Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 6: Blizzard Send-Off, Ptarmigan Detour, and the Great Cooking Pot Tragedy

Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 6: Blizzard Send-Off, Ptarmigan Detour, and the Great Cooking Pot Tragedy

Weather: Blizzard โ†’ calm โ†’ chilly dusk
Loot Highlights: Maple syrup, ptarmigan, teas
Mood: Mildly triumphant, then deeply betrayed by my own memory

โ—€ Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 5: Moose Standoff, Bullet Disappointment, and Frostbite Gordon Ramsay  | 
What is Customloper?

Mountain Town Farewell Tour

The plan was simple: head for Mystery Lake. Naturally, The Long Dark decided my departure needed to be as unpleasant as possible. I stepped outside, full of optimism and travel plansโ€ฆ straight into a wall of snow. The blizzard hit so hard I half-expected the wind to demand my boarding pass.

Not keen on becoming a frozen cautionary tale before I even left Milton, I retreated back inside. While the storm roared outside, I repaired my climbing socks โ€” because if Iโ€™m going to dangle from a rope over a death drop, my feet should at least be comfortable.

When the snowstorm finally lost interest in my destruction, I made a quick supply drop at my blizzard cache in Milton Park: food, flares, and a little hope for future me. If my track record says anything, future me will absolutely need them.

En route, I spotted a couple of ptarmigans. One made a clean getaway, but the second wasnโ€™t so lucky โ€” a quick stun and scoop secured dinner. My frame rate then staged its own protest against survival, solved with the ancient ritual of a one-hour nap and a full restart.

A Quick Rope-Climbing PSA

For anyone following along at home:
1. Over your carry weight? Youโ€™re not climbing.
2. Too tired? You wonโ€™t make it far before the rope wins.
3. Both? Prepare for a long fall and a high hospital bill (if hospitals still existed).

The climb up was almost suspiciously smooth. No wolves lurking at the bottom, no moose guarding the top. Just crisp air, creaking rope, and the growing certainty that something unpleasant was saving itself for later.

At the top, my guy was winded but not dying โ€” a personal best. It was a short slog to the transition cave, where I took one last look at Mountain Town and stepped into the dark unknown.

Cave Navigation Pro Tip

Pick a wall โ€” left or right โ€” and stick to it the entire way. Youโ€™ll either find the exit or discover youโ€™ve been walking in circles for hours. Either way, youโ€™ll feel like a pro.

The cave was mercifully straightforward. I found a pre-built campfire setup and used it as an excuse for a much-needed coffee break. The simple act of brewing coffee pushed my Cooking skill to Level 2: Novice โ€” still a long way from โ€œChef,โ€ but Iโ€™ll take it.

With caffeine restored, I pressed on until daylight spilled through the cave mouth. Welcome to Mystery Lake.

Mystery Lake: The Training Wheels Region (With Wolves)

The Hunt for a Rifleโ€ฆ and a Cooking Pot

The sun was already sliding toward the horizon, so I aimed straight for Trapperโ€™s Cabin. First thing I checked: the rifle rack. Empty. The loot gods remain cruel.

The safe offered a small consolation prize in the form of maple syrup โ€” proof that at least one deity in this frozen world still cares about my morale.

Finally, I harvested the ptarmiganโ€ฆ and immediately remembered that every single one of my cooking pots was still back in Milton. All of them. My dreams of a hearty stew crumbled faster than my willpower in a wolf chase.

Instead, I brewed a round of reishi and rose hip teas, boiled water, and contemplated the life choices that had brought me to โ€œhot leaf juiceโ€ as my primary meal. The only upside? I now have a reason to return to Milton, assuming I survive long enough.

Day 6 Summary

  • Location: Mountain Town โ†’ Mystery Lake
  • Finds: Maple syrup, ptarmigan
  • Wildlife Watch: Ptarmigan spotted and secured
  • Conditions: Blizzard start, calm finish
  • Status: Alive, caffeinated, cookware-less

Continue the Journey

โ—€ Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 5: Moose Standoff, Bullet Disappointment, and Frostbite Gordon Ramsay
Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 7 โ–ถ

Sunburnt & Sinking โ€“ A Stranded Deep Survival Diary: Day Three

Sunburnt & Sinking: A Stranded Deep Survival Diary โ€“ Day 3

Difficulty: Normal
Optional Features: Permadeath enabled (naturally)

“Hydration success, culinary failure, and the return of a long-lost knife.”

