KAMCHATKA And THE KURILES - This Large, Sparsely Populated, Volcanic, Great Outdoors Area, is one of my more personal Favorites.

It is an Eastern Extension of Siberia into the Pacific. Much like Siberia in many ways, It's also Different in Others, with a Character All it's Own.

It's well separated by a Vast Arm of the Pacific, -The Sea of Othotsk, on a Peninsula and Island String of it's Own. The Tip of our Alaskan Aleutians come Quite Near it's Northeast. Indeed, it's Final two islands, the Kommandorskis, are Russian. (As is Kamchatka and Nearly all of the Kuriles. The very Southernmost are Japanese.) From a Narrow Northern Neck joining the Kamchatka to Siberia, the Peninsula stretches and expands, then contracts again, in a smooth, tapered, oval, -for Hundreds of Miles to the South-Southwest. For most of this length, Siberia is Hundreds of Miles More to the West, across the Sea of Okhotsk.

Finally, from it's Southern Tip, the Kurile Island Chain stretches an equal distance even more Southwesterly, to Northernmost Japan.

Another Rather Large Siberian Island, Sakhalin, also almost touches the Northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido, from a more Northwesterly Direction. It too, is a very Unspoiled, Sparsely Populated, Great Outdoors Area.

In Fairness to Nearby Japan, They Feel that many of these Islands are Japanese, not Rushan.

Like Kamchatka, the Kuriles are quite Actively Volcanic. As with Iceland, Hot Springs and Geothermal Sources Abound. This and Volcanism extend Down Along both "K"s, from One End to the Other. Earthquakes are a Very Distinct Possibility here, as well. It Sits right along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

It may be a Little Bit Warmer than Siberia, but it still gets Pretty Darned Cold! This is True even Despite it's more Southern Latitude, for a North Area. It's at the Same Latitude as the Canadian Prairie Provinces. We all know that those aren't Exactly Warm. The Kuriles just Below are at the Latitude of Washington State and Oregon. Even at it's Far Southern End, -Japan's Hokkaido is described as having a Wisconsin Climate. And the Bulk of Kamchatka / Kuriles, goes much further North. Being Astride the Pacific Helps too, towards Climate Moderation, but this is the North Pacific. I know Not whether Warm or Cold Ocean Currents Predominate here.

Kamchatka is a Land of Crisp, Clean, Forest, Moors, Meadows, Rivers, Lakes, Spongy Land, Volcanos, Steam Pits, Mountainsides, Glaciers Possibly, Fish, Game, King Crab, and Bear!

Few Live here, though it can Support Life. May it Always Stay that Way!

The Kurile String is Much the Same, minus the Forests. Far more Bare Rock takes such place.

Over here in the Northwest Siberian Pacific, -Opposite the Aleutians and the Bering Sea, -Kamchatka and the Kuriles are in a Deep, Wild, Forgotten Backwater of our World!

Survival there combines Cold, Forest, and Mountain types. Also Ocean, especially Beach and Shore, and Island, and "Smaller Area" Survival Aspects, Come into Play.

( By "Smaller Area" Survival, I'm speaking of how Smaller, though still Large Islands of the World, New Guinea, Madagascar, and Etc, often Don't have Large Animals / Mammals. Or if they Do, they are often Distinctly Smaller versions of such. The Keys Deer comes to mind. It has to do with the Food Supply, and Other Survival & Life Demands.)

To Survive in the Kamchatka, and perhaps even Thrive!, -You must Know and Practice Cold Survival, and Forest Survival.

Mountain Survival is also Very Much a Given, Though Much of the Peninsula's Broad Eastern and Western Bulges are Not all that Mountainous. It's Towering, Challenging Mountains, Runs their Length in a Central Spine. If you want to Cross from one Side to the Other, you've got to Know and Go Over those Mountains. (Unless you're a Pilot or can get a Plane Ride.) Being so Actively Volcanic, -Volcano Knowledge and Safety / Survival Savvy, -would come in mighty Handy as well.

