/sci/ - Science & Math

>>3822388

It does seem harmless, but so did the other pics, yet someone was able to look at the fucking trees and figure out which part of the US I was in. Very sharp. Forgive me for being cautious. Once I give it more thought and figure out what needs to be out of frame to avoid providing clues I would consider posting pics.

>>3822322
Maybe. That was never the problem though. I could always deal with people for a few minutes at a time, it's when I am trapped with them for longer than that where it becomes a problem. I handled classes by closing my eyes and listening. I had a little video recorder to capture the lecture and watch it later in my dorm.

>>3822198

>How is Hole Troll able to post all day?

I don't exactly have a full schedule.

>Won't the batteries on his laptop/smartphone have run out of juice by now?

I get power from 28 batteries I have collected. 15 of them are small motorcycle size ignition batteries, the rest are car sized. The small ones are light enough to carry around for every day use, I have an inverter that clips onto the terminals. That's what I use to keep my phone going, as I need the GPS feature to find my cave after foraging. It's also what I use while foraging in the winter to power a 12 volt heated motorcycle jacket I got in a trade.

>Also, don't parks have spotty cellular reception or none at all?

This may be why I am limited to 2G. I don't know if it's the phone, or just that the only towers nearby are 2G. That's part of why I want a newer phone to try. That, and this one isn't designed to browse the internet, although it has a few meager "connectivity features" like AIM, stocks, sports scores and shit.

>>3822179

>Do you have access to any money at all?

I have some. When in normal camper clothes I've been able to convince other campers I was in some kind of jam and needed a particular item, and would trade something for it. On occasion this has meant selling stuff. The cash isn't for every day use as I can only rarely find someone interested in buying anything from a stranger they met at a campsite, rather it's for those occasions when I absolutely need to buy something and cannot find it locally.

I have gotten some pretty cool stuff through trades. If only I could wander around more often without the risk of the camp management people recognizing me and wondering why I'm always around I could get the kind of things I otherwise cannot, maybe even the stuff for building the devices mentioned in this thread.

>>3822106

I would greatly appreciate the supplies but the last time I provided anon with a dropoff point I wound up being evicted. I am not someone who handles unexpected changes to their life very well. I don't want to go through that again.

I will keep thinking about it. If I can get a bicycle I could set up a PO Box in town. It's too far to walk and there aren't any bus stations for miles. I'm pretty fit from living off berries and energy bars and shit while hiking multiple miles each day, biking a long distance would not be troublesome. I guess it will depend mainly on whether or not some of the suggestions made so far work out, or if I decide I really need handouts after all.

The only thing is, a bike is a bit much to take. Lifting packaged foods from campsites is one thing, a bike is expensive, and someone might be relying on it for transport.

>>3821898

>Okay, something doesn't add up. In the original thread, you said that you accesed internet with a pay-as-you-go plan. But now you claim that you are on a family plan. Please explain this contradiction.

I was, at that time, using a disposable cell phone. ("GoPhone"? Something along those lines) Clamshell packaging, comes with minutes, etc. This was a replacement for the phone I brought with me from the dorm, which had a screen that was pretty much destroyed when I fell on it.

I couldn't get online with the new cheapshit phone, which is why I had to go to McDonalds for the wifi.

The phone I use now was supplied in a care package. It's one of the more surprisingly expensive things anon has sent me. I didn't know if it worked this way but I tried sticking the sim card from the original phone into the care package phone. When I booted it up, it showed my carrier at the top, and I could place calls on it. I dunno if that's how it normally works or if it was a fluke, I thought an account was tied to a particular phone up to that point.

Now that I know this (if it's accurate) I would be willing to give someone the front office mailing address if they felt like sending me a newer smartphone I can browse the internet and use 3g/4g from. They use much less power than my netbook and I could run it much longer on the batteries.

>>3821891

>Why did you abandon /r9k/, holetroll?

I looked for it, it wasn't here. It's been a long time. Lots of stuff I remember isn't here anymore. I don't recognize any of the new memes. I don't know who bear grilis is. The ads are new. I did my best to reconnect with you guys despite being once again a stranger on this site.

>>3821905

>It's something treatable, and curable.

I tried this. They had this program at a university in the town I used to visit while I was living in the old hole. Students of psychology would practice on people who in exchange got the therapy for free. It helped me get over the self hatred as I said, but I still can't live the way I used to.

She said it's because I feel like if I have to struggle a little to survive, and I'm outdoors every day, I feel like I am accomplishing something. Whereas if I live isolated in comfort I feel like a child, like I am stagnating. But really I'm fooling myself, it's stagnation either way. She tried to pressure me into attending support groups. Then one time she surprised me, having a few other students join us. I wasn't ready for that. It was the party all over again. It was the last time I went there.

>Coat the cave walls with bioluminescent fungi or bacteria. They'll need moisture so you should piss on the walls for light.

I think someone would notice if there was suddenly glowing bacteria on the cave walls. I don't even know where I'd get any.

Forgive the delayed replies, the connection drifts in and out. I've also been going back and forth between my cavern and the entrance so I can post and get warm, alternatingly. I really need some way to get reception in there.

>>3821650

I mean the actual accident. I was somewhat to blame. I thought having him next to me would make people more likely to stop. People love cute animals, right? I do. I didn't think it through. I was halfway across the road when this ugly angular yellow SUV looking piece of shit comes around the corner at us fast. I ran to the other side. Horatio panicked and darted back and forth like he couldn't decide where to run. Then he froze in place like he just gave up and it creamed him.

I went back to the hole that night. I didn't feel like going anywhere, and I had to bury my friend.

