Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Maximum Spin

3 (20%)

All the Forum users

5 (33.3%)

Me

3 (20%)

Traditional Gods

1 (6.7%)

Other

3 (20%)

Total Members Voted: 15

[Fluffe9911]

T pose to assert dominance

This step is very important

[Kashyyk]

A lot of things you want to do would be easier with some tools. So, let's get you into the stone age!

Whilst you're wandering about, doing whatever, keep an eye on the rocks you pass. You want to find rocks that are glassy or waxy, rather than dull. If you're lucky you've got Obsidian nearby, which is awesome for this, but its pretty rare cos you have to be near a volcano (either active or exctinct).

You're probably more likely to find Chert or Flint, but either way, it probably won't look the best until you break it open,so you've got a fun time ahead of you of smacking rocks together. In the firsr spoilered image below (warning, it's large) is a load of Chert and Flint that has been split open to reveal the glassy interior. We hope it's all smooth, and a bit shiny? That's what you're after, add the rock with them split off in sheets and with a bit of practice you can get that knapped stone blade look. Just to warn you, most rocks will be garbage on the inside too. Stone age peoples actually had trade routes purely of good quality rocks for tool making.

Anyway. The first thing you'll want up make is a blade, something like the one in the second spoiler. It won't be anywhere near as good as the knives you're used to, but it definitely beats trying to cut stuff with your bare hands.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[ConscriptFive]

Hey, there.  Hope you haven't died yet.

Anyhow, you should have charred wood from your fire pit.  If you can find a surface that stays dry, you should be able to use the charcoal to mark up a map.

Speaking of staying dry, have you improved your shelter yet?  Sleeping under the stars is cool and all, until you get pnemonia from your first thunderstorm storm.  You said you have some vines, so you can tie the branches of your lean-to tighter.  Should keep the wind and rain out better.

[Stirk]

Those containers will work for now. Yes make more of them and make the fire pit to harden them, when they are hardened, you’ll be able to put the bugs and berries in the water inside and boil said water, cooking the bugs and berries in the process, making them softer and easier to digest, as well as killing any diseases any of them may have on or in them. As for sharpness, I heard of whetstones for sharpening rocks, but am not completely sure how it works. If you rub a rock against a different rock and one rock begins flaking, the one whose flakes are coming off is the one you’ll be able to shape. It will take a while though

Alright, bringing the pottery home and starting up a fire. Actually its kinda hard to move multiple of these things at once. Especially if I'm holding this stick too. They're even more squished now than before. At this point you'd be disappointed in a middle schooler who made these things for a class project. Fire is starting up easier this time but still taking longer than I'd like. I'll try baking one at a time to see if it works or if I have to mess with something.

If I'm going to go across the mountain collecting things I'm probably going to need some kind of backpack. I still have my pockets, but I need one of those for my phone and I can't really put anything big in the other one. Otherwise its going to take me multiple trips to do simple things like pick up some rocks.

I haven't been paying close attention, who told you to eat bugs? That's a terrible idea; they're fine (if certainly not to my taste) as a snack or delicacy but you will die if you try to use them as a staple. Nobody has ever survived on bugs, whoever told you to do that was stupid.

All right, I've been staying out of this thread because I know too much about this stuff and didn't want to make it too easy, but clearly somebody needs to take charge here! Take stock of your resources: list all the types of plants and trees you can identify in your immediate vicinity, and describe to me any that seem to be common around you that you can't identify. Then tell me about the animal populations you've observed.

Oh thank god. It was ...

For the berry’s, Check the size and shape of the leaves, along with the color. Stay away from berries that are white or yellow. They are most likely poisonous.

Also, For food, try to find things crickets and grasshoppers, things like that,Termites, ants, slugs, snails. earthworms, because it can be hard to actually capture an animal or catch a fish, but it's pretty easy to find insects. Just turn over a rock or a log and see what's living under there.

Here. Mostly its been ants and earthworms I found while doing all the digging you guys have told me to do. I'm very happy to stop that and never do it again.

Anyway I'm from the tropics, what little plant and animal knowledge I have is completely useless here. I can describe things but I don't think I can get you like a species or even common name. Sorry I'm kinda useless. So here's my best attempt:

-Pine trees
-Moss and moss-like things
-Grass (some yellow and dried out. I use this for tinder now.)
-Several types of bushes
-Berry bush (tasty purple berries, didn't kill me, oval leaves with saw blade edges half a finger long)
-Vines (five leaves, greenish [not ripe?] berries, didn't give me a rash, grow on pine trees)
-Some purple flowers I saw near the creek while looking for clay

And animals:

-Squirrels (Heard not seen. Not sure if they're modern or not.)
-Birds (Heard and seen at a distance while flying)
-Centipedes or millipedes (squished to build confidence)
-Ants (Eaten. Not tasty)
-Earth Worms (Eaten. Not tasty.)
-Several flies.

