Poll: Stranded on a deserted island, which do you choose? + wild card round (page 5)

[Aginor]

our ancestors did live in conditions like these, and they lived. So what were they doing?

Well... Not really. They were used to it. And they did live in groups. Our best guess is 25+ people, maybe up to 200. That guess is based on indigenous people who still live in a stone age society, like the Yanomami.

 

[Lizerd]

True they did live in much larger groups. I guess one thing I didn’t factor in is (forgive me for what I am about to say) people these days are considerably less physically fit.

But my point on us being munched on still stands.

 

[pendrake]

I want to keep at least one of the dogs. I'm naming it Gilligan.

(Where is the Thumbs-up-smiley of approval?)

 

[pendrake]

@Lizerd & @Aginor mitochondtial DNA indicates that a population of perhaps 45 people account for the entire indigenous population of North, Central, and South America. All descended from one of just four grandmothers.

 

[Lizerd]

thanks For the information, but that does make me wonder how effective three people will be on an island

 

[Aginor]

@Lizerd & @Aginor mitochondtial DNA indicates that a population of perhaps 45 people account for the entire indigenous population of North, Central, and South America. All descended from one of just four grandmothers.

EDIT: I just realized that the original first line of this post could be interpreted as sarcastic or condescending. I deleted it.
I am honestly curious about that, since it contradicts what I have read about the topic.

Afaik:

That doesn't mean what I think you are implying it does.
Of course the gene pool was tiny if you go back far enough. That provides no information at all about the population sizes.

EDIT: oh and do you have the source? I only remember a Rutgers study from 2005 that guessed ~70 individuals for the very first wave.

 

[Karak Norn Clansman]

B as in babe.

 

[Lizerd]

B as in babe.

Sry, I ate her with the rest of them.

 

[pendrake]

EDIT: I just realized that the original first line of this post could be interpreted as sarcastic or condescending. I deleted it.
I am honestly curious about that, since it contradicts what I have read about the topic.

I never saw what was edited away ??? So, no harm no foul.

Oh and do you have the source? I only remember a Rutgers study from 2005 that guessed ~70 individuals for the very first wave.

I don’t have a link to any source published online. What I am remembering is almost certainly information presented in a TV documentary.

All the matriarchal mitochondrial DNA traced back to just four individuals. And I don’t know what the estimates of population size were based on.

I guess the first wave across the Bering Land Bridge could have been 700 strong. Then a mosquito borne illness killed 90% of them, except the descendants of just four particular women.

 

[Vedras]

This is a very interesting thread.

I've been sitting here for the past 20 minutes try to decide A, B or C and I am kinda drawn to B. In reality I don't think any option will let you survive 20 years.

There are few interesting points to consider though....

Choice B - The net can have many uses from creating traps - likely not practical but possibly used in combination with the freezer to suspend in hi in the air to drop/crush anything particularly troublesome/predatory.

It could possibly be stretched out over an area to act as a tarpaulin, secured with with fishing line. Large leaves or foliage can but draped over it to provide short term emergency shelter. (I've never fished so not sure how viable this is).

"Fishing equipment for the poles" - well this is pretty subjective, but if you google basic fishing rod starter sets you'll find many come with some sort of slingshot or catapult for projecting the hook/bait. This in itself could provide a means to deter (maybe seriously harm?) anything unfriendly. Further to that some even COME with a knife for cutting/prepping the line.

Big chest freezer - this may have a few different uses as well. Lay it on its side with a stick to prop the lid up and it could be a make-shift trap. Depending on the size of either yourself or the girl you could even get inside of it for respite from the sun/heat. It is "big" after all.

Choice C - At first I ruled this out entirely but...lets try a different approach. (Not family friendly)

The first 12 hours are vital and hugely dictate the survival outcome for the short term. You already have shelter and tools so you are ahead of the game and can immediately address wood, water, home made self defense and get the lay of the land. Especially while you are at your strongest/fittest.

The dogs are going to die inevitably and their use questionable from what I've so far read. They have food for 5 years and I am assuming for BOTH dogs. On the premise of just survival (I love animals just FYI) lets stipulate the following .....

1. If you kill 1 dog, the other has food for 10 years
2. If you get yourself set up with the basics with what you have to the point of being self sustaining, do you need a dog at all? They have grown up, giving you the short term protection/deterrence needed for the early stages. A & B don't have dogs....kill the second dog and now YOU have food for 9-10 years. It wont be nice but it may sustain you.
3. That's a whole lot of drugs. Because you have tools to make traps and dog meat as bait, spike the meat with it, leave it out for predators to have their fill then when they are KOed/rendered useless you put them out of their misery and restock your own meat supplies.
4. With enough food available and the means to preserve yourself (for about 12 years) it's now time to take a look at that boat.
5. The drugs would probably make good kindling. Downsite, you are going to get high every time you light a fire, but may produce a lot of smoke in case passing boats see it.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Have they?
I actually cannot recall anything worse than that, that people actually survived.

If it was done before... it can be done again!

 

[Lizerd]

As cool as the story is (I actually have read this, it was pretty cool), I doubt we could replicate this. Old members forgive me for what I am about to say. Your physical condition is nowhere near as good as hers, and likely to much physical strain could put some members in risk of cardiac arrest. Most likely fishing would be the best way to get food..

But the rules never said anything about bringing friends along...

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

As cool as the story is (I actually have read this, it was pretty cool)

And hers isn't the only one.

I doubt we could replicate this. Old members forgive me for what I am about to say. Your physical condition is nowhere near as good as hers, and likely to much physical strain could put some members in risk of cardiac arrest.

You speak for yourself!

But the rules never said anything about bringing friends along...

Typically in a kidnapping, they don't give you the option to bring your friends along.

 

[Lizerd]

Dammit, no sacrificing my “friends”

As for speaking for myself: I am still under 18 and in excellent condition so I am at pretty low risk. Provided I don’t have much info on most people here, their diets, and excercise

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Dammit, no sacrificing my “friends”

I hope said friends don't frequent this forum!

 

[Aginor]

That girl was a tribe member used to living in that exact way on that exact island.
That's not a good example at all.

And hers isn't the only one.

I would love to hear more since I know none that would apply to something like our situation.

EDIT: I went through several lists of castaways and the like, and they all either had contact to other people (native people from those islands for example, or the poor guys that got killed by the Japanese soldiers that hid in the woods for 30 years), or lived in decently sized groups, or survived not more than a couple of years at most, and/or were pretty well prepared (because they were there intentionally).

 

[Lizerd]

I hope said friends don't frequent this forum!

Don’t worry, most of those people are from middle school.

Alright back to survival, let’s be honest. Do we have much of a chance here?

 

[Aginor]

Don’t worry, most of those people are from middle school.

Alright back to survival, let’s be honest. Do we have much of a chance here?

As stated in my posts above I am very sure that none of the options provides us with a decent chance of long time survival. 20 or even 10 years is pretty much out of question under these circumstances. Most people would most likely die within a few weeks or months.

 

[pendrake]

Maybe the best plan is choose A, snatch up the rifle, snipe the kidnappers, steal their boat, and use it to return to civilization.

And I suppose rescue the lesbians if one or both survived the gun battle.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Maybe the best plan is choose A, snatch up the rifle, snipe the kidnappers, steal their boat, and use it to return to civilization.

And I suppose rescue the lesbians if one or both survived the gun battle.

As per the original post... you are kidnapped and wake up on the island, therefore it is safe to assume that you were unconscious throughout the process.