Stranded on a desert island: Which 4 would you choose?

[Are_grits_groceries]

Water purifier
Knife
1st aid kit
Tarp

Please don't snark at these. Why would you choose others? I am interested in other views.

[longship]

1. I think you've about got it correct.

BTW, I recommend the novel The Martian by Andy Weir, about a guy stranded on a desert island, namely Mars. It is a very good read. Very geeky. Weir even calculated Earth to Mars and back trajectories to make the story more realistic.

The book was like another on anti-gravity I read recently. I could not put it down.

[Cal Carpenter]

25. Yeah, talk about resourceful

I really enjoyed that book too. I tend to read heavier stuff, and it was great to read about a guy stranded alone on Mars without the existential angst one may expect. I LOLed a lot.

[Warpy]

77. I got turned off by the initial survival

which would not have happened, he'd have been dead as a doornail.

I did enjoy his soil building adventures.

[longship]

80. Well, there would not have been a novel if he didn't survive initially.

I did rather like the book.

[Warpy]

95. Yes, but there had to be a better way than explosive decompression

stopped just in time by a blood clot. Gimme a break, man. He'd have been dead instantly as gases boiled out of his blood and caused air emboli and blood takes time to clot, too much time to save him.

[longship]

100. Well, did you read beyond the first chapter?

just kidding.

All told, I think the novel is fairly scientifically accurate. I read it twice in a row, so I got a good view of how the narrative pans out. I certainly wasn't going to put it down because blood clots would be slower in real life.

Funny, it reminds me of a SciFi movie of earlier years,


Kind of the same theme.

My best to you.

[Warpy]

106. I think I got to 4 or 5 before I got sidetracked.

I'll probably pick it up again soon and finish it.

[longship]

107. It is like Star Trek.

Once you get past the Warp Drive, which is just a plot tool to get the Enterprise to the next scene after the commercial, the rest of the narrative falls into place.

Here's the deal with "The Martian". If Mark Watney does not survive the first scene, there is no book. So give Weir a break and keep reading. It is a damned good read, and Weir generally gets the science dead on right.

My best to you.

[Warpy]

110. Well, more like the transporter,

it turns out warp drive is theoretically possible, at least on a small scale.

The first scene just annoyed me, one reason I finally set it aside for a while. It could have been done a little more believably, like a fall down a cliff without decompression, companions leaving because no one could survive a fall down that big a cliff, not taking lower gravity into account.

[TBF]

89. That's the best book I've read this year -

could not put it down.

[cali]

2. first aid kit, water purifier, knife and matches

[Omnith]

3. The mirror by far

Is the most important survival item on the list (used to get noticed by plains or ships) I would also get water purifier, matches and pot.

[Logical]

37. Flare gun much better!! nt

[B2G]

40. Matches give you fire to create smoke

among other critical things

[Travis_0004]

43. How many matches?

They dont last forever, and have to stay dry. A mirror can signal a plane, or reflect the sun to start a fire.

[B2G]

47. Hence my tent.

Once you get fire, you keep it going barring a major downpour.

I seriously doubt I could start a fire with a mirror.

[malaise]

4. Water purifier, knife, mirror

and matches

[Are_grits_groceries]

5. I thought about matches,

but I can make a fire without them. It's a good skill to learn.

[KittyWampus]

22. you changed your cats! The one on the left is so funny.

Edit- found it. Called Trollcat. LOL

[malaise]

96. True - I need my matches

I can make a fishing rod

[Scootaloo]

6. Knife, matches, tarp, flare gun

Knife - sheer utility

matches - gottahave fire.

Tarp - shelter and utility

flare gun - best chance of getting off the island.

Why no water purifier? Well, assuming that we're talking an island like "castaway", then the primary source of water will be rain. Possibly coconuts or fish blood. The purifier can't clear salt or urine toxins, so is basically wasted luggage. If on the otherh nad hte island's main source of water is still lakes or ponds, then it's in.

Why no first-aid kit? Look at the first-aid kit you have lying around. It's first aid to provide immediate treatment before getting to someone who can do better. if you're alone, then a first aid kit, while better than nothing, isn't going ot do a world of good. However, it's "iffy" purely because there's no beating antiseptics - but you'll run out eventually. better to use hte flare gun to get off the island!