I can try to get more detail on whatever if you want. I've been mostly looking out for animal markings, fancy rocks, and edible plants so I might have bypassed some less-tasty looking plants/trees. I'm still not even sure if I'm on Earth or not so I'm not even sure if these plants are actually what we think they are.

You don't need shoes, I don't wear the things and I'm fine.

I guess my feet haven't been terribly injured so far. We can call that "working out well".

T pose to assert dominance

Alright, done. Got to say I think I prefer the chest-pounding way of asserting dominance. Really gets the adrenaline pumping.

A lot of things you want to do would be easier with some tools. So, let's get you into the stone age!

Whilst you're wandering about, doing whatever, keep an eye on the rocks you pass. You want to find rocks that are glassy or waxy, rather than dull. If you're lucky you've got Obsidian nearby, which is awesome for this, but its pretty rare cos you have to be near a volcano (either active or exctinct).

You're probably more likely to find Chert or Flint, but either way, it probably won't look the best until you break it open,so you've got a fun time ahead of you of smacking rocks together. In the firsr spoilered image below (warning, it's large) is a load of Chert and Flint that has been split open to reveal the glassy interior. We hope it's all smooth, and a bit shiny? That's what you're after, add the rock with them split off in sheets and with a bit of practice you can get that knapped stone blade look. Just to warn you, most rocks will be garbage on the inside too. Stone age peoples actually had trade routes purely of good quality rocks for tool making.

Anyway. The first thing you'll want up make is a blade, something like the one in the second spoiler. It won't be anywhere near as good as the knives you're used to, but it definitely beats trying to cut stuff with your bare hands.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I think I saw some rocks that look smooth and shiny in the creek bed while looking for clay. I'll go try breaking them open and see while my fire is hardening the hopefully clay.

I found some shiny rocks. They're a bit more yellowish brown than the ones in your picture but I think its the same? The ones in/near the creek are pretty small though.

Hey, there.  Hope you haven't died yet.

Anyhow, you should have charred wood from your fire pit.  If you can find a surface that stays dry, you should be able to use the charcoal to mark up a map.

Speaking of staying dry, have you improved your shelter yet?  Sleeping under the stars is cool and all, until you get pnemonia from your first thunderstorm storm.  You said you have some vines, so you can tie the branches of your lean-to tighter.  Should keep the wind and rain out better.

Alright, I can try when I get back. Sky is still clear right now. I don't really know if there is a place that will stay dry in a storm aside from (and its being optimistic) my upgraded leanto. Should I try making one so I can have a map?

[Maximum Spin]

All right, first things first, you need to learn how to hunt. Break a branch on a pine tree, or cut into the trunk with whatever you have available (a jagged rock will work). You just want to get some of that nice sticky pine gum; collect as much as you can onto something (not your hands, you'll never get it off). Heat it gently in your campfire to make a kind of primitive glue. Then, go somewhere where you know some smallish birds hang around, spread the pine gum on branches and rocks, and lay out some of those gross bugs you were eating before on them.
Let me tell you something about birds: birds are stupid.
Hang back a bit where you can see the area from a distance, wait for birds to start investigating the bait. The pine gum will tend to stick to their feet and restrain them - probably not for long, but long enough for you to rush in and grab one or two. Then, you bring them back to camp to field-dress them. You're probably not going to be able to do much more than pluck them and roast them at this juncture, although you can try to cut them apart with sharp rocks to butcher them a little better - either way, you can then pick meat off the carcass with your hands. Don't shy from eating organs if you can stomach it; they're nutritious. Just don't eat the digestive tract. However, if you can remove the digestive tract, you may find a sort of pouch containing small hard stones which some birds swallow to improve their digestion; you might be able to find a use for those, such as for grinding (which is, after all, what the birds use them for).
Birdskin is one of the less useful kinds of skin, but if you can strip off a decently-sized section while butchering, you might find it useful. It has historically been used for clothes, pouches, and so on. Tanning is probably beyond your means at this point, unfortunately.
Remember to bury whatever's left after you've eaten everything you find edible, or the smell will attract predators. Planting seeds where you buried the remnants is a good way to get a last little bit of help out of them. I hope you're getting seeds out of those purple berries, at least.

[A_Curious_Cat]

Does this look familiar?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Or this?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Also, does the plant have thorns on it, and do the berries taste acidic?

Edit:  fixed pictures.

[King Zultan]

If you need to sharpen a stick you can rub it against an abrasive rock until it's pointy, this is a similar technique to what prisoners use to make their shanks.

[BlackPaladin99]

Sharpen your stick using the method described here:

If you need to sharpen a stick you can rub it against an abrasive rock until it's pointy, this is a similar technique to what prisoners use to make their shanks.

But make two points instead of one, and harden both points in the fire.  Then, go to a River and position yourself so that your shadow falls behind you, and try to spear a fish, cook it, and eat it.

