The Adventure Challenge

[triQshot]

Originally Posted by PSM

Really?

Pat

Doh....I mean a GPS, lol not a locator....well the Locator would be great, if I died, someone in the future would be able to locate me.

[PSM]

Originally Posted by triQshot

Doh....I mean a GPS,...

In that case, I’d recommend taking a boar hog along for fresh milk.

Pat

[MVS2]

Just out of my own curiosity, what is the longest stretch of time that any here have been on their own doing this type of thing. I'm interested in whether it would be overly risky to do an expedition like this without at least one other explorer with you.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by triQshot

Can this be accomplished successfully?

Yes, it can accomplished by staying on the river and only stopping to hunt, eat, and sleep. With a little exploring along the river banks. With a 30 day limit, your going to have to use the "interstate" (rivers) to your advantage and stay on course for your target date to meet with the time machine.

Do you accept the challenge?

Yes.

Where do you start?

Ohio River

What route do you take?

I would try to keep to the same path, but I might wonder around some.

Where do you plan to finish?

What is now, Seatle Washington.

How long do you think it will take you?

I would hope to be done by the 29th day.

What is in your field gear?

Rope, thermal gear, first aide gear, "snake oil", canteen(s), gloves.

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

Critical Items that I would take from the present to the past.
a) night vision (cheap Mono's)
b) batteries
c) compass/gps finder
d) zippo
e) zippo fluid
f) wet stone
g) topo map
h) flashlight


Items from that period that would work for me.
a) canoe


What are your priorities?

Take pictures of the route, animals, people (if contact made), plot my course on the river and document my travels for future parties.

How will you carry it?

Majority of what I carry will be left in the canoe, so that way I can stay mobile on the land. My primary source of travel would be done on the water. When I left the water it would be to take pictures and document wildlife. The lighter the gear the faster I can move on land.

What firearms will you take?

a) 30-30 Marlin
I) for eating purpose (Deer)
II) no need for a semi or auto because the lever action will be the fastest shooting weapon in the time. Easy to repair a lever action than a semi or auto, in this era.
III) great "brush" gun and you can get distance shots off if needed, I would not advise shooting at anything over 100yrds. If you cannot kill it with one shot, dont shoot.

b) .22(long) revolver
I) small game (rabbits, birds, snakes...etc)
II) better than throwing a rock


How much ammo, accessories, etc.?

a) 250 rounds for my 30-30
b) 500 rounds for my .22 long pistol
c) 2 bottles of lighter fluid
d) a pack of extra strikers for my zippo
e) 2 packs of small fishing hooks
f) a roll of 6lb tess fishing line
g) 4 packs of batteries


What edged tools do you take?

a) Leatherman
b) Puma Knife (fixed blade for skinning game)
c) Puma Bantam Knife (doing surgery in field)
d) Light weight Hatchet for firewood and cutting through bone

What navigational aids do you take?

a) compass
b) gps locater

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

Very good.

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

Take as many pictures of the land as possible, collect date (soil samples, water samples). Document as much about the trip as possible.



I know I do not have any field time, I just wanted to try my luck with it. With that said, have your way with it...pros/cons...

I would say that you have failed to read the rules of the contest and posts of those who have posted before you.

Where did you get a 30 day travel limit? This is not possible, since you would have to make almost 100 miles per day.

Where does the Ohio enter the Atlantic, so that you start on the East Coast?

Which pass do you intend to use to cross the Rockies? What do you do with the canoe when you reach headwaters?

Zippos do not work when wet, and weigh significantly more than a butane lighter like a BIC.

If you have to repair any modern small arm within 250 rounds, you chose poorly. Fastest shooting is not important. Fastest hitting might be.

I would prefer rechargable batteries, and with a solar panel, you could charge them daily while paddling your canoe.

Wouldn't a scalpel (or just the blade) be better for whatever surgery you anticipate performing. Do you know enough about surgery to be cutting yourself open to try and fix it?

One flashlight (or one of any mission critical equipment)? Your call, but IMHO, two is one, and one is none. Remember PACE.

Wouldn't a net be faster for fishing?

Tell me how a GPS works.

TR

Originally Posted by The Reaper

The plan has been fragged.

You may take another person back with you, if you are willing to split the money with them 50-50.

Do you take someone else with you?

What characteristics or skills would you look for?

How would this affect your plan, and how would you modify it?

