Interloper Refresher Course...

[ManicManiac]

I spent a few more days living in the cave near the Mystery Lake Overlook.  I did end up taking rather big hit on condition while I was trying to gather up more sticks for firewood, and hauling up more raw rabbit meat as provisions for my stay.  I pushed my luck, and ended up with less than 40% condition (I didn't check to see the exact percentage, but it's definitely the lowest my condition has been during the run so far).

Over the following three days, I've mostly was able to mostly recover.  Since I'm not wild about using matches unless it's absolutely nessisary, I've been resting in 3 hour chunks through the nights.  Between staying in the back of the cave and the extra warmth provided by the bedroll I was able to stay warm without needing a fire.  However, I did have a close call on the third night when a blizzard hit.  Fortunately it was a relative short one that blew out by morning... and the temperature in cave just barely warmed up just as I was starting to freeze.  I had hypothermia risk for only about 2 seconds, and thankfully the sun had come up enough that I began warming up again.  I was not excited about loosing more condition after having just recovered most of it.  With that in mind, I did have a piece of coal and accelerate ready... just in case.

During my days, I was mainly just cooking rabbit meat and/or trying to gather up more sticks.  I used one match one day, and was able to get some free fire from the sun on the other.  I've got a decent amount of food and water here at the cave now (and I will likely haul it back down the Camp Office later).

I think I've settled on the plan going forward.

I think it will be more prudent to head over to Mountain Town to see what I can find.  I think after that I will consider Timberwolf Mountain.  I've not thought much farther ahead yet than that.

Although... there is also a compelling argument for Forlorn Muskeg (if I'm going to Mountain Town next).  There is a cave close by the entrance leading from Milton Basin.  So that's also something to consider.  I could easily use the that cave for coal, and a refuge from the cold if needed.  Hmm... I'll have to think on that some more.

In the meantime, I might be able to use this stock of rabbit meat to start working on those skill books I've been collecting.  I could set out my snares again and keep that food source going while I begin eating consistently enough to get the reading done.  I may want two more snares out there working... it's easy to go through a lot of rabbits if one is trying to keep food in their stomach full.  Also, once I get those fishing books read, I could also finally risk subsidizing the snares with fish.  I do have three sets of tackle now... I think I could afford to lose one, or even two.

A lot of crucial decisions for me to consider.
Here's hoping my calculated risks continue to pay off.

Edited March 14, 2021 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

As I've tested in the past... sleeping "outdoors" does drastically reduce the catch rate of snares.  I'm not sure if that is intended behavior or not (I may submit a ticket on it later on), but it's something I have to take into account since I decided to spend a few more days in the cave at the Mystery Lake Overlook.  Knowing that the amount of food coming in would slow down is key to how far I might be able to push my luck. 

I still had 50 sticks inside the Camp Office, which I grabbed up since I couldn't find anything for sticks out in the forest behind the Lake Overlook.  I also gathered up the skill books I thought would be most relevant (2 Ice Fishing, 1 Fire Starting, 1 Carcass Harvesting).

Over the course of the next few days, I was able to get three books finished (Ice Fishing and Fire Starting).  This also used up all of my stocked rabbit meat.  I was able to get catch a few more, since I set up my snares right there on the ridge of the overlook near the cave.  This has yielded enough meat to keep me going until I can get my regular setup going again.  I did have to fix one ruined snare... and I would like to perhaps get two addition snares added.  Since I'm reasonably sure I've pilled up a good amount of outdoor dwell time... I may stick around for just a couple more days to collect up more meat.  With temperatures continuing to fall, I just don't think it's going to be wise to try fishing until I can amass a large stockpile of sticks (to keep warm in the hut).

Speaking of which, it's been getting so cold lately that I can barely make it to the Lake Overlook from the Camp Office without starting to freeze.  This will certainly make traveling further afield more challenging.  I've wanted to finish sweeping the river for more cattails, but I'm going to have to wait for a good evening to do that (otherwise I'd just get too cold too fast).

I have made up my mind that I will head out to Mountain Town next.  I already the stop-over points in mind.  I imagine I will need to hole up in the cave in the lower portion of the Climbing Area, and I will likely have to stop off at the Milton Park Office before making my way down to the Orca Gas Station.  If good weather holds, I figure I could make that trip as an overnight trip (easier that way to keep rested for the rope climbing).  From there I should be able to branch out though Milton going house to house.  As for the snares... I think there is a good potential for the rabbit grove in Milton Park, as well as back behind St. Christopher's Church, and out at Paradise Meadows.  Between those three spots (and in door locations to keep catch rates up)... I should be able to get enough meat coming in that I will be able to safe all found food for my stockpile.