Weather / Loot / Mood

  • Weather: Warm morning sun, light breeze, suspiciously perfect for false optimism
  • Loot: Cloth (from mystery container), water still, refined knife (found in sand), shattered coconut dreams
  • Mood: Parched โ†’ euphoric โ†’ regretful โ†’ betrayed

Water Still Victory

I woke with a tongue like sandpaper and the hydration levels of a sun-bleached raisin. Todayโ€™s mission was clear: build a water still. The problem? I had no cloth โ€” or at least, thatโ€™s what I believed.

While digging through my supplies, I remembered the sealed storage container Iโ€™d been dragging around like some clueless beach hoarder. Inside, lying there like a treasure in a castawayโ€™s dream, was one glorious piece of cloth. Just enough for what I needed.

Moments later, I had all the parts gathered, and the still was built โ€” my first real piece of survival infrastructure. It stood proudly in the sand, a guarantee that thirst would no longer be my most urgent problem. I almost gave it a name.

Floating Cloth and Coconut Regrets

Of course, before the still came together, my cloth had to put on a show. When I dropped it on the ground, it stood upright like it was trying to defy gravity โ€” or audition for a magic act. Strange, yes, but soon incorporated into my new pride and joy.

With water secured, I turned my attention to food. Variety was key โ€” crabs and coconuts had kept me alive so far, but they werenโ€™t exactly a balanced diet. I set my sights on fish, convinced a fire spit would be my ticket to grilled seafood glory.

But first, a quick survival PSA: never eat too many coconuts. The consequences areโ€ฆ unpleasant. Iโ€™ll spare you the details, but letโ€™s just say my digestive system filed an official complaint and threatened industrial action.

Island Limits & A Knifeโ€™s Return

My island had been generous, but the easy loot was running out. If I wanted to thrive โ€” or even just eat something different โ€” Iโ€™d have to explore further afield. I wasnโ€™t ready for that kind of commitment, but survival doesnโ€™t really take โ€œmaybe laterโ€ as an answer.

While gathering materials for the journey, I spotted something glinting in the sand. It was my refined knife โ€” the same one Iโ€™d apparently dropped days ago, possibly while fleeing a crab with attitude issues. I picked it up and welcomed it back into my inventory like an old friend whoโ€™d just wandered back from the pub.

I also discovered I could make a wooden farming plot. Long-term food production sounded fantasticโ€ฆ until I realised I didnโ€™t have a hoe. That idea went straight onto my โ€œfuture ambitionsโ€ list, somewhere between โ€œbuild a smokerโ€ and โ€œstop capsizing my raft.โ€

The Fire Spit Betrayal

Finally, the fire spit was built, my visions of sizzling fish nearly within reach. I placed my catch over the fire andโ€ฆ nothing. Turns out the fire spit is not the universal cooking solution I hoped for. Apparently, fish require a more advanced setup โ€” a smoker, or perhaps a deal with the culinary gods.

So the day ended with me sipping fresh water and eating yet more crab, while the dream of grilled fish drifted out to sea like an unanchored raft. Still, progress had been made: hydration secured, knife recovered, lesson learned.

Tomorrow, Iโ€™ll brave the sea and head for another island. If I find my way back here, great. If notโ€ฆ well, coconuts probably taste the same everywhere.

Continue the Journey

Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 (You Are Here) |
Final Day

New Page Alert โ€“ Subnautica Survival Guide Now Live!

Attention survivors โ€“ your underwater playbook has arrived!

The brand-new Subnautica Survival Guide is now live on Survivor Incognito, packed with everything you need to go from panicked paddler to confident deep-sea explorer. Whether itโ€™s your first day swimming out of the lifepod or youโ€™re gearing up for an Aurora run, this guide covers it all โ€“ from must-have early tools to predator evasion tips and base-building advice.