[Are_grits_groceries]

7. Good ideas.

I had briefly thought of some of your points but not a lot.

[Scootaloo]

8. Spend enough time in the woods, you pick some things up

99% of the time, the stuff in your first aid kit is going to be more useful as tinder (gauze is lovly at that job.) The remaining 1% of hte time, in a strict survival setting, well, you're screwed even if you have the first aid stuff. A first aid kit gives you a sling for that broken arm, but you've still got a broken arm. and you could make a sling out of that tarp. Or your clothing.

Dem antiseptics, tho. A cut on your hand could be even worse than that broken arm. Given the option, I'd trde matches for antiseptics.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. Mirror signals AND helps build a fire.

[Scootaloo]

11. Mirror won't help build a fire

That's a magnifying glass. A mirror could be helpful for signalling, but could be mistaken for any number of shiny things floating around. a flare is obviously deliberate, and is understood to mean distress

[BigDemVoter]

9. Hmmm

mirror for several different uses (can use to start a fire)
knife--
pot--can use to boil water to purify and to cook
hand saw--build shelter

[blogslut]

12. knife, rope, pot, boots

Just seems like the items that would do those most.

[Jeroen]

13. Mirror, knife, tent, water purifier n/t

[Are_grits_groceries]

15. Lol!

I thought of that option.

[KittyWampus]

24. up until the ipod battery dies….

after what, 3 hours?

[Initech]

51. You'll need a solar power connection to charge your ipod battery.

But yeah that's a good combination.

[libodem]

54. That makes me laugh

[Tsiyu]

84. rofl!

I'd pick the pot (kettle), the tent, the first aid kit and the pot.

The kettle can be used to boil stuff and hold purified water or foodstuffs covered so that critters can't get to it, the first aid kit as shown is gonna have all sorts of goodies, like a small knife you can attach to a stick with tape, and string for fishing, just all sorts of potential there.

The tent provides shelter at first, then the tent poles can be detached for fishing poles or to hold other materials once the tent fabric degrades. The tent fly can catch rainwater, the metal rings and other parts can be used for other stuff.

The weed is to keep me from completely losing my mind, and it can help with pain management once the meds run out in the kit. But realistically, I'd probably pick the knife. But it would be a tough choice.

Fun exercise.

[malaise]

102. ROFL

Where are you going to charge that ipod?

[Hugin]

16. The only two I might substitute from your list... Although, you've chosen wisely.

The primary uses of all of these items are obvious. So, the next step is to think of secondary and tertiary uses of the items and their constituent components.

Right?

1) The handsaw for the knife.

On most desert islands "hard" things or things that out "harden" most of what you will be surrounded by are very rare. Mostly, a knife will be used for cutting and prying. A saw offers this as well, but, it's bigger and would allow for the shaping of more things. Felling palm trees for shelter and fire for instance. A knife is good, but, the saw might be better.

2) Either the hammock or the rubber raft in place of the tarp.

This is a case of the sum of parts may be greater than the whole. Shade would be a big issue. Spending only a short time in direct sunlight and all else becomes moot, because you won't survive. The hammock and the raft can both supply this. In addition the hammock presumably also includes rope which can be used for other things. Now, the raft could also provide rope, shelter, and later water. Initially, your choice of the water purifier is an excellent one. There's a reason they are called desert islands and it's not all because they are deserted. There is no water! The water purifier will last for awhile, but, later when it becomes clogged with use you will have to find some way of purifying water using other methods. A rubber raft could be used to purify water by evaporate distilling. Things to think about.

I hope the first aid kit comes with some antibiotics. Infection is a killer!

[bemildred]

17. Assuming I expected to wait to be found:

Knife -- defense, general purpose tool/utensil
Matches -- signal fires, cooking, warmth, sometimes you really need to get warm
First Aid kit -- antiseptic

Everything else looks situational, you might want that raft and flare if you plan to leave.

[edhopper]

19. I would choose

the volley ball
ice skate
flashlight
porta-potty

[davidpdx]

20. Having seen your choices, I couldn't find any better four

Those make sense. Wiping our asses is going to be a problem though.

[Yupster]

75. That's what the ocean is for

Been done that way probably for a million years.

