Outerloper - saying 'no' to the indoors

[Ruruwawa]

23 minutes ago, Riotintheair said:

I've made the TWM assent once without a bedroll, but that was powered by 15 cups of coffee which your outerloper will never get - there's probably only 5 cups of coffee in the world available to him, maybe 10 if he gets exceptionally lucky at the coffee/tea crate on the TWM map (fortunately you don't need to climb for that one).

I think someone has detailed a day one TWM summit climb using snowshelters and ripping apart clothes, but I've never made it work for me. I think it was @Hotzn, and if not it was probably @Ruruwawa or @Drifter Man

I've done the day-1, no-coffee, tear-your-clothes-up rush to the summit several times, because I like getting out of TWM and to a forge asap.  Doubt I'll do it again though, since the HRV start is easier and so much closer to a forge.  I documented one run here:

I think Drifter Man tried this strat with a few of his TWM snowballs too.

Regarding coffee and tea, there are two such cargo crates in Interloper. 

 

One at the Wing, one at the summit.

  I had good luck in my current game and got 10 tea and 15 coffee for my troubles.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Ruruwawa

[Drifter Man]

6 hours ago, Ruruwawa said:

I think Drifter Man tried this strat with a few of his TWM snowballs too.

I did that once but frankly, it's too extreme for my style  Most importantly, there was no hacksaw in the plane, so all I could do was to look at the containers and weep.

[Drifter Man]

19 hours ago, Stone said:

A clear day, straightforward (wolves aside) journey to the cave near Trappers. Weather remains fine, even the wolves are staying out of the way. Arrive at the park building cold but with plenty to burn. Notice there are two big benches that I can breakdown for 2 cloth each. Break one down. Bed.

It is remarkable how much ground you can cover with allowing so little time for recovery. Day 6 - Marsh Ridge and back. Day 7 - rest, Day 8 - from the lookout to Milton. I wonder what your condition is at the end of each such journey.

[Stone]

@Drifter Man I'll start including my condition in these updates. I've also been suprised how much ground can be covered by travelling light and in good weather. Those 8 vension steaks are a big help as, for now, I'm not wasting good weather finding food. Global temps aren't down too much so with good weather, even in medicore gear, i can set out with 1 arrow down (keeping out of the wind), and move quick. The lack of a bedroll and those load-screen-indoor shelters mean I can't stop even if I want to. I've been lucky with that weather all the same.

Heard about Snowball's bear encounter - harsh - been there! Bears: its not the scars they leave but the clothes they take...

[Drifter Man]

39 minutes ago, Stone said:

@Drifter Man I'll start including my condition in these updates. I've also been suprised how much ground can be covered by travelling light and in good weather. Those 8 vension steaks are a big help as, for now, I'm not wasting good weather finding food. Global temps aren't down too much so with good weather, even in medicore gear, i can set out with 1 arrow down (keeping out of the wind), and move quick. The lack of a bedroll and those load-screen-indoor shelters mean I can't stop even if I want to. I've been lucky with that weather all the same.

You must be really good at staying out of the wind. Hope your luck with weather holds. Don't count on that in HRV, however. Weather change in HRV means that wind changes direction from one to another.

[Stone]

Day 9 | Condition 81%. Wake early to light snow. 30mins of fire left, but all local fuel was harvested yesterday. Plan today: Farm >  Chruch > Plane crash. Camp at the Church if needed. Decide to grab a torch and run for the farm. Grab sticks enroute and make the fire barrel with enough torch to light it on the 2nd attempt. Scavenge more sticks to get the fire hot but can't resist stoning two bunnies despite my temp redlining. Its still early and freezing; takes 20 sticks to get two arrows from the fire. Harvest and cook both rabbits. Search of the area turns up a rope (for MB access) and nothing else. Warm again, take a torch and head for the Church.

