A Few Dead Men

[Drifter Man]

20 hours ago, Ruruwawa said:

BUT, did you check for maple near the rope on Marsh Ridge (rather, several meters to the west of it)?

Didn't... passed through the area but was too busy surviving...

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 36

The possibility of missed maple sapling is tempting, but I'm not going back there. I'll keep an eye out as I continue my final journey. A long trip awaits me today: through the north-eastern part of FM to the Rail Tunnel, then by the edge of the map to Trapper's Homestead. I hope for good winds (i.e. no winds) helping me on the way.

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The morning is foggy and quite warm at felt -18°C. At first I scout towards the muskeg to see if I can observe wolf activity or catch a glimpse of the sapling. I can't. Back to the cave, warm up and sleep.

I leave in late morning. First warming fire is maybe 200 meters from the cave. I confirm no wolves are in the way, warm up and collect cattails. In the distance I see a slowly moving shadow: Bear B-2 on its regular patrol route. A while later, light fog turns into heavy fog, just like yesterday, but I don't mind much this time because I won't be passing through any wolf areas. The only problem might be that I won't be able to see any saplings.

Second warming fire in the moose area in the north-east corner of the map. Only a deer is around, the moose is at Marsh Ridge. More cattails on the way to the railway tracks, then into the tunnel. I'm leaving Forlorn Muskeg behind, forever.

I get barked up while passing near Max's Last Stand, the same place and wolf that brought death to poor Snowball 53. I stumble with the fire, first I can't find even surface, then the game gives me a mag lens (in the fog) and reclaimed wood as default. Grrr... I click "start fire" while the wolf is already charging. That was close.

The attempt fails but the wolf is gone. I start a normal fire, warm up and carry on to Trapper's Homestead.

I process a thin deer carcass in the barn (0.9 kg), cook and eat the meat on the spot, and although it is already dusk, I decide to push on through the cave and to Mountain Town. I don't even stop at the cabin. The cave has coal - maybe the last substantial supply of coal I'll ever find - and there are more cattails at the other end.

I don't want to go back now, I'm tired and night is approaching fast. Instead I rope down and run to the cave, reaching only seconds before my temp bar runs out. The cave has matches, a tin of sardines and a few coals (quite a few in fact).

I'll check out the area tomorrow if the weather and wolves permit, before returning to Trapper's. I spend the night in the cave. [91290 calories consumed]

Edit: there was no wind at all, all day.

Edited September 28, 2018 by Drifter Man

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 37

So yes, this visit to Mountain Town was unplanned - in fact I'm close to Milton Basin again - I wanted to spend the night at Trapper's, not here in the cave. But since I'm here, I should see what resources can be gathered at this level between the ropes up and then return. If the weather is good and I have enough time, I might try pushing on to Unnamed Pond.

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It's a sunny day, but at felt -20°C I can't last long outside. I start a fire in the cave (with the mag lens) and, using it as base, radially search the area. I only find a few sticks and rosehips - I almost think I found a sapling twice but it turns out to be a sign post every time. The wolf is not around.

In the afternoon I climb back up and return to Trapper's Homestead. Since it is foggy again, I push on to see if there is the deer carcass at the rock formation on the way from Trapper's to Unnamed Pond. On the way I collect four birch saplings near the cabin. The deer is there and I make fire - only 0.6 kg meat is on it, some 600 calories. Although I keep hot reishi tea next to the fire, I choose not to drink it as it's still warm enough at dusk - my supplies are running out, I only have about 10-15 drinks left. When leaving for Trapper's Cabin I catch a glimpse of a maple sapling and take a detour:

It starts snowing as I cut it with the hacksaw and strong winds soon follow. The drink in my backpack is still warm, so I take it to warm up and return safely to Trapper's Cabin. The fire is still burning next to the deer carcass.

