There’s about one month left to submit a solution for the MakeShift featured in MAKE Volume 22. Here is the challenge:
The Scenario: You’re an avid and experienced snowmobiler off to meet up with a friend at a remote cabin some 60 miles back in a rocky and forested wilderness. You know the terrain can be rough in spots and there’s a storm on its way, so you elect to use your older but reliable snowmobile rather than the newer one you bought just before this winter season.
Even though you get started somewhat later than you planned, and the storm seems to be approaching faster than expected, you’re still making good progress. You’re nearly halfway there when you crest a rise and notice — a split second too late — a sapling jutting up in the trail. Before you can react, one of the front ski tips catches on the sapling and sends you flying off into a snowdrift while your snowmobile crashes into a tree!
The good news is that you emerge unhurt. The bad news is your vehicle is sufficiently damaged that, even though the engine will still start and the gas tank’s intact, it’s no longer functional for transportation. What’s more, in your haste to get on the road you neglected to move the emergency survival kit from your new snowmobile to this one — and your cellphone has never found a signal this far out. No doubt, when you fail to arrive as expected, your friend will come looking for you. But with this wicked snowstorm already starting to pound the area, that might not happen for another 48 hours at best. So, like it or not, you’re in for an adventure. And it’s up to you to decide what form that will take …
What You’ve Got: In addition to the winter clothing you’re wearing, you’ve got two protein bars, a bottle of water, the snowmobile’s cover, a basic repair kit consisting of some wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers, the Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool you always carry, and the bottle of single malt scotch you were planning to share with your friend at the cabin. What you don’t have are any matches, lighters, or time — because the wind is howling, the snow is flying, and the visibility is dropping fast. Are we having fun yet?
To enter: Send a detailed description of your MakeShift solution with sketches and/or photos to makeshift@makezine.com by Aug. 27, 2010. If duplicate solutions are submitted, the winner will be determined by the quality of the explanation and presentation. The most plausible and most creative solutions will each win a MAKE T-shirt and a MAKE Pocket Ref. Think positive and include your shirt size and contact information with your solution. Good luck! For readers’ solutions to previous MakeShift challenges, visit makezine.com/makeshift.
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