Keeping Your Advantage: Terrain and You, Week III [Monday, Period 4]

[atreideslioness]

"Welcome back," Ghanima said as the students entered the Danger Shop. She was standing beside two large trunks, and the room was blank, not yet assigned an environment. "Today, we're going a bit farther north than many of you, myself included, are accustomed to."

She pressed a button on the remote, and suddenly the students would find themselves surrounded by snow and cold winds. "Welcome to the Arctic!" Ghanima said cheerfully.



She was cheating and regulating her own body temperature, which was why she seemed unbothered by the sudden change of scenery. Normally she wouldn't use her Bene Gesserit talents in such a flagrant way, but it was only for an hour, and was hardly going to lead to Abomination. "I hope you brought your mittens! For those of you that didn't..." she knelt to open the first chest, which was filled with coats, hats, mittens, and snow shoes. "Suit up."

"Long before brick or wood houses with indoor heat became commonplace, people had to be creative when building homes to protect them from nature's elements," Ghanima lectured as people got dressed. "Wealthy Europeans embraced the concept of a nearly indestructible castle built from stone. Native Americans in warmer climates favored the tepee, or tipi, made entirely of animal hides or bark."

"Unfortunately, for the inhabitants of Earth's more frigid regions, such as the Canadian tundra, neither of these were good options. Building materials were pretty much nonexistent, making it difficult to craft even the most rudimentary home. These people used the only abundant material to form a modest roof over their heads: snow. Thus, the igloo was born. The Inuit, better known to some of you as Eskimos, invented the igloo centuries ago. The igloo was a means for hunters to survive brutal winters in a vast area spanning more than 3,500 miles, including eastern Siberia, Greenland, Alaska and parts of Canada."

"Today, we will learn how to build the most basic of snow shelters," she continued. "Knowing how to make a snow trench shelter, a snow cave, or igloo can save your life in a winter survival situation. The great insulative qualities of snow can be used to help keep you warm enough to survive in even the coldest weather; but only if you know how to use the snow to your advantage."

"Only experts should try to make an igloo to spend the night in, least it collapse on you. A snow trench or cave, however, almost anyone can do," Ghanima said, quickly explaining the techniques behind making a trench. "I've provided shovels and knives for today's work, but you won't always have such equipment in the field. Snowshoes also make good digging tools, and if you're carrying a field kit, a cup or pot will also work."

"Now get to work," she said, opening the second chest to distribute tools to the class before taking a knife for herself. She wasn't going to ask the students to do something that she was unwilling to attempt herself. "Feel free to work solo or in groups. I programmed the room so that we've got one hour to dark, and you don't want to be caught out without a place to sleep."


[OCD Up!]

Comments

Sign-In #3

[atreideslioness]

Like you're Sam McGee!

Re: Sign-In #3

[endsthegame]

Andrew Wiggin

Listen to the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Talk, suit up, plot revenge against the teacher! Honestly, she deserves it.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[solo_sword]

Jaina was listening, especially with this sort of subject. She'd been in this sort of arctic climate three times in the past year, she figured she should pay attention.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Blind Seer looked insufferably smug as Firekeeper was forced to bundle up (including shoes) against the elements.

The talk of different sorts of human dens was fascinating, though, and she paid careful attention to the lecture.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah was layering away for dear life. "Cold cold cold cold cold..."

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth bundled up and listened intently to the lecture.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[heartflames.livejournal.com]

Eleanor suited up against the cold, wondering if Ghanima would notice if she used a bit of Fire Magic to keep warm during the exercise.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[weetuskenraider]

Oh, there was some epic bitchfacing as Tahiri suited up for this, glad she'd been practicing that temperature-regulation stuff.

Which didn't mean she didn't have to put on a whole bunch of layers anyway. And boots.

Augh.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Having walked through the arctic in nothing but her normal clothes before, she was almost given deja vu but the changes in her since that day meant that she was quite a lot more comfortable than she was last time with the cold.

Knives. Cutting. Well, she might actually have a leg up for today.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[puppy_fair]

Zack... Really didn't seem to notice the temperature change, much. Chock that one up to his SOLDIER modifications, too. And so there he stood, bare-armed and all, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

He was in good spirits, darn it. He got to play in the snow.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela didn't have to do anything to regulate her body temperature, that happened automatically. So she didn't really need the heavy clothes. She moved immediately to the snow shoes and started strapping them on. She was heavy enough, despite looking so skinny, that she needed those even more than most people.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[saikyou-no.livejournal.com]

Kenshin scowled fiercely as he was forced to put on the protective gear. For a few moments, he'd thought that he'd be all right - Shishou'd training had included standing out in winter weather - but this was much, much colder.

If that was even possible.

He wondered if the teacher was cheating somehow.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[future_sandworm]

Leto listened to his sister as always, but he didn't look quite pleased about today's topic.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah layered up, but she was also glad that she could cast a warming spell if she got too cold.

She hated the cold -- but hated the idea of pissing off Ghanima by cheating even more.

Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[atreideslioness]

Work alone or in groups to dig shelters into the snow, using these instructions as references.


[Warning: Both links are image-heavy for those at work. Totes WS, no dirty, but I thought I'd give ya'll a heads up.]

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[solo_sword]

And for as much as Jaina had been in these environments, she'd never had a hand in the construction. And the whole while she was digging, she couldn't help but think this would be easier with a dead tauntaun. Was that wrong?

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Shovels? Hah! They needed no shovels. Blind Seer's paws made certain they had a trench dug out in minutes. Now, to set about creating the roof.

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth picked up a shovel and started digging a trench. She was perfectly capable of doing it herself, but a partner would also be welcome.

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[endsthegame]

Ender's only experience with this kind of cold had been back when the school was still safely secured in the arctic, back when he'd arrived. Still, it was useful knowledge to have, and he took to the instructions methodically and with attention to detail. It put a strain on his muscles, a good strain, and he avoided perspiring as much as possible.

That didn't mean he'd say no to assistance, but he did need to know how to do this on his own.

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Fiona strapped on a coat before she started working, figuring it best to cover at least her vital organs for the moment just in case the changes were more perception and less helpful than she thought. If her fingers went blue or started being less helpful, she'd put on the rest.

The instructions were rather straightforward and the snow was easy enough to work with when she put an edge on her tools. She was doing all right on her own, but she wouldn't mind help at all.

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah tromped over to an open spot, and started digging. "How deep do we want to make this?" she asked Zack.

Talk to the TAs

[atreideslioness]

Once they tag in.

Re: Talk to the TAs

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri definitely looked less than happy about the boots she had on (this was not remotely a surprise to anyone who knew her), although she was trying to act like it wasn't that big of a deal.

It so was, though.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

Whine about the snow. Ghani dares you.

OOC

[atreideslioness]

A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.
-- Carl Reiner

In this, Ghani, Carl, and I all agree. ICK.

Re: OOC

[solo_sword]

And I agree with the three of you. *hides where it's warm*