Survival Challenge (on paper)

[Jefferson]

Hi all I have a nice little challenge to do below. This is something my girlfriend had to do in a interview she had... Have a go and write down your findings and I will release the answers in a week today!!

So here goes....

Lost at Sea
You have chartered a yacht with three friends, for the holiday trip of a lifetime across the Atlantic Ocean. Because none of you have any previous sailing experience, you have hired an experienced skipper and two person crew.

Unfortunately in mid Atlantic a fierce fire breaks out in the ships galley and the skipper and crew have been lost whilst trying to fight the blaze. Much of the yacht is destroyed and is slowly sinking.

Your location is unclear because vital navigation and radio equipment have been damaged in the fire. Your best estimate is that you are many hundreds of miles from the nearest landfall.

You and your friends have managed to save 15 items, undamaged and intact after the fire. In addition you have salvaged a four man rubber life craft and a box of matches.

Your test is to rank the 15 items below in terms of importance (and write your reason why), as you wait to be rescued. Place the number 1 by the most important item, number 2 by the second most important, and so on through to number 15 for the least important.

Here is your list of items (in no particular order)
A sextant
A shaving Mirror
a quantity of mosquito netting
a 25L container of water
A case of army rations
Maps of the Pacific Ocean
A floating seat cushion
a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture
A small transistor radio
20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting
Can of shark repellent
One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum
15ft nylon rope
2 boxes of chocolate bars
A fishing kit


Cheers Dave! :D

[Metal mug]

I'll bite

1. Water - Always need water

2. Transistor radio - To listen/call for any nearby help

3. Army rations - Handy for eating :)

4. Mirror - for signaling

5. Chocolate bars - Mmmmm choclate!

6. Fishing kit

7. Rope - always handy

8. Plastic sheeting - Could be used to make a sail?

9. Shark repellant

10. Mosquito netting - To make fishing net(s) with rope prehaps

11. Petrol/oil mix - I assume that the raft doesn't have a special motor that runs on this mix. :) You could pour it on the water an ignite it to signal help but I'm a bit dubious about this method as you could burn up the raft doing this.

12. Rum - a pleasant distraction if you're near death :D

13. Maps - This is low on the list as I assume we don't know where we are and I can't use a sextant

14. Sextant - I personally don't know how to use one so it ranks low on my list. If a book like 'Sextants for dummies' was included then it would rank higher on my list as well as the maps.

15. Floating seat - Nice but not necessary.



And so ends the list.

[paul standley]

My effort...


1. a 25L container of water - always first priority
2. 20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting - can use as protective shelter material, sail & to collect rain water or collect condensation at night
3. A case of army rations - after water & shelter comes food
4. A shaving Mirror - means of signaling
5. A fishing kit - potential for extra food
6. 2 boxes of chocolate bars - extra calories
7. 15ft nylon rope - multiple uses
8. A floating seat cushion - can be used with untwined rope and net as a form of drift net for fishing or as a floating platform for petrol fires for signalling
9. a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture
10. One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum - alcohol - use for 1st aid or as the last resort...!
11.a quantity of mosquito netting - could be used for fishing net
12. Can of shark repellent - you never know...
13. A small transistor radio - keeping up morale
14. A sextant - don't know how to use one
15. Maps of the Pacific Ocean (wrong ocean...!)

Paul

[Adam Savage]

A sextant 15: They may eventually figure out how to use it, but would be useless without charts really
A shaving Mirror 10: Use for signalling any aircraft or ships
a quantity of mosquito netting 7: For fishing, tied along nylon rope
a 25L container of water 1: For drinking :p
A case of army rations 4: For eating
Maps of the Pacific Ocean 14: May be used for thermal insulation perhaps
A floating seat cushion 8: Attach to one end of the nylon rope
a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture 13: No apparent use, as no way of igniting it
A small transistor radio 11: For keeping yourself sane, and listening for any news on search parties
20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting 3: Use for capturing condensation from sea water in raft, to produce drinking water
Can of shark repellent 12: In the rare chance a shark will attack
One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum 2: Also for drinking. Although not ideal, you get far more fluids from alcohol than you loose through dehydration
15ft nylon rope 9: Attach one end to raft to secure
2 boxes of chocolate bars 5: Also for eating, high in calories
A fishing kit 6: For catching fish to eat

[fish]

1] A shaving Mirror good for signalling ,also if washed up on an island full of Polynesian girls you want to look your best!

