The LOST Survival Gear of John Locke

[sgtdraino]

This might be of some entertainment value to you guys.

As some of you know, I am a big fan of the ABC TV show "Lost," which features a group of plane crash survivors stranded on a mysterious island in the south Pacific. One of the characters, John Locke, is introduced to us as a hunter, tracker, collector of knives, and fairly capable all-around wilderness survivor. For my own amusement, and because I like the character, I decided to try and identify all the various gear this character uses on the show. Think of it as an exercise in exploring the sorts of things that writers of fiction think a survival expert would use. In any event, I enjoyed the project, and I hope you will enjoy reading and commenting on it!

Here ya go:

http://www.losttv-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5512

[RunsWithDeer]

Nice work, but man, you have waaaaaaaay too much time on your hands. lol

[Sourdough]

Alan Watts, wrote a predictive essay back in 60's; where he predicted that T.V. would one day become a interactive reality. That viewers could one day be an interactive real actor in the drama portrayed on the illusion T.V. but that the viewer would become so absorbed and seduced by the illusion, that the illusion would become the persons reality. He used this as a springboard to explain commonly accepted reality.

My commonly accepted reality......split firewood.....fetch water....keep fire going...stay alive.

I like my reality.

But millions and maybe billions prefer an alternate reality. If it came to a popular vote. My reality is the illusion......interesting.

Sad.....humans stopped reading & studying.....but with T.V. who has time for reading & studying. People complain they have no time, their life is jammed up......but they have time for 5 1/2 hours of T.V. per DAY......

[Pict]

We've been watching LOST since season one. I'm more tuned into ID'ing the guns that show up. I thought it was cool that the SKS got as much air time as it did. In some of the episodes it seems that the handguns carried tend to switch intermittently between Sig's and Glocks.

Of course the Glocks all make that cool little "gun sound" when you point them at someone. Maybe I'll have to point my Glock at someone to see if it makes (or needs to make) a sound, but it makes me wonder why all Glocks make that little "shic'a'click" sound without a safety or hammer or anything. Obviously they know something I don't.

As to Locke's knives, in that early episode when he opened up the case I thought "Oh Brother! Bud-K stock is going up." I think that case was put together more for visual impact than serious knife use. Nice job BTW on the collection. I guess if you are planning to collect the knives from the show it helps that they aren't all $200+ custom's.
In the later episodes, I forget what knife he carries, but it seems he's had an upgrade.

On a practical note, having carried clip-on folders in the jungle, it pays to keep them well protected rather than dangling on the outside of your gear by their clips. Of course from a camera perspective it wouldn't work. Once I was chopping through a dense patch of jungle following a compass bearing towards a waterfall we could see pouring from the face of a cliff. No kidding, I'm shoving and chopping away when I heard this faint metallic "click" that sounded familiar. I stopped, puzzled, and the compass guy behind me stopped and went quiet as I had obviously heard something. I looked back and there between us was my Spyderco Endura clipped to a little creeper vine as an offering to the bush gremlins. The vine had run up my pants leg and stripped the knife off my pocket. If I hadn't heard that little "click" ten times a day for the last eight years I would have missed it.

I also get a kick out of the endless supply of blue tarps they had on the plane. I think it would have been better if they showed them making actual shelters. I was very disappointed with the Dharma airdrop, as if you can only survive in the wilds with a blinking pallet of cornflakes and peanut butter. I thought that it diminished Locke's role, why hunt pigs when you have cases of SPAM? Mac

[RunsWithDeer]

Alan Watts, wrote a predictive essay back in 60's; where he predicted that T.V. would one day become a interactive reality. That viewers could one day be an interactive real actor in the drama portrayed on the illusion T.V. but that the viewer would become so absorbed and seduced by the illusion, that the illusion would become the persons reality. He used this as a springboard to explain commonly accepted reality.

My commonly accepted reality......split firewood.....fetch water....keep fire going...stay alive.

I like my reality.

But millions and maybe billions prefer an alternate reality. If it came to a popular vote. My reality is the illusion......interesting.

