Help me understand...

thatmguy

thatmguy

Joined
Mar 26, 2000
Messages
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Why do I keep seeing people list iPods, Walkmans, etc in their "survival" gear, and the rationale is always "to keep me relaxxed while waiting to be rescued"???

With your ears plugged you cannot hear potential rescuers, making them work all the harder to find you.

Just seems counterlogical to me (read moronic)....

Same with people who take them hiking. What is so wrong with the sounds of nature that you have to take jams with you?

Also, how are you going to hear any "companions" (2 or 4 legged..).

Help me understand some logical reason.... (by logical I mean not just becasue you want to.. unless that is the only one, then I'll know...)
 
I was proud of my gift and meant it as a joke.

The only electronics I carry with me in my pack is a Sony sw7600gr and maybe my motorola t7200s. Perhaps they are moronic also because they would also interfere with hearing nature, rescuers, or conversation with my fellow survivors. Oh well I guess I am a moron. Chris
 
maybe they can use the Walkman for the weather? and maybe the tones will help w/ stress? but to me seeing birds play or just walking in the woods would help w/ the stress more than tones have a old way of thinking i guess.
 
I used to carry a walkman (wife confiscated it) in my gear. I used it for weather like the previous post, but when camping, I did listen to a little music in camp.
 
If anything it could be helpful to a kid if he was scared of the noises in the dark but then he couldn't hear if something happened. i don't know why some one would bring an ipod or something else.?
 
I can see a radio for emergency broadcasts, I have a small emegency radio that i keep in my car. But i see no need for an ipod in fact when i am camping or hiking the thing that annoys me most is the sound of a loud stereo from another camp or a hiker on a cell phone.

I also agree with the idea of keeping some Personal music around for a calming factor with children, it may make a night in the woods or in a red cross shelter more compfortable.
 
a small radio with am/fm/sw is a great way to check weather, news, information that might be crucial to your survival. not for diddy bopping through the woods, but to gather information.

alex
 
Perhaps to calm someone down and relax them, to take someone's mind off the situation. Pictures of loved ones,or just a pretty girl they don't know, items with sentimental value, such as the watch in the movie Pulp Fiction have worked to keep people alive or to remind people of the reason to stay alive in virtually every situation I am aware of.

I know for a fact Soldiers keep momentos, ipods, walkmen, books, magazines and anything else that will help remind them of home or family and help to keep their sanity.
Chris

EDIT: Even Les has his harmonica.:cool:
 
I was more referring to earplugged/budded set ups, which preclude hearing anything else well (if at all).
 
thatmguy said:
I was more referring to earplugged/budded set ups, which preclude hearing anything else well (if at all).
Click to expand...

I think my answers are applicable to those as well, my ipod plays video, how about a short video of your wife, girlfriend, child, parents would that be motivating?
 
Wow, never heard of anyone claiming this type of thing as "survival" equipment. I can see if you're on a solo camping trip and want to listen to some music by the campfire before turning in. I personally have no place in my gear for an IPOD.
 
It's a morale thing to me. I have an MP3 player with a radio on it. It's dual purpose and since Santa brought it to me I've been carrying it every day. I used to carry a CD player in the Marine Corps and it definately helped with hard times in bivouac. It's not something you go walking with or sleep with it on, it's something just to unwind at the end of a stressful day and some songs that remind you of home and family can be a HUGE morale booster.
 
maybe a Small radio for weather reports and such......anything beyond that I cannot understand the reasoning !!!
 
A sad state of our dependance on modern things to keep us sane.

I dont understand it either.

Skam
 
If the mp3 player has a radio in it you could just listen on one earbud. You may be able to get some sort or info on SAR operations if you are lost. For instance if you hear a broadcast that says the search is in the next valley over it could help you know where to go to increace your chances if being found.
 
If you know what the next valley over is ... how can you be lost?
I have a small radio in the BOB that includes shortwave capability. I have listened to it during "disasters" and found virtually nothing helpful. (In fairness some local stations do occasionally cover some useful homemaking tips on their programming). The most that is covered in terms of lost people is "boys/hunters/skiers/snowmobilers have been missing for ___ days" "Searchers are hopeful" etc. etc. Specifics are kept to a minimum to prevent an invasion of unqualified people from swamping the search/rescue efforts.
I see no use, other than entertainment, for carrying Ipod/mp3 type electronics in the outdoors, although I may be missing something.
Just my opinion...based on experience...
Enjoy!
 
Ipod's have external speakers too, so it's not 100% assumed that people would be wearing earplugs. You can even use one plug, and leave the other ear open.
How about camping and hiking? There is nothing wrong with nature, but, someone can listen to their music too.

I don't carry anything except a cell phone and a GPS unit, but, I don't find it the least bit out of the ordinary, the Ipod is just the transistor radio of the 21st century. The old fogies were beefing about them back in the day.

Our armed service men and women in Iraq are in a survival situation, and I would bet it is very soothing for them to see pics of their children, and even hear their voices.
 
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