2] a 25L container of water Wont last long without it.also hygene old boy those girls are just waiting out there!

3] 15ft nylon rope allways handy! can be unwound to make line for fishing,sewing,

4] A fishing kit better to catch some grub ie fish,or birds that way make other food supplies last longer,help with morale besides there may be trout on that island eh?

5] 2 boxes of chocolate bars easilly converted into energy without using too much fluids to digest,and those native girls just love chocy bars.

6] A case of army rations again usefull as army rations dont just contain food.

7] a quantity of mosquito netting good for netting prawns,fry and other small sea insects,also if you make it to an island itd be a shame to die of malaria with all those polynesian maidens about! (also would make nice bikini's)

8] 20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting would make for a good sail,water catchment or shelter,could make a smoking jacket,no need to let standards slip old boy.

9] Maps of the Pacific Ocean may show shipping lanes and other usefull info.

10] A floating seat cushion flotation device and can hold water colected from rain.

11] a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture make a visible slick on water for air search.

12] A small transistor radio good for morale if nothing else,also parts could be useful for making suff like fishing lures etc.also keep up with the archers.

13] One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum Hardly a singlr malt but beggars cant be choosers eh?good for an antiseptic and seduction of said Polynesian girls....

14] Can of shark repellent you never know! dont supose it lasts long but would be good for confidence.

15] A sextant good for trading with the natives chaps they just love shiney stuff,and i have no idea how to use one!

[treefrog]

Before I submit an answer I'd like to research this by watching the entire Gilligan's Island series...

[Silverback]

I'm with Paul except following the rule of 3's - 3 mins first aid, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water 3 weeks without food

1. 20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting - can use as protective shelter material, sail & to collect rain water or collect condensation at night and for an improvised burn dressing
2. a 25L container of water
3. A case of army rations - after water & shelter comes food, cardboard packing for insulation...?
4. A shaving Mirror - means of signaling
5. A fishing kit - potential for extra food, and monofilament for suturing
6. 2 boxes of chocolate bars - extra calories
7. 15ft nylon rope - multiple uses
8. A floating seat cushion - can be used with untwined rope and net as a form of drift net for fishing or as a floating platform for petrol fires for signalling
9. a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture
10. One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum - alcohol - use for 1st aid or as the last resort...!
11.a quantity of mosquito netting - could be used for fishing net
12. Can of shark repellent - you never know...
13. A small transistor radio - keeping up morale
14. A sextant - don't know how to use one
15. Maps of the Pacific Ocean (wrong ocean...!)

[OakAshandThorn]

Well, let me see....

1: 25 L of water - hydrate or die
2: A small transistor radio - possible communication with US Coast Guard or other rescue service
3: A shaving mirror - useful for signaling to aircraft/ships
4: 20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting - useful for collecting rainwater, could also make a sail
5: A fishing kit - hopefully you'll catch fish for some grub
6: A quantity of mosquito netting - you could fashion yourself a fishing net (could be very handy if used with fishing kit)
7: A case of army rations - extra grub
8: A sextant - to determine your approximate location (latitude and longitude), sighting Polaris for navigation...if you know how to use it ;)
9: 15 ft nylon rope - many uses...you could use it to improve the mosquito net for fishing
10: Can of shark repellent - for the obvious reason, though you should be OK if you stay in the boat
11: 2 boxes of chocolate bars - high calorie grub for extra energy
12: A floating seat cushion - can be used as an extra bobber for fishing kit
13: a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture - if the the boat doesn't have a motor, it's pretty much useless
14: Maps of the Pacific Ocean - well, you're in the wrong ocean for it to be of much value for navigation; however, you could pour some of the petrol on it, put it on the floating seat cushion and light it on fire for signaling (should make black smoke)...as a last resort, or if a rescue ship/plane is close and for whatever reason the crews don't notice you flashing your mirror
15: One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum - if you're close to death, toast yourself and get drunk; die happy...er, sort of :p. Otherwise, don't drink it...you'll just dehydrate further. If you do get rescued, it's drinks all around for you, your friends, and the rescue crew :D.

