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How many people required to carry this food and water?

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ibm400 | 18:33 Tue 10th Jun 2008 | Quizzes & Puzzles
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With how few bearers can an explorer make a six-day march across an absolutely barren desert if he and the available bearers can each carry only enough food and water to last one man four days?
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They're all going to die, Captain Mainwaring!
1 bearer and explorer. - if explorer carries 4 days worth as well.
how does that work, does the bearer not eat or drink?
First, one of them sets off alone with four days' supply. After one day's travel, he leaves two days' supply and goes back using the remaining one day's supply.
They both set off across the desert with four days' supply, pick up one day's supply each after the first day and travel for one day.
They are now both two days away from the start and each has three days' supplies left. The bearer gives one day's supply to the explorer and then returns to the start, leaving the explorer four days away from the other side of the desert, with four days' supplies.

QED
Sorry haven't got time to work it out now, as just going out, but it works by bearers only going part way and giving some of their supplies to top up other bearers.
if you are not allowed to leave supplies, then it requires two bearers. The extra bearer then gives each of the others one day's supply each after one day and returns home.
my thinking was. 2men (1bearer and explorer) set of each with 4 days worth. (8 days in total)
After 2 days they have used 4 days worth between them. If the explorer then takes the remaining 4 days then he can finish crossing the desert.
The bearer will then die (bit harsh but says nothing about bearers not being expendable)

If they cannot die then will need extra bearer after day 1 they all have 3 days worth left. man 1 returns and gives his spare 2 days to the other men (1 each) they then have 4 days supplies again
After day 2. they have 3 days worth left, bearer 2 then keeps 2 days worth to get home and gives spare one to explorer who then has enough for last 4 days.

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