The bit I'm not sure of yet... is after Mountain Town.  I've still not decided if I would want to head to Forlorn Muskeg (via Milton Basin), or to go to Timberwolf Mountain.

8 snares would be a bit heavy to lug around... but it would certainly be better for day-to-day survival.  I know I will always have enough materials to keep my hat and cloves in good shape.

I am hoping that this last book on Carcass Harvesting will help significantly...  Thanks to the all the rabbits I'm at Harvesting level 4, but if I'm going to be able to start taking advantage of the ravaged deer carcasses I still need to get to level 5.  I think I'm okay with the combat pants... but I would like to get some deerskin boots.

It's day 40 now... pretty soon the world will be as cold as it's going to get.  I'm actually looking forward to that.  Once I have a more stable temperature, I can better estimate what I'll need to do to adapt so I can start making longer tips again.  Right now, I can stay out a fair amount of time, but I generally have to wait until evening (when the it's sometimes a bit warmer than morning, or even mid-day).

This run is rough and tense... and I like it. 

[Ahatch]

Milton will be interesting wolf wise as you will have to use a lot of stealth. Good rewards if you go sooner rather than later as there is a fair amount of food in the form of canned goods and junk food. Just risky looting...

[ManicManiac]

@Ahatch
While I certainly respect the potential threat of wolves, I've gotten very comfortable around them.  To be honest, I'm far more worried about the cold.

As for the potential for gear and supplies (especially in relation to item decay), I had the same thoughts about Timberwolf Mountain.  However, I did eventually settled on Mountain Town mainly due to the abundance of options for shelter, and most of those options also have convenient rabbit groves nearby.

Edited March 17, 2021 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

I've gotten things more or less packed up.  I think I would like to take a couple of days to make sure I'm prepared.  I will need at least two torches, and I wouldn't mind filling up my stomach before heading out (this way I can read my skill book while I warm up, without having to dip into my found food reserves).

The first step to for my preparations will be to take all my snares over to the Trapper's Homestead.  I'll get set up there for a couple of days to catch rabbits, and get two more snares crafted (for a total of 8).  I'll also sort out what I'll be taking with me, usually I would just run with my essentials kit... but I have been carrying my found food with me, as well as a little extra water, and my skill book... so 8 snares might be pushing it.  I'll have to take stock of my inventory weight and see what I have to work with.  This additional prep time will also let me mull it over in case I end up running heavier than I anticipate (though I don't think this is going to be problem).

So far, despite trying to keep pushing myself to keep moving... I've also been playing things very safe.  I've taken a couple of calculated risks, but I've not really taken any risks that I think life could be on the line.

Considering that the first leg of the tip is going to be in a warm transition cave... I won't have to wait until early evening to start the trip.  Though it might be a good idea to time it so that I will be entering Mountain Town in the late afternoon/early evening.  If the weather is good, it might be possible to save time by skipping one stopover (ideally the Milton Park Office).

Just to help with the ropes, I will remember to top off my rest before exiting the transition cave at the Mountain Town end.  I can then stop off by the cave near the climbing area, rest/warm up again... then make the longer climb without having to worry about fatigue.  Now, I just need the weather to cooperate.

Edited March 17, 2021 by ManicManiac

[Ahatch]

Good luck in Milton , not sure which is safer Paradise Farms or the trailer for rabbit snaring

[ManicManiac]

@Ahatch

I will likely end up spending time at each of the main locations, that way I can search around while never being too far away from my snares.

[ManicManiac]

I know I've said many times that I love that this game isn't afraid to punish mistakes... ...and today, I had to do some suffering.

I got my gear sorted and found that I had plenty or room to haul my snares and made the trek to the Trapper's Homestead, but when I got there I realized that I'd forgotten my supply of matches and the skill books that I'd wanted to carry with me.  So, after warming up for a bit I went back out to get them before nightfall.  Along the way I had to dodge a wolf which lead to a twisted ankle.  Right around the same time heavy winds started up, and slowed me down even more.  I ended up taking a pretty good condition hit due to the cold.

I still had plenty of food and water there at the Camp Office for the night, so I'll try to recover as much as I can and make the trip back in the morning.  I'd already set up my snares near the Trapper's Homestead... so I'll have to make it back there before I can gather up the catch.  Depending on the weather, I may take another condition hit on the way back.  This might add another day to my prep time, but that's what I get for not double checking my pack before heading out...

