Imagine, for a moment, you are stranded on a remote deserted island—probably 20 feet in diameter with a single palm tree (or so comics would have you believe). What survival tools would you Amazon Prime immediately? We designed a MaxDiff experiment to understand what Americans learned from Castaway.
First and foremost, clean drinking water is a must. Respondents prioritized a water purifier above all other survival gear. A fishing pole, tent, means for creating fire, and sharp-edged tools round out Americans’ deserted island wish list. Some Americans prefer to come armed with a rifle, ready for any polar bears roaming the island (it’s still unclear what, if anything, will ward off the resident smoke monster).
Evidently, Americans aren’t concerned about the harmful effects of UV light—sunscreen and a hat fell to the bottom of their wish list, just barely edging out playing cards. Gin rummy just doesn’t hold the same appeal when your challenger is an anthropomorphic volleyball.
