The Adventure Challenge - Page 13

Blitzzz (RIP) · 12-02-2008, 13:12

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

Can this be accomplished successfully?: Yes

Do you accept the challenge? Yes

Where do you start? Roanoke Va.

What route do you take? ; West along what will some day be I-40

Where do you plan to finish? : Peugent sound.

How long do you think it will take you? : 3 years

What is in your field gear? 1 roll of 550 cord, 1 light 10x 12 nylon tarp, 2 Pancho liners, 1 leatherman, 2 compasses, fire starter, 1 dozen 1inch Dia candles, 1 hatchet/with hammer back head.a good felt hat, thinselite gloves, Camel back , 2 2quart canteens, 2 canteen cups, Binoculars. (PVS 5s) if possible, 6 snap links.

What modern items are critical, and what items from the period will work for you?
Modern Items: Compasses, 550 cord, camel back, Pancho liners, Period sstuff could ruck made of chamiss and light weight LBE leather, Hat, clothes, Mocachins,

What are your priorities? Stealth, food, water, caution not to get injured.

How will you carry it? on my back like always

What firearms will you take? : 1 Highstandard silenced 22.

How much ammo, accessories, etc.? lanyard, 500 rds of ammo. shoulder hoster.

What edged tools do you take? 1- 9 inch fixed blade ( bowie fashoned), 1- 3.5 or 4 in fixed blade, ( prieviosly mentioned Leatherman and Hatchet.

What navigational aids do you take? : As above. Compasses

What do you think your odds are of successfully completing this journey? 99+%

What do you do in the 30 days before you leave? My very own Blitz work out, start shrinking my diet to shrink my stomach. Toughen my feet and break in a good pair of Danners.

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

As to the sequel stuff: I'd take a mule as long as HE could follow.
That's all for now I quess. Blitzz See ya'll on the trail

Sigaba · 12-02-2008, 13:27

After reading the entire thread, I concluded that I may have a small piece of information that may be helpful to this exercise.

For those of you planning on using part of your thirty days' prep time talking to academics, I would recommend to not spend too much time talking to historians. They could give you profound insights into the competition among European powers in North America and their interactions with the Native American tribes but I don't know if this "big picture" information would help.

I believe that a more useful source of academic knowledge would be advanced graduate students in cultural anthropology who have recently completed their fieldwork and were working on their doctoral dissertations. These individuals would know the cutting edge of the theories of their craft and have field experience to know what might work. (Ideally, you'd talk to grad students who studied tribes similar to those you might encounter.)

A caveat. Cultural anthropologists are still coming to grips with the fact that their discipline has been (and may continue to be) both a training ground and cover for various intelligence agencies <link>. So they may have ethical issues that compel them to ask "Why do you want to know?"

Even if one were to strike gold by finding a communicative anthropologist (read: intelligible to a non specialist), the time spent interacting with this individual should be limited. The literature in educational cognitive psychology dealing with the acquisition of new skills indicates that it takes two to two and a half years to become conversant enough with a domain of knowledge that it can be used automatically (without conscious effort).

So while a cultural anthropologist could tell you about reciprocity and exchange, deep play, kinship, and food behavior, will you be able to recall and use that information competently in the moment you need it in the field?

Blitzzz (RIP) · 12-02-2008, 13:28

Heeyyy! Good luck with that M-1 carbine.hunting Brown bear. Might be more adventurous with a 12 fixed blade or sticking the barrel of the M-1 in your mouth and ending it before the Bear does. just sorta kidding, Blitzzz

Blitzzz (RIP) · 12-02-2008, 13:46

Sigaba. Great education obviously. Hell it would take me thirty days to read your post. Getting in great shape, getting vaccinated, getting laid would all seem to be more advantageous than listening to some extraordinarily well educated fellow about some natives that you are going to avoid as possible. I feel that a well trained and experienced SF soldier is quit able to "go Native" to thrive a while.
Just another .02¢ . Love your posts Blitz

**The Reaper** · 12-02-2008, 14:05

Sigaba:

I think that Brother Blitzz may be overstating the case slightly, but I would submit to you that many years of working with indig in various cultures makes SF soldiers pretty unique in their cross-cultural skills. By and large, we are "people people".

