Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness

"Actually, some people say that Red-Haired Shanks from One Piece is modeled after Red-Haired Erik, but I'm not sure about that, it's all hearsay. Just take it as a story to listen to."

Bi Fang took a breath.

Walking on the ice field was incredibly tiring, and for safety, he couldn't walk too fast, or else the likelihood of falling would greatly increase.

Standing on the unprotected ice field, one could clearly feel body heat being taken away, even though there wasn't much physical activity, the energy consumption was nevertheless significant.

"In the Polar Regions, you must cover your entire body to resist the low temperatures and strong winds, especially your head and feet, and you must not stop."

"Our bodies have reserved energy, which is fat. By burning fat, we can also generate heat. That's why these past few days I've been eating high-calorie food — drinking milk tea like water, eating donuts like meals, using cheese as a seasoning — it's all to gain weight."

[Sss, that explains it, I dimly felt that Old Fang had gained quite a bit of weight]

[Dude, that diet... gaining ten pounds in one meal]

Bi Fang exhaled, unable to feel any warmth on his face.

Sunlight had made the temperature rise quite a bit, at least above minus thirty-five degrees, but it was still very cold. The huge temperature difference was like a giant pump, sucking away all heat with great force.

"The best method is to keep moving. It ensures blood circulation in the body and also prevents sweating from too much activity."

"If you start to sweat, you must loosen your clothes to ventilate promptly. Being wet with sweat will reduce the insulating effect. Also, you need to keep your clothes clean; dust and grease can clog the pores in the fabric, decreasing its effectiveness against the cold air."

After walking for almost four hours, the surroundings were still vast and empty.

Bi Fang stopped in his tracks. He looked around; the sun had already reached its highest point but still seemed quite low, as if it couldn't rise any higher, giving the impression that even thirty degrees would be tough to achieve.

"I can't go any further. The ice field is even larger than I expected; it might take more than two days, maybe even three, to cross. We need to stop now, while the temperature is relatively high, and prepare for overnight stay." Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

The expanse of the ice field was larger than Bi Fang had imagined. Every summer was a time for sea ice to melt, and it wouldn't start to form again until autumn. But it seemed the sea ice had frozen very quickly this year, which may indicate a colder winter ahead.

"The weather is actually quite nice today. Look, the visibility is high," Bi Fang pointed around.

Indeed, the air was terrifyingly clean here. Aside from being as sharp as knives, the sea ice stretched as far as the eye could see, extending into pale blue and pure white, under the warm yellow sunlight.

The world was elegantly simple.

"If you are forced into a situation like mine, say a plane crash or some other reason, now would be the best time to signal for help, and the techniques are similar to those used in mountain rescue."

"Vibrant colors and linear shapes are easier to spot from above. Even a piece of black clothing, spread on the barren snow, can be seen from far away."

"Burning animal fat can create smoke. You can also use ashes and burnt debris to make marks on the snow and ice, so don't be stingy with your expensive calf-leather belt at this time."

"Search and rescue flights can only be conducted under certain good weather conditions, so be prepared. It's unlikely that a helicopter will come to rescue you in a blizzard unless there's a daughter of a Fortune 500 businessman in your group."

Bi Fang made a joke, still remembering the second time he live-streamed when someone questioned the implausibility of the rescue speed, calling it a director's drama.

In fact, these people just don't understand the wilderness and human capabilities.

"For snow rescues, it's most likely that an aircraft equipped with skis will be used. There are not many pilots globally skilled in operating these aircraft, so you'll need to find a place to use as a landing strip. This place doesn't have to be perfectly flat, but it certainly shouldn't have obvious, plane-damaging objects."

"Snowdrifts formed by the wind, known as 'sastrugi,' are impossible for landings. About 100 meters of flat ground covered with a thin layer of snow would be the ideal landing spot, and it's also a great place for us to stay, as it will allow us to spot approaching polar bears at a glance."

Bi Fang squatted down, began to chip at the ice with a knife, and said,

"Contrary to what many people think, polar bears' fur is not actually white; their skin is even black. The reason they appear white is that they have two layers of fur, with the outer layer about 5-15 centimeters long, composed of a protein called keratin, and the middle is hollow, not solid."

"This unique structure, while absorbing sunlight, can trap it in the hollow fur and, after being refracted at certain angles, makes the polar bear's fur appear pure white, blending it almost perfectly with the snowy surroundings and making it very hard to detect."

Therefore, having a flat and open area all around is very necessary to spot the presence of such large creatures at a glance.

"This is because the hollow fur is waterproof and insulates like the Onion Clothing Method we use; it meets the needs of camouflage and also provides warmth."

Bi Fang had likewise spoken about the Onion Clothing Method before, which is the principle that, compared to one thick layer, multiple thin layers of clothes of the same combined thickness keep you warmer. These layers of clothes form a thin layer of air between them, helping to prevent the loss of heat.

It is also convenient for dressing and undressing, adapting to the needs of different environments.

For example, Bi Fang is about to build a shelter and the physical activity will increase a bit, so he can take off one layer to avoid sweating.

As Bi Fang advanced, the snow on the ground had started piling up, a good indication that he was getting close to land.

"I've always said, one of the keys to survival is knowing where you are. As long as you know your location, you can be prepared for many things."

"Greenland has high latitude and average elevation, coupled with glacial coverage, which results in a persistent cold high-pressure system over the island. This high-pressure system, due to its coldness, lowers temperatures, exacerbated by several cold currents that further enhance the cooling effect around Greenland."

"But do you remember Svalbard Island, despite its even higher latitude, the climate is quite warm, due to the strong Atlantic warm and humid air currents bringing abundant precipitation to the coast. In winter, the Atlantic warm and humid air currents peak and are extremely powerful."

"When the two meet, it creates the classic cold and warm front system often mentioned in geography textbooks, only instead of rain, it snows, hence Greenland has many blizzards."

"However, Greenland itself is surrounded by cold currents, and also due to its topography, they can't penetrate deep into the island but only snow on the peripheral areas during autumn and winter, which somewhat replenishes the ice cap. During this time, the sea surface starts to freeze and continues spreading outward."