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snowblindrpg2015-08-16 07:53 am
deus_ex_phs) wrote in snowblindrpg2015-08-16 07:53 am
[network] Day 26; @standardissue; Winter Survival Guide [open]
[Morning]
[Even with his dulled sense of hearing, the crashing thunder of the incoming storm was more than loud enough to jolt Kunsel awake. Too dark at first to see anything past the few inches of light his tablet provides-
-he should have been able to see so much more. What happened to his SOLDIER eyes?-
-he's had to wait, feeling increasingly restless, until what counts for dawn arrives. When it does, unfortunately, it's with the grim sight from the window of the bedroom he'd spent the night in. Where before he'd been able to see a small stretch of ground beyond the house, now he can't see anything but wind-driven snow pouring down. It's obvious there won't be any travel until it lets up.
Kunsel grimaces, then deliberately turns away from the window. There's no use dwelling on it now. He'll just have to look at it as an opportunity to rest, hopefully dispel some of the strange fatigue he's been feeling, and start working on something he's been meaning to get to. He'll have plenty of time for it now.
Once he's eaten, he bundles himself back up in bed with the satin bathrobe wrapped around him like a blanket, trying to ignore the feeling of being trapped that's already starting to settle in. Then he pulls his tablet out.]
[Network: text; @standardissue]
It occurs to me that not everyone here has knowledge about survival in winter conditions. I wish I had access to the more comprehensive material I was given back during my training, but even what I remember might be useful to some of you.
If anyone has anything to add, please feel free to do so.
Some Tips for Winter Survival
Shelter: I cannot stress enough how important this is. Cold will kill you faster than starvation or dehydration if it's severe enough, and all evidence points to the fact that it gets lethally cold here at night. In fact, I'm going to recommend against even trying to build a snow shelter unless it's as a last resort. Those take time and energy, and chances are you'll still die, and it's unnecessary when there are plenty of buildings around. Keep track of the time, and if it's getting later in the day, start thinking about where you're going to spend the night.
Water: As a general rule of thumb, human survival comes in threes: Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food. Fortunately for us, air doesn't seem to be a problem. I'll get to food in a minute.
Our kidnappers have graciously supplied each of us with a week's worth of water to start, but what do you do when that water runs out? None of the buildings I have been in so far have had any running water, so this is obviously a concern for me. What we do have plenty of, however, is snow. Snow is frozen water. Unfortunately, frozen water is cold. Eating snow runs the risk of lowering your core body temperature, and takes more time to consume enough to satisfy your body's needs. What you need to do first is melt it.
Ideally, you would do this over a fire. Not only would this melt the snow, but if it's done in a container that you can bring to a boil, it will also disinfect the water.
That's right, snow is not necessarily clean. Try to harvest your snow from places where contamination is less likely. Fresh fallen snow on branches, for instance, or rooftops or standing objects. The ground is the worst place to get snow from. The ground is where people and animals walk. You really don't want to eat whatever they've stepped in if you can help it, trust me.
This is not an ideal world. I only wish I had a fire. A pot would be nice, too, while I'm at it. What I do have is an empty plastic potato chip bag, cleaned with some dish soap I found. I also have a plastic container, also cleaned, and the water bottles I've emptied so far. I filled every one of these with snow before I came in for the night, and I slept with the containers that could be sealed tucked in between a layer of my clothes. This is not the greatest or most comfortable method, and may be dangerous if you're already suffering hypothermia, but the heat of my body has melted that snow. (The snow in my chip bag has not melted, unfortunately. It looks like it's too cold for it to melt on its own, even when we're inside.)
If you do have a fire, but no pot to boil the water in, try collecting the snow into plastic bags, or some other container, that you can hang or set near the fire. Snow contains a lot less water than its volume makes you believe (roughly a ten to one ratio, though it depends on the kind of snow), so melting it in quantity is preferable over melting it cup by cup.
Should you come across a house with running water, definitely take the chance to restock all your water containers.
Disinfecting Water: Coming back to this, because this is important, there's more than one way to disinfect water. Not all of them (if any) might be available to you, but if you can, absolutely disinfect any water you collect from snow - or any suspect water, for that matter. If the water is cloudy or has bits of dirt or leaf debris, let it settle, then filter it through something. Cloth, paper towel, a coffee filter - whatever is available that is also clean.
Food: Again, we've been provided with about one week's worth of food to start, but eventually that will run out. As I mentioned earlier, you can go about three weeks without food, but that's assuming a minimal level of activity. The actual time may be less if you have to move a lot. Regardless, don't expect to be good for much once starvation starts to set in.
