# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/21 "2007-11-30T11:49:53Z")
why is the fishing bad? who the hell would know? ---
**Author:** ![enigm4tic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@enigm4tic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigm4tic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/22 "2007-11-30T11:58:25Z")
after three tries I got all 99s. I too wonder about the rope vs. the fishing kit. With the information we’re given it’d be silly NOT to take the fishing kit. I suppose we have no way to cook it (well we DO have the gas, and the matches) and I wonder about the feasibility of catching a fish in the deep ocean, but that I think would still make the box of chocolate, which at least has caloric content, more preferable, as we can clearly figure out some way to hold the tarp without the rope. _shrug_ ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/23 "2007-11-30T13:44:08Z")
99 first try. I assume there’s no such thing as 100. I almost chose the fishing kit, but I figured if you’re 1000 miles from the nearest land, the water’s going to be very deep, and not knowing the actual contents of the fishing kit, I assumed it wouldn’t have contained adequate gear for that. Plus, if you actually caught some fish, cleaning them would put put blood in the water, then you’d have lots of sharks to keep you company. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/24 "2007-11-30T14:24:15Z")
99 first try. Used to be on a Mountain Search and rescue team. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/25 "2007-11-30T14:31:50Z")
[QUOTE=Shamozzle] What the hell is the rope good for? [/QUOTE] The reason I included the rope, originally, was because I wanted to tie myself to the raft. The answers I got when I got 99% rating suggested that the rope would be best used to tie down the plastic tarp. As a general rule of thumb, I’d always been taught that there’s no such thing as having too much rope, and always, always, always tie things off in an open craft. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/26 "2007-11-30T14:46:46Z")
Yes but did you figure out that the German is really the captain and that he has pep pills and a compass? Oh 96% on my first try. I didn’t take the plastic. I was a little pissed that the MN didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/27 "2007-11-30T14:49:34Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Yes but did you figure out that the German is really the captain and that he has pep pills and a compass? [/QUOTE] Hmm… Is that why we were all so energetic after he… erm… _ahem_ fell overboard? ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/28 "2007-11-30T14:59:11Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Yes but did you figure out that the German is really the captain and that he has pep pills and a compass? [/QUOTE] Man, was that a good movie…I still remember the suspense and anxiety I felt for those people and I sae it over 10 years ago. Anyway, I suppose even if you knew how to use it, if you have no way of steering, the sextant is useless. Don’t most lifeboats have GPS thingys on them now? Could we bring a satellite phone? I suppose that would be my motto - sit back and wait for technology to save me…Which is why I rarely leave my house 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/29 "2007-11-30T15:25:49Z")
How about a quick post about _ **WHY** _ items on the list are and aren’t used: In my younger year I was a counselor for Outward Bound and we went through several trainings for survival in several different biomes. I will say it has changed the way I look at lots of things in everyday life. And the OB job I had was more than 15 years ago 🙂 _I’m going to spoiler tag it incase people still want to take the test and not have a bias so here goes_ Sextant - useless. If you have no way to paddle or create forward motion that will beneficially position your raft, there is no real reason for a sextant. Shaving Mirror - will save your life during the day, and will aid with night fishing if you can shine a light on it into the water. It will attract the fish - **Don’t forget your raft will soon become a haven for fish just because it is cover in the middle of the ocean**. Five Gallon Can of water - obvious to keep and ration among crew. Mosquito Netting - worthless, unless you can fish with it\* Army Rations - must have to ration out if you are going to be floating for a while. Map of pacific - same as sextant, if you have no forward motion you would not need a map, however if you are an experienced sailer you’ll know the currents, and will have a general idea wof where you will float. Seat cushion - no Oil and Gas - no you are in the pacific no need to cook anything or need warmth where you are you have mutual body heat for that. Just eat the fish raw, and signal fire on a raft is basically looking for big trouble. small transistor radio - why? no way to communicate and you will see a boat on the horizon to signal… Shark Repellent - nope Plastic 20 sq-ft. Invaluable for creating a rain catch or during the heat of the day creating a mini still, and possibly as a sea anchor if need be. Rum - may help infection, but will suck the water from your system if drank. bad idea. Nylon rope - Yes for fishing and possibly snaring a sea bird, or larger fish. Chocolate - maybe for sugar, but the caffiene can rob your system. Fishing kit - yes, speaks for itself. Some of these things can be used with one another as well. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/30 "2007-11-30T15:45:21Z")