[davidpdx]

83. As long as I don't have to use my hand

[The2ndWheel]

21. Tarp, handsaw, rope, knife

Tarp - versatile
Handsaw - easier to cut wood, thus making other things to use
Rope - when isn't rope useful?
Knife - see rope

[avebury]

23. After due consideration:

water purifier, knife, 1st aid kit and mirror.

I am thinking that the mirror could be used as a signaling device and maybe to start a fire so you might be able to do without the matches.

[Quixote1818]

93. A mirror has to be concave to start a fire. nt

[Logical]

26. Why not a flare gun? nt

[Taitertots]

27. Are there seeds in the weed?

Weed
Matches
Fishing pole
Water purifier

[OnionPatch]

86. Lol! That was my thought, too.

I hope it's a good climate for crops. And I'd need the matches for sure. Of course I could also boil water if I had matches, so I'd nix the water purifier and take the tent instead. And then either the fishing pole or rifle, depending on what sort of game I thought was around.

[truebluegreen]

28. Knife, Matches, Fishing Rod, Tarp

Although I really like #14 lol.

[Turbineguy]

29. Ipod.

Entertainment is first. After all, yer a 'murikan ain't ya?

[brewens]

30. Does the weed have seeds? n/t

[NV Whino]

31. Water purifier

Rope, knife, flare gun.

[daleanime]

32. It depends, do I have a chance for rescue....

Last edited Sat May 16, 2015, 11:18 AM - Edit history (1)

or am I there forever?

Do I know any thing about the climate or landscape of the island? What's the wildlife consist of?

If no rescue is happening, both the knife and the handsaw become essential. Having them will allow you to start crafting other items. If fresh water is available, you take the pot, boil your drinking water and learn to make soup. Tent could be used either as shelter, or cannibalize it for parts.

[Marr]

33. Water purifier, knife, tarp, mirror.

[Ichingcarpenter]

34. Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence

hammock and the tent.


I got my own list for my deserted island dream

[Logical]

38. I imagine they would not enjoy your company. Probably kill you. nt

[dilby]

35. knife, pot, first aid kit, matches.

I decided to go with items that can all be used for more than one purpose. The knife being the most essential since it literally can be used for hundreds of things in a survival situation. I next went with the pot over the water purifier, the purifier is not going to be able to make sea water drinkable and eventually you need to change the filter on it. The pot can be used to collect and store water along with boiling it to make it drinkable. It can also be used for cooking. First aid kit looked like a Good pick from the picture because it looks to be filled with items that can be used for multiple purposes but would try to save them for what they were intended for. Finally matches because I don't want to spend hours trying to get a fire started and a fire can be used to cook food, boil water, stay warm and signal ships and planes.

[Travis_0004]

44. Boiling salt water does not make it drinkable.

If you boiled it, collected the evorapation, then you can drink that. Put the tarp over the pot, so the highest spot of the tarp is away from the boiling pot and over a homade bowl. Then pure water evorapates and cools and falls into the bowl.

Im not sure how to do it without a tarp.

[dilby]

68. Yeah would never expect to boil seawater.

A lot of effort for the amount of water, you could make a still with the pot but it requires a string and a cup. Basically take the pot put seawater in it and then take a string tie it to the handle of the lid of the pot, and the tie a cup to the other end of the string. The string and cup need to hang shorter than the amount of water in the pot. You place the lid upside down over the pot with the cup hanging in the center, while the seawater evaporates it collects on the top of the upside down lid, travels down the string and into the cup. Problem is your pot is full of salt and basically useless for anything else now. If it was my only choice i would do it but since you are near the ocean I would make an honest attempt to just use it to collect condensation or natural water that falls on the island or water that may be available in a well that could be dug.

[nolabear]

73. Thatch will collect water and run it off too.

With a good knife you can weave thatch from palm fronds.

[NuclearDem]

36. Depends on the nature of the island.

Foliage, terrain, animal life, and climate, among other things.

1) Knife - in this situation I would actually prefer a hatchet, since it's not as unwieldy as a saw and useful for more fine control or self-defense like a knife while still being useful for procuring firewood.

Still, knife is plenty useful for fashioning most sorts of tools and for preparing food.