So. Be careful and ration your food. You can stretch it a little longer if you're willing to go hungry every so often, but the more you do that, the less energy you'll have. Take any food you find in the houses you come across, with the exception of anything that's spoiled. I doubt the former occupants are in any position to care about the theft, so don't feel guilty about it either.
I've seen no signs of wildlife or edible plants so far, so your only resources there might be whatever is inside the buildings. Others have mentioned food regularly found in the school and one of the convenience stores. Please refer to this for more information.
Warmth: Even with shelter, it is important to stay warm. Take whatever clothes and blankets you can find, especially if it's suitable for winter, but even a thin shirt is better than nothing. Make sure to cover your extremities - feet, hands, neck, and head. That's where you lose most of your body heat. Try not to have any open gaps in your clothes. If possible, tuck your shirt into your pants, tuck your pants into your shoes, and so forth. The less cold air can get into your clothes, the warmer you will stay.
Layer up. The more layers you have, the more you'll be insulated. If you get too warm, then you can easily remove some of those layers. I recommend switching out any that might have gotten soaked with snow or sweat. Keeping dry is important, because the cold will leech heat from your body that much faster if you are wet.
Frostbite: Pay attention to your skin, especially if any part of it starts to turn red or feel numb and tingly. Those are signs that that part of your body might be literally freezing. If this happens, it's best if you can submerge the affected part in water that is a few degrees above your body temperature. Lacking hot water, if you have a companion, you can press the area close to them for warmth, but don't rub. This could cause damage to frozen skin. If you're alone, then do what you can to use your own body for warmth and limit exposure, such as tucking your fingers under your arms.
Actual treatment beyond that, though, you'd have to ask someone else. I'm not a doctor.
Alcohol: Avoid drinking this if you find it, or drink it sparingly. It may make you feel warmer, but it is actually lowering your body temperature. Likewise, do not get drunk. If you get drunk and pass out in the snow, chances are you're not going to wake up.
That's all I have right now. If anyone knows more, or if something is inaccurate, please respond back to contribute.
Any questions?
[Even with his dulled sense of hearing, the crashing thunder of the incoming storm was more than loud enough to jolt Kunsel awake. Too dark at first to see anything past the few inches of light his tablet provides-
-he should have been able to see so much more. What happened to his SOLDIER eyes?-
-he's had to wait, feeling increasingly restless, until what counts for dawn arrives. When it does, unfortunately, it's with the grim sight from the window of the bedroom he'd spent the night in. Where before he'd been able to see a small stretch of ground beyond the house, now he can't see anything but wind-driven snow pouring down. It's obvious there won't be any travel until it lets up.
Kunsel grimaces, then deliberately turns away from the window. There's no use dwelling on it now. He'll just have to look at it as an opportunity to rest, hopefully dispel some of the strange fatigue he's been feeling, and start working on something he's been meaning to get to. He'll have plenty of time for it now.
Once he's eaten, he bundles himself back up in bed with the satin bathrobe wrapped around him like a blanket, trying to ignore the feeling of being trapped that's already starting to settle in. Then he pulls his tablet out.]
[Network: text; @standardissue]
It occurs to me that not everyone here has knowledge about survival in winter conditions. I wish I had access to the more comprehensive material I was given back during my training, but even what I remember might be useful to some of you.
If anyone has anything to add, please feel free to do so.
Shelter: I cannot stress enough how important this is. Cold will kill you faster than starvation or dehydration if it's severe enough, and all evidence points to the fact that it gets lethally cold here at night. In fact, I'm going to recommend against even trying to build a snow shelter unless it's as a last resort. Those take time and energy, and chances are you'll still die, and it's unnecessary when there are plenty of buildings around. Keep track of the time, and if it's getting later in the day, start thinking about where you're going to spend the night.
Water: As a general rule of thumb, human survival comes in threes: Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food. Fortunately for us, air doesn't seem to be a problem. I'll get to food in a minute.
Our kidnappers have graciously supplied each of us with a week's worth of water to start, but what do you do when that water runs out? None of the buildings I have been in so far have had any running water, so this is obviously a concern for me. What we do have plenty of, however, is snow. Snow is frozen water. Unfortunately, frozen water is cold. Eating snow runs the risk of lowering your core body temperature, and takes more time to consume enough to satisfy your body's needs. What you need to do first is melt it.
Ideally, you would do this over a fire. Not only would this melt the snow, but if it's done in a container that you can bring to a boil, it will also disinfect the water.
That's right, snow is not necessarily clean. Try to harvest your snow from places where contamination is less likely. Fresh fallen snow on branches, for instance, or rooftops or standing objects. The ground is the worst place to get snow from. The ground is where people and animals walk. You really don't want to eat whatever they've stepped in if you can help it, trust me.
