Sgt Socks

Really? Or are you pulling my leg 🤔😊 If that is the case, I'll go all out crab when I am next on one of my heaviest loot journeys!

It certainly does DaGnome, fellow loot goblin! I have definitely noticed the 5kg differences and their direct effect on walking speed. I think that's why dropping what seems to be an inconsequential light item can sometimes make a huge difference. @Leeanda told me about her slowest walk where dropping a fishing tackle made a huge difference. It would certainly make sense based on this explanation. Unlike @javijungleI have thought I could feel a benefit from a tail wind. Not enormous but noticeable. However nowhere near as noticeable as the head winds, which I think is unfair. I also agree with @Leeanda - no matter which way you turn the wind always seems to be blowing you back or sideways! It drives me nuts. Pretty much like where I live in real life!

This sounds *incredible*. I too love Skyrim! I'm of an age that I have played The Elder Scrolls from the beginning. However I played it without mods on PlayStation console, so I don't know how the mods developed the game. I must admit I always wanted to try them; particularly because with Bethesda's careless and slapdash approach there was a great deal wrong with the game. I say that with love for the game which is incredible, but it could have been so much more. The same can be said about Fallout, which was another of my obsessions. It's one of the reasons I love TLD as much as I do. Of course there are things wrong with the game, things that need improving, but Hinterland's relationships with the game is infinitely more considered and quality driven. Bear with me also, I too will get to my point! "Watercolour that's trying to kill you". That is a genius description! 😁 The TLD world is so beautiful and immersive as it is now, one of the most stunning and engaging games I've played. I am also dabbling with the mods which have improved the experience even more (Placing Anywhere, Item Stacks and Santana's DIY are standouts at the moment). These amendments have addressed most of the irritations I have with the game. Although I do not have access to VR, the thought of being transported into the artistry itself is quite something. Even as it is now it is frequently breathtaking, never have I wanted to take so many screenshots to capture the environment in all its changing beauty. A way to step into it further? That would be magical. I'd love to see either Hinterland or the modders do something like this. However I hope there would be a non VR version, I definitely wouldn't want to miss that opportunity! (Apologies for the ramble. I'm running on virtually no sleep and am going a bit doolally 🤪 I hope I've made sense and responded effectively to your thoughtful and exciting suggestion)

Thank you for putting it so succinctly, and easy to understand for someone who gets totally baffled by numbers and calculations! (i.e. me) I am so pleased to know my slow 50kg walks aren't as lunatic as they first appear!

Anything that improves the woefully inflexible storage gets a thumbs up from me. I think your idea @ajb1978 is great, and it fits in with the ethos and premise of the game. Plus it would add another dimension to crafting as well as storage, again something much needed. I'd really like to see more uses for the varied resources we have, and ones you can imagine a lone survivor would do. Really great idea 👍

Personally I'm glad Hinterland have said multiplayer or co-op isn't going to be introduced to TLD. For me it goes against the whole premise of being a lone survivor. The solitude is for me at least one of the biggest strengths of the game. For the atmospheric and immersion value. Sadly I strongly disagree with you @odizzido. Multiplayer doesn't always improve a game. In fact I feel it often spoils it, with the amount of knob heads out there who ruin things for everyone else to copious technical issues. I've played many multiplayer and co-op games over the years and in my opinion the ones that work are those which are set up for it from the beginning or have an ethos which easily translates from single player to multi. This iteration of TLD is all about surviving alone and therein lies the magic. However that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to see a Hinterland multiplayer or co-op game with a similar premise and world to TLD. That could be really fun and a welcome change to all the poor multiplayer games out there. It would be great to journey with a friend and survive together, and in a TLD style world it would be very different to everything else out there. As @Lone Trekkersays, a "TLD2" with multiplayer and/or co-op would be an exciting game to play.