[ManicManiac]

I was able to get back to the Trapper's Homestead with the stuff I'd forgotten.  I took a bit of a condition hit due to the cold, but that was expected.  Over the next few days, I've been able to rebuild a decent supply of rabbit meat.  Finding sticks for firewood has been a little bit of a slower process.  With the plummeting temperatures, I can't be out very long for gathering.  Since I'm still carefully rationed though, I've been able to build up a decent little pile (at least enough for 12 hours of burn time, should I need it).

During these few days, I've been able to earn my Expert Trapper badge... and gotten my carcass harvesting skill up to level 5.  However, that evening as I was preparing to head over to the small barn/out building nearby to harvest up my first ravaged deer carcass, a wondering bear forced my to hold off on those plans (probably for another day).

Now that I can harvest frozen carcasses entirely by hand... I'm tempted to make the necessary trips out to gather the two raw deer hides I'd need to craft up some deerskin boots.  However, I suppose I could also just wait to do that as I'm searching through Milton.  I guess I'll have to think on that some more.

Also during the last few days, I was reminded of the fact that the Trapper's Homestead doesn't seem to have anything by way of electrical infrastructure.  I found out the hard way that I couldn't craft there at night even during the aurora (I'd have to use a fire... and I wasn't going to do that ).

I think for my next session, I'll continue gathering up rabbits and sticks.  I'm also hoping for a sunny day...  I figure I could spend an entire day outside in that small outbuilding; cooking and boiling water while stripping down that ravaged deer carcass.  The bear that dens near by will be something I'll need to keep a watchful eye out for.  That bear could make hauling the meat and deer hide a risky proposition.

It's now day 47/48 and I'm getting to the point where I'm fairly confidant that I could continue surviving this way indefinitely, as long as I remain keenly aware of the weather and wildlife.  Perhaps once I get to where I can start staying well fed, I'll finally consider going to a forge (but I'm not quite there yet).  After I get set up in Milton, I'll start thinking more about where to go next.  For right now, it's probably better for me not to try and think too far ahead... just keep focused on what I'm doing in the near-term.

Edited March 21, 2021 by ManicManiac

[darkscaryforest]

12 hours ago, ManicManiac said:

It's now day 47/48 and I'm getting to the point where I'm fairly confidant that I could continue surviving this way indefinitely, as long as I remain keenly aware of the weather and wildlife.  Perhaps once I get to where I can start staying well fed, I'll finally consider going to a forge (but I'm not quite there yet).

Dude that's awesome that you're self sufficient on day 48 without a forge, really great resource management. You've convinced me I need to up my snare game. Thanks for the posts!

Edited March 21, 2021 by darkscaryforest

[ManicManiac]

@darkscaryforest

I'm glad you're enjoying it.

The good news is that I still have 52 cattail stalks... so I know I could get to just about any region on Great Bear without really needing to worry about food along the way.  However, I'm still keeping that as "emergency reserve."  I also still have some more calorie dense found foods in my pack as well.  The diet's not diverse... but I'm to the point where I can live solely on what I can catch.

Now that I can start stripping ravaged carcasses, I should eventually be able to get some deerskin boots... maybe maybe a pair of deerskin pants.  I know they have better windproofing & waterproffing compared to the combat pants... but they are also considerably heavier (which is why I'm thinking about just one pair for the outer layer).

[ManicManiac]

Things more or less went to plan today.  

In the morning I was able to get my sticks moved over to the outbuilding near Trapper's Homestead and get the fire set up.  It was a bit snowy and over cast, but I didn't want to loose another day so I just used a match (almost 50 days and I've used fewer than 20 matches, I'm kind of proud of that ).

The bear, however, made things really dodgy and tense for awhile.  After making the first trip back to drop off the deer hide and haul back all the rabbit meat for cooking, the bear was prowling around dangerously close to the small crawl space I was hiding out in.  Most of the time I'm too wrapped up in playing that I don't remember to take many screenshots... but this time, I just had to.  The bear had been milling around so close that it even came into the barn a couple times and looked like it was "nosing around" at the deer carcass.  It was tense and a little stressful... and I loved it!

I had to be patient, but eventually I was able to sneak (then sprint) away with my cooked meat.  I didn't really have enough burn time for a full 24 hour long burn, but I was able to boil a substantial amount of water (including brewing 5 servings of Birch Bark Tea).  I think the total burn time came to about 16-18 hours total.  The Trapper's Homestead now has plenty of water and food stocked for later on.

