# You are stranded on an island...



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Might be thought provoking, might not. But what they heck. A couple of these items seem pretty dumb to me, but I bet if this was posted on social media they would be the first items selected!

So which 4 would you choose?


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

Knife, matches, water purifier, fishing rod


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Any four, huh? OK.....
1. Inflatable raft, 'cause I'm not staying there, unless the island is very large, contains game animals, and is inhabited by nubile young gals with culinary skills!
2. Fishing pole, to catch fish, sea birds, turtles, until someone rescues my old azz....hopefully!
3. First aid kit, just in case the fish, bird, or turtle bites back!
4. Knife, to clean the fish, bird or turtle, and I'll have a shusi buffet!

And if I could have just one more, make it the flare gun, assuming it comes with flares, of course, so I can give the rescuers some sign I'm THERE, if I see any!


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I would go with the *mirror* as I could use it to both signal and start fires, plus I could use it to talk to myself since I won't be selecting Wilson the volleyball.

Then I would take the *knife* because, come on, it's a knife. It's the universal wonder tool of survival. Although I hope the knife I get is better than the P.O.S. Bear Grylls knife pictured.

I think I would then grab the *boat*. I could use it to hold rain water, create a shelter, sleep on it, etc. I suppose I could use the tarp for all of those same things. Maybe not the smartest next item, but I went with my gut.

Finally I would take the *first aid kit*. Because it would be harder for me to create a first aid kid out of nature than it would be a pot or a spear. Although that pot is appealing. After one night the bug spray would be too.

I would NEVER take the fishing rod because that would result in my having to eat (blech) fish.


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## timmie (Jan 14, 2012)

knife , tarp, water purifier, and mirror.


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

Knife-- make spear, bow. arrows, etc.

Rifle -- hunt game, signal, suicide if too badly injured during island adventure.

Raft -- get into deeper water and use nets and crab cage and critter parts. (cage and nets made using knife). Upside down make soft bed. Water catchment, 

Water Purifier-- DUh, no wawa, no survive.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Pot, (cooking) knife, boots, mirror.

I will post my logic in a few days if this thread stays current.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Tirediron said:


> Pot, (cooking) knife, boots, mirror.
> 
> I will post my logic in a few days if this thread stays current.


I was wondering if someone would select boots.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Sentry18 said:


> I was wondering if someone would select boots.


Jeeez, am I the only one who wants to LEAVE this island??????


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

Sunscreen. Butt wipe ipod and Wilson.  yep cause that's what my daughter would pic lol


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Flight1630 said:


> Sunscreen. Butt wipe ipod and Wilson.  yep cause that's what my daughter would pic lol


Hey, at least she's not into the weed.


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

Lol yep very true


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Dude, the weed, man. And pray it has tons of seeds, brah. Matches too, so I could fire up. Then… iPod, gotta have tunes. Then the volley ball, so I can play cause, ya know, I like volleyball at the beach, ya know.

Other than those obvious 4 choices… 

Grab the knife first thing, to me that is a no brainer. Cast iron pot, so I can boil water and hopefully have something to cook in. Mirror next. Good for signaling, fire and checking to make sure my nose hairs are in check… Just in case someone sees me. Last item… Last item…

Let’s run down the list. 

Tarp. Good for collecting water. Shelter. Maybe the makeshift boat. But it is a non-repairable item, if anything happens to it, it is about worthless. Limited lifespan item. Garbage.

Sunscreen. Last thing on my mind is worrying about skin cancer. Besides, it an item with a fixed life-span. Worthless to me.

Toilet paper. Worthless. Another fixed life span item that I better find a viable alternative to right off.

Cast iron pot we are already taking.

iPod. Worthless. Just worthless. What? Call Mom and tell her I am going to be home late for dinner? I bet you don’t get a signal and the tunes on it are probably crap anyway.

Hiking Boots. Something worth putting on the short list. The soles would last a long time, being on sand and corral. I could always re-use them in some manner as foot protection. Put them in the possible pile.

