Help with homework!

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Messages
12,294
This is Pitdog Jr.

We are reading a book at school about a kid who survives a plane crash in the Canadian Wilderness called "Hatchet". My Teacher has asked if we were the kid what extra item would we wish for to help us in such a survival situation. All he has at the moment is:

A broken digital watch,
$20 and some change,
and his Hatchet, of course

My Dad and I can't decide between a Cooking Pot and a Fero Rod - what do you guys think regarding other suggestions or the ones mentioned.:confused:

Thanks - Pitdog Jr.


I forgot to mention that it has to fit in his pocket !!!!
 
since he does get the fire with flint (although that would be tough with lame tinder, it worked) I would have to say the pot.
 
The ferro rod takes priority over the pot,

He needs shelter and fire more than a pot to carry and boil water. He has his hatchet so he might be able to make a spark with that and found items like a rock but he would have to be spot on with his fire making skill for that.

Dont forget that airplane, he has everything in it to utilize, including the items belonging to the dead people in that wrecked plane, including their clothes. Im just saying this because you need to take into account all resources available. So that "hatchet" kid could potentialy have alot more to work with than what your teacher is laying out for you.
 
Pitdog Jr.,

From this teacher to you, good job on doing your research. I'll suggest going with a ferro rod for fire if you argue the lead character can't start fire without one. A pot or cooking container could be bent into shape out of the aluminum fuselage of the plane. With fire, you can purify water, stay warm, signal, cook food, give light to night and so much more. At the Wilderness Learning Center, we place a lot of emphasis on learning how to make a fire. The lead character would be better off with a fire than without one. If you wanted to go with a pot, you could say a fire could be made with the plane's battery and something flammable or maybe by sparking a piece of steel but it isn't easy and he probably doesn't know how to do it in this unorthodox way.

A hatchet is a great piece of gear. With a hatchet, many tools can be constructed and solid and substantial shelters can be made. Elevated beds with evergreen boughs can be made easily and warm shelters are possible. If the edge is sharp and properly maintained, it can be a decent substitute for a knife.

Let me know if I can help you out in any way. Enjoy the book. It fueled many of my early woods trips and hopefully it will do the same for you.

Kev
 
It really depends on the background of the kid (skilled or unskilled). I would say if the broken digital watch can be used as a signal then I would take the SAS survival handbook lol, if not then I would take a mirror or a flare. If he can make fire by friction or use the hatchet along with a rock to make sparks then he doesn't need a ferro rod.

Signaling would probably be my first choice.

A pot would be nice, but I think that book takes place in Alaska or Northern Canada where clean fresh water is in abundance.
 
shipwreck said:
The ferro rod takes priority over the pot,

He needs shelter and fire more than a pot to carry and boil water. He has his hatchet so he might be able to make a spark with that and found items like a rock but he would have to be spot on with his fire making skill for that.

Dont forget that airplane, he has everything in it to utilize, including the items belonging to the dead people in that wrecked plane, including their clothes. Im just saying this because you need to take into account all resources available. So that "hatchet" kid could potentialy have alot more to work with than what your teacher is laying out for you.
Click to expand...

Sorry guys again, it was a small bushplane with only him and the pilot in it and the plane sank in a river
 
A bunch of string or cord would be useful for snares, fishing, making tools, and lots of other fun tasks that help you not die.
 
My PSK!!! An Altoid tin filled with the following:

2 firesticks
lantern flint lighter
cotton balls
gauze pad
ferro rod
tube that contains: fishing line, hooks, and extra matches
20ct. box of waterproof/windproof matches

I carry this thing in my front left pocket everyday, and yes, it all fits in the altoid container.

Since it all fits in "one" container, it counts as one item, thus he would want "my" psk :D.
 
IH8U said:
It really depends on the background of the kid (skilled or unskilled). I would say if the broken digital watch can be used as a signal then I would take the SAS survival handbook lol, if not then I would take a mirror or a flare. If he can make fire by friction or use the hatchet along with a rock to make sparks then he doesn't need a ferro rod.

Signaling would probably be my first choice.

A pot would be nice, but I think that book takes place in Alaska or Northern Canada where clean fresh water is in abundance.
Click to expand...

This kid needs to keep from dying from hypothermia, that is going to be a more pressing concern that signaling at this point. If he has a reliable method for making a fire, he can signal with a bon fire. But first he has to maintain his body heat long enough for rescue to start looking for him.
 
Well, he made fire using the hatchet and flint. He made shelter by improving a hollow boulder. He made a bow and arrow to hunt with. He didn't have access to the plane for most of the time because it sank in the lake where he crashed it. Dunno. When the tornado came it raised the plane so that he could retrieve an emergency radio and summon help. Didn't need the ferro rod but it might have made things easier. Could have used a cookpot, mirror to signal, or a knife to skin and butcher his kills or make things with easier than with the hatchet.

Good story by the way.

Codger
 
Pitdog Jr - This is hard for mem to answer because I have read the book and know what happens. I know what he manages to do and what would have really helped. I loved this book, as well as the sequels. I don't want to spoil the story for you.

I don't know how many people would be comfortable with this, but I think if I could have given Brian one additional thing, without the benefit of knowing the story, I would agree that it would be a firesteel. Certainly, if more than one item were allowed, a cooking pot/water container would be next. Third would be a better jacket than the one he had with him.

For those who aren't familiar with this story, I'll describe the situation. It is summer time in the Canadian North. Brian is a 13 year old boy. He was travelling by small plane when the pilot had a heart attack and died. The plane was knocked off course and flew for a long time before Brian realized he was about out of gas and was going to have to put it down. The crashed plane is submerged in a lake and so it or anything on it is not available to him. As Pitdog Jr. said, Brian has taken inventory, which includes:
  • A broken digital watch
  • $20 and some change
  • and his Hatchet, of course
The only reason Brian had the hatchet is because it was a gift and he was flying general aviation, so there were no security prohibitions. It isn't like he was setting out to prepare himself for being stranded.

-- FLIX
 
shipwreck said:
This kid needs to keep from dying from hypothermia, that is going to be a more pressing concern that signaling at this point. If he has a reliable method for making a fire, he can signal with a bon fire. But first he has to maintain his body heat long enough for rescue to start looking for him.
Click to expand...

If you read my post, fire was obtainable via rock(flint) and the hatchet.
 
IH8U said:
If you read my post, fire was obtainable via rock(flint) and the hatchet.
Click to expand...

I said the same thing in my original post as well. But that doesnt mean there is a high probability of the kid pulling off that feat of woodsmandship and firemaking.
 
Im starting to think no matter how many times I ask, Bkultra is never going to give me that hatchet.
 
Guys, we don't know how far pit Jr is in the book, so let's be careful not to ruin the story for him.

I agree with Flix. If I didn't know what happened, my vote would be firesteel. The hatchet takes care of most of his other needs and the firesteel would be his best bet IMHO.

Fantastic book, btw. I reread it and The River only a couple of weeks ago. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
 
i would suggest a small knife for taking care of food and other fine cutting.

if not a knife i might suggest a sharpening stone to keep his hatchet in good shape, though arguably he could find a good enough stone to keep his hatchet sharp.

out of the two options that you have narrowed it down to, i would say go with the ferro rod. this would potentially give him mobility, if he desired it. he could travel anywhere and make fire, and not have to worry about maintaining the fire that he has, or always finding birch bark.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top