You're on your way to an island holiday in Hawaii and the small boat taking you to your resort island hits a coral reef and is sinking quickly. You only have time to grab a few things before you get into the life raft and paddle to a nearby (presumed uninhabited) island. You are just wearing shorts, trainers and T-shirt - and there is nothing in the life raft apart from the paddles. You have no idea how long it will be until you are rescued. You only have room to carry 12 points space of items into the life raft. Which will you choose? (can you give reasons for your choices?) (The points to the left of each item show how much space it takes up). 1 - Candle 1 - Box of Matches 2 - Torch (Flashlight) 5 - Blanket 1 - Magnetic Compass 1 - Chocolate Bar 1 - Swiss Army Knife 1 - Local Phrasebook 2 - Swimming Costume 1 - Makeup Mirror 3 - First Aid Kit (no time to check what's inside!) 2 - Suntan Lotion 3 - Hand Towel 2 - Spare T-Shirt 1 - Mobile Phone (Cellphone) 3 - Latest Harry Potter Book 1 - Sunglasses 1 - Wristwatch 1 - Packet of Crisps (Potato Chips) 2 - Game Boy 1 - Swimming Goggles 1 - Travel Sewing Kit 2 - Pair of Flip-Flops (Beach Sandals) 1 - Deodorant 1 - Notebook and Pen 1 - Baseball Cap 3 - Bible 3 - Beach Ball 6 - Acoustic Guitar 2 - Bottle of Shampoo 4 - Snorkel and Flippers 1 - Toothbrush & Paste
1 - Box of Matches 2 - Torch (Flashlight) 5 - Blanket 1 - Chocolate Bar 1 - Swiss Army Knife 1 - Makeup Mirror 1 - Packet of Crisps (Potato Chips) I can supply my reasoning if required....
1. Box of matches : to start fires for heat and warmth 5. Blanket: for warmth 1. swiss army knife: to use as a general too, fro cooking ang maknig things 3. first aid kit: obvious reasons, to deal with any injury or ailment that may occur 1. mobile phone: just in case there is a signal 1. sewing kit: for flesh and cloth Everything else on the list seems to be luxury, and not vital.
1 - box of matches - fire for warmth and food, can be achieved naturally but much harder 6 - acoustic guitar - Time to become good at guitar and fit as a fiddle, all I would need to occupy me outside hunting time! 1- Swiss army knife - make tools, cut food etc. 1 - sunglasses - I'm sensitive 1 - notebook and pen - writing down thoughts, songs etc. 2 - suntan lotion - If you have to stay out fishing, hunting etc. then you are gonna burn like crazy. Aegis - I can't believe you wasted points on the crisps and chocolate! All over in a minute or so!
ok, I'll supply my reasoning now 1 - Box of Matches - Lighting stuff 2 - Torch (Flashlight) Both for safety at night and in case a rescue craft appears and there's no time for a fire: torch light isn't great, but it will do over nothing at all 5 - Blanket - Warmth 1 - Chocolate Bar - Food 1 - Swiss Army Knife - General use, forraging, 1 - Makeup Mirror - Signal during daytime. A reflected beam of sunlight can be used to catch the attantion of ships or planes from huge distances 1 - Packet of Crisps (Potato Chips) - Food I can supply my reasoning if required.... And the rest of the items, the ones I didn't take: 1 - Candle - No obvious use that something else can't be substituted for, plus it would all be gone very shortly 1 - Magnetic Compass - not really much point in knowing where north is if you're stranded 1 - Local Phrasebook - What locals? 2 - Swimming Costume - Already wearing clothes, a swimming costume would be pointless 3 - First Aid Kit (no time to check what's inside!) - Tough one. however, the chances are that anything bad enough to require first aid when you're stranded on an island will probably get infected no matter how much first aid kit you have, so blanket and knife could suffice for bandages or slings. In addition, the risk of not being able to check isn't great 2 - Suntan Lotion - Find shade or stay under the blanket. Suntan lotion is unecessary! 3 - Hand Towel - Blanket much more useful, thought he hand towel could be soaked and wrapped around your head for comfort, it's not a necessity. 