This is a really good question. I do hope someone who knows the technical side of mods will be able to answer it. I am hoping the DLCs don't break the mods! I've just started using them and mods like Place Anywhere, Item Piles and Santana's DIY have addressed areas of huge irritation for me. I'll be following this thread in the hope your excellent question will be answered.

@ajb1978 @Ghurcb This is really interesting, and thank you for putting so much effort into calculating the actual numbers behind encumbrance. It is both valuable and informative. It is certainly likely to help players who are careful about their carry weight, especially on Loper I should think. I know, however, that there is no helping me! @Leeandais the same too. Both committed loot goblins and sadly no knowledge is going to prevent us carrying too much every single time. We are currently dreaming about shopping trollies to help us lug our stuff about. Two old bag ladies carrying everything *and* the kitchen sink. Indeed my diaries on here are called "The Encumbered Diaries"! 😁 But if working on a challenge or needing to pay particular attention to carry weight, this will certainly be helpful. Thanks guys.

Excellent idea Hozz! 👍 Although I could probably do with my own achievement - "Not impaling yourself on the bear spear by mistake" 😁 Ps I hope you can come and join me on my new adventure in Ash Canyon. Your company would be super 😊

I've often found a single piece but never two, on any difficulty except Loper which I've never played. Mind you, these kinds of odd occurrences we will take happily! Makes a change from rearing bears and skating wolves.

Out of every fabulous word you wrote this bit stood out for some reason and made me laugh out loud! There might have even been a snort in there too... but sssh, don't tell anyone... What a day! I bet you're still buzzing from finding the hammer. Just make sure you don't drop it on your foot, you aren't wearing the work boots. May this day be an omen for the rest of your stay in Milton!

We get quite a few where I live, and indeed they make a hell of a racket. But nowhere near as bad as the bloody seagulls. Rats with wings. Cull 'em all!! Lol, well at least we won't be fighting over our drinks stash! 😄 Choccie digestives? Please tell me they are choccie digestives!!

What am I going to do with you?! But I get it, I can't resist those cans of condensed milk either. Liquid sugar. Bloody marvellous. Isn't that sometimes a bear cave? Or am I thinking of somewhere else. But as you wisely turned bears off this time I like the idea you are stealing their space 👍 Boooo Coastal Highway. However, it might be worth biting the bullet so to speak, especially if you've had the munchies at home. If anywhere is going to turn up some loot it will be there. Plus there's usually a decent supply of cattails on the river/stream on the rail track side. Unless you've already chomped your way through those of course 😁

Lol, that sounds familiar! You end up realising it's a really bad idea, that two quicker trips would be better... but bloody mindedness means you just keep on trudging! At least now we can dream about shopping trollies as we go 😁 Geese! YES! I *hate* Geese. I would happily go Rambo on them. I was once attacked by a goose for absolutely no reason. The bruising, omg they are viscious! And when I was a competitive open water swimmer, goodness me those encounters were actually dangerous. Thank the gods for support canoeists who could wield paddles on my behalf. You are a LEGEND. In real life, even when I genuinely couldn't afford to feed myself, I still bought good coffee. And I am very partial to a peppermint tea. I'll make sure I've got plenty of builder's with sugar waiting for you... it will be like a road race where I fling it at you as you zoom by!

I don't think there are many places, I am just incredibly thankful that I managed to find one of the very few! It was definitely one of the hairiest goating expeditions though, I think I held my breath the whole way down! What good are saplings to me? My bow skills are so legendarily appalling that I will never need to use them! 😄 Lol why am I not surprised? Little Miss Fidget Bottom 😁🥰