All of the timing worked out pretty perfectly.  That morning I started, I'd just gotten another cabin fever risk (that had was up to something like 80%)... so spending the day outside was helpful anyway.  Then late that night, I slept but just for 7 hours.  The next morning, I realized that I hadn't gathered up my gear yet.  As a result I ended up having to invest about three more hours to harvest the three rabbits I caught over night.  However that set back turned out to be great.

The sky had cleared that afternoon!  I quickly went inside to grab my three skill books I wanted to take with me.  I filled my stomach, and then ran over to the cave.  I used my mag lens and a stick to get a free light for my torches (it turned out I had too many... but I figured better to have too many than too few).  When I got to the Mountain Town side of the cave, I slept for 3 hours... just long enough to be able to slide down the rope.

As I stepped out of the cave, I quickly grabbed up every cattail I could spot without milling around too much.  I had to watch both my fatigue and my temperature.  When I got to the climbing point, I did have to drop about 10 of my cattail heads and 2 pieces of the coal that I'd collected going through the cave.  I was able to get down the rope and gave the wolf prowling a wide birth.  I figured if it did start stalking me, I could use the nearby rabbits to distract it.  Thankfully, I was able to get to the nearby cave without issue.

Inside I found a can of sardines (which I would then eat along with a bag of chips - those being the two least calorie dense foods I had on me).  I ended up spending the night in that cave.  Early the next morning a very dense fog had rolled in.  I spent an additional two hours (one waiting and one sleeping) to see if the fog might clear (or at least for the sun to come up a little bit more).  However, the fog did not look like it was going to lift... so I went for the next rope to get up to Milton Park.  It was cold enough that I'd already started freezing by the time I walked over to the climbing area.

The climb was a bit shorter than I'd remembered (which was fortunate really).  Once I got to the top, I did my best to sprint to the Milton Park Office... where I crawled into the bed for an hour (mostly just to warm up... but sleeping also saves some calories ).

Once I can get fully warmed up... I'll go out and find a decent spot to set up my snares and start getting an encampment set up in the Orca Gas Station.  I think I'll still use the park office from time to time though (assuming it counts as "outside" for the purposes of cabin fever risk - I have to check on that).

As I mentioned earlier, most of the time I get too wrapped up in playing that I forget to take screenshots... but this time, I managed to remember.
And here's that bear... trying to steal the goodies from my picnic basket (by that I mean my rabbit meat... and likely my entrails too):

...It was a tense couple of hours...

Edited March 22, 2021 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

I set up my snares in two rows near the bulletin board between Milton Park and the Orca Gas Station.

The very next morning I was reminded of an important consideration that I'd forgotten about...  While I snagged a few rabbits, I also found two snares ruined.  That's when I realized that I forgot about needing a crafting bench to make more snares.   

I searched though the Orca Gas Station and ended up spending the night there in the back office.  The next day I gathered up my catch, dropped off the rabbits at the Milton Park Office, and made a risky hike down along the river & over to the Paradise Meadows Farm.  I searched though the house (managed to find a little more food and a few clothing items).  I chugged some maple syrup that I found in the pantry, but it gave me food poisoning.  This was not ideal, since I was near 50% condition and I wouldn't be able to start recovering any condition until that passed.  Even though I'd taken some antibiotics, I'd have to be careful as I made my way back the following morning. 

I did manage to get back okay, but my condition took another hit before I could get back inside the Milton Park Office to warm up.  I decided to spend a couple days there to recover.  I spent my time carefully tending a campfire outside (for water), and the potbelly stove inside (for the rabbit meat).  I also got some reading done during those two days; getting me up to Cooking Level 4.  The wolves in the area came by and were hanging out behind the gas station... so it wasn't a good time to try and use the Orca to transition from outdoors to indoors (as a result, I've not caught anything in the snares for those two days).

The good news is that my condition is back up to a healthy level again, but I'm going to have to rethink where I'm staying.  With wolves dropping by the gas station, my current encampment may not be as safe as I was hoping it would be.  I may need to start preparing to get over to St. Christopher's Church.  At least from there it's a relatively short trip to a crafting table.  However, that also kind of puts the town of Milton at an uncomfortable distance.