Hand Saw. Yeah, for what? … Metal? Maybe to make something out of later, after it is dull as crap? Ahhh… Put it in the short pile for now.

Flare gun. One, maybe two uses then worthless. Garbage

Inflatable boat. Hrmmm… Possible escape? But then I would need the compass, or at least to have some idea where the heck I am and where to go. Limited life span, a few small holes and it is a tarp. Worthless.

Flashlight. Possible IF it is a self-contained system. Hand crank or some other way to extend its useful lifespan. If batteries, only the lens might come in handy, fires. Lets…. Put in the second look pile.

Insect Repellant. Yeah, nice, but worthless after it is gone. Garbage to me.

Hammock… Wonder what the material it is made out of is? I could use it as raw materials for lots of things…. It makes the short list.


Compass. Not a useful item if I don’t have the boat or know where I am. If there was a possibility I could use it for navigation yes. If not, garbage… Wait a sec… look at the cover first, is it elliptical for fire starting? Could be multi-purpose, if not garbage.

This kind of bring us to what the situation is that we would need to make the choice, doesn’t it?

Mirror. Second thoughts here. Naw... Even broken we can use the pieces for something. Still on the short list.

Vitamins. Limited life span and in the long run, worthless. Hrmm. Are they glass bottles? What does the bottom look like, convex for fire starting? IF so short list, otherwise garbage.

Water purifier. Needed, but I have the pot and this item has a limited life-span. Worthless.

Fishing rod. As much as I like to fish… Worthless. Limited lifespan and short life span for hooks/line… Garbage.

Rope! Garbage. I best come up with a local solution to make as much as I need. That doesn’t look like a really long piece anyway and would have a limited life span, worthless.

Hunting rifle. Garbage. Limited life span in salt environment, limited ammo, no way to do maintenance. Worthless.

Weed. Worthless.

First Aid Kit. Definitely the short list, put it over there to go through a bit. Lots of useful things might be in it, multipurpose.

Tent. Worthless. Same as the tarp and boat, limited life span and no way to repair it.

Knife. First thing I grabbed, isn’t it?

Matches. While nice, worthless. Limited life span, worthless if wet. I best come up with a more viable solution to fire right off!

Volleyball. This goes in the pile with the iPod and weed.

What made the short list…

Boots, Saw, Flashlight… Toss that, we have better alternatives for fire and light. Hammock… cotton, garbage. Mirror, First aid kit. So.. Boots, saw, mirror and first aid kit… I think anyway, let’s just go with them anyway because I don’t want to read through the list again!

Boots – short list. Saw.. toss it. Metal can rust and how would I ever cut it or bend it to make anything useful. I already have a knife. Mirror, toss it. I just thought maybe… First aid kit. Ok, lets open this baby up! Lots of tools! Tweezers, hemostats, Couple other thingies… bandages… Keeper. We have our fourth item!

So: Knife, Cast iron pot, First Aid kit, and… and… Damn, we got rid of the mirror didn’t we? Boots then. Foot care is primary anyway. Cut a foot and you are pretty much down for the count in a survival situation. For fire you ask? We are just going to have to do it the hard way. Walk the beaches every tide and we WILL find something useful for that. That or use primitive methods, we have the knife.


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## SewingMachine (Mar 26, 2017)

Knife, fishing pole, tarp, hammock.

This will be a vacation.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Woody......you and my last "ex" would have a ball packing for a trip! Y'all would never GO on the trip, but ya'd have fun packing for two weeks! :facepalm: :lolsmash:


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

Okay, before looking at anyone else's answers, I choose: Knife, matches, fishing rod, and water purifier.

If I thought I might be able to get to some shipping lanes within 50 miles, I might go for the raft, water purifier, tarp, and mirror.