Trapper's Cabin looks like someone has looted it before me, I only find cooking utensils, a book on cooking, a ruined granola bar and a piece of cloth. Then I search the safe and at least I get pork and beans in 33% condition and a prybar, which allows me to open the locker. The locker is empty. However, there is a jerry can with over 2 liters of kerosene, that's 7 emergency fires. It's heavy though and I'm hitting 40 kg in my backpack - I'll have to think about what to leave behind next morning. I finish the day crafting a snare from the gut I found at Old Spence Family Homestead. Then I undress, eat pork and beans and go to bed, saplings curing on the floor. [93690 calories consumed]

Edited September 29, 2018 by Drifter Man

[Ruruwawa]

Maple found, salut!    But will it cure before you hit 100k calories?

Edited September 29, 2018 by Ruruwawa

[Drifter Man]

48 minutes ago, Ruruwawa said:

Maple found, salut!    But will it cure before you hit 100k calories?

It won't - but the more urgent question is, will it cure before I hit zero calories?

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 38

A blizzard raged all night and I can still hear the winds howling in the morning. At least I can focus on my overburdened backpack, currently sitting at an ugly figure of 38.91 kg.

• Clothing (4.98 kg worn): two pairs of socks, two toques, two pairs of jeans, two ear wraps, two ski jackets, a pair of work boots, a sweatshirt, fleece mittens and a hoodie.
• Food (2.50 kg): 31 cattails, 2 boxes of salty crackers, a cup of coffee (my last), 0.65 l water.
• Medical (1.30 kg): 10 antibiotics, 2 painkillers, 4 prepared reishi, 4 prepared rosehips, 2 reishi teas and 5 rosehip teas.
• Firestarting (0.68 kg): Mag lens and 69 matches.
• Accelerant (2.29 kg): 2.61 L of kerosene in a jerry can and a small bottle
• Fuel (16.80 kg): whopping 31 coals (over 9 kg), a piece of cedar, 2 pieces of reclaimed wood and 40 sticks. Also a book I'd like to read.
• Tools (7.72 kg): Knife, flare gun with 3 shells, hacksaw, prybar, bedroll, a can opener, two pieces of fishing tackle, three hooks, three cans, two flares, four sewing kits, one snare, 5 torches
• Material (2.64 kg): 10 arrowheads, 5 saplings, 7 cloth, 19 crow feathers, one reishi mushroom.

Clothing, food, medical, firestarting and material have no expendables - I want to keep all items in these categories.

I can leave the prybar behind - it's not a critical item. The extra can from last night's pork and beans can go too. Also, the can opener, I can now smash cans without losing calories, I should just remember to drop my knife before smashing. Which reminds me, it would be nice to find a whetstone - just one would do.

I don't need four sewing kits. I left at least one in the trailer at the Dam. I'll drop two. I'll also drop 15 sticks - I can get more on the way. Nope, twenty. 4.60 kg saved. This brings me down to a more tolerable weight of 34.3 kg. Just keep in mind that coal can't warm me up in an emergency. I need enough sticks + cedar alone to overcome the felt temperature.

----------------------------------------------------------

In the end I swapped 5 coals for 10 sticks. It sounds like a bad trade, but having enough sticks is critical, while a ton of coal is just "good to have".

The wind stopped, fog descended on Mystery Lake and I checked the rabbit run behind the cabin for berries. I found none and decided to wait for better temperatures - it was still felt -21°C, even in fog. The late interloper world is already biting.

I leave at felt -17°C for Unnamed Pond. I light a torch for a bit of warmth, which delays the need for my first fire. I spend good 2 hours at the fire making some water. Then I take my usual detour above Unnamed Pond, to check the situation. The usual carcass is there. I see no wolves or the bear.

The blind has a bandage (useless, wolf = death) and a hacksaw, which at 90% is better than my current one, so I swap. Then I start a fire by the carcass. Wolves patrol the slopes on the far side but the bear isn't around. I get 0.9 kg meat from the carcass, 5 cattails and a few reishi mushrooms. Then I make it to the cabin, spraining a wrist on the way. The cabin has no resources for me apart from two pieces of cloth to harvest.

I wake up during and aurora and try to use it to read a book, but as usual, the aurora stops before I can get a full hour of reading. [96230 calories consumed]

Edited September 29, 2018 by Drifter Man

[Hotzn]

Push on. I like how you state that you are seeing this or that place for the last time, or leaving an area „forever“. Adds drama in a good way.  