Weโ€™ve even included:

  • A quick-reference predator list (because sometimes you just need to know if the big shadow is going to eat you).
  • Switch control table so you can stop pressing the wrong button when panic sets in.
  • A linked map hub for finding resources without wandering into Leviathan territory by โ€œaccident.โ€
  • A quick start card for Days 1โ€“3 priorities.

If youโ€™re starting fresh in Subnautica โ€“ or just want to survive without becoming lunch โ€“ this page is your new best friend.

๐ŸŒŠ Read the full Subnautica Survival Guide here

This Week on Survivor Incognito โ€“ From Frozen Lakes to Flooded Engines

Stranded Deep Day 2, a winning Dead by Daylight survivor build, The Long Dark Day 10, Subnautica Day 1, and SnowRunner Day 4โ€”chaos included

This week was all about variety โ€” and a little bit of chaos.

Sunburnt & Sinking โ€“ Day Two (Stranded Deep):
Water was scarce, knives kept breaking, and island life felt less โ€œtropical paradiseโ€ and more โ€œDIY dehydration challenge.โ€

Survivorโ€™s Dread โ€“ Dead by Daylight:
I tried a survivor build that shouldnโ€™t have worked on R.P.D.โ€ฆ and somehow it did. Consider me pleasantly confused and very alive.

The Cold Chronicles โ€“ Day Ten (The Long Dark):
The Voyageur dream continues: careful route planning, stubborn weather, and only the occasional questionable decision.

Submerged โ€“ Day One (Subnautica):
Ship explodes, pod catches fire, I jump into alien waters armed with optimism and a fire extinguisher. Classic first day energy.

Snowrunner Survival โ€“ Day Four:
More permagear trucking through icy mud. Reminder: โ€œoff-roadโ€ sometimes just means โ€œoff my sanity.โ€


Thanks for reading! If you like chill survival (with a side of chaos), stick aroundโ€”more diaries and guides are on the way.

The Cold Chronicles Day Ten: A Voyageur’s Tale of The Long Dark


The Cold Chronicles โ€“ Day 10: Ravine Roulette, Floating Deer, and Finally Mystery Lake

Day 10 in The Long Dark sees me teetering over the Ravineโ€™s abyss, harvesting meat from a deer thatโ€™s apparently learned levitation, and finallyโ€”finallyโ€”reaching Mystery Lake. Bonus: new socks, because morale matters.

Missed the previous day? The Cold Chronicles Day Nine


Leaving the Trailer, Chasing the Horizon

I stepped out of the trailer at the Train Unloading area, the morning air biting in that way The Long Dark seems to enjoy. The plan was simple: follow the train tracks east until the Ravine transition zone, then cross into Mystery Lake. Simple plans in this game never stay simple.

The tracks carried me into the Ravineโ€”beautiful in the kind of way that makes you briefly forget itโ€™s also a death trap. Narrow ledges, collapsed rails, and drops you donโ€™t get back up from. One balancing section across a busted bit of track nearly gave me a heart attack, but I made it across without testing the fall damage mechanics. Small victories.


The Floating Deer Incident

Birds circling in the distance caught my attentionโ€”never ignore free protein. I hiked over, expecting a standard carcass. Instead, I found a deer hovering several inches above the snow like it had unlocked some kind of ungulate wizardry.

I harvested the meat quickly, mostly to avoid breaking whatever fragile laws of nature were keeping it afloat. Then, in my post-butcher haze, I realized the deer had been โ€œpointingโ€ toward the right path all along. Thanks, floating friend.


Birch Bark and Bullet Rewards

Further along, a lone backpack waited at the edge of another narrow crossing. Inside: one revolver cartridge. Not much, but when you live in a world where bullets are basically gold, you donโ€™t complain.

I also found an absurd amount of birch barkโ€”seven pieces in total. If this run ends, it will not be because I ran out of tea. Deer hunting? Optional. Birch bark tea? Mandatory.