2 - Spare T-Shirt - Unecessary, you can survive without a t-shirt if you have to 1 - Mobile Phone (Cellphone) - An uninhabited island will nto have a signal. If it was a satellite phone, TAKE TAKE TAKE! 3 - Latest Harry Potter Book - better fire fuel can probably be forraged! 1 - Sunglasses - Unecessary for survival 1 - Wristwatch - Unecessary for survival 2 - Game Boy - Unecessary for survival, even though the batteries might be compatible with the torch. Too risky 1 - Swimming Goggles - Unecessary for survival 1 - Travel Sewing Kit - Unecessary for survival 2 - Pair of Flip-Flops (Beach Sandals) - - Unecessary for survival, already have shoes on 1 - Deodorant - Pretty pointless really, other than for lighting with the matches for a signal at night 1 - Notebook and Pen - Unecessary for survival, and would probably be ruined quickly anyway 1 - Baseball Cap - Unecessary for survival, keep your head shaded as much as possible rather than taking an item for that 3 - Bible - Unecessary for survival, see Harry Potter 3 - Beach Ball - Unecessary for survival, though could possibly be cut open with the knife and used to hold fresh water. probably not the best idea 6 - Acoustic Guitar - Unecessary for survival, firewood and noise can probably be achieved in simpler ways! 2 - Bottle of Shampoo - Unecessary for survival 4 - Snorkel and Flippers - Unecessary for survival 1 - Toothbrush & Paste - Unecessary for survival
This is what I'd take:- 1 - Makeup Mirror : heliographic signals & I can really talk to myself 6 - Acoustic Guitar : need the practice time 4 - Snorkel and Flippers : fun fun fun, also could retrieve all the kit I left behind if that's "allowed" 1 - Swiss Army Knife : to remove stones from horses' hooves This stuff I'd leave :- 1 - Candle : limited use 1 - Box of Matches : limited use 2 - Torch (Flashlight) : limited use 5 - Blanket : fire fixes cold 1 - Magnetic Compass : can work this stuff out easy enough 1 - Chocolate Bar : limited use 1 - Local Phrasebook : who cares? 2 - Swimming Costume : I like to hang out 3 - First Aid Kit (no time to check what's inside!) : I think I'm allowed to bleed everywhere in an emergency so dressings are superfluous 2 - Suntan Lotion : limited use 3 - Hand Towel : every hitch-hiker should have one but I could learn a lot by weaving my own 2 - Spare T-Shirt : for special occasions? nah 1 - Mobile Phone (Cellphone) : limited use 3 - Latest Harry Potter Book : even if it were the last book on Earth, I'd still not get past page 80 without throwing it at the wall (or palm tree) 1 - Sunglasses : you don't look like Clint Eastwood if you don't practise squinting 1 - Wristwatch : more fun to make a sundial 1 - Packet of Crisps (Potato Chips) : limited use 2 - Game Boy : limited use 1 - Swimming Goggles : my poor snorkelly eyes! 1 - Travel Sewing Kit : needle v useful, hard to replicate cotton too. but I need a guitar more 2 - Pair of Flip-Flops (Beach Sandals) : limited use 1 - Deodorant : limited use 1 - Notebook and Pen : limited use 1 - Baseball Cap : hate hate hate 3 - Bible : would end up insane 3 - Beach Ball : nice waterproof object but clashes with the natural colour-scheme 2 - Bottle of Shampoo : limited use 1 - Toothbrush & Paste : limited use Rgds, David
1 - Box of Matches (fire and heat) 1 - Sewing Kit (for flesh and cloth.. also good for other things in a pinch) 5 - Blanket (protection) 1 - Swiss Army Knife (utility) 1 - Makeup Mirror (signaling) 3 - First Aid Kit (no time to check what's inside!) (doesn't matter, always useful to have) Dang, I had to give up the torch. I'll need to use fire to see at night
The fact that I have this on the boat indicates to me that at some point in time, I was planning on stopping here anyway. That means there are probably at least somewhat regular stops to the island by the outside world. Even the fact that such a thing exists, and that I know it can be used here, means there's at least some degree of civilization on the island. That means that all I need to do is save as much money and as many travellers checks as possible. A credit card would be best.
