Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

The wooden oars rhythmically cut through the sea, each entry into the water creating a soft splashing sound.

The ten-kilometer journey is a test of both physical strength and willpower.

Gu Lang's clothes were already soaked with sweat and splashed seawater, and his muscles trembled slightly from the continuous exertion.

The Geiger counter hung around his neck, but it did not sound an alarm.

Seawater is safe; there is no doubt about that.

Even in the case of an underwater nuclear explosion, the radioactive elements produced will dissolve into the seawater over a vast area.

Its nuclear radiation concentration will decrease rapidly as it moves away from the epicenter.

In the ever-flowing seawater, it eventually approaches the natural background radiation level.

To prevent water from getting into the Geiger counter, he even put a protective cover on the machine.

Experienced outdoor travelers will carry some condoms in their bags.

This thing is highly elastic, tough, has good sealing properties, is small in size, and extremely lightweight.

This makes it an invaluable "all-purpose emergency tool" for outdoor activities.

For electronic products, the transparent material does not affect touch screen operation or screen viewing.

It has excellent sealing properties, which can effectively prevent water from entering the equipment and causing damage.

Due to its high strength, it can be used as a water storage bag in emergency situations.

When you have a hand or foot injury, putting on a condom can also serve as a simple waterproof barrier to protect the wound from infection when wading through water.

After cutting, you'll find several strong and elastic rubber bands that can be used to tie up various items.

In extreme cases, it can also be stretched and used as a pressure tourniquet, or as an elastic bandage to fix a splint.

It can be used to blow up balloons, or as a buoy or marker.

If you have enough balloons, you can stuff them into your pants and tie them around your neck to make a makeshift life jacket.

When they were about fifty meters from the dock, Gu Lang stopped and let the kayak sway gently with the waves.

He took a few deep breaths of the salty, fishy air and carefully wiped the seawater off his hands.

Then, he carefully took out a full-body protective suit from his bag and put it on.

Unlike seawater, the soil, building surfaces, and vegetation on the island can absorb and accumulate deadly radioactive materials.

The reason for not wearing them when setting off is twofold: firstly, they are too stuffy and can easily lead to oxygen deprivation; secondly, it is for safety reasons.

Once you put on the protective suit, your joints become restricted, and the boots at the bottom are very heavy.

In addition, the gas mask makes breathing difficult, making it extremely dangerous if one falls into the water.

After making the necessary preparations, Gu Lang slowly paddled the kayak over.

Instead of rushing ashore, he headed towards a tugboat.

This type of ship has a low freeboard, making it relatively easy to climb aboard.

He used a rope to tie the kayak's cable to the handrail of the tugboat, using it as a temporary mooring point.

There are two piers at the dock, and this tugboat is located outside berth number four.

He crouched in the kayak, carefully observing the deck and cockpit of the fishing boat, listening intently for several minutes.

Apart from the monotonous sound of waves crashing against the hull, there were no signs of human activity.

After confirming that everything was correct, he suddenly stood up.

He gripped the upper edge of the fishing boat's gunwale with one hand and used his waist to exert force.

He flipped up and landed on the deck with a soft thud.

Gu Lang picked up his air rifle and quickly searched the entire boat.

The cockpit, living quarters, and engine room were empty, with only some scattered personal belongings visible.

He felt a little relieved, but he did not let his guard down.

My gaze fell on the sand-carrying ship right next to me, with a waterway about a meter apart between the two ships.

He took a few steps back, ran a short distance, and then leaped into the air.

They boarded the sand-carrying ship and got onto its deck.

There was no one on the ship either. Gu Lang crouched down and crawled into the wheelhouse, observing the situation on the dock through the glass.

In the distance, there are two engineering vessels equipped with cranes, each occupying a berth.

"Something's not right, why can't we see a single ferry?"

Gu Lang sensed something was wrong and immediately became alert.

Upon closer observation, an unusual detail caught his attention.

The dock has a total of four berths, with the easternmost berth, number one, being empty.

However, a broken cable was tied to the mooring bollard at that berth.

Upon closer inspection with binoculars, the fiber cross-section was neat and clean, with almost no rough edges.

It doesn't look like it broke due to wear or tear; it looks more like it was broken with a sharp tool.

It is highly likely that someone was in a hurry to escape by boat and cut the mooring ropes that they did not have time to untangle.

This seemingly tranquil island has clearly witnessed many stories.

After searching again, Gu Lang finally confirmed that the entire dock area was safe.

They then launched drones to reconnoiter other areas of the island.

He didn't waste any time trying to operate the four boats moored at the dock.

These ships are not only huge in tonnage, but they are also all oil guzzlers.

Moreover, it's simply not something a single person can drive.

His real target was the fishing port on the east side of Dalu Island.

Footage transmitted back by the drone shows a small hill behind the transportation terminal.

The island's terrain slopes from north to south, with fishing villages, beaches, and hotels/entertainment facilities all located in the south.

Several small boats were moored in the fishing port, mostly wooden sampans and small fiberglass fishing boats.

Among them was a beautiful, all-white yacht that stood out from the crowd.

A few days ago, when Gu Lang was conducting reconnaissance on land using a drone, he immediately took a liking to this ship.

The purpose of this trip is to take her away.

Previously, due to the limited remote control distance of drones, it was only possible to get a general view from a distance using drones.

As they drew closer, the yacht's appearance became clearly visible.

This is a three-story luxury yacht, and there is a line of text written on the open flybridge above the cockpit.

"Going fishing on a yacht? Turns out it's a recreational fishing boat."

Gu Lang finally understood why a luxury yacht had suddenly appeared in the fishing port.

The yacht is estimated to be less than 15 meters long, making it a size suitable for single-person operation.

The hull looks almost brand new, which means it is a model that was built and launched in recent years.

It is highly automated, and the difficulty of operation is significantly reduced.

Upon discovering this, Gu Lang was not happy at all.

Nuclear explosions produce powerful electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), and the higher the altitude of the explosion, the greater the EMP's sphere of influence.

When a nuclear bomb with a yield of 100 megaton explodes at an altitude of about 400 kilometers above the ground.

Its influence radius can reach an astonishing 2200 kilometers.

Within this range, almost all unprotected electronic devices could be affected.

Although the city of Dandong in the east was clearly hit by a ground-based nuclear attack.

However, given the close proximity, if the yacht lacks protective measures such as shielding, filters, and surge protectors, it could pose a significant risk.

There is still a chance that the electronic equipment on the yacht will be burned out.

If that's the case, then Gu Lang will have no choice but to activate the backup plan and sail in a fiberglass fishing boat.

These semi-open, rudimentary fishing boats use outboard motors.

It operates similarly to an assault boat, with a purely mechanical two-stroke engine, making it inherently immune to any EMP attacks.