BEGINNING AGAIN AT HOMESTEADER'S RESPITE.... (I did have some lovely pictures of Homestead but I'm a numpty and deleted them by mistake.... my apologies!) I excitedly rummage around in this lovely little space and find some fabulous things! I finally, finally found a FIREARM REPAIR KIT! Now I can repair my rifle so I don’t have to go through the same thing again as I did with the wolf. That was bloody scary, and the feeling of my stomach dropping into my boots far from pleasant. OH OH OH! And I’ve found a revolver!!! Yay! Now I can shoot the ammo I have rather than having to resort to flinging it at the hostile wildlife. Bloody marvellous stuff! I also find some other really useful bits and pieces; tomato soup, 2x Pork n Beans, Condensed Milk, matches, a snare , two flares and a Small Arms book. I also find a thick wool sweater, breathing a sigh of relief that I now don’t have to rely on a rubbish thin red jumper. Bloody typical though, there is a rope in here which means I have been lugging around my spare rope through all this exploring for no reason! Oh well, it is better to have something and not need it than need something and not have it. With the night closing in and exhausted from all the stressful exploring and climbing of ropes without coffee, I decide to snuggle in for the night. With the gift of more matches I treat myself to a roaring fire and cuddle up in the comfy chair to have a little read as my water bubbles away. I am definitely looking forward to curling up in that bed tonight. As I sit and read I ponder the future. This place is wonderful, and I can access it fairly easily by a one rope climb, not too long either. I would love to make this my actual base. However it is a bit out of the way, and it would be a real pain carrying fish up and down the rope. A bit sadly, I realise I may have to have this as a holiday home, the Angler’s Den is a much more sensible place to stay on a more permanent basis, especially with the workbench as well. Still, I can enjoy tonight and luxuriate in a delicious treat meal of sweet condensed milk. As morning comes around, it is now time to make my way back down and off to my Angler’s home. I’m pretty heavy so drop a few bits of less important stuff (I can always come back for it) and climb down, humming to myself all the way. It is a pretty morning and I am deeply excited about the culmination of my journey and the goodies I found. In true TLD style, this happy trudging doesn’t last long! I’m getting near to home and a wolf comes charging out of nowhere. I grab the revolver to try and shoot him but he didn’t give me time to settle into my shooting stance. I get mauled. Argh!! I manage to fire off a shot which scares him off but now I am seriously annoyed. I had repaired all my clothing and with this attack that effort and precious resources have been wasted! I quickly bandage myself, applying antiseptic, and thankfully stagger into my little cabin with no further drama. Dammit. My bear coat is down to 60%. My boots, hat, long scarf and work pants have also taken a beating. I’m going to have to repair but I am also going to have to be very careful if I am going to maintain everything in good condition. Not only do I have to be concerned about cloth, but also about my sewing kits. I can’t even make more fishing lines to use instead, only having one piece of metal means I haven’t been able to craft more than a couple of tackle. I may have to consider returning to Miner’s to double check I didn’t miss a hacksaw or any metal lying around. Although rather peeved, I enjoy being back at home. Thanks to the “Placing Anywhere” mod making your chosen spaces tidy and comfortable is wonderfully easy. I even hang a wolf pelt on the wall to finish curing! As I’m spending my time organising my bits and pieces and recovering from the long journey, I make a happy find in the trunk. Another piece of metal I had squirrelled away and kept missing! I’m so excited I use the last bit of daylight to craft 3 more hooks ready to fashion into full fishing tackle tomorrow. I wake to a gorgeous morning.... I'm looking forward to getting on with my jobs. I head over to the rabbit spot and lay three snares, hoping my trapping feat brings me more bunnies to eat. I wish I didn’t have to resort to killing the cute little bobble tails, but needs must. I then start to make my way down the river, my task being the collection of firewood. Then it happens… GROWWWLLLL. Oh no, not again!! I take aim as he charges and… and miss. I then proceed to get yet another mauling and I am absolutely furious because for the second time in almost as many days my effort and resources maintaining my gear have been wasted! I think I will now just use the revolver to scare them away, I can’t risk any more struggles, I simply don’t have the resources to continue mending my gear at this rate, especially the leather for my boots. I check and see that my Bearskin coat is now down to 50%. After patching myself up I trudge home muttering obscenities the whole way. Unfortunately the weather didn’t last long. By the time I make a couple of quick repairs a blizzard was howling outside. This lasted for almost two days. Incredibly frustrating. Over this time I found myself getting anxious about the cloth situation; I’m not even halfway to 50 days and as I’m likely to end up in more wolf scuffles I need to make sure I have all the resources I need on hand. Therefore I decide I am going to return to Miner’s Folly & Foreman’s Retreat to make sure I have cleared them out fully. Because I don’t want to attempt going up via the waterfall route (I’m not going past those wolves again) I decide to go back up via the rope at Homesteader’s Respite and the insane Fire Overlook. Admittedly not