I suppose I may have to just search and go... but then again that I probably wouldn't have much reason to head up much further than that (as I doubt, I'd be likely to be ready for taking on Hushed River Valley - at least not with what I have now).  Considering that, perhaps I should set my sights on getting set up over in that cabin on the hill.  That way I'd be sort of centrally located.  I think that will be the way to go, from there I can decided whether I'll be using Milton Basin to get to Forlorn Muskeg... or back track to Mystery Lake (on the way to Timberwolf Mountain).

The other positive, is that I've got a decent amount of food and water stashed at the Milton Park office now... even if wolves will make coming and going a bit precarious.

It's now day 55... and I'm doing fairly well, but the deep cold is definitely limiting my mobility.  I may have to wait another day or so for the wolves to move out of the area behind the Gas Station, but once they do I should be able to get my provisions over to the cabin up on the hill.  There I can search through Milton, and start thinking about where I'm going to head off to once I'm through searching the major locations here in Mountain Town.  I've spotted a few ravaged carcasses, so I suppose I'll make it a priority to try and get more deer hide.  I'm going to need those boots, and maybe a pair of deerskin pants.  I definitely need some warmer clothing if I want to be able to stay out longer during the daylight hours.

The struggle is getting a little rougher, but at least I'm doing well on food and water.  Even if I can't travel around as much as I'd want to... at least I'm surviving okay.

Edited March 24, 2021 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

Not wanting to sit still another day, I grabbed up all most of the food and water (I left some behind just in case).  All that meat (and some raw gut) attracted the wolves from behind the Orca Gas Station.  I didn't have much time or leeway, so I did my best to stay ahead of them and quickly ducked into the cabin on the hill.

Now that I've been able to get set up here, I'm in a better position to search though the houses of Milton.  However, I'm going to have to either go back to the Paradise Meadows Farm, or push ahead to St. Christopher's Church (I do still need a crafting bench to get those two ruined snares in working order again).

It was a very short session today, but at least I was able to make a little progress.

[ManicManiac]

After getting warmed up a little, I ventured out to get my six remaining snares set up.  I got them set up near the bottom of the stairs.  I'd spotted two rabbits in that general area... but I knew that might have been where they ran too after my hasty approach.  I decide that if I didn't have anything by the next morning I would move them.

I got stared on Milton by visiting the first open house close to the pond.  I picked up some more cattail stalks along the way, and searched through the first car I spotted as well.  I took my time searching through the house (giving myself a little more time to warm up while still being productive.  I stopped by another parked car on my way over to the Milton Credit Union.  The credit union was fairly kind to me... I ended up with a second Mackinaw Jacket and a pair of Combat Boots.  However, I opted to tear up the Combat Boots in favor of keeping my Work Boots (just because the work boots are both warmer and lighter & I'm less concerned with waterproofing and armor at this point).

After cleaning out the credit union, I searched the car and truck parked beside it... then double backed to check the car and truck across the street (wanting to stick close to the pond and my cabin on the hill).  I also ducked inside the house nearest the the truck to search and warm up a bit.  At this point it was getting into the evening (I was finally able to stay outside for a little longer... since my "feels like" temp is only at -13* now ).  After warming up a little bit more, I searched around the pond to collect up the cattails.  I also noticed that the traps had still not caught anything, and I knew they'd been set for at least 12 hours now.  Rather than waiting until tomorrow, I decided to move them closer to where I saw the rabbits were milling around now.  This wasn't much farther around the hill... and still easy to access from the bottom of the stairs and quickly check from the top of the hill.  Hopefully this will be a better sport... I'll find out in the morning I suppose.

I've gotten some sticks collected and even managed to find a firelog in one of the houses I searched today.  I think tomorrow I want to get over to The Milton House to search through and drop off my firewood (the six burner stove plus a two slot fireplace being the obvious reason ).  I'm going to want to stock water again very soon.  I'm getting what I need from the houses... but of course that's only a very short term solution.

I still had to wait a little bit, but I know have the gut cured.  I could make a trip to towards either crafting bench.  Both would be considerable trek from here, but I would like to get all eight of my snares working for me again.  Six is fine, but it's just a matter of time before more get ruined.  I suspect that Paradise Meadows is probably a little closer... but there are wolves out front and the crafting bench is outdoors.  The trailer up on the hill past St. Christopher's Church may be farther a bit farther of a trek... but it's indoors and actually no wolves if I take the right route.