[Drifter Man]

30 minutes ago, Hotzn said:

Push on. I like how you state that you are seeing this or that place for the last time, or leaving an area „forever“. Adds drama in a good way.  

I'm not exactly master of drama. The fact is that I'm not going back to these places in this life - it's a realistic assessment of the situation

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 39

In the morning I finish the cooking book - gets me to level 4 and it's another 0.5 kg I can leave behind. Then I repair the hoodie and eat some more cattails. My supplies are dwindling - I have food for two days at most. Today I'm making a fairly big and dangerous move, through Clearcut, Logging Camp and Train Loading to the Dam. If I make it there, I'll craft four more snares from the guts I left there and sleep inside before moving to the Ravine the next day, for my endgame (no matter how long that endgame may be).

I'm not going up to the Destroyed Lookout and I also hope to avoid camping at the Logging Camp overnight.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Reality: It's a bit windy for my liking, but I can't choose the weather. As soon as I make a few steps towards the Clearcut, the wind turns into the strong, ugly kind that does not let you make fire. I push on nevertheless and make my fire at the other side of the hill, sheltered by slope and a tree, with a view of the Clearcut. While I'm warming up, I observe wolves. I see two at the Clearcut - what's worse, they keep sprinting around, running away from an unseen bear. The most dangerous of circumstances - you can't predict when the next wolf will be catapulted straight at you at maximum speed, I don't know how many times I was killed like this. I briefly consider taking a detour through the Lookout (the far end of the map), until I notice another wolf there, too. I stay until the wind kills my fire, then return to the cabin.

In the morning I have 8 cattails left, plus the two boxes of crackers. One day's worth of food and no more than that. I placed my only snare in the rabbit run, every bit helps now. [98750 calories consumed]

Edited September 29, 2018 by Drifter Man

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 40

Wind, blizzard, wind... it's still windy in the afternoon but I have to go. The snare I placed yesterday did not catch anything. I decide to push on for as long as I can, sacrificing condition, fuel, flare shells as necessary. I have to make it to the Dam.

Since the Clearcut is effectively blocked, I take the way up Frozen Creek. Medium winds turn into strong winds as I cross the pond and I make my first fire halfway up Frozen Creek. Soon after I'm warmed up, the winds stop. I carefully pass Frozen Creek - no wolves are around, an exception - and then across the hills to the Logging Camp.

I hate the Logging Camp but of all the approaches that are available, I like the one from uphill, which lets me check for wolves. None are here today. I search the trailers and the corpse, finding just a piece of reclaimed wood and a soda. The soda is a welcome addition to my quickly disappearing calorie reserve.

Once I warm up in a bed - I don't sleep because I want to be on my way as soon as possible - I set out and make my next warming fire at the Loading Area. Again, it's my lucky day, I see only one wolf in the distance. I even check the train engine, but it's empty. The deer carcass isn't here, either. As I approach the engine, I hear an unusual sound and wonder for a second what it is. It's the aurora starting at dusk. The sooner I'm safe in the Dam the better.

A few minutes later I reach the Dam. I take advantage of the aurora to craft snares - four guts, four more snares. I sleep into the morning and eat my last food - the last box of crackers. But I'm alive, at 77% condition and have snares, knife and arrowheads, and saplings curing, and 3 flare shells, and 40 days survived (well, minus a few minutes, actually). [101640 calories consumed]

Edited September 29, 2018 by Drifter Man

[Ruruwawa]

Grats on 40 days and 100k!

[Drifter Man]

21 hours ago, Ruruwawa said:

Grats on 40 days and 100k!

Thanks! It's certainly a coincidence that I hit 100k and zero calories at about the same time. I'll have some serious balancing to do in the next two days if I want to avoid starvation.

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 41

Everything has to go just right today or I'll end up seriously starving. I have 5 snares, but they will not produce any rabbits until tomorrow. There should be deer carcasses in the Ravine but they may not have enough meat on them to feed me. An by the way, I need at least 5 rabbits a day - preferably 6 - to stay fed. But I won't get new guts for about a week! In fact, some snares may break.

