You will be given a map and asked to find and gain knowledge about various areas of the world. Your job is to visit each area and gather relevant information, which you should write up in something other than text form [for example: take photos, record audio] so it may be posted on this blog. Use any media or tools available to you in your environment to do this.
This blog is meant to document our progress as well as provide useful information for future survivors. Some research will be done before you start your task, but not too much else besides what may be given in the description.
What is a survival map?
A survival map is a representation of an area, typically of the world or some region. It can consist of anything from simple markings on paper to complex digital representations. A good portion of our ancestors would have used maps of this sort in their real life adventures, if they were stranded in the wild with nothing but what was around them to survive.
A typical map will include all sorts of information. For example, it could have noted things like shrubbery, trees, patterns in the terrain, rivers/sources of water, creeks/smaller sources of water in an area, rock formations or anything else that may be useful to survival. These are what you must examine and document.
State of survival map
A state of survival map is a representation for how different areas are now, post collapse. It could be as simple as the image you see to the right, or it could take on an even more complex form if someone was so inclined. The point why this matters is because some areas will obviously have changed drastically, which may make them harder to survive in. An example of this is the jungle, which could be very hard to travel through without knowing where to go or how to live off the land while inside it. That’s why you should know what your state of survival map says about the area you’ll be travelling through.
Survival map marking
A mark on a survival map is defined as an area that has been examined and documented. Once you have completed whatever the task was for that specific area, go ahead and use your virtual pencil (highlighted in blue on our example) to make a simple dot over the center of the location you chose. The dotted line means it is now “marked” on your map.
See example to the right for the full view of what this looks like, but refer to our map below if you need more help finding specific areas. Once you make a mark you can say whatever you want about that location, whether it be good or bad, just remember to stick to the topic of what you’re trying to put out there. It’s also a good idea to include a date on the dot, as it will help show how quickly some places can change after a collapse.
Importance of knowing your surroundings
A survivor should always know where they are, especially when in the wild. Knowing what is around you can mean the difference between life and death if something dangerous shows up. It would only take a few moments to remember this advice and it could save your life in any survival situation that includes map making or navigation. Your location on our survival map is shown as a star, or one of two dots. To show an exact location you should use the green marker to pinpoint it, but if your area is nearby just drop a blue dot where you are so we can track your progress easier. Try not to be too specific about it though, because this map is not asking for your exact location.
In the future once our map is complete we will have a much more thorough look at what each area of the world could turn into if things get worse, so it would be wise to use this knowledge to your advantage. In other words, you can get ahead of the game by doing research today on some areas that may become difficult or even dangerous to live in. It could help you plan an escape route or some other alternative, but remember there is no way to know for certain what will happen after a collapse.