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G4EBT > DESERT 01.10.03 20:03l 120 Lines 4623 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : AD1617G4EBT
Read: DB0FHN GUEST
Subj: "Lost in the desert" - Answers
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON0AR<IK1ZNW<ON0BEL<GB7FCR
Sent: 031001/1757Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:17834 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:AD1617G4
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : DESERT@WW
For anyone who had a go at the "Lost in the Desert" challenge, here is
what a team of survival experts said would be their survival strategy, and
their rankings of the items salvaged from the wreckage of the 'plane, in
order of importance.
Remember that you are completely lost in the desert, in searing heat, with
no food. The only shelter you have, is what you can improvise from the
wreckage, and the items you have to hand. At night time, the temperature
will fall very low,, so you will need shelter from the heat during the
day, and from the cold during the night.
All you know is that you are about 75 miles (120kMs) from civilisation,
and though you have a map and compass, you are faced with a featureless
landscape. Even if you did know which way to travel on foot, and could
manage 10 miles (16kms) a day, (or night), it would take you a week.
If you tried to walk across the desert, you would have little chance of
survival for more than a day or so - you have no food, little water, no
shelter, and would soon use up your reserves of energy.
The pilot will have filed a flight plan, and it will soon be known that
your 'plane is unaccounted for, so a search and rescue operation would be
speedily embarked upon.
It is vital that you do your best to draw attention to yourselves to any
'planes searching for you, and your only chance of survival is to stay
alive as long as possible.
The first rule of survival in these circumstances is to stick together,
stay with the wreckage, which is what the rescuers will be searching for,
and since the landscape is featureless there is a good chance of the
wreckage being spotted from the air.
The experts ranked the items as follows:
1) Cosmetic mirror for signalling. (You must maximise your chance of being
seen, so this is even more important than water - 2 litres of water won't
last long if the searchers miss you).
2) Overcoat for sheltering from the sun during the day, and keeping warm
at night.
3) 2 Litres of water each (for obvious reasons!)
4) Torch for signalling. (Not as useful as a mirror in bright sunlight,
and it's unlikely they'll be looking for you in the dark)
5) Parachute. For marking out your position on the ground to draw
attention.
6) Knife, to cut up any bits of vegetation, roots and anything edible that
you can find that might help eke out your water supplies.
7) Plastic raincoat for shelter, and maybe collecting any condensation at
night for water supplies.
8) Pistol, to signal, (and put anyone out of their misery should they fall
ill).
9) Sunglasses. Won't aid your survival, but will offer some comfort from
the sun.
10) Plasters and bandages, in the event of insect bites.
11) Magnetic compass. A toy to amuse yourself with, and guess where you
might be!
12) A map - something to look at to ease the boredom!
13) Book on edible animals. You probably won't see any, if you do you
won't be able to catch them, and you can't waste energy going hunting for
them.
But: Books are a great source of knowledge, so read it, and don't forget
that it was your quest for knowledge that landed you in this predicament.
Enjoy!
14) Ballpoint pen. You could write a diary on the back of the map, as a
record to loved ones, or if you survive, as a basis for writing your
memoirs.
15) Vodka. This will cause you to dehydrate and must not be drunk! you
could use it as an antiseptic for insect bites though.
16) Bottle of salt tablets. Useless! Must not be eaten under and
circumstances as they would caused dehydration. You could use the
tablets to play a board game with, such as Ludo, on the back of the
map.
You can score yourself for comparison with the experts if you like. Simply
take your ranking of each item, and see how far away it is from the
experts ranking, then add up the variances.
For example, if you ranked the water as number 1 compared to the experts
at number 3, you are 2 off. If you ranked the vodka at number 5, you are
10 away from the experts. Hence, the lower your score in numbers, the
better you performed.
Given that 85% of Australians are urban dwellers and 89% of Brits,
I wonder how many of us would have faired in these circumstances.
I'd be a goner, that's for sure!
Hope it provided a bit of fun and interest to someone out there:-)
Who knows, it might even save a life one day!
73 - David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
Eddystone User Group Member
G-QRP Club Member No: 1339
QTH: Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
david@crofters89.freeserve.co.uk
Message timed: 18:08 on 2003-Oct-01
Message sent using WinPack-Telnet V6.70
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