# Survival test I found online **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246 "2007-11-29T23:40:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/1 "2007-11-29T23:40:05Z")
There’s a survival test here that’s kind of fun. After 4 tries I had my score up to 99%. Anybody? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/2 "2007-11-29T23:56:16Z")
I got 99% after 4, too. I actually thought of one of the things that brought my last score up earlier, but dismissed it as too silly. It was lighting the gas on fire. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/3 "2007-11-29T23:57:25Z")
I damn right better had gotten a 99 on the first try…Outward Bound was my friend - and brief employer for 2 summers. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/4 "2007-11-30T00:03:34Z")
My first try I got 97% overall, with 49% protection from elements and 40% catching the attention. My survival IQ was 62. I choose the mirror, water, rations, sextant, plastic, and fishing kit. My results said the fishing kit was useless, as was the sextant, but I was rescued anyway from signaling a plane with the mirror. I tried to do better and again got 97% overall, but this time I had 49% elements and 97% getting rescued, with an IQ of 81. I ditched the sextant and fishing kit and grabbed the gas-oil mix and cushion, and I was able to signal better, but someone was eaten by a shark while “refreshing” themselves in the ocean with the cushion. Two more (several worse) tries later trying the shark repellent and the radio, I finally found the best combo, resulting in 99% for everything and an IQ of 99: Everything I had in the second one minus the cushion and adding the rope. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/5 "2007-11-30T00:11:35Z")
I got 99% second try by simply ditching the fishing kit for the water (which I hadn’t seen on the first run :smack: ) Cool little test. Thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/6 "2007-11-30T00:20:13Z")
I got 99%. Woot! My items were… The mirror, the water, the rations, the gas, the plastic, and rope. Is it possible to get higher than that? ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/7 "2007-11-30T00:23:39Z")
97% on my first try. 99% on my second try by: swapping the sextant for the twenty feet of plastic since it said I tossed it overboard out of frustration (something I would \*never \*do!) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/8 "2007-11-30T00:24:26Z")
I bloody well better have gotten a 99% on the first try! I’d kick myself if I didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/9 "2007-11-30T01:22:09Z")
Took me four tries because I didn’t see the rope, and I thought the sextant was cool I ended up with the same combo as CaerieD ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/10 "2007-11-30T01:33:01Z")
Your overall survival IQ is 82. Your ability to stay alive is 99% Your ability to protect yourself from the elements is 99% Your ability to catch the attention of your rescuers is 48% I have no type of survival experience, and got this on the first try. I guess I have enough common sense to stay alive till I’m found. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/11 "2007-11-30T01:39:01Z")
First Try: Overall survival IQ= 82: Life expectency 99, Health 99, Ability to signal rescuers 48. Six items chosen were Shaving mirror, can of water, C rations, plastic sheeting, rope Second Try: 99 all around. Only change in inventory: chose petrol instead of fishing kit ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/12 "2007-11-30T01:50:52Z")
My problem with test like these is that I’m not entirely sure I agree with their evaluation of the materials. As far as the test’s favorite way to attract the attention of a plane at night, gas-oil mix on water may disperse too soon. Using the cushion as a base for the fire will give it much more of a chance of staying lit. Also, as for the dehydration one of the purposes for the plastic is to replenish my supply of freshwater. 5 gallons will only last so long. And, of course, as I am jumping into a survival raft, I am going to be as much worried about weight as I am number of things I can carry. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/13 "2007-11-30T02:22:35Z")
[QUOTE=JustAnotherGeek] My problem with test like these is that I’m not entirely sure I agree with their evaluation of the materials. As far as the test’s favorite way to attract the attention of a plane at night, gas-oil mix on water may disperse too soon. Using the cushion as a base for the fire will give it much more of a chance of staying lit. [/QUOTE] [spoiler] Yeah, but you would only get to use it once. In theory, just spilling it on the water you can use it multiple times.[spoiler] Of course, it assumes what reasons you choose the items for, so there you go. ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/14 "2007-11-30T03:04:10Z")
Why is chocolate a bad idea? I took it instead of the rope, but got everything else right. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/15 "2007-11-30T03:22:13Z")
What the hell is the rope good for? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/16 "2007-11-30T03:26:37Z")
To get the best score you have to choose the rope and the plastic for protection from the elements, the water and food to eat and drink and the mirror and the gas/oil to catch attention. Dropping any item will lower your score But I wonder if this is optimal. You are a thousand miles south west of the nearest land, in the south pacific. There is no indiction you have got a distress signal away, so rescue may be a long, long time coming. You have no means of propulsion, and you are too far from land to get ashore by your own means. Yet… if you take the fishing kit you get marked down. But since you have no means of catching any food, your strategy is relying entirely on the food holding out. And there is no reason to think it will, given that you have no reason at all to think you will not be drifting around for months. The problem does not indicate that you _know_ that fishing is not going to be good in this area. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/17 "2007-11-30T04:54:36Z")
So wait, there’s no zombies involved? How is this a realistic scenario?!? I did crappy the first time. I skimmed the paragraph and chose things you would need to survive in the wilderness, not on a raft. As mentioned by **JustAnotherGeek** the tarp could be used to trap rainfall, or create a solar still. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/18 "2007-11-30T05:20:43Z")
With water, rations, oil-gas, plastic, rum and rope I got this: Survival IQ 63, stay alive 59%, protection from elements 89%, catching attention 41%. However: “You have endured many hazards with little harm to your health. Your thoughts turn towards finding means of protecting yourself from exposure. After days of waiting for rescue, you still have your stamina! You are noticed and rescued! You pass out and the next day die of exposure!” Oh, thanks a f\*\*\*load. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/19 "2007-11-30T05:59:15Z")
[QUOTE=maggenpye] I got 99% second try by simply ditching the fishing kit for the water [/QUOTE] Had to trade the fishing kit for the 15 feet of rope Why are we spoilering everything? ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/20 "2007-11-30T11:40:46Z")
WOO!! IQ of 99 and survival of 99% on the first try! So remember, don’t go boating with me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246.md?page=2)