Would you keep the same route, timeline, start and end points, and general movement plan?

TR

I would place this (safe for work, but contains music) ad http://timetraveler.ytmnd.com/ in the Fayetteville Observer classifieds and screen everyone who actually responds, looking first for compatibility, and second for experience. Since any good relationship requires compromise, and is based on mutual trust and understanding, everything would be up for debate and possible changes! I have no idea what we would cook up, but it would be rigorous.

That picture is approximately accurate by the way.

Edit: and yes, I would put the ad out before getting the tattoos.

[Diablo Blanco]

Originally Posted by PSM

In that case, I’d recommend taking a boar hog along for fresh milk.

Pat

might as well bring some talking greeting cards for the natives! Maybe some with a Halloween theme...

[Diablo Blanco]

Thank you TR for this great mission. Really got me thinking about what I have in my kit today.

My Response:

Field Time:
11 years True Blue Infantry multiple deployments, multiple theaters

You are in the prime of your life:
Why Thank You.

Can this be accomplished successfully?

Without a doubt, yes.

Do you accept the challenge?
Without hesitation

Where do you start?
Charleston, South Carolina.

What route do you take?
Head west through Plano, TX, Flagstaff and Kingman, AZ on up to Camp SLO, CA

Where do you plan to finish?
Camp SLO, CA at the very top of that tall pointy hill with all the military grade poison oak.

How long do you think it will take you?
6 months, but to remove Murphy’s Law from the equation I will say 1 year.

What is in your field gear?

Shelter

Poncho 1lb 8 oz

111” Aluminum Poles 2x 8 oz
10” 550 cord per grommet (8 grommets) .45 oz
4 bungees 8 oz

Kifaru Woobie w/zipper mod 1 lb 6 oz
MPI Space Hooded Blanket/Poncho (casualty blanket) 10 oz
Sierra Designs Rain Suit: Parka (12 oz) Pants (7 oz) 1 lb 3 oz
IMPS-Net w/ D rings 1 lb
McNett MicroNet Towel X-Large (aka:light blanket, shade) 8.25 oz
Mosquito Net
OPTIONAL Wet Weather Boots 2 lbs
OPTIONAL Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite Short pad 11 oz
OPTIONAL Therm-a-Rest compressible Pillow (medium) 9 oz

Clothing

2 pair pants (1 worn)
2 Shirts long-sleeve
3 T-shirts
4 pairs of underwear
8 pairs of socks
1 set black silks (ninja jammies)
Boonie
Mosquito net for boonie
1 belt
1 pair Wileys with 2 extra sets each of clear and polarized lenses
1 pair new boots (I’ll break ‘em in on the road)
2 pairs new insoles
1 pair of new soles
1 polar fleece cap
Fleece jacket
1 set lightweight black gloves (REI)
1 set leather gloves
1 set cold weather gloves\
Snowboarder’s gaiter
OPTIONAL Jacket

Fire

3 magnesium fire starters 6 oz
3 bics w/plungers zip tied (Thanks for the idea!) 3 oz
Littlbug Junior www.littlbug.com 9.5 oz
Fire Piston (plexiglass) 4 oz

Water

SteriPEN Adventurer Water Purifier w/Solar Charging Case 10.6 oz
Purification Tablets
Large Sponge 8 oz

Food

Cooking Tools

REI Ti Ware Nonstick Titanium Pot 4 Liter w/lid 15.9 oz
Snow Peak Mini Solo Cookset (cup, sm. Pot w/lid) 5.5 oz
Light My Fire Spork XM .56 oz
Light My Fire Serving Spork 1.1 oz
GSI Compact Scraper .4 oz
Flatworld Orikaso Big Bowl 1.2 oz
1 sheet sponge (for cleaning up) 1 oz

Four bottles of ‘Survival Tabs’ in case of self induced famine 3 lbs 3.84 oz

Health and Hygiene

Multi Vitamins 2 bottles (stuffed with cotton to reduce noise) 8 oz
Adventure Medical Kits –Expedition 4 lbs
1 sheet sponge (for wiping my ass) 1 oz
1 Large Botttle of Dr Bronner’s Soap 2 lbs

Tools

Leatherman Ukiah 7.2 oz
Glock Field Spade 1 lb 7.6 oz
2 Redi Edge Tactical Sharpeners 2 oz
OPTIONAL Cold Steel Kukri Machete 1 lb
OPTIONAL Ultimate Survival Technologies SaberCut Saw 6 oz

