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WSC Inc sets up special survival caches all over the world at the following types of locations: (a) islands; (b) mountains; (c) jungles; (north/south poles); (d) any other wilderness location where hikers and travellers may visit. These caches are large containers buried in the ground and locked by
a plate.
The marketing could be along the lines of “Insurance that Could SAVE Your Life”. Customers of the company are issued special limited-time-only keys and codes by which they can unlock and use the contents of any cache in the world. They are also given hand-held displays or maps that reveal the locations of caches in their vicinity.
All caches contain emergency medical clothing, wildneress survival gear, rations/water and communication equipment. The caches are electronically linked to the company’s regional HQs, and keeps tab of its contents. Customers are only billed for what they use.
The company routinely checks and tops up caches with its army of helicoptors.
Since a cache could mean the difference between life and death, the company can charge a premium for its use, which would help fund the maintenance of the business.
[link]
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//army of helicoptors//
Ever priced helicopters/pilots/fuel/insurance/etc.? |
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Polar explorers used to do just this - bury caches of food at points on their route to which they might return if they run out of supplies. Outside of the polar regions there are only two other areas where this would be *absolutely* necessary (i.e. where getting food/water is very hard, or impossible): deserts and the sea. Both are ever changing so a static dump of supplies just isn't going to work. |
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Add a credit card swipe to the lock for people who didn't purchase the insurance ahead of time. And include a call box so that one of those helicopters can be summoned for a hasty evacuation. |
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Desert-based caches could be built into large solar-powered robots that automatically dig their way out of the sand. At night, bright beacon lights help identify stations from a distance and guide customers to them. |
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For oceans, put the supplies on remote-controlled boats. Then use surveilance satellites to monitor the ocean surface for signs of trouble, and dispatch the nearest supply boat by computer control. |
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Just do it yourself. Much cheaper that way and you can choose what goes in the container. I've got some goodies hidden already at favorite adventure locations. At least I hope there all still there! Guess I should check them, I wonder if my ice cream stash is doing well in Arizona? |
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Mmmmm...chocolate.
Oh, sorry [dag]. Was that yours? |
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//limited-time-only keys //
I am not sure about the ethical implications here: Wouldn't effectively denying food and shelter to a freezing/starving person count as murder? |
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-> the limited-time access could be for the insurance (low cost) while there should always be the possibility to sell your soul/firstborn/fortune for non-insurance access. |
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Baboo failed to do his maths, and therefore get's an extra "N"
on his name (for No maths). |
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Assuming that you would want supplies within 10 miles of any
given spot where you're likely to need them, you would have
to ask huge numbers of people to get lost in the wilderness
in order to make this remotely economically viable. |
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If you are going to deliver all these supplies by helicopter, any explorer with a satellite phone and means to pay could just have vital supplies flown directly to his location. This would be far more economical and would add the option of flying the stricken explorer away if he has a broken leg or something like that. |
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