Snow stops. Now just 1 bar down now when out of the wind with the torch. Pause while a wolf passes in the distance. Flank around the left of the Church and see a wolf behind it on the pond. "Bark!" but its not the pond wolf. Nothing behind me so back up. Ahha, a wolf appears from the Church porch. Try to lead this Wolf 2 in a circle round to the woodlot side and a bunny. Bunny is uncooperative. Another "Bark!" from a new direction. And now a growl. Wolf 3. Wolf 3 is guarding its fresh bunny kill on the road. Head between them, straight for the Church hoping Wolf 1 is elsewhere. Discover (as someone pointed out before I posted this) that the Church is an indoor-loading-screen area. ...Damn. Angry at myself but oddly calm about wolves. Wolf 1 isn't out the back so pass the Church, head up the hill then back to the road with no sign of Wolf 2.

I'm temp bar 1/3, gotta push on. Quick stop in a car on the bridge to 'let' the bear pass. Cold by the time I hit the cave system to the plane area. Grab some coal, wood and a dusty can of tomato soup.in the cave. Get down to the bunny pond freezing. Theres a wolf blocking the plane path and a dead deer by the pond.. Light a fire by the deer. Warm up, stone a few bunnies, cook rabbit and venison. Wolf comes/runs away a few times. Snow starts and wind picks up putting my fire out. Getting late, head for the plane. Wolf has magically vanished. The crash site has a stim, some wood but thats it. Proper gale as I cross the log to the cave. Make camp, fire, a little water, eat, bed | Condition 63%.

[Drifter Man]

Congratulations on making it bed to bed  It's remarkable how you manage heat and condition. On a normal Interloper day, I'd start freezing somewhere between Orca and the town, and reach the plane crash site at maybe 40-50%, including a break to warm up by a fire. Normally I step outside and away from fire and begin freezing within a few minutes. I hope your fine weather holds!

[Stone]

Day 10 | Condition 92%. I want to head to HRV but don't know where or if I'll find a bed at the other end. Want to travel after mid day when it's warming up but need good weather. It's clear now but too cold. By Midday its windy. The travel window passes so I set about collecting wood. The wind drops enough to method break down crates around the crash site. Get a fire going. Snow starts. Keep gathering wood until I'm freezing but have enough for the night. No loot in the crates ☹️ Eat some venison, stoke the fire, bed. 

[Stone]

Day 11 Condition 94% HRV day. The howling wind at dawn turns to a breeze light enough to permit a torch, but cold enough to near freeze me in the time it burns. Exit cave. throw torch up the stepped climb out and light a fire by the plane to warm up. Wind drops, it's clear, just two arrows down. Down hot tea and head on for HRV. Through the cave, turn the corner on to the road and nearly walk into the bridge bear. back up and crouch on a wind protected ledge. It's cold and hes intent on blocking the road. Dash for car, he stands up to charge me but thankfully no one locks their cars so I safely make the passenger seat. Bear returns to its cave, slip away, over the bridge, dodge a wolf and find the cave to HRV. Pop a flare which still has plenty of life when I exit. @Drifter Man has provided a welcome route suggestion. Turn left and start hunting for a snow shelter that (might be there). Start to panic when I reach a large lake and still can't find it. Double back to check but then spot it hidden behind brush by the first fall. Find another hacksaw, good condition toque, and pork and beans. Great the fire going with the flare. Warm up. Gather wood and a bunny. Cook, eat. Bed? The wind is blowing but my fire seems ok. Sleep for 2 hours. Wake to worsening weather. Fire is out but shelter is still oddly warm. Sleep another hour. Outside a blizzard is raging but i'm still totally warm. Is this a magic Shelter? Condition 75%. Rashly (because the lack of Bedroll is making me a bit crazy) I decide to put my head down and sleep for 8 hours in the magic Shelter...

 

Edited July 9, 2018 by Stone
typo

[Hotzn]

1 hour ago, Stone said:

Rashly (because the lack of Bedroll is making me a bit crazy) I decide to out my head down and sleep for 8 hours in the magic Shelter...

Got me on edge here. Eager to learn more about magic shelters.

[Drifter Man]

3 hours ago, Stone said:

Rashly (because the lack of Bedroll is making me a bit crazy) I decide to put my head down and sleep for 8 hours in the magic Shelter...

 

1 hour ago, Hotzn said:

Got me on edge here. Eager to learn more about magic shelters.

Same here! I spent a brief time in the shelter during the day and found it as un-magically cold as any other shelter. @Stone may be on to discovering another secret of the Hushed River Valley!

