over 50% of heat loss is through the head and if it gets as hot as Rick said it would during the day, I want to protect myself from that too. How'd I do teach? Will I live?

[Merriwether]

Thinking about it more, are there any fish in streams that high up? Minnows and other small fish would be fine, I'd just change the way I'm going after them. How about frogs? Snails?

-Merriwether

[pgvoutdoors]

Thinking about it more, are there any fish in streams that high up? Minnows and other small fish would be fine, I'd just change the way I'm going after them. How about frogs? Snails?

-Merriwether

Yes, minnows and small trout.

[Rick]

Picky, picky, picky!

(10) High carbon knife, 6" blade
(8) Wool Blanket
(4) Signal Mirror
(5) Whistle
(4) Canteen, 1 qt.
(3) Coffee Can, metal 2 lb. size
(6) 30 ft. of snare wire

Okay, I'll try this again. I'll go with the larger knife because I won't do without the wool blanket. Again, I'll make a modified capote/sleeping cover out of it. The rest are pretty self explanatory. For fire, I'll just have to go with a fire bow and pretend I'm really good at it (big stretch!). For food, I'll make a spear for the fish and set snare's. For all I know, help is coming 1) if by land, 2) if by air so I decided to go with the mirror and the whistle. The objective is to be found so I want anything that will help me do that. I think that's 40 points and I didn't cheat this time.

[pgvoutdoors]

Picky, picky, picky!

(10) High carbon knife, 6" blade
(8) Wool Blanket
(4) Signal Mirror
(5) Whistle
(4) Canteen, 1 qt.
(3) Coffee Can, metal 2 lb. size
(6) 30 ft. of snare wire

Okay, I'll try this again. I'll go with the larger knife because I won't do without the wool blanket. Again, I'll make a modified capote/sleeping cover out of it. The rest are pretty self explanatory. For fire, I'll just have to go with a fire bow and pretend I'm really good at it (big stretch!). For food, I'll make a spear for the fish and set snare's. For all I know, help is coming 1) if by land, 2) if by air so I decided to go with the mirror and the whistle. The objective is to be found so I want anything that will help me do that. I think that's 40 points and I didn't cheat this time.

NICE!!! OK, you can sit in the back of the class now.

[trax]

I think you're better off hooking fish (set lines, go relax, minimum energy expended) than spearing them (splashing cold water all over yourself, catching ...a cold) and you can use the bottom of that coffee can for a signaling mirror. You can snare rabbits & squirrels or grouse & ptarmigan (not sure exactly what manner of fowl are there but there'll be one kind or another from that family) with fishing line, waterfowl too, for that matter.
You also said "for all I know help is coming" My thinking is, pgv said two weeks, so for all I know, it isn't.

Just my thinking, not trying to criticize or anything.

[Rick]

Can't use the bottom of a sooty can. And if I don't have a mirror and whistle I'll be watching that plane or chopper fly on by as I saw my little fire bow into sawdust trying to get a fire rolling. I'd take the fishing line but I ran out of points. So I'll just go with a spear and my trusty fish traps. Speaking of expending energy, if you happen to hike by and see someone passed out on the ground with a spindle in one hand and a fire bow in the other with no fire burning, that would be me.

[trax]

OK, but if I do, I'm gonna pat you down to see what goodies you got in your pockets that I can put to use, (hopefully find your secret Mars bar stash that you didn't tell pgv about) and that soot comes off easy so pllplpfffplp

[klkak]

First off, let me say that this is a thread that challenges you to do some thinking. I like it. I am looking at this as only a training scenario. If it were real and I was uninjured I would walk out.

Now trying to keep to the spirit of the scenario I picked the following items for a total of 35 points.

1. Wool Blanket (8pts): I would make a serape out of it for those chilly November days and use it as a blanket for sleeping.

2. Hatchet (7pts): Chopping, cutting, pounding. etc. I carry and use a hatchet almost every day so getting wood for a fire and building a shelter. The hatchet is my choice. If I needed a fine blade for skinning fish or game, I'm not above using stone flakes for this purpose.

3. 550 cord (7pts): First I would gut it out. Then use it for holding together a shelter. Making traps and bird snares as well as fishing line.

3. Snare wire (6pts): I would use small pieces tied to a length of stripped down 550 cord as a fish gouge. And of course for making snares.

4. Trash bag (4pts): I would use this as a rain poncho/wind breaker worn with the serape.

5. Coffee Can (3pts): I would use this for cooking and purifying water.

Questions:
1. I choose the above items because I am familiar with their use.

2. I would use fire at night and smoke during the day as my primary means of signaling for help. I am very confident that I could get a fire going with material found locally.

3. I would place my camp near a stream with fish in it. I would set trot lines for the fish and would set snares and traps for rodents and birds for food. I would use the coffee can to boil water for drinking and cooking the food.

4. I would build and continue to improve the best shelter I could make. I would also continue to build up my firewood supply. Using fire for warmth as well as the wool blanket and trash bag.

[klkak]

Rick and Trax you are disrupting the class!