This is not an ideal world. I only wish I had a fire. A pot would be nice, too, while I'm at it. What I do have is an empty plastic potato chip bag, cleaned with some dish soap I found. I also have a plastic container, also cleaned, and the water bottles I've emptied so far. I filled every one of these with snow before I came in for the night, and I slept with the containers that could be sealed tucked in between a layer of my clothes. This is not the greatest or most comfortable method, and may be dangerous if you're already suffering hypothermia, but the heat of my body has melted that snow. (The snow in my chip bag has not melted, unfortunately. It looks like it's too cold for it to melt on its own, even when we're inside.)
If you do have a fire, but no pot to boil the water in, try collecting the snow into plastic bags, or some other container, that you can hang or set near the fire. Snow contains a lot less water than its volume makes you believe (roughly a ten to one ratio, though it depends on the kind of snow), so melting it in quantity is preferable over melting it cup by cup.
Should you come across a house with running water, definitely take the chance to restock all your water containers.
Disinfecting Water: Coming back to this, because this is important, there's more than one way to disinfect water. Not all of them (if any) might be available to you, but if you can, absolutely disinfect any water you collect from snow - or any suspect water, for that matter. If the water is cloudy or has bits of dirt or leaf debris, let it settle, then filter it through something. Cloth, paper towel, a coffee filter - whatever is available that is also clean.
-Boiling: Boil it for at least one minute. This is the most foolproof method.
-Bleach: Two drops of bleach per liter of water. Double this if the water is cloudy. Stir it and let it stand for thirty minutes.
-Chemical tablets: Presumably, if you have some of these on hand, you should hopefully have instructions on how to use them, too. Those instructions might vary depending on who made the tablet, so I can't give specific instructions here, but just know that such things exist.
-Portable filters: These also exist, but I suspect will also be difficult to find.
Food: Again, we've been provided with about one week's worth of food to start, but eventually that will run out. As I mentioned earlier, you can go about three weeks without food, but that's assuming a minimal level of activity. The actual time may be less if you have to move a lot. Regardless, don't expect to be good for much once starvation starts to set in.
So. Be careful and ration your food. You can stretch it a little longer if you're willing to go hungry every so often, but the more you do that, the less energy you'll have. Take any food you find in the houses you come across, with the exception of anything that's spoiled. I doubt the former occupants are in any position to care about the theft, so don't feel guilty about it either.
I've seen no signs of wildlife or edible plants so far, so your only resources there might be whatever is inside the buildings. Others have mentioned food regularly found in the school and one of the convenience stores. Please refer to this for more information.
Warmth: Even with shelter, it is important to stay warm. Take whatever clothes and blankets you can find, especially if it's suitable for winter, but even a thin shirt is better than nothing. Make sure to cover your extremities - feet, hands, neck, and head. That's where you lose most of your body heat. Try not to have any open gaps in your clothes. If possible, tuck your shirt into your pants, tuck your pants into your shoes, and so forth. The less cold air can get into your clothes, the warmer you will stay.
Layer up. The more layers you have, the more you'll be insulated. If you get too warm, then you can easily remove some of those layers. I recommend switching out any that might have gotten soaked with snow or sweat. Keeping dry is important, because the cold will leech heat from your body that much faster if you are wet.
Frostbite: Pay attention to your skin, especially if any part of it starts to turn red or feel numb and tingly. Those are signs that that part of your body might be literally freezing. If this happens, it's best if you can submerge the affected part in water that is a few degrees above your body temperature. Lacking hot water, if you have a companion, you can press the area close to them for warmth, but don't rub. This could cause damage to frozen skin. If you're alone, then do what you can to use your own body for warmth and limit exposure, such as tucking your fingers under your arms.
Actual treatment beyond that, though, you'd have to ask someone else. I'm not a doctor.
Alcohol: Avoid drinking this if you find it, or drink it sparingly. It may make you feel warmer, but it is actually lowering your body temperature. Likewise, do not get drunk. If you get drunk and pass out in the snow, chances are you're not going to wake up.
That's all I have right now. If anyone knows more, or if something is inaccurate, please respond back to contribute.
Any questions?
@ishtar; text
thank you for posting this.
did you come from somewhere with a lot of snow?
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You're welcome. I hope it's useful.
Not exactly. I've done a lot of traveling, though, so I've been in a lot of places with snow. Sometimes had to hike through them on foot, so these were things I needed to know.
text ; @arachnebuster
also man u can put BLEACH in water?? u sure ur not fuckin with us because that sounds dangerous as hell
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Are you saying you need me to summarize for you?