[Stirk]

Back at camp now. I think my clay cup thing exploded somehow. I knew I was bad at pottery but I didn't know I was set-cereal-on-fire bad. I got a couple of "bricks" that have almost decent shape but I'm kinda scared to put them in the 'kiln' now. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Lean-to is upgraded to be tied together. Now it looks like a pile of sticks with some decorative vines on top. I've got a fallen log nearby that I'm using to sit on and as a shelf. I'm getting enough stuff that there isn't much room on it anymore.

All right, first things first, you need to learn how to hunt. Break a branch on a pine tree, or cut into the trunk with whatever you have available (a jagged rock will work). You just want to get some of that nice sticky pine gum; collect as much as you can onto something (not your hands, you'll never get it off). Heat it gently in your campfire to make a kind of primitive glue. Then, go somewhere where you know some smallish birds hang around, spread the pine gum on branches and rocks, and lay out some of those gross bugs you were eating before on them.
Let me tell you something about birds: birds are stupid.
Hang back a bit where you can see the area from a distance, wait for birds to start investigating the bait. The pine gum will tend to stick to their feet and restrain them - probably not for long, but long enough for you to rush in and grab one or two. Then, you bring them back to camp to field-dress them. You're probably not going to be able to do much more than pluck them and roast them at this juncture, although you can try to cut them apart with sharp rocks to butcher them a little better - either way, you can then pick meat off the carcass with your hands. Don't shy from eating organs if you can stomach it; they're nutritious. Just don't eat the digestive tract. However, if you can remove the digestive tract, you may find a sort of pouch containing small hard stones which some birds swallow to improve their digestion; you might be able to find a use for those, such as for grinding (which is, after all, what the birds use them for).
Birdskin is one of the less useful kinds of skin, but if you can strip off a decently-sized section while butchering, you might find it useful. It has historically been used for clothes, pouches, and so on. Tanning is probably beyond your means at this point, unfortunately.
Remember to bury whatever's left after you've eaten everything you find edible, or the smell will attract predators. Planting seeds where you buried the remnants is a good way to get a last little bit of help out of them. I hope you're getting seeds out of those purple berries, at least.

I still don't have any sharp rocks (I did bring a pocketful of maybe-chert back to camp), but there is a bunch of baby trees around here. I think I can break them and get some gum with just my hands. I was planning on cooking them over the fire in my cup...but for explosion-related reasons I don't have the cup anymore. My backups are still kinda mushy and might just explode if I put them over the fire. Any idea what I can use to heat it over my fire?

Should I try to kill the birds with a stick or throw rocks or something? I'm fine with trying to eat the bird roast-chicken style. After chomping on earthworms bird liver sounds like a deliciously. How do I identify the part I'm not supposed to eat?

And uh...Ok, I just ate the berries whole without thinking about it. But before too long I think I'll have the seeds buried somewhere anyway.

Does this look familiar?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Or this?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Also, does the plant have thorns on it, and do the berries taste acidic?

Edit:  fixed pictures.

Nope to either. They're less thorny and more gentle. Like they're wave shaped but I can rub my finger down them and it feels soft and nice. The saw-blade things are also pretty tiny and you can only see them if you're looking hard at the leaf. They taste kinda sour, I guess that is supposed to mean acidic so yeah. I don't see any thorns on the branches or leaves.

If you need to sharpen a stick you can rub it against an abrasive rock until it's pointy, this is a similar technique to what prisoners use to make their shanks.

I've advanced to the pointy stick era! I tried it on a smaller stick then my walking stick and it worked out fine. Its not really that pointy, but its pointier than a non-stick!

Sharpen your stick using the method described here:

If you need to sharpen a stick you can rub it against an abrasive rock until it's pointy, this is a similar technique to what prisoners use to make their shanks.

But make two points instead of one, and harden both points in the fire.  Then, go to a River and position yourself so that your shadow falls behind you, and try to spear a fish, cook it, and eat it.

How can I make two heads without a cutting tool? I can just kinda rub a stick hard on a rock to get a kinda-point, but I'm lost on how to make it split.

I guess I could look for fish in the creek. It was pretty small though. Not sure what I'll find there. Or should I look for a bigger river?

[A_Curious_Cat]

How about this?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Edit:

Or this?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Stirk]

How about this?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Nope. Leaves are smooth aside from the edges, and the berries are small like blueberries or huckleberries. Stem is smooth too. The edges are just jagged shaped. Its also more bush-like then that.

[A_Curious_Cat]

This?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Stirk]

This?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Yes! Just like that!

[A_Curious_Cat]

This?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Yes! Just like that!

It looks like your berries are in fact bilberries (also called blaeberries, urts, hurts, hurtleberries, huckleberries, myrtleberries, wimberries, whinberries, winberries, blueberries*, or fraughan depending on location/dialect).

*They’re actually a different species than true blueberries.

Anyways, they are very much edible and can be used for a number of culinary purposes (basically anything you might use true blueberries for).

In addition, it appears that the leaves are (where? Will be?) used to make a medicinal tea for the treatment of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders.

[Fluffe9911]

What do those purple flowers look like by the way are they light purple or dark purple tall or short many grouped up or spread out etc etc