I'm just very surprised some of the cooler heads here haven't tried to dissuade you from starting a trip like this.
Yeah, it's scary when
I'm the voice of reason...

After reading all this my main thoughts are, "Dibs on his knives."
-Blast
I think there have been numerous voices with some reason in them, but no one's really trying to persuade someone to not do something they seem determined to do. If he's going to do it, then he needs advice on how to improve his chances and make the tasks easier.
Although, I think I could use a new bayonet.