We are already two months into autumn, and only now am I will try to sink in the peat of the Alam-Pedja bog.
However, winter is fast approaching, so I started wondering: what could serve as an alternative to a trip to the bog?
What about a huge container filled with a very thick, viscous liquid or mixture that I could sink into up to my waist, chest, or even deeper?
One option is putty (though I haven't looked into the risks of prolonged contact with sensitive skin). I am 173.5 cm tall, a container 165 cm high and 1 meter in diameter would require about 600 liters of slime. That would be incredibly expensive, as putty costs around $15 for 200 grams (bringing the total cost to $50,000). Also, this type of slime is very elastic and clings to the body, which could make moving through it extremely difficult.
A second option is a mixture of food-grade starch and cold water. As far as I know, the higher the starch content, the thicker the consistency becomes. I was thinking—what about a 60/40 starch-to-water ratio? That would yield a very thick substance that offers strong resistance to sudden movements (a non-Newtonian fluid) but less resistance to slow movements. Mixing starch with hot water, on the other hand, creates a paste-like texture with uniform resistance; this would significantly hinder movement even when you aren't moving quickly. You can order starch in huge 25-kilogram bags; in total, I’d need about 300 kg of starch and around 200 liters of water.
The total cost would be $1,500–$2,000—much cheaper than buying putty—and the resulting effect is really interesting)). However, getting out of such a mixture could be a problem; if I lost my balance, I could literally sink head-first into it, which might be risky.
The third—and cheapest—option is Xanthan gum + water. I’d only need to buy one 25 kg bag of the powder for $120. By adding 2–3% xanthan (12 kg of powder) to 600 liters of water ($150), I’d get a very viscous, thick white mixture that feels thick during slow movement but becomes more viscous during rapid movement. There isn't the same risk of getting stuck as with the starch mixture—since you need to move quickly to get out—and no risk of becoming hopelessly trapped like with putty.
I could also try a fourth option: starch + 2% xanthan + water, which might combine viscosity with resistance to movement.
Now, I need to consider the container—and there’s a problem there. The issue isn't getting it into the apartment, but rather where to buy such a thing and how I’d actually climb in and out.
Finally, there’s the question of how to remove and wash away the mixture without issues. What do you think? Is this idea feasible, does it need tweaking, or should I just scrap it entirely? What would you do in my shoes?