The experiences of 7th and 10th SFGs in combat outside of their respective theaters demonstrates that.

To me, I would consider consulting a native anthropologist (or ethnographer), briefly for an overview, and loading up some texts on the matter to my portable data device. My personal opinion is that the critical things to take care of during mission prep are conditioning, particularly feet, topographical studies (to include route planning), primitive survival skills, celestial navigation, med checks and innoculations, survival botany (edible plants), trapping and fishing skills, emergency medical training, relevant languages, period history, area and tribal studies, etc., etc. Thinking back on my overseas experience in 3rd World areas, it occurs to me that a very small dental set and a few hours of refresher study on extractions might be an excellent investment.

Yes, PSM, I thought I said that we can now purchase pack animals. A mule might be a good choice. Provided that he can swim, forage off the countryside, and possibly climb mountains and wear snowshoes.

And IMHO, chickens are going to be far more trouble and attract more predators than I would want to deal with, even if they were easily portable. Yes, I have raised chickens and tended them on a farm before. I might purchase a couple from time to time at trading posts or missions along the way though.

Keep 'em coming.

TR

**Roguish Lawyer** · 12-02-2008, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

And IMHO, chickens are going to be far more trouble and attract more predators than I would want to deal with, even if they were easily portable. Yes, I have raised chickens and tended them on a farm before. I might purchase a couple from time to time at trading posts or missions along the way though.

Maybe this is a little off topic, but I have worked in chicken coops before and I freakin HATE chickens. I still take great pleasure in eating the miserable bastards.

OK, back to the topic at hand . . .

abc_123 · 12-02-2008, 14:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Not exactly sure how you carry a couple of laying hens while traveling cross-country on foot, and expect eggs, but it presents an interesting concept. TR

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT carry them bundled up in a USGI OD-Green wet weather top slung over your shoulder! They will NOT stay alive long enough to lay eggs using this method.

I attempted this method of carry during SERE with some "foraged" birds....

From experience, the birds will become very agitated, get hot, make lots of noise and crap all over themselves before suffocating to death!

Now with that said, If you are hungry enough ,you can get past the crap encrusted feathers and stench, pry them out of whatever death poses they stiffen into, and with a trickle of water and a rusty can make yourself a fine meal.

I'm not sure how much to "age" the birds to get the best flavor, but IIRC, ours aged about 1 day (entrails in) before we had the opportunity to stop and boil them up.. From what I remember it was the best meal I had had in DAYS!

Mmmmmmmmm!

PSM · 12-02-2008, 14:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

And IMHO, chickens are going to be far more trouble and attract more predators than I would want to deal with, even if they were easily portable. Yes, I have raised chickens and tended them on a farm before. I might purchase a couple from time to time at trading posts or missions along the way though.

Keep 'em coming.

TR

Southern Fried Chicken it is, then. I was sure looking forward to fresh eggs, though.

Pat

Sigaba · 12-05-2008, 02:43

After several efforts, I can't phrase this post the way I'd like so I'm just going to wing it. if I'm flying out of my lane, well, fire away.

Is an aspect of the challenge being underestimated?

Is one traveling to an earlier version of a place that is known or is one traveling to another planet that seems like an earlier version of a place that is known?

In 1700, the discovery of the unconscious will be almost two centuries away. The basic building block of our identities as human beings (the self) does not exist. Even if one speaks French or Spanish or English like a native of that time, there are going to be concepts that may not be communicable. The most basic frames of understanding, 'common sense' if you will, for an explorer from the 21st century are likely to be unimaginable to every European one meets.*

If one were to choose as a companion a native American tribesman who has lived his life by the old ways, would even his knowledge 'work' among his forefathers? Or would aspects of modernity get in his way.

What would happen to a 21st century mind when faced with the vastness of the North American wilderness day after day and night after night?