ideal, but at least that route is relatively simple and I kind of know where I’m going. When I wake I am delighted to hear that the two day blizzard has finally stopped. I’m going to go an check the snares, leave any caught rabbits in a pile there and reset the snares. I will then come back on my return to hopefully six rabbits, which will allow me to make the most of a single match. As I eagerly open the door I find…. I can’t see a bloody thing! Grumbling and cursing I grab another quick cat nap and I am grateful that when I open the door, this time it is clear enough for me to at least get going. I am happy to find three bunnies in the snares, they are obviously working well. As I planned I reset the snares and leave the bodies in a pile. Then I work my way back to the Homestead rope. I keep my route close up against the cliffs in the hope it will prevent another run in with a wolf. Thankfully, it does. I also manage to find a few stray cattails I missed the first time round. I quickly leave my fishing tackles in the hut then make the two climbs to the top of Fire Outlook. I am by now exhausted and feel like sobbing at the lack of coffee in my life. Life is just not worth living without coffee! (Really!) 💔 As I’m working my way back up towards the snow shelter, I take a slightly “wrong” turn and look what I find hiding behind a rock! 5 more rifle ammo!!! I cannot explain the relief which floods me. These are 5 bullets that will hopefully give me 5 deer and that amount of food will provide a more than fighting chance to succeed in making 50 days (barring any disasters of course, and we know the Ancients like throwing those at us on a frequent basis). The devs do like hiding stuff in the weirdest of places. Yet again, I seem to be on untrodden ground. I find myself walking through a thin canyon and this then opens out into a wide open space almost underground, an area almost in the rocks themselves. I am so glad to have gone the way I wasn’t expecting because I find a lovely little cave in which I can rest and sleep following the strenuous climbing. As I’m preparing to settle down for the night, I check the plastic container in the cave and I find… a FISHING TACKLE! Oh the joy! I have 5 more bullets now another fishing tackle… the food situation is starting to look promising rather than worrying. In the morning I continue on and emerge to find I was in fact going the right way and make my way down to Miner’s Folly. As I near the buildings I notice… EEK! I FORGOT ABOUT THE BEAR!!! Shaking from fear, the memory of the possessed Bear in Mystery Lake forever etched on my mind I run fast and dive into the cabin. Once I have gotten a hold of myself, I have a good look around to make sure I have all the cloth possible. Indeed, I had cleared this place out fully. Nervous, I open the door again, look out and see it is safe (ish) for me to sneak over to the barn. I am pleased to find the four bear steaks, two cooked and two raw, that I left here the last time. I decide it is worth the parasite risk because I am getting extremely hungry and I DO NOT want to break into the MRE until I absolutely have to. My cattail stock is also steadily depleting. As the raw steaks are cooking I eat one of the cooked ones, wrinkling my nose despite the necessity. I scout around the barn again but find nothing left behind. I am nervous about carrying the cooked meat while the bear is about but I can’t just hang around, things to do! So I take a deep breath and run like Leeanda to Foreman’s Retreat. Here I am happy to see that there is plenty I didn’t take with me last time. I didn’t harvest most of the curtains (unlike me), there are two rugs and an old bedroll under the bed. I also break down the chair because it yields six cloth. What I am most pleased to find, however, is a storm lantern. I proceed to harvest that too for a precious single piece of metal which will give me another three fishing lines. Things are looking up! 😊 By the time I have done all this it is getting late so I risk another bear steak and snuggle up in bed for the night. I wake fully rested before the sunrise, and I can hear an aurora outside. I can’t resist going outside to have a look, and I am so glad I did, it is absolutely stunning. Almost encumbered with a superb stock of cloth and two more bear steaks (that I will wait to eat until the current parasite risk has passed) I wait for an hour so I’m not leaving with the aurora still twinkling away, the last thing I need is an encounter with a super charged bear! The sun is almost rising, so I am hopeful the bear is still sleeping. I very, very carefully walk up towards the bridge (the one I should have taken the first time before I fell down the cliffside). Thankfully he seems to be elsewhere or still asleep. I audibly exhale with relief. By the time I reach Homestead the parasite risk has gone so I consume one more steak, now being hungry after the Fire Outlook climb down. I drop the other piece outside the house, I know where it is if I end up having to resort to that. Now checking Homestead again I remember I left two sets of curtains on purpose, thinking I might possibly spend some time here. Now I know I won’t, I harvest those as well. I also break down the chair here too for the 6 cloth and I am all set. Back down the rope and I manage to return to Angler’s with no further drama, thank the gods. The next part of my adventure will be harvesting bunnies, fishing and working on settling in. I have a feeling I will be wanting to keep my head down for the second half of my journey, I am determined to make that 50 days! The extra goodies I have managed to scavenge have given me real hope that I can! Thank you for journeying with me, your company is hugely valued 🧡

