Really, really fun thread!

While I own one of those mysterious soap dishes the US Submarine Service did not expect me to pack survival gear in it....

My understanding of the setup suggests to me that the point of the exercise is to have the soldier go to ground and wait. Being under observation with NVG's says the soldier had best not even try going anywhere. Constructing an effective hide, staying warm, staying hydrated and above all not getting fidgety and getting caught moving around out of boredom are the objects.

Great mental exercise!

I'm torn between asking for a post-exercise debrief and noting that discussing this might be borderline opsec disclosure.

For us survival-oriented folks the getting caught part is why this is so hard. If you aren't worried about getting caught (and killed) then getting comfortable is a great deal easier.