2) First aid kit - should go without saying. Yes, one can fashion splints, dressing, and bandages without it, but disinfectant, gauze, antivenom, and more specialized medical equipment is potentially life-saving.

3) Tarp - good enough for a shelter. Only real need for a tent would be for dealing with a serious insect population. Depending on the size it can be cut up and used for all sorts of things.

4) Flare gun - unmistakeable distress signal. A flash from a mirror could be interpreted as any number of things reflecting light and ground markings might not be visible at certain altitudes and do nothing to alert ships.

Now, the reasons why I didn't choose other things:

Sunscreen - not essential, I don't burn easily.

Toilet paper - nicety, not a necessity. Potentially useful as dressing, though.

Pot - wouldn't be cooking anything complex enough to justify it, and plenty of things can be fashioned to hold water.

iPod - Nicety, not a necessity.

Hiking boots - agonized a bit over whether to take these or not. Since I typically wear my own boots most of the time anyway, I figured not, but they'd be useful on an island with tougher terrain or heavy rainfall.

Hand saw - only real use is for harvesting wood, and it's not even entirely necessary for that. Knife fulfills the role of sharp utensil.

Inflatable raft - only really useful if a ship is nearby, and in that case, flare gun is more viable for alerting it.

Flashlight - not essential. Really shouldn't be out and about late at night for fear of getting lost or stumbling into a situation you're not prepared for. Not bright enough to use as a signal either.

Insect repellent - useful, but also substituted by picking a shelter away from insect-heavy areas.

Hammock - useful only for breaking down into components. Free rope!

Compass - not entirely necessary. Other navigation methods would suffice.

Mirror - see justification for flare gun.

Vitamins - can get most of your vitamins from wildlife.

Water purifier - depending on rainfall and wildlife, this varies in usage. A fair amount of insects (like grasshoppers) have enough water in their bodies to not need any additional water to digest them. Coconuts are good sources. If the first aid kit has iodine drops, that works. Collecting rainwater is also a suitable source. Purifier is only really useful in situations with little rainfall or small existing water reserves.

Fishing rod - fashioning a spear with a knife is good enough for fishing, and it serves more than one role.

Rope - really tough call to not include this, but for most purposes, sections of the tarp can be used for the most essential purposes (splints especially).

Hunting rifle - nothing big enough to justify it.

Tent - tarp already serves as a suitable shelter, and can be used for more purposes.

Matches - plenty of ways to light fires without them.

Volleyball - I'm sorry, Wilson.

[jberryhill]

111. Yep

It does depend on the island.

[B2G]

39. Tent, water purifier, knife, matches

Shelter, water, fire, tool

[catnhatnh]

41. No duct tape or WD40???

Well then...

Tarp-Makes a tent or a ground cover AND a perfect rain catcher.

Knife-utensil, tool, and weapon.

Pot-Cooking, water purifier, and water reservoir.

Rope-completes tarp to tent and knife to spear.

The first three are non-negotiable. Rope is my luxury item.... It could easily be traded for something else as long as my island has vines. In fact any selection would be helped by a little more knowledge of the island. I really think the most underrated item on the list is the pot-sure you can heat things in items found on the island, but nothing else will conduct heat like iron and you'll save a ton of work and firewood (which may be scarce).

[Marrah_G]

42. pot, tent, knife, matches

[XemaSab]

45. Tarp, pot, fishing rod, boots

The tarp can be used for shelter or to collect rainwater.

The pot can be used to store rainwater, store food, or for cooking.

Since you didn't mention any other food sources on the island (not even plants!), fish might be the only option for food.

Boots because if your feet go, you're hosed.

[XemaSab]

46. Alternate suggestion: raft, fishing rod, water purifier, flare gun

Because getting the hell off the island is a thing.

[B2G]

48. Looks like I'm the only tent person

Guess I've seen too many episodes of Naked and Afraid and the mosquitos. Lol.

[fadedrose]

49. Hand saw, rope, matches and First Aid Kit...

[Jamastiene]

50. Tarp, Knife, Compass, and Rope

Wow, tough decision.

[Are_grits_groceries]

82. You can learn directions from the stars, sun, etc. nt

[Jamastiene]

94. True.

You can also make a compass with a needle and water and a leaf. The fishing pole is so tempting.