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## zimmy (Aug 17, 2012)

raft, flare gun, fishing rod, water purifier.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

The weed, Ipod, flare gun, toilet paper.
Listen to the Ipod while watching for a passing ship. Use toilet paper if need arises. When I see a ship I will use the flare gun and get rescued. Then I would use the weed which I would sell for cash so I would have some spending money on the ride home.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

zimmy said:


> raft, flare gun, fishing rod, water purifier.


Well,at last, someone ELSE who wants to leave this island!!!! :wave:artydance::beercheer:


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

hiwall said:


> The weed, Ipod, flare gun, toilet paper.
> Listen to the Ipod while watching for a passing ship. Use toilet paper if need arises. When I see a ship I will use the flare gun and get rescued. Then I would use the weed which I would sell for cash so I would have some spending money on the ride home.


Uhhhhhh, and you are going to charge the iPod how? I think Sentry18 threw that one in just to see if anyone would bite! Just says iPod, not iPod and solar charger! :dunno:


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## oldvet (Jun 29, 2010)

Knife- That's a "DUH" factor.
Raft- As Sentry said, it can be used as shelter, water collection, bed, paddling out to fish, or attempting to escape the island.
Pot- Boiling water for drinking, and cooking.
First Aid kit. I'm a bleeder.

As far as fire starting I normally have at least a mag. strip (with attached flint) in my pocket.

I can make what I need for fishing and hunting as long as I have that knife.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Knife because its a knife
Tarp for a sail, sunshade and water collection 
mirror for signaling
boat to get out of dodge


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Pessimistic2 said:


> how? I think Sentry18 threw that one in just to see if anyone would bite! Just says iPod, not iPod and solar charger! :dunno:


Come on now. You could smash it to pieces and use the battery to start a fire, the metal casing and interior metal plate could be fashioned into arrowheads or fishing hooks or even a knife, the circuit board and various plastic pieces could also be used to fashion tools or an eating utensil and the screen could be used as a signal mirror. Or you could at least spend a few days listening to slow jazz as the cannabis takes you to your happy place, delaying your acceptance of your reality just in case rescuers find you in the first 24 hours. Every item has a useful purpose.


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## bigg777 (Mar 18, 2013)

For me it would be the knife, tent (with bug netting and rain fly), pot and mirror. Ive seen the biting insects take their toll on too many "Naked and Afraid" participants not to choose the tent. The knife is a no-brainer, the pot to boil water and cook any food, and the mirror to start fires and signal for rescue.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

*Tarp.* Shelter until I could build a permanent shelter. Also use to collect drinking water by condensation. Loaded up with palm branches and dragged to building site, save a lot of back and forth trips. And lastly a source of clothing material unless (see Volleyball below).

*Knife.* As others have posted, good all round utility tool. Food preparation, Wood cutter, bark stripping for making of cordage, personnel protection, assisting in weaving a hammock and etc.

*Pot.* Food cooking, boiling of drinking water and carrying of water.

I don't see a need for a fourth item but since I have the option...

*Rope.* Could be handy for a rope and pulley system heavy items to highest point on the island for?

All of the above is assuming the island is of a substantial size to support life and I'm thinking long term occupant.

Sunscreen, toilet paper, insect repellent, vitamins, weed, matches, rifle (ammo) and water purifier are all limited life. Once expended gone fore ever.

iPod and flashlight. How would one recharged/replace the batteries?

Hiking boots? As a kid I would run all summer barefooted. My feet were toughen up to the point could run across the limestone driveway without any discomfort. I'm not a swimmer so I wouldn't need protection from the sharp coral reefs.

Hand saw, hammock and tent. Duplicates of what my basic four pick can provide or make.

Flare gun, inflatable raft and mirror. Worthless to me because I'm not planning on leaving!

Compass. Perhaps. I would think an island would have a reference point or two that would supplant the need for a compass. Worst case scenario I could walk around the fringe of the island until I'm back to a recognizable area?

Fishing Rod. I rather build a fish corral at low tide and let the tide trapped my fish for me.

