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Old 05-06-2008, 15:46   #1
The Reaper
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,779
The Adventure Challenge

Let’s think outside the box here with a bit of survival and science fiction. H.G. Wells, or alternative sci-fi. Maybe an older version of the modern day adventure race.

I am going to ask that we limit responses to people over the age of 21 with significant field time.

You are in the prime of your life. You are approached and an interesting proposition is made. No, not that one.

A time machine has been invented, and in 30 days, a volunteer is going to be sent back to 1700, to assist with the initial exploration of North America. The continent is largely unexplored, and Daniel Boone has not yet been born yet. The mission is to explore the new nation, and keep a record of your travels. Our volunteer will cross the North American continent from the east coast to the west, alone, and report the results. He must start from an existing 1700 East Coast port city, and must finish at a designated location on the Pacific coast of California, Oregon, or Washington. The explorer will take a digital camera, digital recorder, and a PDA to record the journey. A return time machine will meet him at his declared destination and will wait for 30 days from your predetermined arrival date. If he has not arrived by then, he will be presumed dead and the machine autopiloted back.

The journey must be completed solo. If you accept the challenge, you will be allowed to take as much modern gear as you can personally carry, underneath period dress or in appropriate period baggage, at least till you leave civilization. You will not be allowed to stagger out of the time machine and cache hundreds of pounds of your gear. Assume a maximum of 100 lbs. At least you will not arrive naked, and have to go steal clothes from a punk, biker, or male stripper, so be thankful. You must be able to carry it yourself, but you will be given some gold so that you can purchase any items locally that you need during your travels. You will be walking, except when you need to cross water obstacles.

For the successful completion of your journey, you will receive ten million dollars.

Can this be accomplished successfully?

Do you accept the challenge?

Where do you start?

What route do you take?

Where do you plan to finish?

How long do you think it will take you?

What is in your field gear?

What modern items are critical, and what items from the period will work for you?

What are your priorities?

How will you carry it?

What firearms will you take?

How much ammo, accessories, etc.?

What edged tools do you take?

What navigational aids do you take?

What do you think your odds are of successfully completing this journey?

What do you do in the 30 days before you leave?

Let’s think this one through as stated first, we can do branches and sequels later.

Thoughts?

TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

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