A fresh deer carcass would solve my problems for now. But can I get my hands on one? Steal a wolf kill close to the Dam, or kill a deer with the flare gun in the Ravine? And what if the weather turns bad?

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After I drop everything I'll only need for crafting, I leave the Dam perimeter and greet the local wolf. I just go on until I'm in the Ravine, the wolf does not attack.

It's sunny and the winds are still, but maybe I left too early. I make an emergency fire already before the bridge, and still bleed a bit as a result of freezing damage. What's worse, as soon as I make my stick investment to overcome air temperature, wind decides to strike and kills the fire.

At least I'm warmed up. I reach the first rabbit area and place three snares. Felt -36°C. The corpse and backpack have nothing for me. Then I run - yes, run - to reach the cave before my temp bar runs out. I grab two cattails on the way. I make it and warm up in the bedroll. When I wake up, winds are still again but it's snowing now. There's a carcass at the cave, but I need to place my remaining two snares in the other zone near the rope down to the basin. I place my snares there and start a fire next to another deer carcass. The wind lets me get the meat out but not cook it. Since this morning I've burned maybe 50 sticks for 1 hour of fire or so.

Not yet fully warmed up, I grab the meat and head across the fallen tree... felt -28°C... empty metal container at the place where railroad is blocked by rocks... more freezing damage as I dash for the second cave... a granola bar saves me from starving for now.

I sleep for an hour, start a fire, cook the venison - it's only 0.9 kg. Then I collect sticks and reishi mushrooms outside. The wind is still at maximum strength, three arrows down. I try to hit a rabbit with a stone but 3-4 attempts fail. I add coal, warm up, try again. And again. Until I have a rabbit.

I get 1.3 kg rabbit meat and a gut, ignoring the pelt - I don't have calories to spare for that. Finish cooking it at the fire and let the fire die. I go to bed in 74% condition. I kept my calories above zero today - at a huge cost in matches, kerosene and sticks - but tomorrow the struggle begins again.

Edited September 30, 2018 by Drifter Man

[BareSkin]

Never seen a snare break before several blizzards spent outside. And I wouldn't grab them if there's a blizzard, for fear that the "catching timer" would be reset.

If you're not traveling anymore, as desperate measure the teas have some calories until the first rabbits.

Or maybe food poisoning on a thin deer carcass? Reduce average calories consumption to 75/h since you can sleep all you want.

Good Luck, UndeadMan!

Edited September 30, 2018 by BareSkin

[Drifter Man]

15 minutes ago, BareSkin said:

Never seen a snare break before several blizzards spent outside. And I wouldn't grab them if there's a blizzard, for fear that the "catching timer" would be reset.

If you're not traveling anymore, as desperate measure the teas have some calories until the first rabbits.

Or maybe food poisoning on a thin deer carcass? Reduce average calories consumption to 75/h since you can sleep all you want.

Good Luck, UndeadMan!

Thanks - as far as I know, snares don't break due to blizzards. Teas are still desperately needed for warmth. And, no, I'm not doing the food poisoning trick. Either I can survive like a normal person, or I can't

[Drifter Man]

A comment on snares - I've done a fair share of snaring, specifically in the Ravine, which supported me during my "1000 Days in the Dam" exercise. I caught 1943 rabbits in that run, that was before stones were introduced. A few updates later the "world decay" came and with it the possibility to exhaust local populations by excessive hunting. When I made the experience in TWM that snares indeed stopped working after one successful day - which may have been an accident - I stopped looking at rabbits and snares as a source of regular sustenance on Interloper. Deadman 3 may teach me to reconsider this.

Edited September 30, 2018 by Drifter Man

[BareSkin]

Just now, Drifter Man said:

I caught 1943 rabbits

They were communists, the rabbits, right? After 1943 they swarmed your body into pieces?

[Ruruwawa]

2 hours ago, Drifter Man said:

When I made the experience in TWM that snares indeed stopped working after one successful day - which may have been an accident - I stopped looking at rabbits and snares as a source of regular sustenance on Interloper. Deadman 3 may teach me to reconsider this.

This was my experience too.  Also, broken snares seemed to be the result of trying to trap rabbits when they were tapped out. 