With luck, you'll be rescued. Or if you're really lucky, you might survive to make landfall at the Azores islands.

[Metal mug]

15. Maps of the Pacific Ocean (wrong ocean...!)

Paul Ha ha, well spotted. :) I'm glad I put it down so far on my list now.

[Aragorn]

1. A shaving Mirror for signaling in day. You've a good chance of being rescued quickly. The captain would have logged your course and you would probably be on a radar screen somewhere.

2. a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture & matches. As above for signaling at night, pour the mixture on the water and set fire to it.

3. 20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting (used with item 4)

4. 15ft nylon rope , use with plastic sheet to make a sea anchor, will help reduce the search area if you stop drifting.

5. a 25L container of water. If not rescued quickly dehidration is next priority.

6. 2 boxes of chocolate bars. A good moral boost.

7. A case of army rations

8. A small transistor radio. Another moral boost.

9. A fishing kit. Keep busy.

10. Can of shark repellent

11. a quantity of mosquito netting

12. A floating seat cushion

13. One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum

14. Maps of the Pacific Ocean. No sailing experience, where would to go. Plus it would make the search area bigger if you did move.

15. A sextant. I wouldn't know how to use it, would you.

[Adam Savage]

The main use for a sextant in navigation (at least as far as I know how to use one), is to determine your position, relative to the equator and pole (latitude). This can be done using other items too, or even your fingers for a rough idea, but without a chart/map of the ocean you are in, it's pretty hard to make use of that information, especially if you have no knowledge/experience of sailing/navigating at sea. :(

[GalaxyRider]

Now the problem with these management type exercises is that they are complete nonsense, and are only used to fill an hour on the whizzy assessment centre that the company have paid £000s to put on, to make them look like a FTSE Top 100 Very Important Company. We do not know anywhere near enough information to make anything like an informed decision.

For instance where in the Atlantic did this happen? Near Rockall and you won't be needing the Shark spray, near the Azores and you may well. Is it summer, autumn, winter or spring? What are you wearing? Did anyone die, or are you all squeezing into the liferaft? As for providing the "correct answer", well, on here there is quite a bit of experience, and we can't agree, so how the hell is there a right answer. Lofty, Bear and Ray would struggle to agree on this one.

1. A sextant
2. A shaving Mirror
3. a quantity of mosquito netting
4. a 25L container of water
5. A case of army rations
6. Maps of the Pacific Ocean
7. A floating seat cushion
8. a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture
9. A small transistor radio
10. 20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting
11. Can of shark repellent
12. One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum
13. 15ft nylon rope
14. 2 boxes of chocolate bars
15. A fishing kit


My main piece of advice would be to turn down any job in a company that uses this process to select suitable individuals to work for them.

[Adam Savage]

Did anyone die, or are you all squeezing into the liferaft?

The Skipper and two crew were lost in the fire, so I assume they perished, leaving you and three friends.

I agree totally with your statement though. It's impossible to be totally accurate with the information given, but I guess it's only a bit of fun for us :) Mainly to poke fun at stupid "team building" activities, dreamt up by some pencil pusher with a psychology degree :D

[Silverback]

Sigh ! Here we go yet again. We are doing it for a bit of fun, a bit of a distraction well, some of us are.