Mystery Lake at Last

The Ravine eventually spat me out onto the familiar terrain of Mystery Lake. Relief hit harder than the wind. I spotted a trailer and decided it would be my base for the night. Outside, I lit a fire, cooking up the deer meat and a rabbit Iโ€™d nabbed earlier. The smell alone was enough to make me feel like I was thriving rather than just surviving.

Inside, I scored a pair of climbing socksโ€”a glorious upgrade from my starting sports socks. Harvested some spare clothes for cloth, then realized Iโ€™d left a rabbit steak outside. Thatโ€™s tomorrowโ€™s wolf bait or breakfast, depending on how fast I am in the morning.

I dropped my deer and rabbit hides, along with the guts, to start curing. Mystery Lake had officially welcomed meโ€”with warmth, food, and better footwear.


Continue the journey: Day 9 | Day 11 โ€“ Coming Soon


More from The Long Dark:

Sunburnt & Sinking โ€“ A Stranded Deep Survival Diary: Day Two

Sunburnt & Sinking: A Stranded Deep Survival Diary โ€“ Day 2

Difficulty: Normal
Optional Features: Permadeath enabled (naturally)

“Water is scarce, knives keep breaking, and coconuts betray me.”

Weather / Loot / Mood

  • Weather: Sunny with a calm breeze, deceptively inviting for a day of mistakes
  • Loot: Two refined knives (both broken), crude knife, potato crop, yucca fruit, several speared fish
  • Mood: Parched โ†’ resourceful โ†’ frustrated โ†’ plotting escape

Death by Dehydration and Knife-Based Regret

Day 2 started the way all my survival days seem to โ€” fighting to stay alive with fewer resources than the average beach picnic. Water was the clear priority, so I cracked open a few coconuts to keep my hydration meter from flatlining. Just as I started to feel less like a dried-out husk and more like an actual human beingโ€ฆ snap. My refined knife broke in my hand.

One second I had my most valuable tool, the next it was reduced to the kind of scrap metal youโ€™d find washed up on a stormy shore. With it gone, my ability to gather resources properly took a nosedive, and I was back to square one.

Knife? Check. Brain? Debatable.

Thankfully, making a crude knife was easy enough. Unfortunately, I forgot that I could use that knife to craft another refined one. It was like having the solution in my pocket but refusing to read the instructions. In my defence, dehydration may have been quietly sabotaging my brain function.

When I finally pieced it together, I felt like the islandโ€™s least stylish blacksmith, reforging my refined knife like it was a lost relic. Feeling smug, I checked the crafting menu for new possibilities. A fire pit? Doable and quick. A water still? Perfect โ€” except it needed cloth. And cloth, as far as I could tell, was rarer on this island than polite seagulls.

My Kingdom for a Rag

The water still became my new obsession. If I could build one, Iโ€™d solve my hydration issues for good. But without cloth, it was a dream just out of reach. I decided to prepare the other materials in advance, so all Iโ€™d need to do was slot the fabric into place once I found it.

In the process, I managed to break my second refined knife of the day. The culprit? The islandโ€™s one unyielding yucca tree, which I kept attacking like it was hiding a secret stash of loot. If anything, it only seemed to grow more smug about my failures. On the bright side, my scavenging turned up a potato crop and a yucca fruit โ€” the makings of a future farm if I could ever get beyond the โ€œnot dying of thirstโ€ stage of survival.

Spearfishing for Sadness

Needing a morale boost, I took to the ocean with a crude spear, ready to prove I could at least feed myself. The fish were easy enough to catch โ€” a few quick jabs and they were mine. I strutted back to shore with my haul, already picturing a beachside fish roast.

That fantasy crumbled faster than my knives when I discovered my fire pit wasnโ€™t suitable for cooking fish. Apparently, I needed something more advanced โ€” a smoker, a spit, or possibly a degree in tropical culinary arts. The fish went into storage, and my dreams went up in smoke without ever lighting the fire.

As the sun set, I stared out toward the horizon. Tomorrow, Iโ€™d choose an island and head for it. Either it would have cloth, or Iโ€™d be stuck crafting a distress flag out of coconut husks, stubborn yucca bark, and pure spite.