First Aid kit. Tough one. Would have been my item 5. Minor injuries should take care of themselves with proper hygiene. Major injuries I really don't think a basic First Aid Kit would prevent my death.

At that leaves the Volleyball. Unless marooned with me was a scantily clad brunette super model it would be next to impossible to play a game of volleyball by myself. Come to think about it a bit more it would be next to impossible to keep my gut sucked in long enough to actually play a game of volleyball with scantily clad brunette super model marooned on the island with me.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

My Better Half pointed out that a water purifier would not remove salt from the water. Don't know if that's accurate or not, but since water is a "have-to-have," I guess I'd go with the tarp or pot, if the purifier is not useful.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

A few mention using the mirror to start a fire. This is a new one for me. How would that be accomplished?


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> A few mention using the mirror to start a fire. This is a new one for me. How would that be accomplished?


The same way you can kill ants with a magnifying glass, only using reflection.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> The same way you can kill ants with a magnifying glass, only using reflection.


I'm still confused. A mirror doesn't focus the suns rays like a magnifying glass. Guess I'm off to youtube...


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> The same way you can kill ants with a magnifying glass, only using reflection.


I might be calling foul! The pictured mirror looks flat to me.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

pot.id want 2 of them,one for cooking and purifying water.the other for washing clothes.

saw and knife,both can be used to build shelter.while the knife can help with cleaning the diff meats i get.and i can make fishing pole or net for fish.

then the first aid kit...on account,who knows?.

the fire i build will signal any ships passing by,so flare gun aint needed..


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> I might be calling foul! The pictured mirror looks flat to me.


You can also use the lense from the iPod with the mirror. Such a host of possibilities!


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Sentry18 said:


> Come on now. You could smash it to pieces and use the battery to start a fire, the metal casing and interior metal plate could be fashioned into arrowheads or fishing hooks or even a knife, the circuit board and various plastic pieces could also be used to fashion tools or an eating utensil and the screen could be used as a signal mirror. Or you could at least spend a few days listening to slow jazz as the cannabis takes you to your happy place, delaying your acceptance of your reality just in case rescuers find you in the first 24 hours. Every item has a useful purpose.
> =


Oh......


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Sentry18 said:


> You can also use the lense from the iPod with the mirror. Such a host of possibilities!


That would be using two items for only one purpose. I went for things that would have an unlimited life, my lifetime anyway, or long time anyway. All items had more than one useful purpose. Except for the boots.

I went at this task with surviving in mind, not escaping right off. With the tools I had, I could build a seaworthy craft if need be and a fire for signaling. The raft seems like a good idea, but if you have a sharp knife on board, it could accidently be your end. And, have you actually been on the ocean, even in a smaller seaworthy boat? You would be riding out storms with it upside down, you holding on underneath it and popping a side now and again to let fresh air in. A raft would be a mighty scary thing!

I walked barefoot all summer also. We heard a clicking one night, while walking on a hot macadam road. Looked at my heel and there was a thumb tack in it. Pulled it out and was no worse for the wear. But&#8230; To gather or hunt aquatic species, that corral can be like glass and do major damage to feet. Then there is the aquatic life itself, Urchins, fish&#8230; that could harm your feet. If you have never had a foot out of commission, you don't understand. I don't mean in a cast either, a foot you cannot stand on. You are pretty much helpless. An infected cut would do this.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Well,at last, someone ELSE who wants to leave this island!!!! :wave:artydance::beercheer:


I wouldn't have been on the island to begin with. If I can't swim to the other side I don't cross it. I am not potential fish food.


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## zimmy (Aug 17, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> A few mention using the mirror to start a fire. This is a new one for me. How would that be accomplished?


The mirror in Sentry18 photo looked concave to me, which will indeed start a fire, but not a flat mirror.


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## bbqjoe (Feb 10, 2017)

First aid kit-Assuming it was better than basic
Knife
Cooking vessel
Mirror


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