Surviving in a wild environment is a very hard experience, which can endanger people's lives; if you add to this that the wilderness is a deserted and arid island, you are in real trouble. Fortunately, not all hope is lost; By following proper guidelines, you can be able to drink, eat, and stay sheltered until help arrives.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Eat and Hydrate
Step 1. Find a fresh water source
Human beings are unable to survive more than 3-4 days without fresh water. Head inland to find a stream or waterfall. If the island is completely barren, you need to organize a solar still and take advantage of every drop of rain.
- A solar still uses the sun's rays to create condensation. Dig a hole in the ground and put a container in the bottom. Surround the hole with wet leaves, place a large plastic sheet over the hole and ballast it to hold it in place. Condensation builds up in the container and you can have fresh water to stay hydrated in the long run. Boil the water before drinking it.
- Look for water at the base of leaves or cacti, inside caves, in hollow trunks, and along eroded banks.
- You can also get water from coconuts, cacti, or other plants or fruits.
- Collect rainwater in plastic containers, bins or trash cans.
- Heat it above 85 ° C for three minutes to kill any pathogens it may contain.
- Severe dehydration causes low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, increased breathing rate, delirium or loss of consciousness.
- Don't drink salty sea water, as it dehydrates you.
Step 2. Collect food from the plants found on the island
Even if the body can survive three weeks without eating anything, the lack of nutrients weakens you and makes any other activity necessary for survival more difficult. Eat fruits and vegetables that you know for sure are not poisonous, such as coconuts, bananas, and seaweed. Avoid potentially poisonous unknown berries.
Scurvy is a serious disease that occurs when a balanced diet is not followed; causes fatigue, anemia and infections and is the result of a severe vitamin C deficiency. By eating fresh citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges you can avoid this condition
Step 3. Fish and hunt for insects and small animals for food
The proteins and nutrients of meat and fish provide energy. Shellfish, clams, oysters, crabs, mussels and fish are all prey you can find in the shallow waters surrounding an island.
- You can tip sticks and hunt small reptiles, fish or birds found on the island.
- If you're having trouble catching or trapping larger game, spot slow-moving edible insects that live in the desert, such as beetles, spiders, or millipedes.
- Cook the shellfish thoroughly before eating them. Bacteria could make you sick.
- If you can't improvise a fishing rod, sharpen a long branch or stick to make a rod and pierce the fish.
Step 4. Do tests to see if a food is poisonous
If you've never eaten a fruit on the island, rub it on a sensitive part of your skin, such as your wrist. Wait 45 minutes and, if you don't notice any adverse reactions, try rubbing it on your lips. If you get a rash or feel burning or irritation, the food may be poisonous. Never eat large amounts of unfamiliar food; consume it in small doses and wait an hour or two to see if you are sick. If all goes smoothly, eat the rest of the food.
Be aware that fruits that have a peach or almond scent may be poisonous
Step 5. Ration all supplies
Don't waste anything, even if you have plenty of it. Store all excess food and water and stick to strict rationing. The body needs 950ml of water per day, and the average individual needs to consume food for 200-1500 calories per day. Try to organize supplies as best as possible and in small rations, without running the risk of dehydration and malnutrition.
Method 2 of 3: Survive on the Island
Step 1. Retrieve any remaining tools or materials
Try to rescue anything from the wreck that left you on the island. Bedding and fabrics can be used as laces, other materials can be adapted for footwear, a place to sleep or to build shelter; find something sharp that you can use to cut out other objects.
Look for other useful tools, such as radios, signal flares, flotation devices, cell phones, buckets to store water, first aid kits, and functioning electronic devices
Step 2. Find a suitable spot to camp
Going inland is a good idea if you need to build shelter; do not organize it on the beach, otherwise high tide or a storm could destroy it along with the rest of the supplies. Look for a wooded area near freshwater sources.
- The shade of the vegetation allows you to stay cool during the day and the trees are a natural barrier against the elements.
- Protect yourself as much as possible from the sun; heat stroke and increased body temperature can cause hallucinations, fainting and even death.
Step 3. Build a strong shelter
You can organize a place to sleep by leaning a large trunk against a tree and then placing other smaller branches at 45 ° on it; put the leaves and other plant material on the sticks to get a kind of tent.
- If you can find a plastic or fabric tarp, you can build a simple survival shelter like the one the military uses in the desert. Plant four pegs in the sand, each at the top of a quadrilateral. Tie the sheet to the posts and then spread another one on top, leaving about 5 cm of space from the first one. To make sure the posts stay fixed to the ground, you can tie the top end to logs, trees or stones to anchor them.
- There are other shelters that you can build with branches and leaves; whatever you decide to do, make sure it protects you from the sun's rays.
- Emergency plastic sheets are more effective in protecting the inside of the shelter from the elements.
Step 4. Build a bonfire
Fire is needed on cold nights and for cooking fish or any other animals you catch. If you have managed to retrieve some matches or lighters, wait until they have dried before trying to use them. If you don't have any tools for starting a fire, you can rub a sharp stick into a bunch of twigs. Read this article to find out more.
Step 5. Immediately heal any wounds
Injuries and illnesses are far more dangerous when you are alone on an island, with no access to medical care; make sure you deal with any trauma promptly by washing the wounds with fresh, clean water and wrapping them with bandages. Be careful not to get too tired as a fracture could prove fatal.
Boil the water you want to clean the wound with before using it
Step 6. Stay mentally active and don't lose hope
Extreme isolation triggers abnormal sleep and wake rhythms, alters logical and verbal reasoning and makes you lose the sense of time. Engage in the different projects needed to complete the camp, or think of new ways to leave the island. In difficult times, direct your creative skills by making artistic projects with recycled materials; if there are other people, maintain social relationships and communicate with them.
Method 3 of 3: Leave the Island
Step 1. Create a distress signal
Place three large bonfires at the top of a triangle at night to form the international distress signal. If any aircraft or ships pass by and see it, they may contact the Coast Guard.
- If you've managed to salvage any flares, use them when you see a boat nearby.
- Another way to create a distress signal is to collect stones and arrange them to compose the SOS inscription.
Step 2. Try to contact someone by radio
If you've managed to keep a working radio, you can use it to contact the Coast Guard and get rescued. If someone is listening, provide them with the coordinates of your location and ask them to call for help.
- Channel 9 of CB radios and channel 16 of VHF radios (156.8 MHz) are widely recognized as emergency channels.
- Some radios are equipped with a hardware system, called an emergency locator transmitter, which indicates where you are on the high seas.
Step 3. Use a raft to leave the island of your own accord
This should be considered a last resort. At sea you could be the victim of numerous problems, such as dehydration, lack of food and adverse weather conditions. You can use a lifeboat that you managed to recover, build a raft with makeshift materials or with the logs you found on the island.
