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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 |
No resupply
Just to add on a bit, it was you walk out with 100 lbs of equipment.
Weight? Oz's turn into pounds and pounds into tons. Every item selected will be judged against the number of tasks it can help you with vs it's weight. The mountain men of the early 1800s very very good at making do with limited goods. A good book on Indian sign language?:D |
Lacking the requisite field time, I post here only to express my appreciation for creativity of this thread and my eagerness to read what I hope will be well thought-out and interesting responses.
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Pete:
You are dead on the money. 100 lbs. is the maximum weight, and let me assure those of you short on rucking experience that you do not want to hump that very far or very fast. Flexibility is one of the the keys to both survival and weight reduction. I agree, the mountain men were excellent examples, especially those who travelled far and wide. The ability to communicate could be very important, as would small trade items. In answer to a PM question, yes, you could take maps and a GPS, if you can keep it powered. You might want a compass as well, just in case.:D TR |
Is the 100lb's all you can take for the whole trip, or is it 100lb's of modern equipment? Once you got to the 1700's could you pick up some more gear from that time? Would you be able to get a horse, or have to hump the whole way? Trying to set the ground rules.
I think I would leave the GPS at home. :D LMFAO But a PDA with maps for the entire country in it and light weight solar rechargers would work. Plus within the 30 day's before I left I would learn how to figure out my location on the earth by using the stars (not sure what it's called) just like the sailor's used to. That way I would be able to use the maps on the PDA. |
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I do not personally think that you would want to hump more than 100 pounds for 3,000 miles, but if you want to try it, sure. Quote:
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I look forward to your input. TR |
I love the idea of a GPS in 1700. :rolleyes: When was the first constellation launched? Somebody needs to think a little harder. Nice challenge though. I favor the mountain man equipment approach and the Corps of Discovery route. Harder to get lost that way, after all they didn't have a clue either. Being a lazy b*****d, I'd much rather follow (paddle) the water routes than walk the entire distance. Blast match, 'hawk & bowie, quality boots, compass, water bottle, cook pot, tarp, long bow & arrows, quality pack, fishing gear, multivitamins, small med kit, trade goods, and a "one over the world" blood chit style map. Most of the items have already been discussed in detail in the various survival threads. Oh - 18 months, Boston (or maybe New York) to Astoria. It shouldn't take that long but I'm lazy and the fishing might be decent enroute.
ETA: Forgot to include my G-shock - wouldn't want to lose track of the pick-up time. :D |
This is off the top of my head I'll think about it some more and add to it at a later time
M-4 w/ ACOG 400 rds of lemas Glock19 (3 x mags’ 1 box of 50) 95 rd 2 x Compass Pvs 15’s w/ head mount Light weight solar panels Rechargeable AA’s X 20 with recharger (plugs into solar panel) PDA loaded with map data (detailed map data covering the entire United States. Down to 1:50,000), survival data (extreme detail on edible plants, medicinal plants, building structures, snares, location of water, basically any survival tip you would need for each different region of the United States), CLOTHING Mountaineering boots (broken in) 7 pr heavy duty socks 2 x hiking pants 2 x wic away t- shirts 1 x silk weight top bottom 1 x fleece pullover 1 x shell top and bottom 1 x fleece pants 1 x pullover down jacket 2 x fleece gloves 1 pr trigger finger mittens SURVIVAL GEAR Lightweight axe Small saw 4 cigarette lighters fire starting kit gerber hunting knife survival book small map book of the US 2 x camel backs Poncho 2man ten 6 bunji cords 150ft 550 cord survival fishing kit |
1) This may be a little out there, but is there anything to the idea of carrying a man-portable UAV? I think you could drastically increase the amount of ground surveyed and decrease the amount of foot mileage.
2) In the same vein, maybe I've seen too much Star Trek, but is anyone considering the temporal ethics factor? By that I mean, are we taking precautions not to pollute the timeline by introducing modern technology to the people of the period (being seen with it, losing it, discarding it, having it stolen, etc)? Carrying a laptop and a tricked out M-4 might not be allowed by the time travel commission. ;) For that matter, what about human terrain issues? Are you going to be allowed to interact with locals? To trade? Or is this strictly a covert survey? EDIT: I reread TR's originally post and the Time Travel Commission does allow the gear and interaction, but I wonder if they wouldn't place other "temporal rules of engagement" on you as well to protect the timeline from pollution. |
What specific regions or objects need surveyed on this mission?
