Something to churn those brain gears

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

Because, yeah I'm bored. And procrastinating

So, I has a conundrum for you.

You are a lieutenant, and you have a platoon of men under your command. You're all but surrounded. The only free path is across a ravine with white water rapids 100ft below. One of your men is injured and unconscious.

You need to cross the ravine, which is 30ft across. Apart from standard military issue, you have one length of rope. It is 35ft long. There are no trees taller than twenty ft in the vicinity. The enemy approaches.

You need to get your men across the ravine ASAP ( you have about ten minutes). You are on your own - no calling in the cavalry. What order do you give?

This was, many years ago, a contest in a paper.There is no 'right' answer as such, but gold stars will be awarded for the most inventive. The man who won the contest came up with what I consider to be the perfect answer. Double gold stars and chocolate if you get it.

KTC · Jun 14, 2009

What color are their uniforms?

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

Blue with little purple flowers on, and a puppy motif

Does it make a difference?

Priene · Jun 14, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
You need to get your men across the ravine ASAP. What order do you give?

Take the rope, sneak through the undergrowth, strangle all the enemy, order an airstrike on their headquarters, put their leaders in an internment camp and nuke their capital.

Sorted.

KTC · Jun 14, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
Blue with little purple flowers on, and a puppy motif

Does it make a difference?

In this case, I believe he would take out the Mary Poppins umbrella and scream, "All aboard!"

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

Priene said:
Take the rope, sneak through the undergrowth, strangle all the enemy

All of them? All like 3000? You aren't in the SAS

order an airstrike on their headquarters, put their leaders in an internment camp and nuke their capital.

Sorted.

No air cover ( or it can't reach you before you are overwhelmed by the enemy and / or your injured man cops it)

C for effort. Must try harder

ETA: i editted the original to be clearer.

BenPanced · Jun 14, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
Because, yeah I'm bored. And procrastinating

So, I has a conundrum for you.

You are a lieutenant, and you have a platoon of men under your command. You're all but surrounded. The only free path is across a ravine with white water rapids 100ft below. One of your men is injured and unconscious.

You need to cross the ravine, which is 30ft across. Apart from standard military issue, you have one length of rope. It is 35ft long. There are no trees taller than twenty ft in the vicinity. The enemy approaches.

You need to get your men across the ravine ASAP. What order do you give?

"Retreat!"

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

BenPanced said:
"Retreat!"

Which way - you're surrounded. Unless it's 'retreat into a 100ft drop and a messy death on the rocks of the ravine'

Maybe not the outcome you'd like.

Button · Jun 14, 2009

What kind of trees? There's a difference between Balsa Wood (very weak) and teak (the strongest).

If they are the strong variety, rope a couple logs and cross that way.

Otherwise, use the rope to get down into the ravine with some birch wood (very popular in many regions) and go into the water. Birch is best for floating.

Button · Jun 14, 2009

I didn't read the 1000 foot drop.

GTG. Swimming in pool now. Bieeee.

KTC · Jun 14, 2009

How about, "Everybody...it's time to drink the Kool-Aid."

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

KTC said:
How about, "Everybody...it's time to drink the Kool-Aid."

Defeatist!

And I don't know what type of trees. Crappy ones?

Vincent · Jun 14, 2009

After hacking down the trees with our entrenching tools and ordering the men to strip naked, I'll build a trebuchet, using the wood for the frame and beam, and tightly twisted clothes (drab olive, I assume) for the sling. The weight of 30 naked men huddled in a ball will act as the counterweight. I will tie the rope to the feet of our unconscious comrade, and use the trebuchet to launch him across the ravine, like a limp grappling hook. Repeat until his body tangles with something on the other side.

Voila! We all climb across.

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

Did I not mention that the injured guy should live?

Nice answer though

BTW - it's way way WWAAAAAAY easier than that. *snickers to self*

Vincent · Jun 14, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
Did I not mention that the injured guy should live?

Nice answer though

BTW - it's way way WWAAAAAAY easier than that. *snickers to self*

He might live...

KTC · Jun 14, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
Crappy ones?

lol

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

What, he's not quite dead?

Lol

Have a star for an inventive answer.

ReallyRong · Jun 14, 2009

I may be missing something here, but if it were me I'd order all but two of the healthy troops to stop messing around with that damned rope, get with the green movement and stop cutting down those poor trees, and march across that free path pronto. But not in step, obviously. Then I'd order the other two to carry that injured one across, with special instructions that he is to be kept alive at least until they reach the other side.

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

Ahem, the trees aren't tall / long enough to go over the ravine. And you don't have time to build a bridge a la MacGyver.

Wait you said stop cutting the trees? Er, what path are they marching across? The one that is thin air across a ravine?

Think simple

Think lateral.

Think being a Rupert in the Army.

aadams73 · Jun 14, 2009

Pfffft. Why aren't they scaling down the ravine with their bare hands like real men? Huh? Huh?

Pansies!

robeiae · Jun 14, 2009

catapult?

regdog · Jun 14, 2009

If you have standard issue supplies than you should have firearms, RPGs, land mines, hand granades and someone should have a flame thrower. Close your ranks and let loose with your fire power.

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

Until you run out of ammo

Then you're dead.

ReallyRong · Jun 14, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
Ahem, the trees aren't tall / long enough to go over the ravine. And you don't have time to build a bridge a la MacGyver.

Wait you said stop cutting the trees? Er, what path are they marching across? The one that is thin air across a ravine?

Think simple

Think lateral.

Think being a Rupert in the Army.

Well you started it! You said free path and I took that to be some kind of clever wordplay that meant that there was already a freely traversable path there. I need a drawing please. My last and final suggestion - which is also probably completely wrong - would be to use the chainsaw that you deliberately didn't tell us about but I can see lying on the ground, cut down some 20ft trees and use the rope to tie them together to create something that is say, 35 feet wide and drop this over the ravine. And why don't polar bears eat penguins?

Mr Flibble · Jun 14, 2009

ReallyRong said:
Well you started it! You said free path and I took that to be some kind of clever wordplay that meant that there was already a freely traversable path there.

No I just explained badly. My bad.

I need a drawing please. My last and final suggestion - which is also probably completely wrong - would be to use the chainsaw that you deliberately didn't tell us about but I can see lying on the ground, cut down some 20ft trees and use the rope to tie them together to create something that is say, 35 feet wide and drop this over the ravine.

Sadly no chainsaw - or that amount of time. err, drawing, er....I'll get back to you.

ETA:

drawing

And why don't polar bears eat penguins?

They don't live on the same continent.

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