[GalaxyRider]

A sextant. Pointless, you can't use it as you don't have the appropriate charts, skills or knowledge. Chuck it out.
A shaving Mirror. Signalling possibilities, it stays.
a quantity of mosquito netting. Possible use as a mosquito net I suppose.
a 25L container of water. Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. It stays.
A case of army rations. Food, it stays.
Maps of the Pacific Ocean. Possible use as kindling or arse wiping paper
A floating seat cushion. Possible kindling.
a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture. Signalling possibilities.
A small transistor radio. Chuck it out. You don't need to know the football scores, and the frequencies will be all wrong.
20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting. It stays, you can wrap bodies in it as you have to kill them to eat.
Can of shark repellent. Where are we exactly? Nah, sod it, chuck it, or keep it as a flamethrower when your mates come looking to eat you.
One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum. Yayy, get pissed!
15ft nylon rope. It stays, you may come across someone who has blown out to sea on a lilo and who needs a tow
2 boxes of chocolate bars. Yummy
A fishing kit. I hate fish, I'd chuck it.

Still sticking with no order though, as everything I need I need, everything I don't I don't. I'd argue it out at the one to one interview stage.

Did your girlfriend get the job? Was it for a pharmaceutical company by any chance?

[fish]

i had the 'crash in the artic' version of this on a job centre approved training session,when i made the pont that there was not enough information i was given a warning,when the woman instructor went through the list of items and said that the brandy was the most important becouse it would keep you warm i explained that it doesnt it actually lowers your bodies tempurature thus making you feel warmer and you were probably going to kill yourself like that,i was chucked off the course and benifits stopped! lol

however i thank the thread strter as ive quite enjoyed this bit of fun.

[Silverback]

Well said fish. Alcohol predisposes humans to hypothermia !!

[fish]

Well said fish. Alcohol predisposes humans to hypothermia !!

apparently so does being well informed and the jc stops yer money! lol

[Silverback]

Bloody job centres eh?

[AL...]

I would just go for a swim!

Cheers
AL

[butchthedog]

Well fella's I would look at the map, realise I had the wrong one, Drink the full bottle of rum and chuck the rest of the gear over the side in disgust. Then realising what I have just done jump in the water realise too late that I can't swim, Panic and swallow a shed load of water, slowly drown,,,,,,,, game over.

I'll get me coat.. Dave :ashamed:

[NeedABrew]

My ditch kit has a lot more stuff in it than that (Including the raft!) can I not use all those bits? :-)

I can't see the mosquito net being much use for fishing - the mesh is way too fine.

The floating cushion could be used as a life saver if somebody falls in I suppose.

Given where we are I would dump the radio as there's not likely to be any signal to listen to and without a transmitter there's no point. I would take the batteries out though as I could use them as a fire lighter.

The alcohol is 80% abv so could be used for sterilising wounds but wouldn't be much use for anything else - It won't float so no use for signalling.

Fishing kit (assuming we can catch some fish) would provide water via fish blood & flesh too but then water is needed to digest food (protein especially). Little and often with eating raw fish as this should reduce the amount of water needed to digest it (maybe I'm not 100% sure but it seems to ring true).

That's about as far as I've got but then I've had a long day lol

Are my two castaway friends male or female? No idea if this makes a difference but I will think on it.

[NeedABrew]

In fact, if they are female - The chocolate goes higher up my list :happy-clapping:

[OakAshandThorn]

I can't see the mosquito net being much use for fishing - the mesh is way too fine.
Well, it could be used as a dip net - say for instance you're lucky enough to catch a fairly large fish, you could use the mosquito netting to help bring the fish to the surface...assuming you were smart enough to use the nylon rope as a makeshift frame for the net, which would make landing the fish a lot easier. But yeah, other than that, the mosquito netting is pretty much useless.