Lights

3 betalights (1 attached to watch band w/velcro cover, 1 attached to inside of belt excess, 1 on retractable cord clip)
1 Surefire w/ 2 spare bulbs and 8 spare batteries
Petzl Tactikka XP Adapt – w/ 4 additional rechargeable AAA’s
2 IR Strobe caps for 9v’s w/ two rechargeable 9 volts
Technology

Optics

PVS-14 NVG

with 3x detachable lens and head mount
4 additional rechargeable batteries (AA’s)

Binos

PDA

• Digital Camera, Digital Recorder, PDA would all be combined into newest Windows Mobile Phone (Device) available today. Why a phone? When I reach my time machine and come back I want to make sure I came to the right time. If Time Machine drops me off in incorrect location I can call for pickup. Device will have Solar/LCD hybrid screen (yes they exist), 5MP digital camera capable of HD video recording.
• High Capacity memory cards will be included in the kit. Enough memory to record 1 hr of HD video + 2 hrs of audio + 200 5MP images + text per day (at 18 months). There will be days without need for any recording so days that more recording will be averaged out.
• Device would have biometrics registered to all my digits to prevent phracking up the Time line if falling into the wrong hands. It would also have fail safe security software that will auto format device after 30 days without being accessed by me.
• Additionally, Topo maps at every level of detail for entire US, Northern Mexico and Southern Canada will be included. Maps will be marked with known missions, towns, settlements, camps, forts, tribal areas, political areas, areas of conflict, bodies of water and ‘unexplored’ territory that existed then.
• Language dictionaries, translators, pronunciation guides for each language existent across North America at the time.
• Various eBooks including the different military Survival Guides, Tom Brown’s guides (lots of ground-up information and how-to’s invaluable for extended stays), medical guides, edible and medicinal plants guide, complete Wikipedia and WikiBooks download to supplement. Also valuable in case Time Machine malfunctions and takes me to the wrong time. Also 3,000 ebooks of greatest works (in case I suffer more than one major setback that causes me to miss pickup.
• Most valuable information is complete and comprehensive plans for the time machine. If I arrive at pickup on time and Time Machine is damaged I will be able to repair it. If I miss pickup time then I could build a new one and return, a bit older obviously but I wouldn’t miss out on my $10 million.
• Two extra PDA batteries.
• 2 pair of high quality wired headphones (not for listening to music continuously but for language mostly).
• Total weight less than 2lbs

• Perimeter alarm – I love this thing and have had the same one for years. It’s twice the size of a pack of cigarettes. There is probably a smaller version available today but this thing has 3 modes and a keypad. Main mode is a trip wire (for my base camp and sleep times), 2nd mode is motion alarm (for stowing with gear when away from it). 3rd mode is a doorbell chime that acts on motion (great if staying in a mission or even for detecting game). Works on AA’s
• Solar Panel Roll Charger for batteries and Device

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

Sextant
Watch with accurate GMT of the exact time I go back in time. Actually the watch should also have an altimeter, barometer, thermometer etc for data collection
The Super PDA is critical for recording data

What are your priorities? (in order of priority)

Not screw up the timeline!
Stay alive
Record Data
Keep moving
Reach objective within time frame

How will you carry it?
In a pack of my own design or a Kifaru

What firearms will you take?

Buttstock Packable .22 Survival rifle w/

Additional pistol length short barrel
Additional pistol grip.
This interchangeability would be invaluable between hunting small game (MAIN source of meat) and up close encounters with time-locals that have a friendly overtones but everything has hostile potential.

How much ammo, accessories, etc.?

Simple cleaning kit
752 rnds

What edged tools do you take?
See ‘Tools’ in the gear list

What navigational aids do you take?
In addition to Sextant and watch

Compasses:

1 Lensatic
Silva Ranger
2 Protractors
Largest Scale topo maps of planned route. I don’t need 1:25,000 for every damn grid zone that would be WAY too much paper.

What do you think your odds are of successfully completing this journey?
Odds of failure are 2.5 on a scale of 1 to 10

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

• Crash Course in French, Spanish and Chickasaw (Chickasaw were greatly feared during that time in the Mississippi Basin. That is the area of slowest movement and least friendlies.)
• Archery and Bow Making practice
• Combatives/Aikido brush up. Both would seem like magic during that time. Gotta be careful with that one.
• Research weather and conflicts that occurred during the period. Research major players
• Immediate inoculations against everything
• Order all the gear I don’t have on hand!