________________________________________________
* Here's an example from an old boss of mine. In France at about the same time of the proposed jump off, it was widely accepted that a sure way to extract the truth from a person was to torture him. Not only would the interrogators believe that the ensuing statements were true, but so would the tortured person.

**Pete** · 12-05-2008, 06:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigaba

......Is one traveling to an earlier version of a place that is known or is one traveling to another planet that seems like an earlier version of a place that is known?........

Sigaba, I was working in a place in Africa where the children had never seen wrapped hard candy. Jolly Ranchers were a flat out wonderment. Many here have also worked with "primitive" cultures in other parts of the world.

I would think the hardest part would be getting through the first big city filled with "educated" folks. Just keep your mouth mostly shut, don't do anything fancy, just get what you need and move out.

Blitzzz (RIP) · 12-05-2008, 07:34

Sigaba, Thanks Pete, I wish I had the education to rebut or converse with your posts. I think certainly you are not talking about the official recognition of self in the modern phycology sense, ie Freudian. I suggest the "building blocks of our identities" probably precede the ancient Greeks. Instead of regurgitating someone else's theories, be more terse and to the point, or translate that abstract intellect into plebeian. Understanding different branches of progress and invention of different societies can pose problems but nothing most of us can't deal with, even with our present limited education. Blitzzz

Sigaba · 12-05-2008, 10:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete

Sigaba, I was working in a place in Africa where the children had never seen wrapped hard candy. Jolly Ranchers were a flat out wonderment. Many here have also worked with "primitive" cultures in other parts of the world.

I would think the hardest part would be getting through the first big city filled with "educated" folks. Just keep your mouth mostly shut, don't do anything fancy, just get what you need and move out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blitzzz

Sigaba, Thanks Pete, I wish I had the education to rebut or converse with your posts. I think certainly you are not talking about the official recognition of self in the modern phycology sense, ie Freudian. I suggest the "building blocks of our identities" probably precede the ancient Greeks. Instead of regurgitating someone else's theories, be more terse and to the point, or translate that abstract intellect into plebeian. Understanding different branches of progress and invention of different societies can pose problems but nothing most of us can't deal with, even with our present limited education. Blitzzz

Pete and Blitzzz--

Understood.

Coldsteel24 · 12-05-2008, 15:27

I'm still compiling my list, came upon this after the frago's.

Something I haven't seen in the thread, pardon me if I missed it, were some skill sets that I think would come in handy.
I see a lot of you guys packing fire starting materials.. bow and drill method? easy to cut some cotton wood with a knife, providing you know how to make cordage (mentioned previously) to string the bow. Yucca stems work great for the "drill"

Tanning, I've seen mentioned. Note, it has taken me about a weekend to brain tan one white tail doe skin. pretty hard work without the right tools. scraper, etc. I would wager your clothes and boots will wear out.

Food. I think portable food that the natives used was pretty high in calorie content. Tallow mixed with berries and sun dried meat.

Some of the first things that came to my mind to "pack" were skills, not equipment.

I can think of three native languages that are still taught today of some fairly large tribes, that I would use part of my given 30 day prep time learning. Souix, Crow and Comanche are still spoken and you can find learning CD's and books on them on the internet.

My main point is, surviving in this environment would take more time than I've seen a lot of guys giving themselves.

my $0.02

Blitzzz (RIP) · 12-05-2008, 17:03

Most of the QPs don't need that much prep time as you may need. Pack thoughtfully and move out. Languages and Phycology can be learned on the way as needed. The fact that a specific method of fire makiing doean't mean the person doesn't know how to start a fire. We are loaded with survival and primitive skills.

As I recall, this Thread is also ask us to tell what we would carry and do, not give instructions and suggestions to everyone else. Not that many are not good suggestions, but that's not the thread. Blitzzz

Coldsteel24 · 12-05-2008, 22:35

I did, by no means, mean to instruct anyone, I was merely trying to throw out ideas that have not, as far as I have seen, been brought to the board on this thread.
I apologize, meant no offense.