Shackleton's 2 pounds.

J

jackknife

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Oct 2, 2004
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I had read this Book "Endurance" many years ago, so I recently re-read it. I was amazed and filled with admiration at these men who for months were marooned on an ice flow in the Wedell sea. When the ice started to break up, and it was time to take to the open boats to row to Elephant Island, Shackleton restricted the men to just 2 pounds of personal gear per man. Knowing the sea was going to be a very rough trip to Elephant Island, he had them take little as possable so as not to overload the boats.

Two pounds of gear is not much. Most of you carry more than that just in cutlery.

What 2 pounds would you take? It's a rough couple days of freezing wet rowing, followed by months of being marooned on Elephant island.
 
Can we pick from an unlimited list, or are you going to provide us with a list of what shackelton's men had with them from which to pick?
 
Dunno yet, but I'd extend that couple of pounds to a few pounds simply by replacing that crappy old clothing that retained all that water.
 
My gear that I take with me on day hikes is 2.5 pounds minus pack and cutlery. Is that close enough?;)
 
my long hawk and long knife weigh less than two pounds together.

i'd probably make a seal hole and wait for dinner and a parka and mukluks.

Shackleton was a bad ass.

vec
 
Back then was there any outdoor gear that weighed under 2 lbs??
Clothes and a book A pocket knife and a match safe
Lots would be covered under communal gear I would think. A team effort
Your going in a boat hopefully to be rescued,so would you need a knife to cut anything,
what would you need to make a fire in a boat not needed either
Come to think on those terms and 2lbs is generous.

Dan'l
 
jackknife said:
....What 2 pounds would you take? It's a rough couple days of freezing wet rowing, followed by months of being marooned on Elephant island.
Click to expand...
Are we including the clothes they wore, or is the two pound restricted to luggage/food/water for the trip?

I would think that together they would have enough brains to not double up on equipment and would together have selected a range of equipment that would have given all the greatest chance of survival.

If you could provide a breakdown of the total equipment available (with corresponding weights), I would suggest what I would have recommended.

Without this starting list, I really can't give an informed answer :thumbup:




Kind regards
Mick
 
It's Antarctica, cold, wet, cold, so everybody would have to get the clothes on their back, a couple pairs of mittens, a few pairs of socks, extra pair of boots, their sleeping bag and maybe a pound of tobacco.

The 2lb personal stuff would be something like the favorite pipe, playing cards, journal and pencil, a book, maybe a pocket knife, a sewing kit, a musical instrument, reading glasses. In the case of a navigator a spare compass or for a seaman an awl.

Gold cigarette cases, gold currency, big gift Bibles from the Queen and the french postcard collection would have to be left in the snow.

Shackleton sounds like he believed in fast and light instead of trying to supply for every possibility. :D
 
dboles said:
Back then was there any outdoor gear that weighed under 2 lbs??
Clothes and a book A pocket knife and a match safe
Lots would be covered under communal gear I would think. A team effort
Your going in a boat hopefully to be rescued,so would you need a knife to cut anything,
Click to expand...

actually - the opposite was true, from what i read - knives were critical for many reasons on the trip, from clawing ice, to cutting rope because fingers were frozen and couldn't untie knots, etc.

you can find ways to survive without clothes in the Arctic circles - you can't live without a knife though in primal living styles.

what would you need to make a fire in a boat not needed either
Click to expand...

they stopped on ice and land and cooked. they might've had to separate too, so individual kits would've behooved one to have along, i reckon.

dunno. one of those things that it is better them than us! har!

Come to think on those terms and 2lbs is generous.

Dan'l
Click to expand...

sounds about right to me still....

vec
 
For those who might not know about Sir Ernest Shackleton here's a link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Shackleton

Here's a link to view some photos from the expedition http://www.shackleton-endurance.com/images.html


There's a fascinating documentary on youtube, I hope the link works and if you have the time you must watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrjiODxJC2g

If you can track it down there's also a movie with Sir Kenneth Branagh called "Shackleton".

The story exemplifies what great leadership can achieve when it's coupled with will, determination and technical skill. The 800 mile navigation from Elephant Isle to South Georgia in the open boat is just staggering. Then walking 36hrs to find a whaling station, been the first to make that route (the next crossing of South Georgia been made in the 1950's), it just blows my mind.

If it wasn't a true story you wouldn't believe it to be possible!

Knowing that if I was part of that group and it would be impossible for me to die I would take family photos, perhaps a very small musical instrument and a couple of books (one would've probably been a bible).
 
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