[Stone]

"You have faded into the long dark".. are the words I'm now waiting for as the black screen hangs and hangs. And then daylight returns! Alive, the temp bar is down to 15% and one arrow down. This is quite remarkable and all thought of breaking down the snow shelter is banished. The wonder is short lived as the 'Interloper training' takes over. Its freezing out. Start fire, boil water, gather sticks and bunny, cook bun.. wind shifts and knocks out the fire. Start fire in a different sheltered spot. Cook bunn.. the wind shift again.. drip fed the fire sticks until the wind settles and bunny is cooked and eaten. Today I continue to try to follow @Drifter Man's directions to a cave filled with bedrolls. And possibly wolves.

Head down hill from Cloud Top Falls keeping left. Find a body which gifts me an ear wrap  Eventually reach Hushed River and follow it. This is a long route and I'm freezing and burning condition with no idea how much further to go. At Reclusive Falls a wolf is seen ahead, blocking the river path. The falls however open to a cave - not the cave I've been directed to - but I enter, paying the admission price of a dash through its ice cold waters. Wet now. Start a fire inside the ice cave, take of wet clothes and dry them by the fire. Cook some bunnies gathered on route. Warm again, take a torch but soon find another water fall in the cave. Take clothes off, throw torch (unsuccessfully) 'around' the water, get soaked, put clothes on again. Hope I don't need to turn back and really hope I don't bump into a wolf.

Oh. Relief.

Confident now, search for a bedroll without success. Peaking out of the first exit I found, maybe I can find the river again and get back on track. Trying not to panic as I have no bedroll, the day is late and the journey back to the snow shelter is long and barred by soaking waterfalls. Whats this? Smoke rises close ahead a top a not-too-high cliff. Approach, crossing a log and find another cave. The slope up the cliff towards the smoke is barred by brush  guess who crafted a hatchet and didn't bring it. Yup. Try the new cave. Worried this one may have a wolf, more worried it will have no bedroll. Then a shape appears in the torch light.

[Mixxut]

You have officialy beaten outerloper! No matter what happens next you are the real winner

[Hotzn]

Congrats.

[Drifter Man]

Congratulations! An outerloper journey from the Forestry Lookout to Hushed River Valley without a bedroll is an impressive feat!

The wolf has part of its patrol route on the river, usually it is gone after a while but you couldn't afford to wait, of course.

[Stone]

Thanks @Drifter Man @Mixxut @Hotzn and everyone else who has chipped in thus far. So Day 12 ended exhausted but happy to finally crash on a bedroll. But trouble is ahead. Global temperatures are dropping. I've a few skins to my name, haven't started a bow and still no gloves (@Drifter Man remarked on good time made travelling in this run and, indeed, frostbite is a bigger threat in cold/wind conditions than hypothermia so it shows I've been gifted/keeping to good, afternoon weather for travel). So whats next? TWM is now viable but HRV is here to explore. That signal fire could be sirens call... Choices, choices!?

[FunkyFuggerson]

TImberwolf mountain seems to be a pretty heavy feat to conquer next, you should check out the signal fire in hopes to find some better gear. You should act fast though, try and snag plenty of skins then craft some better clothing so you don't freeze to death. I assume that the mountaineers hut counts as outdoors? If so, you should craft everything there then. The road ahead will be much easier now that you have a bedroll!

[dead frozen dude]

1 hour ago, FunkyFuggerson said:

I assume that the mountaineers hut counts as outdoors?

Alas, it doesn't. Its porch though is (almost entirely) windproof to keep the fire going, or instead you can stoke up the fireplace and sleep it off hugging the wall outside... or inside the fishing hut on the lake...

[Mixxut]

11 minutes ago, dead frozen dude said:

 you can stoke up the fireplace and sleep it off hugging the wall outside...

There is one problem with that. That would make you have to go indoors. 

If mountaineers hut counts as indoors it also eliminates the crafting table. (and the pretty decent loot) That would mean that the nearest crafting table outdoors avaible is in MT at the barkers farm.

I don't know does it count as an indoor in this challenge since it's not a loading indoor. 

However there is the whole HRV to explore and that place is a one giant outdoor area so there are lots of places outdoors to sleep in

 

 

[Stone]

@Mixxut - mountaineer's hut is in (no loading as you say).