[ManicManiac]

The next morning I woke up and found 5 rabbits caught.
After getting things harvested up, I was able to make the risky trek with all my raw met to the Milton House.  I searched through it, and got thing situated.  I didn't need it right away (I still had about another day's worth of rabbit meat back at the cabin on the hill).  I decided I would come here to cook, but I don't plan on staying there.  Over the next couple of days I've been able to cook, and stockpile water.  I've also been averaging about 4-5 rabbits per day (checking snares in the morning and again just before dark).

I eventually lost one more snare... so I'm down to 5.  I've also had to spend more time than I would like indoors; both because of deep cold, but more so because of the frequent blizzards that have been blowing through.  The other night as I bedded down, I got cabin fever risk again. However, I didn't have a chance to deal with it.  By the time I woke up, I was afflicted with my first bout of actual Cabin Fever for the first time on the run.  Considering I'd gone more than 50 days without coming down with it, I figure that's pretty good.

I'm not worried about it though... I'm actually curious to experiment with it a bit.  I think I will just stay indoors for 24 hours just to see what happens. 

If I do find that I just need to clear it up, I know of at least two caves I can hole up in.  I have more than enough rabbit meat, and with the snares I have left I could do quire a bit of cave living.  Though, I don't really want to resort to the yet... not for long term, I mean.  If I can spare the condition, I'll see if I can just rest after the 24 hours of sleeplessness... or if the cabin fever just refreshes.  If that's the case then, I suppose I'd plan on spending a night in the cave above Milton (behind the radio tower).  Some good rabbit groves up there as well.

Though ideally, I would like to get up to the cave up by the waterfall... that would be closest to crafting bench in the trailer (and I do have enough cured gut to get my snares back in order).  I'll have to think on it some more.

I imagine this is as bad as the temperature and weather is going to get, but I still want to search at least the main locations in Milton before heading off again.  Considering where I would like to be, I know I'm far from saying that I'm thriving.  Even though don't have much worry for food or water.  Fuel for fire has been more of a struggle... both because of the scarcity of interloper and the deep cold limiting my time out to gather.  I'll keep at it of course, I'd definitely like to get some deerskin items just to see if I can get to where I might be able to stay out for longer durations.  That alone would would be enough for me to start properly building up supplies like firewood (sticks/branches).

 

[Ahatch]

Great job making it this long without going to the forge. I would have long ago made for the Spence Homestead to get my bow and arrows done. I'm not going to tell you where to go next from Milton. My current 300 plus interloper player is in Hushed River Valley in the cave near the Stairsteps Lake. Had to deal with a bear and 4 wolves already so far in the first week  

[ManicManiac]

@Ahatch

Thank you.

I know it definitely would have been wiser for me to go to a forge long ago too.  My suborn refusal to go to one is absolutely the reason why my survival life is so hard right now.  I guess at this point, just trying to survive so minimally has kind of become my personal challenge for this run.  However, even though it's a rough challenge (requiring a very slow and measured pace from me)... it has been interesting.   

In retrospect, I would have been much more mobile now if I had just gone and crafted even just a knife early on.  I would have been able to start stripping ravaged carcasses (and take full advantage of "free" deer taken down by wolves).  This in turn means that I could have had my deerskin items long before now.  I also suppose I could have opted to use one of my hacksaws... but I think I've just been avoiding using any of those kind of tools (knife, axe, hacksaw, hammer).  So even though I could have used the hacksaw for wood and meat... I've still just kind of refused to do so.  

I'm not entirely sure why I've chosen to make life on Great Bear Island so hard for myself; but I have.

 

[Addendum]
I do see the value and appeal in long term survival in Hushed River Valley.
Many caves to live in, many rabbit groves, lots of wildlife to hunt... plus the work bench is close by in Milton (in the trailer up on the hill near the region entrance/exit).  I will definitely give that idea more thought as I consider what's ahead for my run.  I'm still trying to decided between Timberwolf Mountain and Forlorn Muskeg.  However, now I'm going to keep Hushed River Valley in mind as well.  The more I think about it the more I realize how viable it could be for my run... even right now.

Thank you for bringing it up.

Stubborn... that's clearly what I am.  I really ought to just go to a forge... but I have a feeling that I'm still not going to.

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

I eventually went back to the Milton House to scout around and warm back up a little bit.  It appears that a wolf has been hanging around on the road leading up to the Radio Tower.  I knew this could be problematic since that was going to be the likely spot for me to try and sleep that night. 

I'm actually kind of glad that I've gotten to play around with Cabin Fever, and get a refreshed perspective on it.  I see that the 24 hour "clock" on sleeping or passing time indoors stops when I'm inside, so that's a good detail to be reminded of.   All-in-all, I can sort of understand why some folks have complained about it, however... I still think it's not really that big a problem to deal with.