[Thank goodness for text, making it easy to mask any tone of voice. If this guy is serious, then he'll take the question seriously. If not... well, he'll probably see Kunsel's deadpan for what it is.]
I am absolutely serious about the bleach. I've done it before. In small quantities, it's only lethal to germs and bacteria, not humans.
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If he turns his feed to video, Kunsel would be able to see Marcos sweating at his tablet. ]
yeah kinda
like i know what its like to have to live outta the gutter and live like those extremely religious christians
u know
the ones that like...self flagelate?
but i didnt know about the bleach shit so im guessing theres good stuff here
did u write abt how to start a fire outta nothing because thatd be mad useful
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Summary: Stay warm and find shelter for the night. Ration food and water, and collect anything edible you find that is safe to consume. Snow can be melted for water, but make sure it's clean.
I would really recommend going back and reading the rest, even if it takes you some time.
Do you have any tips to offer? I don't have experience with urban winter survival, so your input would be welcome.
[He's tempted to ask about the "christians," since he's never heard of that, but he can guess from context, and this guy made it sound like he doesn't handle masses of text very well. Best keep this response short as he can.]
I didn't include anything about starting fires. Those are more difficult to describe in text, and do still require some materials. I don't have everything I'd need. What do you have?
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aldskfajs MARCOS WHAT
I'M SORRY ABOUT HIM... TRULY...
Don't apologize. He's a glorious train wreck.
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1/2
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@SummerVacation
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Did you have any questions about any of it? Anything you didn't understand?
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I always had magic before. I've never tried to do any of this...
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Ahh. I feel you there. It would definitely be easier if I could just cast a Fire spell and fix half my problems in one go. Fortunately for me, a lot of my training covered a lot of worst case scenarios.
What did you do when you ran out of magic?
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@huziwara, voice
she skims a bit and... maybe save the rest for a slow day. ]
You ought to write a book.
audio; @standardissue
But he recognizes that voice, and willingly switches over to audio. He's feeling increasingly anxious, cooped up in this house like this. Maybe talking to someone will help.]
You think so? I wouldn't have considered that anything better than the books I learned half of that from.
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You a big reader? [ nerd. no, but really, even a book would be welcome. ]
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How are you doing? Did you make any progress on getting home?
[He kind of worried him back when they first talked, but the fact that she's still alive is at least something.]
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@Enoch, text
As for melting snow, I've noticed that water kept in our bags never seems to begin to freeze. Perhaps snow gathered in bottles will slowly melt, if placed inside?
I've been melting snow I've gathered, once I'm out of fresh water, using the heat from my body, so I haven't tried.
[...Actually that's only half the truth. But the other half poses an inherent disadvantage for some people so he doesn't want to share it until he's come up with a compromise.]
I shouldn't have discarded my old bag, come to think of it, when I found this larger one. It might have made some very good improvised gloves, with the right tools.
no subject
Still, might be worth it to try anyway.
[Because if he doesn't have to cuddle up to water bottles full of snow, he will be a happy, happy man.]
That's a good idea. If the material is that good at insulation, it would definitely be useful for staying warm.
Where did you find an extra bag?
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But I found the bag at the school. Has someone told you where it is yet?
[He hadn't known what a school was when he first came here, but he'd found that the majority of people here did know - for convenience's sake, and to familiarize himself with the word, he was using it without explanation unless asked otherwise.]
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If it didn't thaw your frozen food, it probably won't melt snow. That's good to know.
[Though he might still try a small quantity in one of his empty water bottles while he's traveling, just to make sure.]
I found the collection of maps that people have been putting together. Some of those have the school marked on them. I think I've figured out where I am now, too. If I'm right, I'm closer to the eastern convenience store.
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1/? Hope this was worth the wait.
With over two weeks gone by, he's at least been better adjusted to waking up feeling blind as a bat. Not that he likes it anymore than the first time he woke there. But it's something he's at this point accepted that it's likely not going to be a thing that will magically revert back. So, adapt, adapt, adapt. Putting old SOLDIER training to use in... well. Perhaps unexpected ways. Who would have ever thought that losing your own enhancements would be a thing? Sure, there certainly were plenty of creatures back home that could distort senses. But nothing had ever been permanent at least. Here, well...
Well, he's up at any rate now. Been up for a while. Up and restless when he finds the world howling outside and miserable. Up and antsy, hoping things will just settle down. Hoping that he and Lancer will be able to move forward soon because he promised Tadashi he would do his best to help him find his kid brother and far as he knows, that hasn't been a thing yet.
