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Would you survive Siberia?

4K views 25 replies 19 participants last post by  Eagle Scout Dan 
#1 ·
This text-game will be updated every three or four days, and all responses accounted for, for those who choose to participate. Here's your scenario:

Reality TV has finally pushed itself to this point. Producers are looking for 10 men and women who are willing to be dropped off into the middle of Siberia in August, with nothing but "...the clothes on their backs, a waterproof map of siberia, a lensatic compass, and their knife of choice." as per contract.

Qualified contestants have a year for train-up, whereby contestants are given an unlimited research budget, unrestricted access to people, places, and information (but you are not allowed to step foot into siberia), and get to choose their own clothing and knives. No, you cannot have other people pre-cache items for you. All those who manage to make it to Vladivostok alive, without being seen by another human being, will have their genomes sequenced, and all their subsequent genetic posterity will be rewarded with a golden ticket for medical technologies. That means that every child forever down your lineage will have an inherent first-rate access to the newest and most successful medical technologies of the day, free of charge.

Those who respond will be qualified into the competition.

What do you do during your train-up year, and, SPECIFICALLY, what clothing and knife do you choose to take?
 
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#2 ·
Just for fun and because it has a list in it. LOL

Siberia Survival

The knife: Cold Steel Oda

Clothing:
Winter Silks Silk boxer briefs
Winger Silks Silk v-neck tee
Eddie Bauer merino wool zip neck long undershirt
Eddie Bauer merino wool long bottoms
Wigwam F2161-051 Cool-Max liner socks
Carhartt heavy weight wool boot sock
Propper khaki public service tactical pants
Propper khaki public service tactical shirt
Orvis money belt
Dells Leather leather X-suspenders
Bandanas - khaki - 27" x2
Pantac Wallet C coyote brown
Caboots Custom 18” shotgun boots, box toe, walking heel, brown mule hide, sheepswool full lining
Henschel Weekend Walker leather hat
Hat Flap ear warmers for hats
Brown Blauer brown Wooly Pully
Quartermastershop #1603 civilian great coat
Filson original wool lined goatskin gloves
Winter Silks Silk glove liners
Winter Silks Silk balaclava
merino wool mid-weight balaclava
wool neck scarf
X-changer heat exchange face mask
Wiley XL-1 Transitions Rx safety sunglasses

Everyday belt & pocket carry: (if part of the ‘what’s on the back’)
Wenger Survivor SAK
Leatherman Surge Multi-tool
Maglite Solitaire flashlight w/LED conversion
Photon LED flashlight
Redi-edge knife sharpener
Whistle
pocket knife
Bic lighter
Gentleman’s SAK
Glock 21SF in IWB holster w/dual mag IWB carrier (only when legal)
Beretta Tomcat .32 ACP ankle holster right ankle w/dual mag carrier on left ankle (only when legal)


This is, of course, assuming I wasn’t in the medical shape I am in, but rather what I was at 30.

Move to Northern Alaska in an area similar to Siberia for four months in late fall
Get Chuck Norris to do my physical training for the four months
Get John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman to do my field and survival training for the four months
Get a good Escape & Evasion professional to do my training in E & E for the four months
Once initial training is done, go to the Chicago Museum of Natural History and other museums to study up on Siberia for three months
Move back to Northern Alaska and pick up the training with Chuck Norris, John Wiseman and the E & E instructor for the remaining five months
 
#6 ·
I take it you have never lived in the arctic. Your footwear selection would get you killed in winter there.

The best firearm for winter in the arctic is a .22lr IMO.


Now how would I win this challenge.

My method to get through this would be to head to nearest stop on the Trans-Siberian railway, sneak onto a cargo train headed east and I would be in Vladivostok within the week.

Smarter not harder. Screw walking there.
 
#7 ·
Can I get some rule clarification....

...the clothes on their backs, a waterproof map of siberia, a lensatic compass, and their knife of choice

By definition...

Clothes.
pl.n.
1. Articles of dress; wearing apparel; garments.
2. Bedclothes.

So basically this could imply just things one could wear, not additional tools in the pockets, correct?

It depends on how strict the rules are basically. You can wear enough clothes to provide quality shelter. You could even layer them in ridiculous fashion ( haha ) so you could hardly move upon arrival. Then strip down to what you need, fashion a pack frame with some straps out of a 'spare' shirt, etc. You could have a few layers of polar gear. You could have on like 5 extra long jackets and cut them apart to sew a tent/tipi/etc.