That evening, I took one night's worth of food and ran up to the Radio Tower and onward to the nearby cave.  I did bring my snares along with me, but I wasn't going to set them up in the clearing.  Rather, I'm keeping them on me because I think I'm going to try to head across the river and up the hill next to the waterfall.  The idea being to spend time outdoors in that cave nearest the waterfall, but sleep in the trailer on the hill just across the road (also setting up my snares near there).  I should be able to make use of the fire barrel and the work bench at the trailer.

I had to be careful sleeping in the cave with a blizzard raging outside, but I was able to make it through the night without need of a fire.  The next morning I made my way back to the Milton House to warm up and prepare for making the trip to cross the river.  Depending on the wolf situation, I'll either slide down the bank or take the bridge.  However, if the wolves are out in force... then I may have to go back to my Cabin on the hill, and take the longer way around (which might make it beneficial to stop by the Church first to warm up again and search for more supplies).

That's as far as I was able to get in this sort session, but I'm happy that I've been able to make a plan for how I'm going to get my outdoor dwell time back up while maintaining my food and water supply.  I've got a rather large supply of found foods (including 81 cattail stalks), so I'm not really worried about food per se... However, I do want to keep a relatively steady supply of rabbit meat coming in so I don't end up slowly whittling that supply down.

Edited March 29, 2021 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

Real life stuff caused me to have to take a bit of a hiatus...

I spent a little bit inside at the Milton House.  First and foremost to warm up, but also to check over my inventory (to get reacquainted with what I was carrying).  I decided to drop my most toxic food.  That is to say, food already below 9%... I knew I wasn't likely to be eating those just now (and it would save me a little weight).  After giving my inventory the once over, I ventured out to see where the wolves were and to head back to the Cabin on the hill.  I was kind of hoping that I could grab one more cured gut to take with me.  Unfortunately, all the rest of the gut was still curing (there was one that was at 97%, but I wasn't going to wait another day for it).  I ran back to the Milton House one more time to warm up.

It was already getting into the late afternoon/early evening.  I stepped out on the porch and grabbed just enough meat for one night's sleep (I didn't want to get too smelly ), and quickly started the next leg of my hike.  I kept close to the ridge line, picking up sticks along the way.  As I got closer to the bridge I opted to scoot down the bank.  Fortunately, I still didn't have any pursuers yet.  I didn't risk stopping for more cattails... I'd have time to come back for those later.  I continued on, and was going to head up the slope right next to the waterfall when I heard a faint wolf howl in the area above.  Since I was still carrying meat, I knew it would be a bad idea to keep heading that way.

Instead I changed course, cut across the woodlot, passed through the cemetery, and stopped by St. Christopher's Church.  I didn't find much here... the most valuable item being a very sketchy candy bar.  The car out front didn't yield anything either.  As I crossed the small pond, I picked up a couple of convenient cattails and pressed on wards up the hill to the Trailer.

After warming up for a little bit I decided to venture out and see if I could spot any rabbits nearby.  Now I know there are rabbits a little further up and around the bend (near the Hushed River Valley transition cave), but I could have sworn I have seen rabbits over by this trailer as well.  Instead I only see a deer milling around...  I decided to set up the snares anyway.  If this really isn't a good spot for rabbits, I'll find out in the morning. 

I also tried to scout out a little more of surrounding area.  I needed to make sure that I'd be able to get to the cave if I'm going to be spending the days there to build up more outdoor dwell time.  It appears that the wolf is just down the hill near the fallen tree blocking the road.  That should be enough distance that I ought to be able to sneak snared rabbits up there to harvest.  Hopefully this wolf will move on in the next day or so... but we'll see.

I wasn't able to get fully set up in this session, but I was at least able to make the trip up the hill safely.
Now that I've been able to search most of the key locations in Mountain Town... I do need to start thinking about where I'm going next.  Part of me wants to go to Timberwolf Mountain, before all the cargo containers are just full of ruined items.  While on the way, I know of at least a couple of ravaged deer carcasses I can strip as well (to finally get my new boots).  On the other hand, I'm tempted to repel down to Milton Basin and then continue on to Forlorn Muskeg.  I think that the only draw back to that would be that I would be sorely tempted to use the forge.

I suppose I'll have to think on it some more...