Sad.....humans stopped reading & studying.....but with T.V. who has time for reading & studying. People complain they have no time, their life is jammed up......but they have time for 5 1/2 hours of T.V. per DAY......

Hopeak, I think we are of kindred spirit.

[sgtdraino]

People complain they have no time, their life is jammed up......but they have time for 5 1/2 hours of T.V. per DAY......

Heh heh heh. Or 5 1/2 hours of internet!

We've been watching LOST since season one. I'm more tuned into ID'ing the guns that show up.

I like doing that too, but since that particular thread is devoted just to Locke's stuff, and he doesn't tote a bunch of guns, I didn't include many guns there. Lessee... Locke found a Glock 19 on a corpse in the jungle, which he later gave to Sayid. Locke was issued a Beretta when they went to hunt Ethan, which he presumeably returned. At the end of Season 3 Locke finds a S&W M&P revolver in a pit of skeletal remains, which is later snatched away from him by Jack, who tries to murder Locke with it. In Season 4 Locke toted some kind of pistol, and later a sawed-off shotgun of some type, haven't taken a close look at those yet.

I thought it was cool that the SKS got as much air time as it did. In some of the episodes it seems that the handguns carried tend to switch intermittently between Sig's and Glocks.

There's actually a special feature on the latest DVDs that talks about the different guns. They talk about how they are careful to keep track of who has what gun, which I found hilarious because you're right, they do mess up on this every so often. The most obvious example is how the Luger Juliet takes off of Mr. Friendly somehow turns into a P-38.

lostpedia has an informative article on the firearms used in the show:

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Weapons

Of course the Glocks all make that cool little "gun sound" when you point them at someone. Maybe I'll have to point my Glock at someone to see if it makes (or needs to make) a sound, but it makes me wonder why all Glocks make that little "shic'a'click" sound without a safety or hammer or anything.

Ugh. That infuriates me every time I hear it!

I guess if you are planning to collect the knives from the show it helps that they aren't all $200+ custom's.

Yep! That's exactly the conclusion I came to. "Hey, most of these are pretty cheap! I could collect these for fun!" The metal case was more expensive than many of the knives put together!

In the later episodes, I forget what knife he carries, but it seems he's had an upgrade.

It's farther along in the post. At the beginning of Season 2 Locke swaps his primary carry out for a SOG Tigershark, IMO a really excellent knife. This is the same knife actor Terry O'Quinn uses to demonstrate his knife-throwing skills in the featurette "Throwing from the Handle":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbpjoXm_5Fg

I was very disappointed with the Dharma airdrop, as if you can only survive in the wilds with a blinking pallet of cornflakes and peanut butter. I thought that it diminished Locke's role, why hunt pigs when you have cases of SPAM? Mac

True, but you'd think hunting for enough food to keep 40+ people alive would be a full-time job, if it's even possible for one man to bag that much. Having the airdrop enabled the writers to free-up the Locke character so he could do other stuff that season. Even if, sadly, they kept him stuffed in that hatch most of the time.

[Pict]

I thought the airdrop was a writers device that got them out of having to write real survival stuff. That made Locke kind of obsolete and thus "to the hatch" for him. I really do like the hatches. I need a hatch. Seriously, who wouldn't love to have a hatch? Mac

[Sourdough]

What is a hatch........? I truly have never seen the program.

[sgtdraino]

I thought the airdrop was a writers device that got them out of having to write real survival stuff.

Well, that too. Makes it easier for them to write the stories, when they don't have to worry as much about the logistics of how these people are living from day-to-day.

I really do like the hatches. I need a hatch. Seriously, who wouldn't love to have a hatch? Mac

lol. Yeah, the hatch was fun. We call our computer room (where I internet) "the hatch."

What is a hatch........? I truly have never seen the program.