Ehhh, none of that sitting around and waiting to be rescued crap for me. I’m using the tarp, the oars, the rope and fishing kit to make a sail, then taking a quick nap until I wake up on some beach with bare-breasted natives ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/31 "2007-11-30T16:00:16Z")
[QUOTE=wolfman] Ehhh, none of that sitting around and waiting to be rescued crap for me. I’m using the tarp, the oars, the rope and fishing kit to make a sail, then taking a quick nap until I wake up on some beach with bare-breasted natives [/QUOTE] I was found on the beach by a trio of Swedish Girl Scouts. ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/32 "2007-11-30T16:09:33Z")
My first try I got a -7% chance of survival; the second try I got 99%. I don’t necessarily agree with the choices they give you, though. My first try I chose the sextant over the mirror because the sextant has a mirror on it. Why would I need another one? Of course, I had to take the maps to make the sextant useful. The raft has oars, so we might as well use them to go somewhere. I also chose the plastic in order to make a water catcher or still, so I decided to pass on the 5 gallons of water - that wouldn’t last very long, anyway. And why take Army rations (which will run out) when you can catch fish with mosquito netting and fishing gear? I didn’t take the gas and oil, since I didn’t want to catch my raft on fire. After I read their dire predictions of my fate with the supplies I chose, I realized they don’t expect a lot of innovation, and they also seemed to think there would be a lot of planes flying around the middle of the South Pacific. Trading for more immediate rescue supplies brought me to 99%. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/33 "2007-11-30T18:23:23Z")
Thought-provoking and fun but I wouldn’t judge it’s very accurate. I took the sextant which turned out to be useless. The game/quiz states you have oars, why is the sextant useless? Once I switched that for the rope things got much better. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/34 "2007-11-30T18:24:41Z")
Without reading below the OP… My first shot: Your overall survival IQ is 43. Your ability to stay alive is 56% Your ability to protect yourself from the elements is 38% Your ability to catch the attention of your rescuers is 35% Using some hints from the ‘scenario’, my second shot:Your overall survival IQ is 99. 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 99% Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/35 "2007-11-30T19:58:31Z")
Your overall survival IQ is -4. Your ability to stay alive is -67% Your ability to protect yourself from the elements is 29% Your ability to catch the attention of your rescuers is 26% Humph, they really didn’t like my chocolate and rum course of action. (On my real guesses I got a 97) ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/36 "2007-11-30T20:03:36Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] Thought-provoking and fun but I wouldn’t judge it’s very accurate. I took the sextant which turned out to be useless. The game/quiz states you have oars, why is the sextant useless? Once I switched that for the rope things got much better. [/QUOTE] The sextant is useless because forward motion from human power, oars, will zap you and everyone else of much needed energy. The name of the game is holding onto every ounce of energy you have and floating through travel lanes where you may get picked up by a freighter or other boat. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/37 "2007-11-30T20:32:34Z")
Does a sextant have a telescope type device? Wouldn’t that be useful for spotting distant ships? ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/38 "2007-11-30T20:41:43Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] The sextant is useless because forward motion from human power, oars, will zap you and everyone else of much needed energy. The name of the game is holding onto every ounce of energy you have and floating through travel lanes where you may get picked up by a freighter or other boat. [/QUOTE] I guess that may be true, but it might be useful to track where the currents are taking you, plus it has that handy mirror. You might be able to take it apart and make something else out of it, too. Or bash your annoying fellow survivors on the head with it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/39 "2007-11-30T20:43:56Z")
[QUOTE=WVmom] I guess that may be true, but it might be useful to track where the currents are taking you, plus it has that handy mirror. You might be able to take it apart and make something else out of it, too. Or bash your annoying fellow survivors on the head with it. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Or amaze the topless female natives with it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246/40 "2007-11-30T20:58:04Z")
99% on the first try for me as well; Most probable scenario To combat the direct rays of the sun, you place the plastic over you. Thirst is quenched by sipping from the can of water. Hunger is satisfied with the C rations. You notice a plane flying overhead, so you pour some oil/gas onto the waters and light it. A plane flies overhead during the day, you use your mirror to shine a reflection of the sun to catch their attention. To get the tarp in a protective location, you tie it down with the rope 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! The plane sees the reflected light and identifies you, you have been found! Your overall survival IQ is 99. 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 99% [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survival-test-i-found-online/428246.md?page=3)