I am assuming there is something of great importance to be recorded since this is a trip back in time with an abundance of information that is available currently. Are you interested in photographic evidence? Climate observations? Accurate census information? Flora/fauna? Recoverable items? Samples? Readings? Time line change? If this is simply nature walk with a daily log of events through extremely difficult terrain among known indigenous peoples and more abundant wildlife. Count me in with 100% probability of completion in 300 days. Start in the Spring. I believe passing out of settled areas into displaced natives would be difficult so a complete history on continental U.S. natives is essential. I would prefer a path away from the Great Lakes region, tough crowd up there then and now. A solid grasp of sign language would be critical. .308 with 300rnds + 20GA with 300rnds Hatchet 2 ea, Camp knife 20ea I will post my extended kit list and route plan after further information on mission tasks. |
Can dogs be purchased/ bartered for to assist in hunting?
I would estimate about a 2 year expedition. Just so you don't have to hurry and if a harsh winter hits you can stop for a while. It could be done without any modern equipment but It may possibly take longer then expected. The most important thing to take with you would be knowledge. Knowledge of tool making, bow hunting, tanning, cordage making, flora and fauna, and friendly peoples along your route. |
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Kirafu Extended Mission Ruck w/ XTL and a lot of various pockets for the outside.
Kirafu 20̊ Slickbag ¾ size foam sleeping pad 3 compasses 4 season 2 person tent MSR Water purifier X3 MSR water purifier filters for above purifiers x24 MSR Blacklite Camp pot set Backpack fishing pole and various tackle Emergency blanket Surefire L7 1 Glock 17 w/ 3 mags +100 additional 9mm LeMas rnds. Surefire X300 w/ 20 CR123 rechargeable batteries NVG monocular CR123 rechargeable compatible Solar panel recharging panels (and hook ups for the above batteries) 1 M16A4 w/ 3 mags +300 additional 5.56 LeMas rnds. Schmidt & Bender 2.5-10x 56 scope with Larue mount Field rifle/pistol cleaning kit Leatherman Harsey/Reeve Pacific knife Reeve Skinner knife Harsey T-3 Light weight camp axe Field sharpening kit Magnesium stick x2 Bic lighters x10 100 waterproof matches Small saw Poncho and Liner Tevas/ river shoes Mountaineering boots x2 Socks of various weights x8 Silk weight long underwear Fleece pants Sweat wicking t-shirt x3 Silk weight long underwear top Fleece top Hard shell top and bottom Down jacket Glove liners Winter weight snowboarding gloves Heavyweight mittens Leather gloves Laminated Hard copies of the following topics: maps 1:24,000 scale and all the other topics Max-Tab said. Various plastic bags First aid kit 300 ft 550 cord 100 ft of multipurpose nylon rope Sewing kit Salt, pepper, BIG bottle of Tabasco sauce Multivitamins, antibiotics, and Motrin Casio Pathfinder and G-shok Sunglasses x2 camelback Naglene bottle x2 Lots of Gold to barter with (on top of what is already given) That should cover it. I might come back later and edit the list. I plain to travel across the middle to lower states i.e. North Carolina, Tennessee, Northern Arkansas, Oklahoma, Northern New Mexico, Northern Arizona, and out by Los Angeles. Time 2 years Is it possible? Yes. Could a modern day person be successful in the trip? Doubtful, it would take a very hardened and lucky individual to be successful in the trip. It be would an incredibly difficult journey to be done solo. Oh, BTW when I told my wife about the scenario. She said she would take her phone, Ipod, debit card, and camera.......:D |
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Why a tent?
I would ask "Why a tent?"