I say "was" because it's been more than a year since I've used snares, and the rabbit snaring thread seems to indicate that the mechanic has been tweaked recently.   I really hope snares are more productive now because want Deadman #3 to enjoy a comfortable retirement in the Ravine.

[Drifter Man]

19 hours ago, BareSkin said:

They were communists, the rabbits, right? After 1943 they swarmed your body into pieces?

Interestingly, you're the second person on this forum suggesting I should meet this specific end

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 42

My first full day in the Ravine. I hit 0 calories before noon and begin starving. As soon as the winds stop for a moment, I leave Cave #2 (the one farther from ML) and run to check the snares. The plan is simple: collect all rabbits, reposition snares, run to Cave #1, don't freeze.

The first rabbit zone has bad news: one rabbit caught, one snare broken. I take what I have and run to Cave #1. Winds start again. I make fire, cook and eat the rabbit. Then it's time to visit the second zone. Good news - three snares, three rabbits.

I cook everything, eat everything and finish the day harvesting guts. I hesitate for a moment which tool to use. 15 minutes and 56 calories with the knife, twice as much with the hacksaw, even more by hand. I can't repair the knife though, and this will cost 1% of knife condition. I choose the knife. Later I can use hacksaw or even hand, but for that I have to survive in the first place.

All in all, I lost one snare, cooked and ate 5.2 kg rabbit meat and got 4 guts. I lost 1% condition to starvation, now at 73%. In the morning I wake up with the stomach still half full. I hope I can make it through the next few days like this.

Edited October 1, 2018 by Drifter Man

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 43

One rabbit caught, one snare lost. 2% condition lost to freezing. I harvest the deer carcass at Cave #1 for 1.8 kg meat, a hide and two guts.

Deadman 3 / Day 44

One rabbit caught. I collect a the remaining few cattails and starve. I check the derailed boxcar and find scrap metal and kerosene. I can't eat scrap metal. I tried.

There's no rope in the boxcar, so I can't go to the basin.

Guts are still curing. I'm thinking about killing a deer - there's only one - with the flare gun. But I don't know if I can do it, the deer can sense me long before I can see it and runs away. Frankly, I probably couldn't do it even with a bow. It's hard enough with the usual Interloper wildlife detection range.

In the morning of the next day, I'm at 69%, starving and with no food left.

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 3 / Day 45

No rabbits caught. I collect my snares and relocate to Cave #2, where I place all three together. However, I can't wait for food to appear, and kill two rabbits with stones. However, that doesn't save me from starving for most of the day. 61% condition.

I have an idea, maybe my last chance. What if my failure is because I'm not harvesting the rabbits completely? I have nothing to lose, not even calories, because I'm starving anyway, and at this rate I'm dead in 3 days. So I can as well give it a shot. As soon as I hit zero calories again tomorrow, I'll process all the rabbit carcasses piled up in the cave for pelts and guts... and see if anything happens.

[Mixxut]

I would just try to shoot the deer with the flare gun since the gun is otherwise now kinda useless unless you plan leaving the ravine. High risk, high reward

[Drifter Man]

6 minutes ago, Mixxut said:

I would just try to shoot the deer with the flare gun since the gun is otherwise now kinda useless unless you plan leaving the ravine. High risk, high reward

I tried to approach it but it's hyper-alert. And I don't get another chance - I have to run to the cave to warm up.

Besides, the deer is just a patch-up, not a solution. The meat will be gone in 2-3 days, then what?

[BareSkin]

Just now, Drifter Man said:

So I can as well give it a shot. As soon as I hit zero calories again tomorrow, I'll process all the rabbit carcasses piled up in the cave for pelts and guts... and see if anything happens.

Never noticed a reduction in snare efficiency, I sorta never collected the pelts. But the guts, I did.

 

Just now, Drifter Man said:

Besides, the deer is just a patch-up, not a solution. The meat will be gone in 2-3 days, then what?

Then you'll have cured guts, more snares... I'd take my chance approaching the deer from behind, crouched. I think the flare gun allows you to shoot crouched. I also think the detection range of the deer decreases when it "sniffing" the ground.

 

Good luck!