[Jackpine Radical]

52. OK, I'll play--

weed, matches (because weed & signal fires), knife & matter transmitter.

[giftedgirl77]

53. why is beer not on this list?

If I'm going to be stranded on an island I would like pot, beer, a tarp & fishing pole.

[applegrove]

55. Flare gun, first aid kit, knife, water purifier

[imnew]

56. Would have to go with the gun

[bvar22]

57. Trade the Water Purifier for the cast iron pot.

A Water Purifier has only one purpose.
A cast iron pot has many.

In addition to being a water purifier:

*it is a way to adequately cook food,

*It can carry water from the source to your fire,

*it can be used to transport coals & embers to a new campsite.

I'll take the cast iron pot.

[Quixote1818]

92. I agree, also if you find a spring you don't need to purifie the water

Furthermore, you, as a human, can drink from natural water sources and often will be fine, especially if you live in less developed nations, where clean water isn't as readily available, and your GI tract is used to it. This would eventually happen on the island naturally.

[Calista241]

58. Tarp, Knife, matches, pot

You can boil water to get most of the harmful things out of it.

[Aerows]

59. My choice would be

Mirror, Pot (to boil water fresh water if available, but if not, can use to desalinate water by condensing steam with large leaves) and you can also reliably cook things with it, knife for obvious reasons and the first aid kit.

Mirror to signal and start fires
Pot - cook, purify water, desalinate if necessary
Knife - used to make other tools, shelter, and initially defense against predators if necessary
First Aid Kit - Antibiotics to prevent infection, and some include scalpels which include fine blades which again can be used to make fine tools (like needles to sew together thick leaves/bark to improve shelter quality, and sutures to suture wounds.

It would really depend on the geography and climate of the island, though. I'd pick the knife and the first aid kit regardless, but might make some variations on the other two. If it was extremely cold, I'd probably pick the tent to improve my chances of even making it a few days, etc.

[TeeYiYi]

60. Boots, saw, raft and matches.

Need the boots to be mobile. I'm very protective of my feet and a foot or ankle injury could prove to be lethal.

The saw will cut everything from firewood and timber for a shelter to the heads off of the fish I'll be catching with my homemade fishing pole.

The raft works as protection from the elements or I can sleep on it when I'm not floating in it, catching fish.

And matches. I doubt I could start a fire without matches so, there's that.

For the record, I'm assuming there's fresh water on the island that I just need to hike to... If there's really no fresh water, I guess I'll have to give up the raft in exchange for the water purifier.

TYY

[Liberal_in_LA]

61. the mirror is most important for rescue. I would choose mirror, matches, first aid kit, hammock

[Zo Zig]

62. For me

Knife
Gun
Pot
Boots

[mvd]

63. Tent, first aid kit, matches, knife

I would do iPod but no electricity to charge the battery. The tent would give a little shelter. Matches would help you see at night and stay warm. First aid kits always useful. I do not like hunting but he knife would help cover bases.

[panader0]

64. Can you pick the same thing four times?

20 ounces of weed.

[Arugula Latte]

65. Pot, knife, tarp, rope

Pot for water collection and cooking. You could boil water to make it safe, too.
Tarp for water collection and shelter.
Knife -- useful for many things. You could probably use the reflection to start a fire, too.
Rope -- multi-purpose, including rigging a shelter and making a raft.

If you don't get rescued for a long time, a rope could be used for ... um ... did anyone see what Tom Hanks almost did in Castaway?

[zappaman]

66. 4 volleyballs.

I like lots of friends.

[lumberjack_jeff]

67. tarp, knife, water purifier, matches.

Survival first. Rescue second.

[Exilednight]

69. Pot, water purifier, tarp, knife

Pot: has many purposes. Bathing, cooking, boiling water, carrying water

Tarp: good to use as protection against sun during day and making shelter at night. It can, also, be used to purify water along with the pot.

Knife: use to cook, eat, hunt, garden and protection.

Water purifier: obvious.

[uppityperson]

70. How big is the island and where is it located, temperature, other land masses, etc?

Tarp and knife no matter what. The other 2 are dependent upon the conditions.