Lol me too! I did call myself a chuffing idiot 🤭 I don't *hate* Ash, not at all. I just find that it is far too confusing for me to ever feel comfortable. It will definitely be OK to go in and out of, maybe have a bit of a wander round to the best places, but the limited loot does make it rather challenging. I had to chuckle at your last comment... I don't think you would be enjoying this challenge that's for sure! I can see you standing at the TWM cave hopping up and down and cursing! 😄

Well, I'm still alive! 😁 Matches are... OK. I've got enough for about one fire a day, so now I'm entering into the settling in phase, I will be making sure I count them frequently and remember that there aren't any more to be found! It's a whole different mindset playing snowball style, taking some getting used to!

Some gorgeous aurora shots, taken at Miner's Folly and Foreman's Retreat in Ash Canyon

🤣🤣🤣 Now *that* title I will very happily take on! 😁 (trouble is I lost that title today, Revenge of the Wolf was more the order of the day)

Thanks chick 🥰 It certainly was an unexpectedly long journey! I'm so bloody minded I *had* to keep going until I felt like I had finally achieved something. I may be glad I am doing this challenge but I wont be coming back to spend any time here again, it is too stressful trying to find my way around. Put me in a car and I have excellent sense of direction. Put me on foot and, well, I will walk around in circles in my own back yard 😁 Yes I wanted leave Ash and grab some bits from TWM, I was sooooo tempeted! But I also don't cheat. Getting a hacksaw was really very difficult not to go after, that's for sure. But I am really happy with the gear I've got (and what comes up next 😉) Lol, I found that rope bridge today. Facepalm moment! the worst bit is I almost fell off again in the same place, will I never learn?! 🙄

Nope, the slowest walk trophy stays with me 🤪🤣 That is weird. But then again I coming to expect weird from your runs, it seems you aren't kidding when you say you get all the strange bugs. I was caught off guard by one of my dead wolves coming back more quickly than I thought, or it could have been a different wolf. Or wishful thinking. Or all of the above! I hate killing the bunnies too 😔 I've got a pile of dead bunnies to harvest at the moment, I really don't like having to resort to taking so many! I rather like the cattails, they give me something to chew on. I wish there were more of them! Me too. The weight of them annoys me though, although a good way to get some oil too. I was considering doing a no found food challenge but my Ash adventure has totally put me off that idea! (especially as there is absolutely no point me using the bow). If you think your stats are bad then my bow stats would be a whole new low! Please come and visit! Please please bring me some coffffeeeee!!!! Goodness knows where you will end up chick, it's like throwing cattails in the air and trying to predict where they will land 😘

