I'm pushed into the bank and from the Pilothouse, I see, along the beach:

4 boards to make a leanto frame
2 3" 3 strand mooring lines which can be pulled apart for cordage to make leanto bindings and fishing line
An ice chest for storing or carrying resources
Many plastic jugs and bottles to hold fresh water
A large rain fed lake 400 yds North of my position
Many scrubby trees to provide shelter making materials, crude fish hooks, etc

Now look around. What "garbage" is around you and how would you use it? Your EDC is extremely useful in making use of the raw products laying around you.

I am intrigued that you are describing what is essentially a beach environment. My experience patrolling the beaches of Channel Islands national Park suggests that the beach is a very good place to be if you are trying to corral goodies in a survival situation.

I have found working flashlights (more than once), in additional to various other items related to scuba diving, literally miles of rope (usually the yellow polyester stuff), nautical charts, consumable food, a usable walking staff, clothing items (some of which were usable). All this was in addition to the ostensible objects of my search, - archeology, historic shipwrecks, and pygmy mammoth fossils. Moving water transports objects a long way...Oh, yes, there were also two messages in a bottle, but, alas, no magic lamp complete with genie. It got to the point where I made regular use of the yellow rope to fabricate fossil casts, never bothering to carry any until we could scoop up some along the shore.

Not only all these found objects, but in a lot of environments, you are going to have food readily at hand - mostly mussels and other crustaceans. The beach is where it's at!

Isn't that term the inverse of 'jumbo shrimp'?

Absolutely! They are (or were) a prime example of "island dwarfism" - the tendency of large species isolated on islands to shrink in size through time. A full adult male was about 6' high at the shoulder, weighing a ton (mainland guys stood 14'). Walt Disney would have loved them.

Not to make light of others' tragedy, but the entire west coast of North America will have an endless array of man-made goods washing ashore for a several years. It is only decent to be respectful of items that are perhaps the only surviving mementos of someone's family members. But there is no reason to avoid using general flotsam in a survival situation.

I am sitting along the bank of the Intracoastal Waterway in SE Texas.

Good points wildman.

One of the subtle things I always appreciated about Les Stroud's TV series was that he made a point to highlight taking advantage of flotsam and jetsam.

" taking advantage of flotsam and jetsam."
Wildman, you could make a survival show, call it Dual Survival!
Oh, wait. That's taken.

The Capt has paddled our skiff to the beach and is walking the beach to see if there is anything else that could be useful. That list of useful objects includes empty 5 gal buckets and 3" line. The line is in good condition but the question is whether it is long enough (30+ ft minimum).

The board will be cut down to the size we need and we'll dump the excess ashore when we dump our garbage.

Although there is no doubt that there is more stuff washed up around the shore of a river, lake or beach, it does not mean the same alertness should not apply in other environments.

I am now on a firm "walking schedule" (please don't ask why ). In the past few weeks I have found the following items in my suburban walking route:

1. a 20$ bill
2. a fully operational brand new bic pen
3. a fully operational bic lighter.
4. many, many, plastic water bottles (too many!)
5. several gloves (no matching pairs)
6. A lot of paper and cardboard (kindling?)
7. A ceramic dinner plate.
8. Lots of aluminum cans, most crushed, but some not, and some unbroken beer bottles (none unopened and full).
9. a size large man's winter jacket (in the middle of the street!)
10. a 4 foot ethernet connection cord.

I gotta have a talk with the neighbors!

On the down side, I have been chased by a dog who ran right through the "invisible fence."