clock kits

My girlfriend did this team building excercise where you had to rate 15 items by their importance for survival in the wilderness of Newfoundand Canada in October. The students then were graded on the difference between their ratings and the ratings of a survival expert. Here are the expert's ratings:

1. waterproof matches

2.hand axe

3. heavy duty canvas

4. sleeping bag

5. gallon maple syrup

6. braided nylon rope

7. snowshoes

8. inner tube

9. shaving kit and mirror

10. flashlight

11.bacardi rum

12.alarm clock

13.compass

14.celestial navigation book

15.water purification tablets

Some of the students disagreed with fire being the number one priority. Any opinions? There were more details about the situation and a map included but it would be too lengthy to include here. I just don't think that you must have fire.

Additional Details

1 second ago

I think I would always put the sleeping bag and tarp first and second. I might even take the axe before the matches. You cannot warm yourself externally. You can only slow down heat loss. Body heat must come from metabolization of calories. Eating and excercising is the only way to make body heat. After that, you just need to insulate yourself and stay dry.

I think that alot of survival training comes from a military standpoint. They are taking defense into account. Build a stronghold, defend it, and wait for support troops.

The fire seems like more of a mental thing and a way to pass time. I guess if I knew there were polar bears around, I might make matches number one, but then there might not be any wood to burn in polar bear habitat, right? Anyone with experience?

I would tend to agree with the expert. You need to take a military position of building a sufficient shelter, establishing a perimeter from which you can defend yourself from predators and then waiting to be rescued. You certainly can't survive long term in that environment. The only hope is to walk out or wait to be rescued. I believe that walking out was not an option in this exercise.

You can create your own natural sleeping bag from twigs, leaves and other debris scavenged from the area. You can even create an igloo type shelter using the snow itself.

As far as I'm concerned, you can't survive by immersing yourself in a sleeping bag. You must move around to stay alert. If you have a healthy fire, you can create that space.