*splutters trying not to laugh* Well, umm, well... you're still alive!! 🤣 I think you've been carrying round your own little leprechaun with those stats, haven't you? Come on, admit it! Actually can I come and rub your head? Maybe it will bring me some surviving luck too! Just zip by Ash when you're out running like the wind 😁

First thing in the morning I decide to follow my usual method and go left out of the cave. I always seem to favour going left, no idea why, I’m right handed. I follow the water and keep walking and gathering a few more precious cattails, even more rosehips (I think they need birth control advice in Ash Canyon). After a short amount of time I reach… yet another bloody rope. I sigh. I’m getting so sick of climbing and the ensuing fatigue. However, this “feels” like the right way finally, I had wanted to keep going up not down, so I swallow my annoyance and get climbing. I reach the top and find yet another deer (how on earth do they all get up here? Helicopter?) and harvest the meat. This time I leave the hide because, you guessed it, I am encumbered. I’m still carrying my rifle and also a spare climbing rope I brought “in case I needed it”, not for one moment guessing I was going on such an epic journey! It’s just as well I left the hide because I’ve barely gone anywhere and there is ANNNOTHER ROPE. Grumbling and cursing expletives I check my fatigue and decide yes, I need to climb again. I struggle to the top with my stamina at only a quarter and am told I have discovered High Meadow. Looking around I find a campfire and a snow shelter, with some more LOOOOOOT! There is a snare, a sewing kit, a precious wonderful whetstone (I haven’t got one yet) and a torch. There is yet another rope but seeing as I’m still lugging this one about I leave it behind. I’m trying to find the next part of the route when I climb up and nervously look out over the region. My goodness it is a stunning view! But that’s enough, a quick picture and I’m down. I will never trust crampons that much! Eventually I locate a small path which worryingly takes me along the outside of the canyon walls, then through some highly claustrophobic thin pathways through the cliffs. Why do I feel like I’m going the wrong way? However, I hold my panic down and am rewarded, I soon emerge to reach another rope down, and although it is a loooooong way down I am rewarded with a new place name, Fire Overlook. I vaguely remember this spot when I researched the map for my previous two adventures to the gold mine and I know it is on the opposite side of the map, exactly where I wanted to go! So even though this is one of the most terrifying ropes of all because I have to look down at least a bit, I am finally starting to feel as if I am getting somewhere. Gulp.... please tell me that isn't going to be me! Finally reaching the end of the rope I check the body (empty, of course it is) and although excited I notice the fog is beginning to roll on in. However, I am soon rewarded for my persistence. In the distance I see A HOUSE, AN ACTUAL HOUSE!!! Before going into the house I walk around the back and go to the edge to see where I am…. and down there in the mist, I see… The fishing hut! Thank chuck for that, I have finally, FINALLY come to somewhere I recognise. And I am also excited to find a place to deploy this spare rope I’ve been carrying all this time, and now my mind fizzes with possibilities and ways I *can* survive the 50 days. I deploy the rope with a big grin! 😁 There is a coal bin at the back of the house which gives me…. Nothing. Sigh. I open the backpack in front of the house. It is empty too! Insert swearing here. However when I open the door to the house I immediately realise I have found somewhere special. Not just because I’ve been on such a ridiculous journey to get here, but it is a really lovely space. However, I decide that now is the time to depart Great Bear for a while, I am exhausted in real life after all the stress, panic and bubbling anxiety of these few days. Therefore I allow the save point of entering the house to stand….and I will return tomorrow for the next part of my epic Ash Canyon adventure!