In fact, if they are female - The chocolate goes higher up my list :happy-clapping:
Definitely true ;). And I've even known some guys to go crazy for chocolate.
But hey, that's the beauty of the endorphins and serotonin from the cocoa bean :D.

[fish]

stuck in a life raft with 2 women? fxxk it ide jump over board and be done with it.

[Adam Savage]

stuck in a life raft with 2 women? ide jump over board and be done with it.

Now that has to be the correct answer

[GalaxyRider]

stuck in a life raft with 2 women? fxxk it ide jump over board and be done with it.

Oh I don't know, I reckon you could have some fun in that situation :p

[SimonB]

A sextant ..... No good if you don't know how to use it.... See if I have a phone singal, and internet.. Stick it on ebay.
A shaving Mirror.... Good for signalling, would keep it...
a quantity of mosquito netting ... Try and make a drift net to catch fish in early morning/evening, and use it as a sunshade during the heat of the day.
a 25L container of water Definitely keep.. The number one on my list.
A case of army rations ... Number two on my list,
Maps of the Pacific Ocean ... Make good loo roll as it's the wrong map for the water I'm stuck in.
A floating seat cushion .... Sit the most unfriendly of the three survivors in itand cast him off........
a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture .... Wait to see any passing planes/ boats in distance... chuck it overboard wait for a big slick, (making sure it is going AWAY from the lifeboat), then light it... The black smoke created should be seen for miles.
A small transistor radio.. See if there's any local radio/ shipping transmissions to get a rough idea how far from land we are.
20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting ... Combined with nylon rope, try and make a kite sail...
Can of shark repellent Good deodourant if nowt else...
One bottle of 160 per cent proof rum.. HIC!!!!
15ft nylon rope... See plastic sheet
2 boxes of chocolate bars.. Add to ration pack.
A fishing kit.. Used with mossy net..

[Jefferson]

I have decided to knock the nail on the head a day early as i am going to be busy tomorrow evening....

So, I would have to agree with some of you, and this is a little farfetched but at the end of the day it is a little bit of fun and a little bit of banter.. In my eyes there is no right and wrong answer because everyone would do things slightly differently... as far as I know it was someone from the US coastguard who made up the question and the answers...
I have always been told throughout school and college that 'The ability to read is a distinct advantage’ and this applies here..

So in the eyes of the interviewer these were the correct answers....

According to the experts, in this case the US coastguards, the basic supplies needed when a person is stranded mid-ocean are articles to attract attention and aid survival until rescue arrives. Articles for navigation are of little importance since even if a small life raft were capable of reaching land, it would be impossible to store enough food and water to survive for that amount of time. Without signalling devices, there is almost no chance of being spotted and rescued.
So, the list below is the ranking order of the items according to their importance to your survival:

A sextant.. 15 - Useless without relevant tables and a chronometer
A shaving Mirror... 1 - Critical for signalling
A quantity of mosquito netting ... 14 - There are NO mosquitoes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the netting is useless for anything else
a 25L container of water ... 3 Vital to restore lost fluids
A case of army rations ... 4 - This is your basic food intake
Maps of the Pacific Ocean ... 13 - Useless wrong Ocean
A floating seat cushion .... 9 - Useful as a life preserver if someone falls overboard
a 10L can of petrol/oil mixture .... 2 - Critical for signalling. The mixture will float on water and could be ignited using the matches
A small transistor radio.. 12 - You would be out of range of any radio station
20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting ... 5 - Can be used to collect rain water and shelter from the wind and waves
Can of shark repellent... 10 - to repel sharks, of course.
One bottle of 160 percent proof rum.. 11 - Contains 80% alcohol, which means it can be used as an antiseptic for any injuries, otherwise of little value. it would cause dehydration if drunk.
15ft nylon rope... 8 - Could be used to lash all the equipment together to prevent it being washed overboard in a storm.
2 boxes of chocolate bars.. 6 - Your reserve food supply
A fishing kit.. 7 - Ranked lower than the chocolate as there is no guarantee you will catch any fish

I would like to thank everyone for giving it a go and having a laugh at each other’s answers (I know I laughed at a few) and like a said before everyone would react differently but may still come to the same outcome so there is no right or wrong answers.. But well done to all those people who got fairly close to the answers.