On the Plus Side, -Volcanic Areas often = Very Good Soil! Kamchatka's rather Far Northern location, -can also = a Short Growing Season, though. Again on the Plus Side, it's Northern Locale allows Long Summer Daylight Hours!, Right Within your Growing Season. Next Door Alaska, is only All Too Well Known, for it's King Sized Vegetables!, for this very Same Reason. I'd Bone Up on Plants and Gardening, and Save and Bring in Seeds with me!, -Before even Going. As well as bring Clear Plastic and Other Materials, with which to build Greenhouses and Such. Dark Plastic too, for Mulch Purposes. Find a Good, Suitable Spot in which to Grow your Garden. Being so Sparsely Settled, -This shud be No Problem. Not even for Plenty of Good Rich Bottomland! -Such Already being so well Taken,-in so many Other Areas of the World. Make Use of that Rich Volcanic Soil ! But Take Care to Stay Clear, of Likely Lava Flow Paths and the Like!

Make Sure you're able to Fish as well! And Take Along a Firearm and Ammo, Sufficient to Protect yourself from an Occassional Encounter, with their Equivalent of the Grizzly or Alaskan Brown.

You may want to proceed Eastward or Westward, to either Coast. To a Greater Chance of Sighting or Rescue. To a Greater Augmentation of Sea and Shore Life, to your Food Sources. Of course on a Downside, you Face the Added Danger of Coastal Storms. But you can Always Move Inland somewhat, during such Times. You're also quite Far and Comparativly Safe from much of the Volcanic Danger, there on the Coasts. Except for where they start Drawing back in toward the Mountains, -the further North or South you get, from the Center.

At least a Few Words of "Get By" Russian, -could come in Handy and Helpful evry now and then. Though it can be Quite Rare to even Run into Anybody, here in this Wild and Free Land! Some Words and Phrases in a Local Native Language, such as Koryak, -can likewise be Helpful and Handy.

I might also want to Work my Way South!, -Toward Warmer and Much More Populous Japan. Assuming I Didn't Want to Stay. But Better Yet, -Staying here in the "Kamchatk!", -I might Rather!

Kamchatka comes in somewhere Midway, between both the Advantages and Disadvantages of Continental Type Survival, and the Advs. and Disadvs. of Small Island Survival. It has about the same Land Area as California.

Food and Fish, -Shud be No Problem! Firewood and Shelter Materials, -No Problem There either! Water, -No Problemo! Game, -Aplenty! Fellow Human Problems or Presence, -Little to None! Beyond just Fuel and Shelter, -From the Forest Materials, you shud be able to Build a Cabin or Cabins, -to your Heart's Content.

A Goodly Amount of Long Lasting Cold, -You Do happen to Have a Good Deal of That! Prepare and Provide yourself Well for That! Some occassional Wildlife Dangers, -Yes, You may from Time to Time Run into some of that, -Prepare Accordingly. Such Animals overwhelmingly, Will of course Depart from *you*.

So Much of the Great Untouched, Unspoilt, Clean, Crisp, Clear, and Pristine Outdoors!?, -There's So Much of It for So Far All Around!!!

Kamchatka is a Place *to* Survive!, -Shud it Come Down to that! Shud you for any Reason Have To. Kamchatka is Moreover a Place that you may *Want* To Survive in ! Shud That Too, ever be your Want or Need. (The Kuriles, now, are Far Smaller and Rockier, with All the Advantages and Disadvantages of Isolated, Small Island Survival. Much like the "nearby" Aleutians, -The Seas and Weather there, -Aren't Exactly Kind! )

These are the All Round Survival Conditions aqnd Aspects of the "Kam Chatk". It is Worthy of our Consideration and Basic, General, Familiarity. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]


Edited by ScottRezaLogan (02/22/04 03:50 AM)
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"No Substitute for Victory!"and"You Can't be a Beacon if your Light Don't Shine!"-Gen. Douglass MacArthur and Donna Fargo.