Day 13 | Nothing like the feeling of waking up warm on your own bedroll  New ski jacket is a further win. Plan today: see where the caves lead. Finish reading 'survive the outdoors' to let the day warm out a bit. Looking good, but cold hands still:

The cave last cave exit leaves us high on the far end of the side we entered on. Figure heading right of the cave will lead back to the exit to MT. Head back down through the cave and out beneath the signal fire. No apparent way up. Starting to freeze in an icy wind, head into the first (wet) cave. Head 'up' through an glowing blue hall, up a rope and out into calmer weather. Seems the signal fire is just past a hill to the right but no safe route in can be found (Hatcheeet!) Keep moving higher overlooking the river valley floor. Squeeze through a gap. Seemingly reaching the far corner of HRV. Pass a secluded cave.. and then hit the mother load. Moose. Dead Moose.

(This is what I though @Drifter Man had met with) See the day out carving and cooking steaks by the fire. Leave plenty on the carcass. Plan to spend no more than one more day in HRV before heading towards TWM so want to stay light. The evening turns towards blizzard. Relocate the fire to the cave. Its Bedroll Time.

[Stone]

Day 14 | Condition 97% Cook more moose, boil some water, scavenge sticks in between. Its mid afternoon before the weather is good enough to set out. Find no other way down but the cave up and nothing of interest. Use the cave to drop a level then exit and cross open ground to the other cave. A wolf spots me, approaches by going behind a snow mound and then howls as the prey has 'disappeared'. Not the smartest, if only they all did that. Into the other cave system. Then:

!#%£$!backupbackupbackuprunrun having traversed this cave once, this wolf trotting from the shadows is a horrific twist. The echoing growl seems all around. Circle round to the alternative tunnel - at least I know the wolf is in one of two possible routes. Taking the other, reach the main tunnel route again and hold my breath until the cave rope is climbed up a wolf proof (?!) ledge. Enough excitement for one day. Near the top exit now. Its Bedroll Time.  

[FunkyFuggerson]

Does the ice cave wolf fall for bait like scruffy in the DP cave?

[Hotzn]

Wolves inside loading screen areas somehow are exciting, aren't they?

[Stone]

[Note, some screen shots to come - they're missing here due to upload issues]

Day 15 | Condition 100% Peaking outside, its clear but windy. Want to head to MT but an interesting slope peaks my interest. A full warmth bar, nip across quickly to investigate. A frostbite warning appears. Wait.. no.. how the? Thats not a warning.. its a condition. Health Bar 10% red. Frostbite. Cursing I realise I've been carrying around frostbite risk pretty much since I got to HRV. With no gloves I'd been managing the last night in the cave apparently didn't clear the risk. It took less than a minute in the frigid morning wind. The safety net of a Bedroll has weakened my focus. But not my resolve.

Warm up breifly in the cave, pack and head out. Hit a wall of brush, mountain goat around. Find the lonely cave. Make a fire, warm up. Take a few torches, head for the cave out. Through the cave, heading for the pond/cave above Milton via the gulley connecting it to the bridge. Startle a deer that happens to run into a wolf. Stop to fire/scare wolf off the carcass and harvest. Take another torch, reach the cave without incident. Lovely view. Boil water. Eat. The frostbite takes the shine off Bedroll time.

Day 15 | Condition 90% Aiming to reach the ML forestry lookout today. Wait till the day warms up a bit. The good view of the woodlot below contains no wolves so, figuring they're all in Milton, mountain goat down the cliff. Sprain ankle. Take painkillers. Check the prison bus. Nothing. Avoid the Orca station, reach the rope and decend. Freezing again now. Chase a bunny into the wolf thats blocking the path. Light a fire in the cave before the climb. Drop the bedroll, put water on, sleep 1 hour. Packup, head for the rope up. Good energy makes it an easy climb. Weather holding. River > Cave and back in ML.