Cheers Dave :D

[GalaxyRider]

Yeah, but did she get the job?

[Jefferson]

that's the beauty of the endorphins and serotonin from the cocoa bean :D.

trust me there is no beauty in the cocoa bean... I work with it everyday... it carries salmonella, its dusty, it’s very abrasive, it stinks, when it is a liquid it gets everywhere, and it separates the fat out which again is horrible... oh and most of all it tastes disgusting (well me and everyone who I work with think so) but each to their own :D

[Jefferson]

Yeah, but did she get the job?

Oh and yes she did.. she also did suprisingly well on this question.. she said she thought they were trying to catch her out so chose answers she wouldnt have normally chosen :D must of worked!!!

[GalaxyRider]

Oh and yes she did.. she also did suprisingly well on this question.. she said she thought they were trying to catch her out so chose answers she wouldnt have normally chosen :D must of worked!!!

Congratulations to her.

[Jefferson]

Congratulations to her.

Thank you :D

[Adam Savage]

I didn't even notice the box of matches :oops:

I wouldn't have gotten the job :D

[OakAshandThorn]

trust me there is no beauty in the cocoa bean... I work with it everyday... it carries salmonella, its dusty, it’s very abrasive, it stinks, when it is a liquid it gets everywhere, and it separates the fat out which again is horrible... oh and most of all it tastes disgusting (well me and everyone who I work with think so) but each to their own :D
It carries salmonella?! Dang - had no idea. Well, I'm referring to the natural chemicals within the bean itself ;). But yeah, it must be a pain in the arse to process it from what you describe.

[beermaker]

I know what you mean about ridiculous interview techniques - I went for an interview as an engineer at a large car manufacturing plant in the north east, who shall remain nameless. As part of the interview I was given just a newspaper headline and was allowed 5 minutes to come up with a 2 minute presentation to make in front of the directors of the plant, the senior engineers, the HR people and the other candidates. My headline? "Tesco's stole my cat".......

Good fun exercises though, I use the liferaft scenario with the kids at work to make them think about ordering and reasoning and getting them to work together to make decisions :)

[rawfish111]

[QUOTE=beermaker;73243] "Tesco's stole my cat".......
QUOTE]

Your local takeaway is called Tesco's? :ashamed:

[wildish64]

Your local takeaway is called Tesco's? :ashamed:[/QUOTE]

lol here :happy-clapping:

[SilverBinder]

1. 25 L water water and food primary concern
2. case army rations food and usually have matches
3. 2 boxes of chocolate bars food
4. 20 square feet of opaque plastic sheeting Shelter, distiling water, holding water, collecting rain
5. 15 ft nylon rope Used in combination with plastic to make the items mentioned
6. fishing kit to obtain food plus cordage and hooks may be used for other uses.
7. mosquito neting shelter and nets to catch fish or birds
8. rum fuel for alcohol stove, wound disinfectant, bottle can be used to store water.
9. shaving mirror signaling or lure for fishing.
10. sextant mirrors and glass for fishing
11. maps of the pacific great items for notes or fire starting
12. Seat cushion comfort, life preserver, fishing float, tinder for fire starting plastic can be used to hold water
13. can of shark repellant can used for making improvised stove
repellant may be used as a marker as it is usually a contrasting or fluorescent color
14. Oil/petrol mix used for signaling and cooking
15. radio used to test for proximity to land or parts used to make fishing lures batteries shorted to make sparks to create fire


Think out of the box! Even the simplest of items can have multiple and significant uses.




"This is Liberty Hall - you can spit on the mat and call the 'cat' a b*st*rd."