But the snow only gets worse. Worse to the point that it's impossible to see outside. It's the worst he's ever seen it and with all the rumbling, good chances this storm's to stay for a while which leaves him stuck in and restless as hell. Restlessness that starts with lots of frustrated grunts and squats until not even those seem to help and he finally decides to check tabs on the network.
...To find this hell of an essay. Well then. Not really that surprising considering all the questions this "Standardissue" had asked before. They sure had seemed all about being in the know and from how they had written, it didn't surprise him how pragmatic they were about information...
2/?
...
It's when he's skimming the other responses, more specifically those with "arachnebuster" that he notices the first signs of something unexpected. Not one name that he's heard of before. Nor two. No, three. In a consecutive list. And suddenly this turns from a quick skim review of tundra survival to something else entirely as he curiously begins to root through the rest.
Fort Condor. The Corel Desert. Cosmo Canyon.
Military. Twenties.
Midgar.
When Gaia pops up somewhere down the line, that settles it. There's no way they could be anyone else but someone from back from his world. Someone who definitely serves under ShinRa's thumb. Someone who definitely keeps tabs on all information and shares it as well as they can with the involved party. Someone who knows that lipstick is flammable (and hinted quite possibly that they learned it in an interesting way...)
Zack knows he should be more cautious though. That one wrong move and maybe he would be done. Maybe he would come to regret getting in touch with them if they're not who he thinks they are... and maybe a part of him really hopes it's not who he thinks because if it is, they're now in the same boat as him and Norfinbury's not a place he would wish on anyone, but especially not people so important to him. But now even the text style's starting to piece itself together.... The more he reads it, the more he's almost certain... ]
3/3 audio; @dreamsnhonor
It feels like hours when it's only moments after that that he flips on his audio. ]
Kunsel? [ There's a tightness to his voice as he speaks. So raw and overwhelmed. But it's very there. And it's very real. And Zack might have blown his cover, but that's really the last thing on his mind at the moment. The very last thing. Because first priority's finding out if this is the real deal or another hallucination. It wouldn't be the first time he's dealt with one of those...
A tiny, very guilty part of him hopes it's not. ]
audio; @standardissue
Because it can't be.
Five years now, and two reports of death, one of which Kunsel had had to dig and piece together vaguely classified information to even realize applied to Zack. A whole battalion against one SOLDIER (maybe two? He'd never gotten confirmation on the identity of the second "sample," just knew that even a whole battalion wouldn't have stood a chance if the second person was Sephiroth, but who else-) and his mind can't even stay on one train of thought before getting derailed and circling right back to-]
Zack?
[Where Zack's voice was raw, Kunsel's outright breaks, and maybe it's a good thing that something's wrong with his SOLDIER strength, because otherwise his tablet might be broken too, with the way his hand clenches around it.]
Is that-? [He tries to pull himself together, but he can't. He just can't. Five years, and he hadn't wanted to give up hope. No body, no proof. But five years and a bleak "mission accomplished" at the end, and even he-
He breaks that thought off. He can't finish it, hasn't ever finished it, no matter that-
His thoughts break again, like leaves spinning in the wind, and that wind is a voice that's right here.]
Tell me I'm not hearing things.
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Of course, little do they know... Ah-hahaha... ha...
[/sob]
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text ; @lovesya
[He needs to show that to Sheena - and probably get smacked for it. But hey, that'd help keep him warm too, for a second!
In all seriousness, though, he will show this to her, because all this sounds pretty useful. Sure, some of it is stuff he already knew - and assumes everyone should already know - but he did learn something new too. And that's kind of rare, so kudos to you, stranger.]
So, what exactly are you? Soldier, knight, freelance survival enthusiast?
text; @standardissue - Alaskdfjas Zelos, you're going to get hit
That's right. A warmer part of their body is better, like the torso or under their arms. Try for as much contact as possible, to share as much warmth as you can.
Soldier's probably the best description.
[About as accurate as you can get without capitalizing it.]
He really is and hahaha Kunsel isn't helping omg
But, okay, so the guy's a soldier. Got it. Maybe that explains why he's so clueless when it comes to the implications; all work and no play and all that.]
Torso, you say? Makes sense.
[Because of course that is the one thing he would focus on.]
And I'm guessing it helps if the person in question is more well endowed there, right? More mass to warm you up and all that~?
[You know, strictly professionally speaking.]
Kunsel's already regretting this
No regrets here
Not yet, anyway. I sense incoming regrets the moment Sheena sees this.
Shh no let's not tell her
Better just hope she doesn't come across this on her own, then~
/ buries all the evidence
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