[morningfog]

71. Knife, matches, rope. I thought it was just three.

I was satisfied with those three, so I get the weed as the bonus fourth.

[nolabear]

72. Pot, fishing rod, knife, matches

I can purify sea water with a pot and fire. I'll need matches til I can figure out how to save coals. If I'm good enough with a knife I can construct a lean-to, and with luck use it to make a spear to kill food. And fishing is promising, as is other use of the rod and line.

[ohheckyeah]

74. tent, knife,

Pot and matches.

[Warpy]

76. Knife, tarp, first aid kit, anything else optional

Knife would allow me to harvest sea grass to turn into twine for tying sticks together for more permanent shelter, weaving a hammock and fishing net. Knife tied on a stick would make a good spear. The tarp would keep me from being broiled to death during midday. Twine, sticks, and dry grass could produce fire. First aid kit would keep small problems from developing into fatal ones.

The problem of course is water. While rainwater could be collected in the tarp, storage would be problematic unless enough coconut shells had been amassed to take care of the problem. If the island is large enough, water can be dug for away from the sea. Now if they'd had a desalinization plant or solar distiller, that would be my fourth item. As it is, I don't have a preference.

[bluegopher]

78. The obvious question here is

how much weed?

[Islandurp]

79. I ain't surviving shit out in the wild

So give me the rifle, weed and iPod.

[KitSileya]

81. Tarp, water purifier, knife, and first aid kit.

Same as you. All but the water purifier are multi-function items. Without pure water, you're going to get sick really fast, and alone, sickness is death. The knife can be used to make stuff, and is therefore very useful. The tarp can function as a tent, but also somewhere to sit without getting wet, you can use it to make a raft if you need, etc. The first aid kit will help keep you from getting sick, but also a lot of the items can be used for other things. It often contains scissors = cutting tool. The bandages are usually cloth = thread for clothes repair. For making fire, you literally only need two sticks to rub together, but the aforementioned bandage can be used to make a bow with one of the sticks, which you can then use to rotate the other stick by winding the bandage-string around the stick, and roll back and forth, and voila, faster fire. I've done it, it works. Matches only get wet.

[jmowreader]

85. Tarp, fishing pole, knife and raft

Tarp can be used to drag things back to camp on, as a blanket, shelter - lots of things.

The fishing pole is for its normal use.

The knife because it's a very handy thing to have in an emergency situation

And the raft...you can collect rainwater in it, use it as a shelter, lay it on the sand upside down and hope a plane spots it, or get the hell OFF the island in it. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west; knowing that, you should be able to navigate in a rudimentary enough fashion to get you into a shipping channel.

[cherokeeprogressive]

87. iPod, hammock, weed, water purifier. Fuck it. I'm chillin'.

And I hate cottonmouth.

[TBF]

88. Raft, flashlight, sunscreen & flare gun -

I'm looking for civilization because I know about how capable I am in the wilderness.

[BlueJazz]

90. Would depend on the Island. Size of Island? Trees? Hills? Types of Folra? Cave?

[Quixote1818]

91. knife, flare gun, pot, saw. Not the water purifier since I have a pot

The matches would only last so long and then you would have to learn to make fire with a stick etc. The pot would hit two birds with one stone. Trying to sail the ocean in a raft is suicide. The tent and tarp are less important as you can build shelter or find a cave quite easily. I would try going barefoot often let the skin on my feet toughen up so I don't need boots.

I have generally found first aid kits to have little use. Well, not completely worthless. IMHO having little band-aids, bee sting relief, little cotton swabs, ointment, and stuff isn't what is needed surviving in the wilderness. Things like a tourniquet, a diaper (for stopping major bleeding), BIG roll of tape and stuff like that makes more sense to me.

The fishing rod could be useful but then you have to give something more important up and you can make a spear with your knife to kill fish. Crabs and ocean animals would be easy to catch.

[U4ikLefty]

97. Before I answer...what kind of pot??? nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

98. Rope, knife, tent and matches

Rope can be used for a lot of things.. knife can be used to build survival tools such as hunting tools, can also be used to dig out tubers and cut coconuts open. Tent, more comfy than the tarp, and matches, saves on making fire.

Fire is essential and can be used for signaling as well.