I spotted that but it would still be cool to pretend to be lost and just chill for a few months. Rgds, David
I disagree. If the island is uninhabited (or presumed so) then there's no telling what's on the island, so being prepared is still necessary. Many places on the planet have hundreds of small uninhabited islands within boating distance of the "local area" where very few people ever venture to. It's still possible that you're totally alone with no immediate guarantee of rescue, so plan for the worst
Aegis - I still see no need for the crisps or chocolate bar! That's 2 points for some food that will last a few minutes. Water is more important than food anyway, and once you find water you have a while to find food and make implements to get food. There are always gonna be some kind of berries etc. around in the wild to eat while looking for animals or fish. Yeah, I picked the guitar which is a massive 6 points and the notepad, but you have to keep sane somehow. You aren't gonna spend every waking hour just hunting etc. Also, the point about getting in shade etc. isn't exactly valid when you have to spend time in light fishing/hunting/getting water etc. The make up mirror is a good idea though! I wonder what our choices would be if we didn't have much time, I bet they wouldn't be the same.
Why is there a local phrase book if the island is uninhabited? Or is the phrase book empty? I would assume that the book wouldn't be on the list if it couldn't be used.
AZ: if you're travelling around a region, then the local language could be something like Portugese... this "local" language could apply to everywhere within, say, 500 miles of your present location. Not all islands have their own language, and not all islands within a local area are inhabited. Adam: my reasoning is that crisps and chocolate, while not the best food available if you're going to be stranded, are a key to survbiving for a while longer if you literally find nothing to eat. If we're talking survival here then a little bit of food can go a long way if you save it until you really need it.
Yeah, but there is BOUND to be food there, there is edible food almost anywhere, especially on tropical islands. My only point is that it wouldn't last very long, and wouldn't actually matter very much if there was food there.
Adam: fair enough, but if you're like me (i.e. not a nature expert) then that food could be the difference between being rescued without having to eat anything I found and me scoffing down a handful of something poisonous. I'd rather have at least a little bit of "safe" food before having to work out what looks least likely to cause me to be incredibly ill.
12 points - hmmmmmmm 1 - Swiss Army Knife - tool that can make more tools 1 - Sunglasses - no point being able to hunt, if I cant see in sunlight 1 - Travel Sewing Kit - use needles for fishing, and sewing of potential wounds 1 - Makeup Mirror - wounds may require sight to sew. signaling potential also 2 - Spare T-Shirt - bandages, tool handles, lots of uses for cloth 1 - Box of Matches - to light the candle 1 - Candle - one flame can start many if its used wisely 1 - baseball cap - could double as a small fishing net if Im crap at hooking them 2 - Suntan Lotion - Im a hunter, and I burn very easy 1 - Swimming Goggles - dont like salt water in me eyes
1-Matches-Fire is a must for warmth, scaring predators, and cooking any raw meat, like fish, and is a valuble signal. 1-compass-navigation around the island 3-first aid kit-it's very likely I'll get injured, and infection is very dangerous. 1-knife-making tools, protection, etc. 5-blanket-warmth in case I can't make a fire, spare cloth for clothes-you can make thread or rope from the blanket, or from the bark of a sapling 1-makeup mirror-signal- if you combine the reflective mirror, the bright yellow life boat that I'm on, and smokey bonfire, its fairly hard to miss.