A small 6x7 tarp of fire retardent material would weigh a lot less. 2 short 3' or 4' poles poles could be cut before heading out into the grasslands. I'd go for 6 light weight aluminium nail stakes, though. Hate whacking ground anchors. 1700 is an interesting time. The Spanish had a good handle on Mexico and the Southwest US and FL. Lots of missions scattered about. The French in NO and the British along the east coast. The French were working up towards the Great Lakes. Other than that? Natives. They would have had limited, if any, exposure to European equipment, much less, what you would be carrying. Simple things would seem like magic. Could pass as a "medicine man" and get extra help? While the backwoodsmen pushed over the Apps in the 1700s, the "mountainman" we think of was really a short period in our history from about the 1820s to around 1845s. |
Wow, looks like some of you guys are already packing.;)
I will try to keep this updated and answer questions regularly. The mission analysis is normally the key, but in this case, it isn't the destination, but the journey. Do not overly focus on the recording of the journey beyond what was given above. Focus on the tools and skills you will need to get there. The Time Travel Commission has not been invented yet. Once you clear initial white man country, pretty much any gear you have is GTG to use. If you are worried, wear an overcoat and put some skins over your ruck. There is no external moral component here either, you can do as you wish in your interactions. At the same time, you might think about what happened in Salem, Mass only eight years previously. I see some people going extremely light, and some extremely heavy. Anyone planning on humping a laminated stack of 1:24,000s of the entire US needs to do a quick count and check the shipping weight. Those who plan to do it in their skivvies with a Kabar in their teeth need to step outside like that and spend a night on the ground. I think the 18-24 month time estimate is correct, which means two winters. Those with a northern route may want to consider that. Do you plan on holing up for the winter, maybe building a semi-permanent shelter, or pressing on regardless? Pretty hard to travel and gather food in the winter while crossing the Great Lakes and Northern Plains on foot. Hostile natives are a legitimate concern, as they were for our forefathers. Good research might ID a route through friendlier country. Starting in the spring with plans to cross in 300 days is unrealistic, but you are welcome to try it. Remember that you have to catch, kill, and prepare your food daily. Crossing two major mountain ranges, some huge rivers, and a desert or two, all on foot, might slow you down. Also consider that your schedule would put you in a Donner Pass situation, where you will be in the Rockies/Sierra Nevadas in January/February. You will probably not make 10 miles per day then, if you can move at all. Some of the natives will definitely be hostile, but 5.56 will not be particularly effective on a bear or a moose. This is not strictly a combat patrol, though there will almost certainly be some. Shotgun shells are notoriously poor tradeoffs in weight for game gathered. Let me know what 300 rounds of 20 gauge shot weighs. If I have to live outside for two years, 'skeeters, rain, snow, etc., I am inclined toward the tent crowd, or at least a shelter of some sort. Winters will require a sleeping bag or equivalent skins (heavier). Anyone wishing to present an opposing viewpoint, feel free to do so. I am not an expert at this, just trying to look at some alternatives to exercise my mind and reconsider some of my kit. Thanks to all who have contributed. TR |
I would look at a few things that would be invaluable over the long haul. First I would have a thread and needle kit that could assemble hides, since my clothes would wear out. Also I would use the standard firearm of the day, which would involve plenty of ammo. I would have one that is 50 caliber range for bear and buffalo, then a smaller 300/308 caliber for deer and such. Good axes would be needed to build a small house for waiting out the winters. Rope would be useful for roping a wild horse. The problem would be taming them. I would pack rations for those occasions I had a bad hunting day, and pack them on a mule, and ride a horse. A good sleeping bag would be a nice comfort to stay warm at night, along with a tent, because it is much easier to stay dry and warm when a sudden weather system takes shape. Books on plants that are poisonous, medicinal, and are good to eat. Maps would be a must, and I would bring sets of those, along with notebooks to record my journeys. I really wouldn't want many of the modern conveniences because they wouldn't translate, other than modern rifles with rifling.
I know you said to hump it, but if I were thinking outside those parameters, riding would be the way to go. |
Question: How long does one have between the time of accepting the challenge and actually starting the trek?
nevermind, I saw it. |
I confess I have zero field experience.
