One Week Away From Everything

[robject]

It occurs to me that I have little understanding of what it means to really be seven days separated from everything and everyone. Even in the 1970s, you had to be pretty far into the sticks to be seven days from a pay phone or road -- in most of the U.S. anyway. I imagine it's easier to get lost in Alaska...

I guess I'm speaking from a much-of-the-U.S. point of view here.

Don't get me wrong: you can always get dumped into the prairie, like they do in ranger training. There are places you CAN go to be that remote. But... you really have to be intentional about it, it seems, well, here in the U.S.

It's just not an experience I have ever had, and not likely to ever have. I have always been relatively close to civilization, whether in a fishing town in Mexico, or hiking the Mogollon Rim in Arizona, or on Interstate 10. I don't think I've ever been one week away from civilization.

I realize the reason for this: we've always used automobiles to get there. Thus, we never strayed more than a few hours from automobile roads.

 

[Dragoner]

Not being from America, I have seen things smaller, and more distant. It is interesting in that the pattern of clusters repeats itself. Things have definitely gotten smaller, now I talk to home almost daily, where even twenty years ago, it was a chore.

 

[Condottiere]

Most Americans don't have a passport, so I'd say that's the equivalent of being quite content to stay within your own solar system.

I happen to enjoy flying, just selective with whom.

 

[whartung]

It occurs to me that I have little understanding of what it means to really be seven days separated from everything and everyone.

But where does this happen? In Jump, in most case, you're with your crew or with the passengers. You're just isolated from your friends and family.

I did a solo 10 day road trip up through Canada. I was alone, but rarely lonely. There's people everywhere, just that I didn't know any of them.

There's always those edge cases: lone explorers, isolationists (who like being alone), emergency and disaster survivors, X-Boat pilots (but they have other entertainments).

 

[Nathan Brazil]

It occurs to me that I have little understanding of what it means to really be seven days separated from everything and everyone.

How separated? Forced or by choice? What level of subsistence during that time? I do not believe anyone truly is by choice.

By example there is of course the film "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks. I saw it, understand it intellectually, and empathize but not truly feel it. Thank goodness. He really is isolated and eventually almost "everything" materially and socially is stripped away. Prisoners in modern solitary confinement go stir crazy even though they get the comfort of being fed meals, seeing the hand slip the food in or let out of the cell for 3 minutes.

Even in our (I'm American too) frontier heritage we were often not truly separate and alone. On a practical level, we rely too much on civilization's benefits. Sure pack up the mule with month's worth of supplies. One mistake, a bad fall or some incident causing injury and you are dead.

 

[aramis]

Having done a weeklong hike, twice, by choice, with a church group, it's an odd mindset. I knew I'd hear no news.
It's less bad than it seems, when doing it as a group.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Having done a weeklong hike, twice, by choice, with a church group, it's an odd mindset. I knew I'd hear no news.
It's less bad than it seems, when doing it as a group.

You hit an important point there.

The first is the difference between being a week away from news and two weeks from backup if needed, and being a week away from allies. It's different when you have friends along.

Another issue is that you're not always a week from everyone -- the locals (when present) are right there, and have been all along. Their news may or may not be just as out of date as yours, depending on the situation.

 

[infojunky]

I have been 7 days from anywhere several times in my life, but I took a ship with me. Long hours of standing watch alone really brings the separation home.

Though I must admit in this day and age with the constant Electronic chatter even formerly distant places are much closer now, at least mentally.

 

[mike wightman]

I've gone solo camping a few times, no phone, no company.
Bliss.

 

[aramis]

I have been 7 days from anywhere several times in my life, but I took a ship with me. Long hours of standing watch alone really brings the separation home.

Though I must admit in this day and age with the constant Electronic chatter even formerly distant places are much closer now, at least mentally.

My one trip by sea, working passage, we had a sat dish, and were not "out of touch"...

I've gone solo camping a few times, no phone, no company.
Bliss.

For many, nightmare. I can handle a camping trip sans electronics and non-party-members, provided the party is at least 3 people and we've thinks to talk about &/or games to play...

 

[HanleyTucks]

There's a TV series Alone, where they take 10 people and dump them in the wilderness somewhere to survive for as long as they can - last person remaining, wins. The thing is, apart from a medical visit every week or two, they have contact with no-one else. You could be on day 9 and there's only 1 other person left, or on day 90 and there are 9 other people left, you've no idea. It's really, really hard to keep going when you don't know how long the journey will be, and even harder to do it alone.

