A Spoon and a Hunting Knife
What do you need to survive?
The note tied to the spoon reads: “This teaspoon is the only one I had on the 1894 ice cap dash for the Pole. This & my hunting knife were the only tools to eat with I had with me. I had a string in the hole in handle & tied it around my neck inside my shirt & when needed pulled it out stirred my tea & returned it. S.J. Entrikin” Survival, of course, is about more than a few tools. Endurance and mental toughness are just two attributes that also make a difference. However, considering just the material needs, it is easy to make a comparison with the Chilean miners whose survival in 2010 depended upon tools that had to fit through a pipe only a few inches in diameter. What do you think you absolutely need in order to survive?
I will always be astounded by the resourcefulness of explorers that lived 100, 150, even 200 years ago. Imagine being stranded in the middle of nowhere today with Gore Tex boots, gloves, and shell, snowmobile or fiberglass skis, wicking-action underwear, wind-proof tent, cell phone or radio, GPS, etc., etc. and then contrast that with Entrikin and his cohorts. They had fur, some wool, ivory, iron, mica, bone, brass, and the stars. It would be very tough now, nearly impossible then.
Rob Lukens, Guest Curator
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