It's a fun romp. "The hatch" refers to a reinforced metal door that Locke finds in the ground in Season 1, on an island that up until then the survivors had thought was devoid of advanced technology or man-made structures. The survivors eventually manage to open the door, and find that it leads down into a mysterious underground bunker called Station 3: The Swan. The bunker is a facility that was part of something called The DHARMA Initiative, which was some sort of scientific organization back in the 70s that at one time was conducting various experiments on the island. The bunker is set up with living accomodations for two people, food and supplies, a vault containing a small arsenal of weapons, and an old computer that is linked up to a timer on the wall that counts down 108 minutes. A code must be be entered in the computer every 108 minutes in order to reset the timer before it hits zero. One of the mysteries is what (if anything) would happen if someone fails to enter that code in time.

[RunsWithDeer]

One of the mysteries is what (if anything) would happen if someone fails to enter that code in time.

So what happens if the code is not entered? Or is that yet to be revealed?

[sgtdraino]

So what happens if the code is not entered? Or is that yet to be revealed?

That has been revealed, but I hate to spoil the surprise, if anyone here might actually be considering on checking this show out. The first 4 seasons are out on dvd.

[Sourdough]

Thank you, for the explanation.....I do know what DVD thingie is. I don't have one but I have seen them.

[sgtdraino]

For people wanting to know more about The Hatch, here are some amusing and informative videos:

First, an Orientation Film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYJf5rZQgb0

Next, a typical (or not so typical) morning for someone living in The Hatch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgsNjTyGsRk

Finally, a music video featuring the hatch, and a hint of what happens when the button is not pushed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-RAdOyTmi8

[RBB]

We've been watching LOST since season one. I'm more tuned into ID'ing the guns that show up. I thought it was cool that the SKS got as much air time as it did. In some of the episodes it seems that the handguns carried tend to switch intermittently between Sig's and Glocks.

Of course the Glocks all make that cool little "gun sound" when you point them at someone. Maybe I'll have to point my Glock at someone to see if it makes (or needs to make) a sound, but it makes me wonder why all Glocks make that little "shic'a'click" sound without a safety or hammer or anything. Obviously they know something I don't.

I don't watch this show so I don't know what kind of metallic noise the Glock makes in the show, but they do have a safety trigger which may make a slight noise if you pull the trigger part way - though I don't recall it making much - if any - noise.

On this whole subject, being an amateur historian, I find I have to keep my mouth shut while watching TV with my wife - as she hates hearing me yell - half way through a dramatic scene, "ANACHRONISM"!

[Sarge47]

I have never seen the series as I hate stuff written by a bunch of fat, lazy-arsed, TV writers who haven't a clue to what really goes on out in the Bush. Actually, I think they think that the term: "Bush", is a mis-spelling of a brand of beer! Then there are all those stupid commercials to deal with! However, my wife DID watch the 1st year,but gave up shortly through the 2nd. I asked her about the series & why she quit watching & she said that the 1st year the series wasn't bad & had some serious potential as to being quite good, but quickly went downhill the following year & hasn't changed directions since. I recently bought a copy of the movie: "Tropic Thunder" which sort of demonstrates "Bushcraft ignorance" & "Fat Cat Producers"! Great satire, BTW!

[sgtdraino]

Hey guys, I could use some assistance. I am trying to identify the latest knife from "Lost," a knife that Locke gives Ben to stab Jacob with. So far, these are the best pictures I have of it:

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Anybody have any idea what the make and model of this thing might be?

[Beo]

Nice work, but man, you have waaaaaaaay too much time on your hands. lol

Ditto, cool thread and great work though. Nice to see someone setting the show straight.

[sgtdraino]

Ditto, cool thread and great work though. Nice to see someone setting the show straight.

Thanks! But, you got any idea what this knife might be?

[Beo]

Ahhh, hey Sarge Tropic Thunder was a comedy, thus it was supposed to be far fetched and ridulous not true to life.

[trax]

I have never seen the series as I hate stuff written by a bunch of fat, lazy-arsed, TV writers who haven't a clue to what really goes on out in the Bush.

Don't worry Sarge, I'm sure this whole "TV" thing is just a passing fad.