What would you take with you to a desert island? When we posed this question in the InterNations office, answers were predictably diverse, but not always serious. Here’s a look at some of the funnier suggestions on what (not) to take with you.
Prompted by the changeable summer weather, quite a few InterNations staffers have found themselves dreaming of crystal clear waters, sandy shores, and calm island life instead of working in a busy city.
Which got us wondering: What would we take with us to a desert island? You may have already had a read through our more serious list of suggestions.
However, among knives, sunscreen, and building equipment, there were also some less serious answers to be found. Here are the InterNation team’s top 3 things (not) to bring to a desert island.
Your Whole Library
True, bringing a book with you for entertainment and survival purposes is generally not a bad idea. Even if you get tired of reading the same old text, paper can at least be used to make a fire.
The range of reads suggested by the InterNations staff, however, surprised even the bookish members of the Editorial Office. From books on reincarnation (to feed the imagination) to Daniel Defoe’s famous novel Robinson Crusoe (“He managed somehow!”), there seems to have been something for every taste.
But let’s be honest, would you really schlep The Complete Works of William Shakespeare with you to a remote island? Our alternative suggestion: someone develop a solar-powered eBook reader, please!
A Monkey
Life on a desert island is bound to get lonely at one point or another. Having company, even if only in the form of a pet, is not such a bad idea.
One of our colleagues even had a very particular species in mind: a monkey! Her reasoning? “It can not only entertain me, but also get the bananas and coconuts off the trees for me.”
Thinking about it, this really does sound like a good idea. And who knows, if you are already proficient with training animals, you may be able to get any native monkeys to do the same. King or Queen of the Monkeys has a nice ring to it.
Batman
Looking at the various answers, you could usually tell very quickly how serious a person took the task.
Mini-bar, ice-cream machine, and an X-Box are realistically not going to help you much after a shipwreck. Better bring a knife, medication, and a rescue flare!
Or go all out and take Batman along with you, as one InterNations staffer suggested:
“Batman is always good at getting out of situations. I figure he’ll help me.”
DC Comics may disagree, though.
(Image credit: 1) 1623 Shakespeare First Folio edition, public domain 2) Bali: The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary by flickr user William Cho 3) Batman Artwork by Wikimedia Media Commons user Nicholas Gemini)
Anybody interest in further sugestions ? (Dont take it too serious)
Four items to take:
1. Knive (how about a very strong swiss knive ? Multiple tools include device to start a fire)
2. Dog (a smaller one of doubtfull breed, who does nt demand much food, helps you to find food, protects you and is good company)
3. Book (take the biggest volume you can find. Each page might be able to be usefull for many tasks, even to save your live)
4. A string (Dont be a pessimist: A string is very usefull, not only to strangle yourself)
Four items NOT TO TAKE:
1. Your EX.wife (ex husband) – you will either kill each others, or drive you insane in no time
2. A cat (she will abandon you instantly and steal your food when you re asleep and its tough to be converted into a meal)
3. Any electrical device (They will be a nuisance. Batteries will not last. There are devices like torches, that work by constantly pumping them, but they also stop functioning in short time. And once they are death, they are completely useless. You can not even kill a rat with it – rats are very nutritius by the way)
4. Gun (we re talking about a deserted island. And I supose you are not trained to repell an invading army with the aim to wipe you off the island. In case you are trained, you dont need a gun)
And very important: DONT THINK TOO MUCH, but live systematically from one moment to the next