That said, why is no one considering betalights instead of flashlights? The tritium has a half life of 7 years, they're low-weight, durable, and dependable. LINK |
I'd venture a trek via a southern route - following roughly the I-20 to I-10 route. (before anyone says it - I know the interstates didn't exist then. I meant the general cooridor that they follow)
From an early port in SC (Charleston - est 1670) and one of the shortest routes (to San Diego) the distance is 2400-ish miles. At 10 miles/day that's 240 days. Rounded to 300 days to account for injuries, navigational...err...tangents, and "meetings" with locals, I think would be reasonable. for $10M, sure! (After getting paid, could I then time travel back a decade or so, get the $10M changed to Canadian $ at 60%, then re-exchange it modern day??? :D) Ideally leaving toward the beginning of the spring, that way I would miss the hurricane season while near the Gulf of Mexico - although the TVD would be cold. Using the southern route, I would miss most of the Rockies, save the foothills near the TX/MEX border. I can also bring less extreme clothing/shelter than if I were travelling along the northern route. Without over thinking it, here goes - weight added for realistic analysis: Pack: Mystery Ranch 6500 - 5lbs Foraging bag - .25lb Water: MSR MIOX purifier kit - .5lb Rechargable batteries - 1lb Recharger with lightweight solar cells - 2lbs (I mean, come on - if we can build a TIME-FREAKING-MACHINE, we can have lightweight solar, right???) 2quart collapsable canteen - .5lbs 100x iodine tablets - 2lbs Food: 10x dehydrated meals (for emergency use only) - 3.8lbs 1000 waterproof matches - 2lbs Shelter: MSR FLING (2 person tent) - 3.5 lbs Sleep system - 4lbs Protection: M4 with .308 upper and ACOG - 8lbs 300rds 308 - 13lbs Weapon cleaning kit - 2lbs Small hatchet - 3lbs Multi-tool - 1lb Sharpening stone - .5lb Clothing: 3x moisture wicking layers - 1.5lbs 2x insulating layers - 2lbs 1x wind proof layers - 1lb 10x socks - 2lbs Quality boots - 4.5lbs contact gloves - .25lbs mittens - 2lbs knit cap - .25lbs sewing kit - .5lb Sunglasses - .25lbs Nav: 2x Mag Compass - 1lb. 2x silk map MISC: Fishing line - 1lb 550 cord, 100ft - 1.5lbs first aid kit - 3lbs 3x micro-flashlights - .25lbs Novel - 1lb perpetual movement watch - .25lbs 5x wire Carabiners - 1.5lbs PR: (for trading/gifts) small polaroid camera with 100 exposures - 4lbs (for demonstration/scaring the natives, if need be) 2x Whistle - .1lb 5x penflares - 2.8lbs That puts my total weight - clothing included - at 82.7 lbs. At 10 miles/day, using sound field craft and the "waste not - want not" approach, I'd say it's definately doable. Although, 18 months would be better... that's 4.5 miles/day. Count me in:lifter |
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I weighed a box of 25 20ga shells- 1.25 per box or about 15lbs for 300. That's a chunk of weight off of 100lbs. Most game birds could be arkansas'd on the ground or water with a rifle. I've heard the 5.56 Lemas is great stuff, but I'd be very nervous about pumping a 68 grain bullet into a pissed off 1000 pound sow grizzly bear. I think a .308 semi-auto (fn/fal for me) of some description would be the way to go.
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Other than that, you are GTG. gagners, I think you are on the right track and appreciate the detail. There are some things I would add and delete, but by and large, you have a supportable plan. Let me know where you got the 8 lb. AR-10 with the ACOG. Mine must be retaining water. Speaking of which, you have some serious desert to cross, you might want to bring more than 2 quarts of water. If I were to go back to 1700 for profiteering, I would buy art instead of looneys. Shootist. Agree completely. Would you also take a pistol? TR |
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Pat |
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Water. Agreed. @ 8.3 lbs per gallon, how much would you recommend? Never had to source my own water in the desert before... And for profiteering? I'd sell rides on my new TIME-MACHINE!!!:D Edited to Add: Out of curiousity, What would you add or delete? |
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gagners, the listed current weight of an Armalite AR-10 is 9.8lbs, stripped. Add the mount, ACOG, loaded mag, etc., and you are probably at 11-12 lbs. TR |
I think a pistol would be necessary for defense against two-legged creatures. I would take a Glock 17 or an XD9, the 9mm ammo would be a little less weight than .45 acp.
Instead of a hatchet, I would take a Wyoming Saw, which is a neat little light saw that has a wood blade and bone blade. That would save some weight as well. I think I would also invest a great deal of my 30 day prep time talking to academics and historians and try to get and idea of what tribes are likely to be where and when. |
Depending upon the route you choose, there is water in the form of rivers and creeks for approx. 98% of the trek. (hint - look at some maps from the early 1800s. Humans tend to change the environment to suit their needs.)
Researching this is very interesting. Lots of stuff to take into consideration. |
My field time credentials, I lived in a bamboo hut in a remote jungle village for 2 years with no running water or electricity. I did not have to hunt for my meals. I was able to resupply myself with 80-150 kg of food and tobacco from the capitol every 120 days, I had clean water and a river to bathe in, the village supplied me all forms of local food but I did spend time in the gardens when I could, I was not allowed to pig hunt as hunting was proscribed by a in-country Peace Corps regulation plus the village Chief was worried I would get killed.
