Unprepared Log 4 – Final Day: So Close It Hurt

Difficulty: Interloper
Survivor: Astrid

Today’s plan was simple. Which should have been my first warning.

I needed matches. Or failing that, food. Something—anything—that would let this run survive another day.

I headed for the nearest fishing hut first. No matches. No food. No joy.

With wolves very much on my mind, I made a call. Stick to the road. I had rabbit meat on me, and I didn’t rate my chances in a surprise encounter.

If it came to it, I could always drop the meat and hope that bought me space.

False Hope on the River

I reached the end of the road still matchless, but not empty-handed on ideas.

The river meant cat tails. Light, reliable, and one of the few food sources that doesn’t argue back.

I started working my way along the river edge, carefully, methodically. With every handful of cat tails, my chances ticked upward.

For the first time all day, survival felt possible.

The Bear

Then I saw it.

The bear.

I froze for half a second too long. Completely forgot I had flares. Panic took over.

I turned and ran.

I knew a flare probably wouldn’t stop a charging bear anyway, so I went with the next desperate idea: drop the rabbit meat.

Maybe it would accept that.

It didn’t.

Second Chances Don’t Exist

The attack left me bleeding badly. Infection risk followed soon after.

I managed to treat the infection, but my condition was critically low. Every step felt borrowed.

The bear walked away.

For a moment, I thought I might limp out of this.

I was wrong.

It came back.

There was no second plan. No miracle item. No recovery window.

The blood loss finished what the first charge started.

End of the Run

That was it.

My best Interloper run to date, ended just as it started—underprepared, unlucky, and one mistake away from survival.

Still.

I lasted longer. I learned more. And for the first time, it felt like Interloper was something I could eventually solve.

Just not today.

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Video Log

Continue the journey:
Unprepared Log 4 – Days 3 & 4 |
Unprepared Log 4 – Day 1

Unprepared – Log 1: Day 1 (Hushed River Valley)

Difficulty: Interloper

Run Time: 4 hours

Series:

Unprepared – An Interloper Survival Diary

“Pro Interloper players call this a ‘great spawn’. I lasted four hours.”

I spawn in Hushed River Valley, right next to a waterfall, and immediately get the sense that this region exists
to test whether you actually deserve to keep playing.

I’ve been here before. I know there’s a moose satchel on this map.
I also know that familiarity doesn’t equal preparedness, and Interloper is very keen to prove that point.

Waterfall Spawn & Immediate Delusion

Part of me is convinced there’s a survival bow nearby. Another part of me is sure I can get past a scrub bush I spotted.
Neither belief survives contact with reality.

I stare at the scrub bush for longer than I care to admit, have no idea how to pass it,
and eventually give up. Confidence evaporates quickly out here.

Knowledge That Helps Nobody

I know Mountain Town is nearby. I know there’s a man-made snow shelter somewhere in this region.
None of this helps when you’re cold, under-equipped, and still arguing with terrain.

Ptarmigans & The Great Rock Tragedy

I come across some ptarmigans and decide to hunt.

Stun one
Eventually start a fire
Cook something warm

I throw my rock and miss by an impressive margin.
Worse, I’ve now lost my only stone.

Hunting attempt: failed.
Inventory: actively worse.

The Torch Plan (That Never Happens)

I collect sticks with purpose. I have a plan:

Start a fire
Pull torches
Use fire to keep wolves honest

The problem is simple.

I have no way to start a fire. No matches. No striker.
I forgot the key Interloper detail where you spawn with absolutely nothing.

Smoke, Wolves, and Accidental Skill

I spot smoke drifting from the direction of the moose satchel location.
It feels less like a hint and more like mockery.

A wolf appears. I panic. I improvise. I end up mountain goating away from it.
Somehow, it works.

I survive that encounter, which honestly feels like a mistake the game will correct later.

Field Footage

This footage shows the full run, ending exactly where it ended for me.
First ever Interloper attempt. No practice runs. No warm-up.

The log ends with confirmation of what this was:
my first attempt on Interloper, lasting four hours in Hushed River Valley.

Darkness, Blizzard, Wolf

Night rolls in. A blizzard follows.
I make one last push to find shelter or an exit.

I don’t find either.

A wolf does.

Four hours in, the run ends.

Day 1 Takeaways

Four hours in Hushed River Valley is not nothing.
One rock is not a plan.
A fire plan without ignition is fiction.
Smoke in the distance can feel personal.
Mountain goating worked once. I will abuse that lesson.

I didn’t survive the day.
But I survived long enough to understand the problem.

Next attempt, I come in less blind.

Continue the journey:

Unprepared – Series Hub
|
Unprepared – Log 2

Tag: Learning Interloper

Unprepared: An Interloper Survival Diary in The Long Dark Log #4 – Final Day: So Close It Hurt