[Addendum]
It appears I was mistaken about the 24 hour "clock" on the Cabin Fever affliction.  Since I had to spend more time at the Milton House and Cabin on the hill to warm up... I was able to see the that the 24 hour "affliction timer" does indeed continue to count down whether outside or inside.  In my last session, it seemed like it had stopped... but I guess I just hadn't lingered inside long enough to see the hour count decrease.

I suppose this means that it would be possible to just tough out cabin fever.  Perhaps I will try that out sometime... though probably not on this interloper run.   

Edited April 2, 2021 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

As it turned out, that very convent spot by the trailer is apparently not good for rabbits.
I had a feeling I wasn't remembering that correctly.  Oh well... the pond just a little further up the road, and the bend leading up to the "Hushed River Cave" both provide good sources of rabbit meat.  I might even set up trap lines in both spots (I'll have to see how that goes once I can get all 8 snares running again).

I was able to sneak over to the cave nearby the waterfall, and spend the night.  This dealt with the last lingering threats of Cabin Fever Risk (again).  I think I will see what I can find for ravaged deer carcasses in the area.  That will keep me here a few more days.  I figure I should be able to spend the days in the cave and sleep in the trailer through the nights.  I've been sleeping in the cave, but recovering condition is tougher when I can only sleep safely in shorter intervals.

The first night in that cave, I also had to wait out a blizzard.  I was able to make it through to mid day while just barely managing to keep from freezing.  I immediately checked my relocated snares (now 6 of them set up in the rabbit grove on the path leading to the Hushed River Cave).  I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, but it was still fortunate since none of the snares were ruined.  I carried away two rabbits back to the cave, spent the afternoon harvesting, cooking, and prepping a good supply of water.  I was also able to grab a couple of rabbits up at the pond by hand (along with boosting my cattail stalk reserve up to 90).  With plenty of water and enough rabbit meat for another day... I opted to sleep in the cave for another night.

Once again, a blizzard hit.  This one lasted through the night, all through the next day, and didn't let up until mid-evening.  This didn't leave me much time to gather sticks and check snares.  Also, since I slept in the cave rather than going inside... my snares didn't "catch" anything.  It kind of bugs me that the snares effectiveness seems to hing on transitioning from outdoors to indoors (that is to say that by sleeping outdoors we will catch fewer rabbits with the snares).  Oh well... I do like the struggle, and this one aspect does definitely add to the struggle.

With this session, I'm fairly confidant now that I could get set up just about anywhere now.
I'm still struggling day to day... but it's definitely survivable this way (even when the weather is at it's worse).

I'm right around day 60 (I think...I forgot to check the journal).  The good news is that I think I've proven to myself that my interloper skills are still on par.  However, each push for progress is much slower due to the restrictions I put on myself.  I like that I know I can do it, but it's a slow path to travel. 

With my goal more or less satisfied... I'm not sure if I should continue this run (finally going to a forge for tools and such), or come up with another personal challenge in a new Stalker run.  I guess I'll have to think on it some more.

[ManicManiac]

More real life stuff make it difficult to get a session in lately... but I managed to get a short one in today.

I had to enter and exit the trailer (since living outdoors seems to drastically reduce the catch rate of snares) and I was able to go gather up some more rabbits.  The spot near by the trailer that I thought might be good for rabbits is definitely a bust, so I'm sticking with setting up my snares either on the path leading to the Hushed River Cave or the Pond across the road.  The day to day survival is definitely taken care of now.

[darkscaryforest]

@ManicManiac just curious, have you still been busy with IRL? Do you plan to play more or you done with this run?

[ManicManiac]

@darkscaryforest

Unfortunately real life stuff has been drastically reducing the time I can play.  I would like to return to this run some more, yes.  I don't know when I will get a chance to get in a meaningful session, but I'll certainly keep posting.  If the run continues, I don't know if I would continue on trying to survive without visiting the forge... since I've pretty well proven to myself that I can survive and thrive fairly well in this interloper refresher without forged tools.   (I can do it, it's just a slow progression that takes more time and careful planning)

While I never intended for this run to be very long, I do think I will return to it as soon as I can.
Once I can, I will definitely keep the thread updated.

I appreciate you asking the question.  I know it's been a couple of weeks now since I've been able to really even post (let alone play)... and I've not meant to be absent, but things are just hectic for me right now.

Edited April 29, 2021 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

I'm finally able to return to The Long Dark...
I don't know if I will pick up with my Interloper personal challenge again or pick back up with my Stalker run...  either way it's good to be back in the wilderness of Great Bear Island.