A fifth element would be the first aid kit, if available. You got fast kindling in there (gauze), and antibiotic cream.

The knife and the matches are the most essential in that list, with the rope. The first two are critical. The rope can be used to build yourself a nice shelter, fishing, a slew of things.

Though don't knock the ipod, you could potentially use the battery to start a fire. You are talking desperate there... I do not recommend you do it often due to fumes.

And I am ashamed none added a roll of duck tape After watching the myth busters use it for literally everything...

[AtomicKitten]

99. Weed, matches, hammock, and ipod.

My yacht will be by directly to pick me up.

[Binkie The Clown]

101. Some of it would depend on the flora and fauna of the island.

I'd choose tarp over tent, because a tarp can be used as a tent, and has more other uses (cathcing rainwater, for example) that the tent doesn't have.

Knife is obvious. If, that is, there is anything on the island besides sand. Given palm trees, bamboo, or whatever, you will want to cut it. Knife over saw again because the knife has more uses than the saw.

What is the water situation? Is there a freshwater stream? Does it rain often enough to capture rainwater? Does the water purifier desalinate, or does it just remove germs, which can be done with boiling. So the water purifier is a maybe, depending...

Matches is a short term solution to fire. If you are in a situation that might lead to your being stranded on a desert island then you should have learned how to make a fire without matches before you even set out on your adventure. I'd skip the matches.

Where is the island with respect to normal shipping lanes and air traffic corridors? A signalling mirror is a waste of time and effort if not planes or ships are ever likely to happen by. Again, it depends.

A first aid kit, might be good depending on how hazardous the island is. It might also just be a waste of space. I'd take the hiking boots over the first aid kit. If I protect my feet I won't need to treat the boo-boos.

Sunscreen would be very important if you couldn't find shelter from the sun. If there's trees then you'd better have the sense to stay in the shade during the heat of the day.

Compass is a waste. If you can't find west by watching the setting sun then you are doomed anyway.

Rope? Are their mountains on the island that you want to climb? Better idea is don't climb mountains alone. Ever. Rope might be useful to make a tarp tent, but paracord would be better.

Everything else on the list is just a joke to trip up the really stupid people. ipod? Really? If that's your choice then you will deserve your untimely demise. Listening to tunes while you die of thirst. What a way to go.

[Buns_of_Fire]

103. Knife, rope, matches, first-aid kit.

The knife is absolutely, positively basic. I chose it over the handsaw because, if I were fashioning a semi-permanent shelter, I wouldn't be trying to saw down many redwoods -- it'd be mostly small-diameter stuff (although, in my opinion, a machete works even better for that, but it's not as versatile).

Rope is always handy. And, if you're patient enough, you can even strip it down into smaller threads. (It's not as if I'd have a whole lot of other things to do.)

Sure, the matches run out eventually, but if you work it right, you wouldn't need more than a few of them (just keep them embers smoldering!).

First-aid kits usually contain some antibiotics. And there are a lot of goodies in there that can be used for other than their stated usage.

If there were a fifth item, I'd add the pot.

Now, MY four items would be: Ginger, Mary Ann, the Professor, and the flare gun. After the Professor had finished fabricating an electricity-producing nuclear reactor out of coconut shells and palm fronds, I figure I could shoot his butt with the flare gun and still have one or two shells left to signal a passing boat.

[AuntPatsy]

104. .

Water purifier
First aid kit
Matches
Saw

[Kip Humphrey]

105. fishing rod, knife, raft, water purifier

fishing rod = reliable food source
raft = transport, shelter, water collection, possible way off island
water purifier = safe water
knife = versatile tool

[Hestia]

108. Why is there not a towel on this list ;)

[Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference]

[CK_John]

109. Tarp, Pot, Hiking Boots, Hand Saw.

[B Calm]

112. what good is a fishing rod without hooks? I would want a first aid

kit, water purifier, matches, tent and 5 ounces of weed.

[ileus]

113. Rod, Knife, Matches

the last one is tough....

Maybe the tent or tarp. But the rifle could be pretty handy depending on the island. How many rounds with the rifle? 100s? Is it sighted in? Does it have open sights?

[mayanlongcount]

114. survival objets

tent
knife
5 oz weed
matches