600 days (give or take) x 2 cooked meals a day = 1200 meals minimum. All of your ammo loads should have at least 2000 hunting rounds (can I get a plasma rifle?:D)... When I was living stone age I had to spend 3 hours a day on 2 cooked meals, factor in building a fire, food prep and cooking and then clean up. Now add gathering to that number it adds at least 10 more hours a week (two trips to the garden, digging yams, planting yams etc.) even more time will be needed if you are hunting. Now add low calories and decreasing energy your times will increase on all tasks. Starches, carbos and vitamins are going to be rough to procure on the trial. As your body runs out of these basic building blocks healing, endurance and recovery is going to suffer. All batteries die. All solar rechargeable anything die. All fabric rip, rats and raccoons eat tents and backpacks and extra clothes . LED lights are one exception and the led lamps would last barring a large rock smashing it :). But the batteries that run it will run out and then it is just dead weight (can we get any "space" 123 batteries that will last for 3 years?:D). A good self winding watch, a tough compass and a detailed map of the pick up location (think top of predominate hill at the mouth of a predominate river that I can find with no map or compass). Soles split off of boots condition your feet to moccasins that you can produce yourself. Alone you are not going to fight the natives. If it comes down to a gun/bow fight one moderate wound to you and you are dead. Perhaps consider diplomacy over an assault rifle (and optics that will fail only add weight). You need a great hunting rifle with very few moving parts. A non-plasma handgun seems to be dead weight to me. I would further suggest you pack on 30 extra pounds of fat on your body and condition yourself to move them around to give you an internal reserve. If you start walking at 5% body fat you have a very slim margin of error on food collection rates. Cleaning, if you dont bathe and wash your clothes semi regularly any scratches, cuts and bug bites will be come very infected every time. Your going to need soap. First aid, your going to need a host of meds/supplies. If you are not prepared one nasty cut will kill you. Also I think I read that malaria was in pasts of the US back then so you are going to need a cure or two. plus all the other ills that befall you when you move somewhere new. |
2000 rounds is really heavy. Especially with all of the other stuff you need. Sounds like it would be a good idea to learn how to make pemmican and jerky so you can stretch your kills out!
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excellent
Gentlemen, this is a great thread. I am hard at work preparing my list.
TR I agree with you completely that a 5.56 weapon is not the best choice. However, as you mentioned before the .308 is fairly heavy. What about a lighter hunting rifle for food and a sidearm for two legged hunting? I suppose if you went without the sidearm by taking the AR then the weight would balance out, but you also arent as versatile. Remington makes a titanium receiver 700 series that only weighs about 6 pounds in .270 cartridge. Of course you would need an optic... Also, I feel like people could be saving a pound or two on a weapons cleaning kit. Let's remember you're only carrying the rounds you take. It isn't like you are going to buy anymore. A rifle that starts clean and is in good shape should get through the 300-500 rounds people are considering without needing a lot more work. I'd say a small rag (could double up by using a sock or t-shirt you're already carrying), some lube, and a bore snake are likely all you would need. Also, I agree with the small tent vein of thought. I personally love tarps for backpacking as they are lighter and can be used more creatively, but a tent pitches in more places, provides more shelter against snow, rain, wind and is warmer. With today's fly and poles technology, you can leave the tent body back here in 2008 and thus save a large amount of weight while still retaining many of the tent's benefits. Just some thoughts. More to come with the full list. |
Sten:
Excellent advice from someone who has spent this amount of time in a primitive area, if not humping a ruck. Your nutrition points are well stated. I did the same prior to survival training, carrying as much weight as I could and eating like a pig till we went to the woods. After five days, I was barely starting to feel the hunger. I disagree about weapons and fighting natives. Some will be friendly, most will be neutral, and some are going to try and kill you regardless. A good .308 sturmgewehr with a low mag optic is, IMHO, the way to go. I believe that if you drop the first one hard with what to them would appear to be a plasma rifle, the rest may look for easier game. At least, till you stop, make camp, and go to sleep again. IMHO, a good, battle rifle should last, without cleaning, for far more rounds than you can carry. While I would like to have 2,000 rounds, I suspect that I would have to get by with several hundred, mostly hunting rounds with a few tracers should a firepower demo need to be given. No one has picked up on my pistol idea yet. I would either take a 9mm with a .22LR conversion kit, or a .22LR pistol. The .22LR is a great round for dispatching small game and