I charted the data from several seasons, and found that the median time for people to leave the show due to quitting was 28 days, and the median time for them to drop out for medical reasons (mostly starvation and simple accidents) was 57 days. The mind gives out some time before the body does. In fact, there were several who didn't even last a day - missed their families, heard a bear, etc.

Interestingly, former military guys were often the first to quit. You'd expect them to last because of their wilderness experience, but of course in the military you almost always have a team with you, people bring you food and ammunition, you'll be relieved by another team at some known point in time, etc. You're not alone entirely on your own resources, you've got lots of company and massive backup.

There was also a book and documentary called Touching the Void about a climber who in the midst of a storm, fell, hung there for hours until his partner (unknown to him) gave up and cut the rope, fell into a crevasse, broke a leg and had to crawl out and a couple of miles across a glacier back to camp, all the while thinking his partner might be dead and there might be no camp waiting for him, it all blown away in a storm. We know his story because he survived. How many like him tried but failed, and how many simply gave up, lay down and died?

The mind usually gives up before the body. But the body is not invulnerable.

 

[Dragoner]

Howarth's We Die Alone is a pretty good book about a Norwegian resistance fighter, making it out or Norway, crossing mountains while wounded. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242669.We_Die_Alone

 

[Enoki]

As a different point of view on the same matter, How far away does something have to be to be considered too far, or a long distance for you? From my POV living in Arizona for decades, I consider having to drive or go 200 + miles one-way a long distance. Driving 50 miles one-way somewhere is routine. That's like nothing.

Seven days in the Middle-of-Nowhere is really nothing to me, be it camping in a tent or whatever. I got used to that growing up because back in the day, most of Arizona was in the Middle-of-Nowhere. When driving you had to plan ahead for things like getting gas. Gas stations weren't everywhere.

Survivorman is a good series on this idea. Les Stroud is probably about as close to the real thing on this as you can find in a show.

 

[Timerover51]

It is only since World War 2 and the massive increase of intercontinental air travel that places have been so much closer in terms of time to get there. As it is, it still takes over a day to get to South Africa from most of the U.S., and over a day to get to the Solomon Islands. Bulk cargo from overseas still takes considerably more than a week to reach the U.S. It was not until steam ships with somewhat efficient engines were operating in the North Atlantic that you could reach England and Europe in a week or less. You did have to sail across the North Atlantic though, and not everyone reached their destination. Titanic anyone? That was not the only passenger ship lost, as there were those that simply disappeared. You operate within the constraints of the travel technology. If you want to go faster, then change the technology.

 

[Grav_Moped]

And until (fairly) recently, air or ocean travel meant you were out of contact with the rest of the world until you reached your destination (no sat phones or internet).

 

[Spinward Scout]

It always surprises me that people really don't know that just about 50 miles from Chicago in almost any direction is cornfields and forests with just an occasional town here and there. Getting lost in a cornfield is not fun. As an adult, I realize I just walk in one direction until I hit a road. But when you're a kid and the corn is towering over you, it's overwhelming. You really feel far away from anything.

 

[Timerover51]

It always surprises me that people really don't know that just about 50 miles from Chicago in almost any direction is cornfields and forests with just an occasional town here and there. Getting lost in a cornfield is not fun. As an adult, I realize I just walk in one direction until I hit a road. But when you're a kid and the corn is towering over you, it's overwhelming. You really feel far away from anything.

Or get on one of the B motorways in Scotland near Loch Ness, and discover exactly how far away you are from help if you have problems. The Scottish Highlands look quite remote as such times.

You also hit the nail pretty much on the head as well, Spinward Scout. I have horses grazing on the other side of my backyard fence.

 

[Dragoner]

My mom used to make us de-tassel corn until she decide we came home too dirty for the money.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Or get on one of the B motorways in Scotland near Loch Ness, and discover exactly how far away you are from help if you have problems. The Scottish Highlands look quite remote as such times.

You also hit the nail pretty much on the head as well, Spinward Scout. I have horses grazing on the other side of my backyard fence.

Two neighbors with horses here.

My mom used to make us de-tassel corn until she decide we came home too dirty for the money.

Weeding fields and feeding animals mostly. Hard to believe that was really good money then. Now I can't even buy a full lunch with what I made in a day..

 

[Dragoner]

Weeding fields and feeding animals mostly. Hard to believe that was really good money then. Now I can't even buy a full lunch with what I made in a day..

I come from a peasant background, my Mother remembered her Grandfather (the original dragoner) farming with mule teams, and taking produce to town by horse cart. The value of money has seen a steep decline though, yes.