A greeting party is waiting. Have to go around a longer route. The wind picks up. Frostbite risk returns. Head for the lookout using all possible wind blocks. Frostbite quickly passes 50%. Why not put the second pair of socks on my hands? Anyway... Reaching the foot of the Lookout's hill (frostbite 80%), a wolf barks. Its close and right in the way. Have to go the wrong way round the hill. (Frostbite 90%) NoNoNoNo SPRAIN ankle. WTF. Won't make the lookout. Nearest shelter is logging camp. Head down hill. Reach stove in shelter. Frostbite 98%. Light torch, start lighting fire. It must be too late but frostbite still hasn't hit. Shelter clearly makes a difference. Fire lit. Pile on wood and coal. Frostbite risk dropping. Snow in the wind. No Lookout for me. Drop the bedroll. Sleep 1 hour.

 

Day 16 | Condition 90% Aiming to reach CH mine today. Weather is still awful. Burn what I can and eventually wind drops, and a few flakes of snow drift down. Head for the ravine. A wolf at the dam bridge is easily avoided. In the ravine, theres a deer just before the log crossing. Stop to light fire, warm up. I'm moving fast and have few sticks. Pile them on to get some warmth going. Immediately a wind picks up. Frostbite risk returns. Fire has minutes left. Not good. Cross the ravine. Grab a few sticks as they appear. There isn't enough wood about to stay the night without spending time out in this weather and getting frostbite. Press on. Cross the bridge. Through the tunnel. There wind is strong and flecked with snow. Start a fire in the tunnel mouth. Head some tea. Rest 1 hour on the bedroll to warm up. Wakr up warm but outsite the tunnel the blizzard has returned.  Frostbite risk at 4%. The CH mine is safe and warm. Fire is almost out. Reflecting on this, I see that not reaching the Lookout and getting caught by last night's blizzard ate my fire supplies. To play it safe, the Ravine cave might have allowed me to restock but sitting out a blizzard there takes wood too and as I past it, the weather was ok (and I hoped, having had a blizzard overnight, another wouldn't be hot on its heals). Can't stay in the tunnel. Take a torch for the brief sheltered walk in the rail cutting then break into a sprint into the maelstrom of ice and noise. Sprint between wind shelter as much as possible but the route is open and, well, its blizzard! Frostbite risk soars higher but I'm getting further and further. The mine entrance is seconds away. Then this:

 

-20% max condition. But still, this adds character right? And his is Outerloper. This is the price. Once I'm looking down from TWM, I'll be golden. Still. This was avoidable. Its that bedroll over-confidence. The mine has simple tools, another hacksaw and lots of coal. Make camp at the PV end. Finish off the moose. Bed.

Day 17 | Condition 80%. Mountaineers hut today. Another short blizzard blows through first thing. Its maybe 2pm when I set out, one arrow down out of the wind. Stay to the right edge of the area. Dodgy a wolf. Cold as I approach the cave on the slope up to TWM's rope access. Outside the cave is a deer carcass. Light a fire in the lee of a tree and the slope. Boil water, carve and cook deer. Wind is blowing a little but seems the fire is well protected. Sleep an hour while the meat cooks. Ready for the climb now. Have to dogde another wolf, a little less easy this time. It follows me towards the rope but I'm not stopping. Reach the first ledge easily.

 

And this is one of those 'photos taken moments before tragedy'. From that ledge I stood ready to climb the rope: looking up the rope, about to grab it. I then had to step away from the game and, on returning, I assumed I was 'on' the rope. So I pressed 'forward' to continue climbing. But I'm not holding the rope. I'm falling. And that fall is a killer. (I bet that wolf couldn't believe its luck!)

So there ends this Outerloper adventure. I'm sorry that my carelessness cut it short. I'm gutted as, despite the frostbite, the game was coming back under control and the TWM acsent was going to be exciting - as was a hatchet wielding return to HRV. I'd would recommend the challenge of Outerloper. The beds do exist to move between HRV, MT, ML, FM. A bedroll is needed for PV and CH and the only place you can find one in CH is scruffy's cave (!). With fewer resources and options the pressure to move is constant.

Thanks for the support! See you on the next adventure!

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Stone

[Mixxut]

That is a frustraiting way to die. But managing to survive 17 days without ever going indoors is a pretty great achievement. (and you could have survived easily more) I was expecting you surviving about 3-5 days.

 

I'm definitely going to try this out once I die in my current interloper run (and that shouldn't take too long)