>>3821607

>Also did you take Horatio your pet raccoon with you?

He died. Hit by a car while following me on the trip. I'd rather not discuss that any further.

I miss him. I still feel loneliness. That's the stupidest thing. I crave company but can't stand human contact. Like a moth and a flame. Horatio was dumb but chill, and would sit there with his granola bar chomping away as I would talk to him about where I would be in life right now if not for the hole, and it was as good as having a person listen.

I buried him as formally as I could with what I had. The grave is lined with small rocks. I wrapped him in toilet paper and duct tape to prevent him from decomposing too fast. I guess I didn't want the worms to get him without a fight. I buried him with a granola bar so he has something to eat on the other side.

>>3821518

>I would send you a book, but you can't reveal your location. Any suggestions on ways to get you stuff?

The camp is set up to receive mail. I have a set of 'normal clothes' with which I can pass as a camper. I might consider giving out the mailing address of the front office. My concern is that someone would simply notify them that there's a guy living in the caves, and then I'm back to square one again.

>>3821484

This book. It was in one of the care packages. It's a bizarre story, but I like to imagine it's true, as it makes me feel better about living in these caves. Like it's someplace mystical and interesting.

>>3821466

>OP, you know you can't live the way you're living now forever. What would you do if you get sick or old?

I have gotten sick. Eventually I got better. When I get too old to support myself, I will die, and I will no longer have to worry about gathering food or keeping myself warm. That will be a tremendous relief.

>>3821410

How would I cook the rice?

I know you mean well but as I found out for myself within the first month of living in the old hole, it's harder to do than it seems in your thought experiments. You can imagine you've prepared adequately but when the realities of cold and hunger and fatigue and bugs set in, you quickly figure out that you need as much help as you can get, help in this case being the occasional stolen granola bar or car battery or flashlight bulb. Things go wrong you didn't account for, something breaks that you can't fix and must instead replace, suddenly you're forced to seek out civilization or at least a campsite again in order to sustain the equipment you need to maintain a basic level of comfort.

>>3821379

>Same hole troll that once took a picture of his hole a couple years back and had been posting off of a netbook? If I remember the thread correctly.

The same. Do you happen to know which of you sent the care packages? I wish to thank him or her.

>>3821376

Perhaps it is more common than most think. I hope you fare better than I have.

>>3821356

It would be many times more difficult to survive without any outside goods. I see no reason not to use them so long as I take only what I need. They're there, I may as well, I would likely starve otherwise.

>>3821262

I did head south, but not very far. However living in this small cavern makes it easy to stay warm. The entrance isn't even quite three feet across. I can 'plug' it with my backpack and some towels to keep the heat in. Even during the winter, the radiant heat from the blanket in that enclosed space keeps me very comfortable. On occasion I also fire up one of the lanterns although I try not to since I am still holding out hope to find a camping stove so I can have hot meals regularly.

>>3821245

>Do you shave, or have any soap for hygiene's sake? That's fairly important, so I assume so.

Yes, I have a bunch of travel soaps and a bottle of shampoo I use sparingly. My hair is clean but hopelessly tangled. I dare not cut it as it keeps my head/face warm during winter nights.

>>3821238

>Well, have you considered finding a new campsite? It seems like the cave is less than ideal. I'm sure if you look you can find a good isolated place where nobody will go. Then you can fish and cook and plant a garden and do whatever else you want in peace. You could scout on Google maps and local travel guides for a good spot.

If it's on a travel guide, people will go there. I doubt I can find an as yet undiscovered cave network. Better to learn to live in this one as I will face the same issues in any other.

>Also, you should think about getting (stealing?) a bike. It's the fastest form of human-powered transportation. It would allow you to live further from town and give you a wider range if you got evicted or wanted to travel somewhere else. You also wouldn't have to worry about hitching rides.

That's going a bit far. Besides, the terrain around here isn't suitable for bikes. They're only really usable on the trail, and on the roads through the campsite, and I don't go there.

>>3821217

>may i ask you to explain why you've chosen to live like this? I'm curious

See: >>3820584

>>3821154

>As for your power problems - scout out local streams. It may be possible for you to build your own DIY hydroelectric generator. The stream turns the paddles, the paddles turn the alternator, the alternator charges the batteries.

The problem with this is that it still requires me to ferry the batteries back and forth for charging. There are outdoor utility outlets for campers that I currently use, it would be no more convenient than charging from those.

>>3821156

>ok, do they got other electricity in the cave? like lights for the tourist walkways? if so cant you connect a cord to that and drag it into your cave? i doubt a black cord would be easily spotted in a dark cave,

I wonder. They have a suggestion/complaint box at the front office. If I fill it with requests to add lighting to the walkway, they might do it. Then I could tap into that for power. It would take a while, but I have no shortage of time on my hands.

>>3821150

>you sick your bear on them

Haha! To be honest, I mainly want the companionship. Humans I can't handle, but I love animals.

>>3821117

>I really want a bear to attack OP, but not kill him just so he can post his story...

There's a bear cub who occasionally stops by to eat the blackberries. I've tried to get close but he's skittish. I'm worried his mother's nearby but I've never seen her. It's possible he's orphaned. Even with food in hand I can't get close to him.

>>3821111

>Why can't you boil water? Making fire is not that hard, do you lack something to boil it in?

I tried a few times the first day I moved in. In an enclosed space, a fire is very dangerous. I became dizzy and luckily was able to realize what was wrong and put out the fire before I died from inhalation. I could make a fire in the main cavern but if I forgot to clean up afterward every time I'm concerned the remains of it would be seen by a tourguide or something. All it would take is one bit of evidence someone's living in the caves for them to arrange a search.