Still following the river and gathering all the cattails I can I come to a set of two small waterfalls. On closer inspection I see a path to the left I can take. I am getting concerned about the time now though, so I decide to return to the cabin then come back here tomorrow. Hopefully it will be quicker not having to deal with these wolves. The next day is bright and clear, let’s see if I can make some actual progress this time! I am getting concerned about my food situation again, even though I am still finding cattails I can see starvation looming not too far on the horizon. I need to get these guts cured then get some snares down, and do some fishing. I return to the two waterfalls and walk past them, continuing to follow the river. Not long after going under one of the horrible bridges way above me, I see ANOTHER DAMN WOLF! This is getting silly! I really hate the chicken game, I always get so nervous. This time…. This time I have good reason... Just as I am about to take the shot, instead of boom I hear CLICK. I swear like a sailor… my low condition rifle has jammed and the beast is on me, mauling me with gusto! I have a hatchet on me and I get a good couple of swings on him and he runs away bleeding and yelping. I quickly bandage myself and put on antiseptic, and with my condition at about three quarters full I feel OK about pursuing him, I know he is going to bleed out. I follow the trail of blood and his footprints, realise I haven’t been paying attention to where I’m going so hopefully I can find my way out! Finally I hear his dying yelps and walk around a little bit more until I find him. Dead wolfie number FOUR! That’s the coat taken care of, once the pelts are cured. This time though I decide to continue on rather than go back, I’m done with going back and forth. I just have to hope I can get somewhere safe to sleep and recover my condition and repair my clothes. Now, don’t ask me to explain the next part of my route, I have absolutely no idea! I got completely lost, not recognising anything. Suddenly I hit a more open area and I am told I have reached Pillar’s Footrest. Oh for goodness sake, I really didn’t want to do this bit all over again! Unfortunately I can be rather pig headed so rather than turn back and risk getting totally lost and dying in a blizzard I decide to continue. I have *absolutely no idea* of how the next part happened, I would never be able to find it again! Instead of ending up at Stone Shelf Cave, I find myself walking through a very thin path between the high rocks, going under several areas where I had to crouch. I am sooooo lost! I pass a deer carcass and this time I take the meat and pelt, I am going to need to eat and I don’t want to reduce the cattail stock too much if I don’t have to. Hopefully I won’t find a wolf in this maze! Thankfully all is well, I finally come across a cave and decide now is the time to stop. It is starting to get late and cold and I must recover my condition and repair my clothes. So I snuggle into the cave with a fire, cooking the deer meat and eating it with great pleasure. I love venison. I also boil some more water to prevent me having to use another match later on, it is best to make use of every minute of a fire, especially when resources are low. I will repair my clothes in the morning when fully rested to avoid failure and loss of materials (hopefully) so I spend the rest of my time preparing the multitude of rosehips I’ve found, and a few reishi mushrooms at last. In the morning I repair my clothing first time, then I get going, even though it is early and cold. I have to make some progress to somewhere recognisable or with a clear route. I follow the path to the left of the cave and come across… a bridge! Finally! Although I really really do not want to do this again, they make me feel sick! The anxiety of being lost is palpable, I am fighting not to hyperventilate… Again I just need to say... who's stupid idea was this?!! SOCKS YOU MORON! After the bridge I keep walking and trying to find a discernible route, and come across a really funny find! A random pair of snow boots stick out of the snow looking like someone is buried on the other end of them! There is also a cooking pot and some accelerant (hoorah!). The sky is darkening rapidly and I am getting increasingly anxious. I find another deer carcass, thank goodness for all this venison! I worry about wolves but this epic journey is taking it out of me. I keep walking, trying to be methodical but I really have no idea what’s going on by now. The view opens up, I seem to have found a small mountain lake of some kind... Suddenly I stumble across a cave, thank the gods! I am told I have discovered Climber’s Cave. On walking inside I am overjoyed! LOOOOOOOOOT! This fabulous cave has gifted me a sewing kit, a chocolate bar AND AN MRE! Oh what a relief! I can enjoy the venison without the fear of impending starvation. With night drawing in I light another fire (again relieved I use a torch and one match, this took me six attempts!), cook my dinner and a little bit of water using the two pots I am now carrying. I like it in here, it is cosy and I can look out at the lake.