running a trap line. The game return on the weight carried is superior in all aspects for the .22LR. I might take 2,000 rounds of .22, though 1,000 would likely be more than adequate, unless you are a bad shot. If possible, I would look to get an integrally suppressed version (and carry some sub-sonic match loads), so as not to attract too much attention while harvesting game. You could even add a NAA .22 Mini-revolver to the kit for a last ditch/hide-out gun. A head shot, even with a .22, should end most disagreements. A good Li Ion rechargeable battery should make it through the two years of the trip with power to spare. A solar charger roll attached to the top of the ruck should help keep it charged, though you may have to ration power. I would expect a high end pair of boots to last till the winter break. At that point, you could repair them with a set of spare soles, or make the soles from leather, if you were able to acquire the hides and tan them properly. For watches, I prefer the Casio Triple Sensors with the solar chargers. You then have a handy barometer, altimeter, compass, and thermometer. A dedicated man can survive some pretty bad injuries with minimal care. Stop the bleeding, repair the injury as best you can, etc. Since you are pre-antibiotic, all strains should, in theory, be extremely succeptible to treatment by a good course of appropriate antibiotics. I would carry a BIG med kit, and several bars of soap, though if you save the animal fat, render it, mix it with ashes and some ground up limestone, you can make your own. The point is well made though that if you act like Bear Grylls and insist on climbing up, or jumping down mountains, trying to swim significant rivers in near freezing temps, playing with local fauna, eating the native flora, etc., eventually, you are going to break a major bone, or get bit, poisoned, etc. Even an encounter with a bunch of bees could be terminal, especially without a video crew to get you out. Good discussion! TR |
Southern Route
What a great topic. Still considering equipment, but think I would include a couple small traps and snares for times when I "hole up" to rest-recuperate-wait out weather-etc. in order to feed myself without using ammunition. Several small metal mirrors would be worth the extra weight as trade items - the edge could be honed for natives to use as a scraping tool.
The southern route would be best for me - weather and familiarity. Start in Charleston, SC through Cherokee Nation (we didn't really piss them off too much until after 1700), end up following Red River through part of Texas, cross NM and pick up the headwaters of the Gila River, follow it to the Colorado. The "bad part" would be crossing through what is now Imperial County, CA along I-8 route, but there are a couple of springs - definitely to be done in winter, cooler temps and more rain. I'd want to end up in San Diego area - probably around La Jolla Cove. I'd probably include some goggles and a folding pole spear - to feed myself at the Cove while awaiting my time machine (as well as fishing in streams along the way). 18 months would do nicely, but I might allow 2 years for the "unforseen". If I get there early, I just hang out in La Jolla. I'd hate to miss my "pickup"! Details to follow |
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BTW, the I-10 route you mentioned earlier, goes to LA, not San Diego. Both have significant rugged hills, with many box canyons, if not mountains, to their East. If you ever fly into LAX or John Wayne International during daylight hours, look down at the terrain. Not the easiest to hike through. Since we are talking cultural anthropology, which is a significant topic for SF, I would mark my modern topo map with the Spanish missions and other settlements and would try to route from one to the next as lay-up points, rather than relying on straight line movement. Frankly, I might be willing to temporarily convert and winter over in a mission, rather than a tent, teepee, tarp covered sod hut, etc. TR |
edit - going on a tangent. disregard.
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I'd take a southern route starting in Savannah and following rivers as much as possible. Historical maps show substantial rivers in place throughout the southwest. Savannah to Columbus to Shreveport, where I would pick up the Red River to Amarillo. At this point there is a tributary that heads west to Albuquerque. From there straight line to San Diego. This keeps you out of the worst of the deserts.
There's good crossing areas at low to medium altitude in the southern Rockies and Sierra Nevadas, though it will definately slow you up there regardless of the time of year. Minimal mild deserts (according to reports posted from the 1800s) to cross but with adiquate water. 2300 miles. 16 months at a leasurly pace so you can take pictures. Could be done in a year but I'd feel more comfortable with a safety margin built in. More to follow. |
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I've noticed everyone wants to carry an AR. I can't remember who mentioined it, but weapon reliablity with minimial maitnence is an issue - Has anyone thought of carrying an AK? Reliable and a stronger caliber with plenty of add-on's avaible.
Excuse my ignorance, just adding fuel to the fire. |
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