Continue the Journey

Day 1 |
Day 2 (You Are Here) |
Day 3 |
Final Day

๐Ÿ“ข New Series Launch Alert!

๐ŸŒŠ Submerged: A Subnautica Survival Diary Begins This Week

Itโ€™s time to dive in โ€” our newest survival series officially launches this week, and weโ€™re starting exactly where youโ€™d expect: falling out of the sky in a flaming escape pod and into an alien ocean full of fish with bad attitudes.

Day One of Submerged is coming this week, with more entries arriving weekly. Follow along as our unfortunate multiverse survivor tries to make sense of a PDA full of blueprints, a lifepod that’s already on fire, and a world where hydration comes from bleach.

  • ๐Ÿ”ง Expect chaos. Expect crafting. Expect at least one poorly timed encounter with a Reaper Leviathan.
  • ๐Ÿš€ All played on the Nintendo Switch, because survival is better when itโ€™s portable.

And if you’re just joining us from The Long Dark, Skyrim, or Stranded Deep โ€” welcome! Hope you brought your flippers.

Here’s What You Missed This Week on Survivor Incognito โ€“ Crashes, Farewells, and Frozen Toes

Another week of survival stories has wrapped up over at Survivor Incognito, and hereโ€™s what went live:

  • ๐ŸŒด Tuesday: Sunburnt & Sinking โ€“ Stranded Deep: Day One. A plane crash, some aggressive crabs, and the beginning of another deeply questionable survival journey.
  • โ„๏ธ Wednesday: Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day Five. Moose encounters, torchlit panic, and the continuing battle to not freeze to death in The Long Dark.
  • ๐ŸฆŽ Thursday: Goodnight, Sweet Lizard โ€“ A heartfelt (and mildly roasted) farewell to my first Skyrim survivor. Gone, but not forgotten. Or fully thawed.
  • ๐Ÿšš Friday: SnowRunner Survival โ€“ Day Three. I made it to the top of a mountain. That was the easy part. Getting down? Thatโ€™s Future Meโ€™s problem.
  • ๐Ÿ›ค๏ธ Saturday: Day One Diary โ€“ Choo Choo Charles. A train with spider legs, eggs with suspicious importance, and absolutely no time to process anything.

๐Ÿงญ We also updated the Start Here page with better guidance for new readers and easier access to key blog content.

Itโ€™s been a week of rough starts, fond farewells, and terrain I was never meant to cross โ€” just how we like it.

Next week: the official start of the Subnautica permadeath run, a bit more trucking, and probably something trying to kill me with a leaf. Stay tuned.

Choo Choo Charles โ€“ Day One Diary: Eugene, Eggs, and Accidental Manslaughter

My Choo Choo Charles day one diary includes a monster-hunting job, a sprinting NPC, and Eugeneโ€™s untimely (and possibly avoidable) demise.


The Job Offer That Shouldโ€™ve Been a Red Flag

I got a call from Eugene. Said he had a job that would help โ€œmy museum.โ€ Didnโ€™t specify how, didnโ€™t ask if I had museum experience, just told me it was time to go monster hunting. I shouldโ€™ve asked questions. Like โ€œwhat kind of monster?โ€ or โ€œwhy me?โ€ or โ€œhave you ever heard of hazard pay?โ€

Instead, I said yes.


Meet Charles: Part Locomotive, Part Arachnid, All Nightmare Fuel

I found myself rowing to a misty, ominous island with Eugene casually explaining that weโ€™re up against a half-train, half-gigaspider named Charles.
Cool. Totally normal Saturday

Upon docking, Eugene says thereโ€™s a train up the hill we can use โ€” but also notes Charles isnโ€™t the only thing to worry about. Then he bolts. Full sprint. No hesitation. Just gone. Iโ€™m used to NPCs dragging their feet, not outpacing me like theyโ€™ve got somewhere better to be.


Learning the Ropes (and the Rail Controls)

Eugene points me to a nearby shack with the key to access the train. This is where I learn how to use the map and set waypoints. Handy, and slightly more intuitive than most in-game maps.