For me, just having a knife, compass, and map as 'tools' would be rather challenging. No consistent easy way to make fire would be difficult. Perhaps 'cheat' a bit and have a fire steel integrated into the 'knife' or something.

You could probably scavenge a lot of gear if you where smart depending on the area you where dropped. Being able to get a somewhat correct position on the map with the compass would be important for strategy.

I could go on and on.....

Some rule clarification would help :) If I sit naked in a helicopter it is 'clothing' me correct?
 
#10 ·
Haha, roger that. Nothing in the pockets. You can layer as much as you can carry. My bad.

Oh, and you don't know where you will be dropped, but you have a map of the entire area and a compass. The contract says "...the middle of Siberia." :thumb:
 
#8 ·
Well, nuts. I left off the Neos water proof, double insulated over boots I intended to add for the serious cold weather.

Could go with Sorel or LaCrosse packs.

I think some of the decisions would be altered during the training.

As to the .22, I don't think I'd want a .22RF pistol there. And since it has to be what's on your back, ergo every day carry, I couldn't take a rifle.
 
#9 ·
I wondered about that myself, but with the lack of clarification, I went with what is often my EDC, since I put everything in/on whenever I get dressed for the field. And I did do some layering, but not enough to sew up a tent with. Just to manage the various changes in temperature. I started to substitute an Allweatherfiresstarters.com magnesium/ferro rod w/striker, but I'm not actually carrying that on a daily basis, even in the field.
 
#12 ·
Lived there, no big deal, august and september are rainy seasons. Mosquito protection is a must, Lot's of wild berries to eat and mushrooms, watch out for tigers and bears. Not being seen by another human closer to Vladivostok would be impossible, lots of hills, highly populated and people live in the valleys, plenty of rivers and creeks, water is clean. And between one end of Siberia to Vladivostok is 3 thousand miles plus, so the question is, how long is duration and the distance from Vladivostok.
 
#16 ·
Nothing in the pockets or on the belt and body but clothes, and small knife... And I knew about the mosquito and other bugs, forgot the netting. Dang.

I'd never make it. I'd be tiger dinner for sure.

At least I got another list out of it. LOL
 
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#19 ·
LOL, all right, competition cancelled for lack of interest.

I thought for sure you guys would enjoy a winter-survival thought exercise. I guess Jerry and I are the only RP nerds checkin' this thread out.

Jerry wins for showing up to the SP, haha. Someone owes me ten bucks. :thumb::D:
 
#22 ·
I really can't see anyone surviving unless they have the right to have a very liberal interpretation of what "the clothes on their backs" is. If we are talking about a plain knife starting a fire will be really hard for them. August is both cold and wet in Siberia and they will need to have a fire going within the first hours for any decent chance of survival. If the compass has a lens that can be used for fire starting they may be able to start a fire with lots of skill and even more luck.

Just like arabianights I say they will starve to death, if they were dropped of in the spring they could hunt and gather food to survive but as it has been drawn out they won't survive without cheating.

The knife I would bring would be a 1 foot blade knife with a durable handle, if I have a partner that can bring another knife it will be a 4" fix blade. The clothing would be anything I can get on myself, we are talking about 5 layers of coats/pants/moccasins that will be converted into a shelter the first day, I'll also bring a hand full of waxed cotton T-shirts to use for fire starting.
 
#24 ·
whats the deal with 'not seen by another person'? how do you enter a city of 500,000 without being seen?
Stealth!

All who say you cannot possibly survive, watch the movie "As far as my feet will carry me" it is about a German soldier who finds himself a POW after the war ended, and his struggle for his own freedom. IMHO one of the Greatest survival movies.

It can be done, in Siberia, in the winter, with nothing but the clothes on your back.
 
#25 ·
It would be waaaay more interesting then Survivor *where ever they are this time* A tale from the 'smarter, not harder' index. Survival E&E excercise for entry into the NZSAS, a small group were flown in by helo and told to head for point X by any means possible once they got there. Everybody jumped out except the last guy who waited till everybody else was off, then stuck his pocket knife to the throat of the pilot and told him to take off or die. The pilot took off and flew him to the RV point in record time.
 
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