Practically at Home: 10 Things I’d Bring to a Deserted Island

Tuesday

10 Things I’d Bring to a Deserted Island

-->

10 Things I’d Bring to a Deserted Island

“What ten things would you take with you to a deserted island?”

With reality television shows, such as Survivor, Fear Factor, and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here achieving cult status, such questions are becoming more pertinent. It seems as if everyone wants to become Robinson Crusoe or Swiss Family Robinson. Maybe we are all just Cast Away or Gilligan's Island wannabees.

Before we all go out and stage a Mutiny on the Bounty, let’s consider what we might take with us. Here’s my top ten list – off the top of my head. (And may I simply mention that I understand the title is not grammatically correct? It's what the meme said.)

1. I would take my two kids to a deserted island with me, although God only knows how their demeanors might change without television, internet and texting. In the absence of these high-tech forms of communication, I would hope that these two would invent advanced smoke signals or some other form of international distress signaling.

2. My dog would not miss any chance to visit a deserted island with me. She loves the water and rolling in soft sand. She is getting older and somewhat blind and deaf, but she might at least give us a bit of advance warning from any deserted island predators.

3. I would most certainly take my cat to a deserted island with me. She is part Maine Coon, and she is a closet ninja. Maine Coons were originally bred to hunt and kill giant rodents. I shudder to think how important that skill might be on a deserted island.

4. If possible, I would love to take our horses to a deserted island with me. Riding bareback through waves, lapping on an abandoned beach, has always been a personal dream of mine. Gee, if that’s not making lemonade from lemons, I don’t know what is.

5. I would take my cell phone and laptop computer to a deserted island with me. OK, they'd probably lose signal, but they might make excellent kindling for our first fire. My laptop tends to overheat quite quickly, particularly when it’s running on battery, so we would need no matches.

6. I would take my handy Swiss Army knife with me to a deserted island. This little gadget has at least a dozen tools in it: scissors, saws and screwdrivers. I can almost phone home with it. Surely something in my Swiss Army knife can crack a coconut.

7. A small sewing kit would definitely be included in any sojourn to a deserted island. After all, you never know when a little fig leaf sewing might be needed.

8. I would take my Disney Animal Kingdom rain poncho to that deserted island for sure. This bright yellow hooded square could serve as a ground cloth, rain tent or even a picnic blanket. Besides, a low-flying aircraft might catch a glimpse of Simba and make a sudden rescue landing.

9. I would not want to spend any time on a deserted island without a big jug of waterproof sunblock. (Our favorite is No-Ad Baby Sunblock.) Hey, who would be shipwrecked on a deserted island without sunshine?

10. I would positively pack my personal study Bible for any stay on a deserted island. With my top 66 favorite books, I would not want to miss it. Hey, who would travel without a sword?