I return with the key, unlock the garage, and meet my new metal ride. Itโ€™s already equipped with a mounted machine gun and has three levers: forward, reverse, and stop. Thatโ€™s it. No cup holder. No horn. No emotional support buttons.


First Encounter: Train vs. Terror

I hit the forward lever and the train lurches ahead โ€” straight into my first encounter with Charles.

Cue panic.

The gun works, technically. But it does about as much damage as a water pistol might do to a tank. Charles shrugs it off, mauls Eugene mid-sentence, and disappears into the fog.

Iโ€™m left alone. On a moving train. Slightly traumatised.


About That Stopping Distanceโ€ฆ

After the chaos, I check the map to reorient myself and decide to go back to Eugene โ€” assuming heโ€™s maybe clinging to life. I reverse the train and, thinking Iโ€™ve lined it up just right, I slam the stop lever.

I do not stop in time.

I run over Eugene.

Itโ€™s unclear whether Charles killed him or if I finished the job by turning him into railkill. Either way, his final words croak out โ€” something about finding the eggs and stopping Charles once and for all.

No pressure.


If you enjoyed this one, please check out my other Day One Diaries | Survival Game Playthroughs & First-Day Survival Challenges

Goodnight, Sweet Lizard: A Farewell to My First Skyrim Survivor

After 13 in-game days of sneak attacks, harsh weather, and a deeply unfortunate troll encounter, my Argonian Skyrim survivor meets his end. This is his legacy โ€” and a lesson in knowing when not to go into caves.

Read his full journey here: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival


In Loving Memory of One Very Cold, Reluctantly Landed Argonian

He was cold-blooded. He was quiet. He preferred to solve most problems from the shadows with a well-placed arrow โ€” because melee is for people with frostbite and regrets.

And yet, after surviving everything Skyrim threw at him, it wasnโ€™t bandits, dragons, or starvation that claimed him. It was two angry trolls and one very bad decision to poke around in Darkshade Cave.


The Life of a Lizard Who Tried His Best

This wasnโ€™t just another survivor.
This was a stealth archer, which is to say: a Skyrim classic.
He lived by the code of โ€œsnipe first, loot later, probably run if it doesnโ€™t work.โ€

In just under two weeks, he:

Escaped Helgen

Lost Lydia

Hired and lost a mercenary

Earned Goldenhills Plantation the way every true adventurer dreams of: by completing a creepy quest and forgetting to farm anything afterwards

Rescued a horse he named Loki, who became the real MVP of the run

Became a part-time necromancer, part-time landowner, and full-time weather complaint generator

Climbed the 7,000 Steps in survival mode without dying of frostbite. Which is frankly a flex.


He even tried to get back to Riverwood like a responsible protagonist.

And then he saw a cave.


Final Moments: The Troll Toll

It started with a stop in Windhelm to offload loot and maybe warm up.
Then came the cave โ€” just a quick look inside, a moment of curiosity.

The first troll nearly killed him.
He chugged potions like they were mead.
The second troll hit harder.
Somewhere in the middle, Gutworm joined the party.

And that was it.

No shouts. No slow-motion kill cam. Just two trolls and a regrettable sense of exploration.


What Weโ€™ve Learned

If there are bones outside a cave, leave them and the cave alone.

Gutworm is not an edgy band name โ€” itโ€™s a problem.

Owning property does not make you immune to stupid decisions.

Trolls are not โ€œstarter enemies.โ€

And stealth archery cannot save you if you’re cornered with no exit and 12% stamina.


Final Thoughts

He never had a name. But he had a farm, a horse, and a bow.

He stood on mountaintops. He summoned undead to do his dirty work.
He shot first, looted later, and almost made it to two weeks.

And then he did what every Skyrim player eventually does:
He got Skyrimโ€™d by a cave.

Rest in peace, my scaly shadow-dweller. You tried. And in Skyrim Survival Mode, thatโ€™s more than enough.

And like they always say, I don’t know who they are, but they do: Finish on a song

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