Thoughts?

1. Disease was a major cause of death during that period. I may be immune/innoculated to many of those diseases but that does not mean I am not a carrier. I would be forced to limit human interaction. Especially if I was sick myself. Consequences are deaths of many people that would have a butterfly effect.
2. Signal: The mission is to collect and record data. If I die somewhere along the way or miss my pickup then the mission is a complete failure. Predetermined cache locations “the ultimate cache” would be the order of the day. This would ensure partial mission success in the event of my death or inability to make pickup time/loc.
3. I’m not going to bring an arsenal above the survival rifle. I don’t need to be shooting people or large animals and seriously messing up the time line. Plants will be my main source of food and fish and small animals only when in plenty.

In Response to the Frago

I would not opt to take anyone with me. Time Travel missions should always be done alone.

[MVS2]

I think an M1 Carbine would be a handy weapon for this mission - it has the .30 cal ammo and a super light weight with the folding butt stock. With between eight and eleven 40-round magazines, it wouldn't take up much space either.

Weight is about 5.2 lb (according to Wikipedia.com)

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by MVS2

I think an M1 Carbine would be a handy weapon for this mission - it has the .30 cal ammo and a super light weight with the folding butt stock. With between eight and eleven 40-round magazines, it wouldn't take up much space either.

Weight is about 5.2 lb (according to Wikipedia.com)

An anemic, inaccurate round, best limited to small game under 100 yards combined with notoriously unreliable mags.

And the folding stock will keep you from using it as a boat paddle.

What a great combo for adventure.

TR

[Kyobanim]

What are your priorities? (in order of priority)
Not screw up the timeline!

I think this is the first time I've seen this. Good one.

But . . .

By virtue of being there you will most likely screw up the timeline. The bacteria in your bowels is based on the 21st century environment. There's been a lot of environmental changes in the last 300 years in relationship to your digestive tract, not to mention the skin bugs and stuff like that.

There's no telling what havoc that would wreak on the environment and hence, the timeline.

[Diablo Blanco]

Originally Posted by Kyobanim

I think this is the first time I've seen this. Good one.

But . . .

By virtue of being there you will most likely screw up the timeline. The bacteria in your bowels is based on the 21st century environment. There's been a lot of environmental changes in the last 300 years in relationship to your digestive tract, not to mention the skin bugs and stuff like that.

There's no telling what havoc that would wreak on the environment and hence, the timeline.

Very True, however there is a theory that time is much like a stretched rubber band. Pluck it and the vibrations even out over time. My intent would be to minimize the long term ripples. In the spirit of your post is one reason I didn't put antibiotics on my list of things to bring.

I suppose I will have to dig DEEP cat holes

[MVS2]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

An anemic, inaccurate round, best limited to small game under 100 yards combined with notoriously unreliable mags.

And the folding stock will keep you from using it as a boat paddle.

What a great combo for adventure.

TR

I don't like to canoe.

The inaccuracy I'd take the chance on that with the larger clip...that's adventure!




Add three more mags.

[The Reaper]

Absolutely.

300 years in the past, two thousand miles from civilization, spraying and praying.

Should be interesting.

TR

[MVS2]

Yep.

2000 miles from civilization means I'd likely be at my West Coast destination. I'd like to stake land in S. California and get a head start on oil prospecting - only to travel 300 years ahead and find the natives I hired to work the land have taken over my stake and now run U.S. oil production.

Rubber band *snap*

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by MVS2

Yep.

2000 miles from civilization means I'd likely be at my West Coast destination. I'd like to stake land in S. California and get a head start on oil prospecting - only to travel 300 years ahead and find the natives I hired to work the land have taken over my stake and now run U.S. oil production.

Rubber band *snap*

If you run out of ammo or luck a few hundred miles from the PZ, you are not much better off than running out in Missouri. No one is waiting there to come rescue you.

You never explained your plan, but I would expect that since there is very limited oil exploration in California, much less actual extraction, you would be better served by staking out claims to property around Sutter's Mill, and then plowing that money into oceanfront property, particularly in SoCal.

You might want to borrow an M-1 Carbine, a 40 round mag, and go try hunting deer, or better yet, brown bear with it. Let us know your impressions after testing it out.

TR