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Water and shelter in the wilderness |
A lack of water causes dehydration,
resulting in fatigue, headaches, dizziness, confusion, and eventually death.
Even only having access to small amounts of water impairs concentration, which
is dangerous in the wilds where clear thinking is essential. Due to these risks,
a safe supply of drinking water must be located shortly after a shelter is built
(or even before, depending on conditions).
Water can be gathered in many ways. In moist areas, water can be
scooped out of a creek or pond. Catch rainwater if possible. If
these easy sources are not available, a bit more ingenuity will
be necessary. Clothing can be used to collect dew from
vegetation. Tie a piece of cloth to your leg and walk through
dew-covered grass in the morning or evening, wring out water and
collect. This is a very effective water procurement method.
Animal blood is not suitable as a water substitute, as it may be
diseased and is considered more food than water. Mammals
all have unsuitable elements in their blood so the animal should
also be cooked. Note that it is possible to eat raw meat; some
races prefer it but for most, care must be taken in the type of
raw meat you consume. Urine contains rather unhealthy waste,
which also makes it unsuitable to drink.
A common myth is that cacti can be sliced open to obtain water.
While some cacti do have fluid inside, it is not suitable for
consumption and would induce vomiting if drunk.
Ice or snow can be consumed as a source of water although care
must be taken in the amount consumed especially in cold
climates. The amount of water that you will gain will be off set
by the heat that you loose warming the water. It is best to melt
ice as it is denser than snow and you will get more water by
melting it.
The milk from green coconuts is a good way to quench one’s
thirst. However, the milk from mature coconuts contains an oil
that acts as a laxative. Drink in moderation only.
You can get water from plants with moist pulpy centers. Cut off
a section of the plant and squeeze or smash the pulp so that the
moisture runs out. Catch the liquid in a container or suck it
straight from the plant or pulp.
Plant roots may provide water. Dig or pry the roots out of the
ground, cut them into short pieces, and smash the pulp so that
the moisture runs out. Catch the liquid in a container.
Fleshy leaves, stems, or stalks, such as bamboo, contain water.
Cut or notch the stalks at the base of a joint to drain out the
liquid.
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You can make expedient edged weapons from wood. Use these only to
puncture. Bamboo is the only wood that will hold a suitable
edge. To make a knife using wood, first select a
straight-grained piece of hardwood that is about 30 centimeters
long and 2.5 centimeters in diameter. Fashion the blade about 15
centimeters long. Shave it down to a point. Use only the
straight-grained portions of the wood. Do not use the core or
pith, as it would make a weak point.
Harden the point by a process known as fire hardening. If a fire
is possible, dry the blade portion over the fire slowly until
lightly charred. The drier the wood, the harder the point. After
lightly charring the blade portion, sharpen it on a coarse
stone. If using bamboo and after fashioning the blade, remove
any other wood to make the blade thinner from the inside portion
of the bamboo. Removal is done this way because bamboo's hardest
part is its outer layer. Keep as much of this layer as possible
to ensure the hardest blade possible. When charring bamboo over
a fire, char only the inside wood; do not char the outside. How should you carry it? That is what this
chapter is about. It is sure to annoy some backpacking gear
manufacturers.
First, how much water do you need? This has no simple answer.
Your fluid requirements will vary greatly depending on the
environment you are in and what you are doing. Backpacking in
the Arizona desert, you may be drinking two gallons of water per
day. Camping in cooler locations, and not hiking much, you could
get by on a fourth of that.
Bottom line? Drink as much as you need. If you are very thirsty,
or your urine is very yellow, you probably should be drinking
more. The important question is this:
How much drinking water do you need to carry to safely and
conveniently get you from one water supply to the next?
You see, unless you are just day hiking, you will never be carrying all
the water you need for a trip. You will be refilling at lakes,
streams and faucets, or melting snow. What you need to know
then, is how much to carry so you won't run out between these
points.
If you are hiking a chain of lakes, you could get by with one
water bottle that holds just sixteen ounces. If, on the other
hand, you are hiking in a desert, where there may be a full day
between drinking water sources, you may need to carry two
plastic gallon jugs of water. Estimate how far you will travel
between the two furthest-apart water sources during your trip.
Then figure how much water you need for that and add more for
safety. This will tell you what your water carrying capacity
should be.
Shelter
A shelter can protect you from the sun, insects, wind, rain,
snow, hot or cold temperatures, and possible enemy observation.
It can give you a feeling of well-being. It can help you
maintain your will to survive. In some areas, your need for
shelter may be more important than your need for food and
possibly even your need for water. To find or build a shelter
you would have to find trees, caves, a big boulder and dug up
ground. To make a shelter you need big woods or rock, rope,
leaves, etc. If these materials are not available you can make a
huge hole in the ground and cover it up with something. The
first thing you should do is to make and shape of form you can
fit in with wood and rocks, then put several sticks in a row and
tie some leaves on the roof. You could put some thorn bush
or/and rocks so it can make some protection from wild animals
like the camp fire. The most common error in making a shelter is
to make it too large. A shelter must be large enough to protect
you. It must also be small enough to contain your body heat,
especially in cold climates.
When you are in a survival situation and realize that shelter is a high
priority, start looking for shelter as soon as possible. Two
requisites are--
It must contain material to make the type of shelter you need.
It must be large enough and level enough for you to lie down
comfortably.
When you consider these requisites, however, you cannot ignore
your situation or your safety. You must also consider whether
the site--
Provides concealment from hostile humanoid or animal
observation.
Has escape routes.
Provides protection against wild animals and rocks and dead
trees that might fall.
Is free from insects, reptiles, and poisonous plants.
You must also remember the problems that could arise in your
environment. For instance--
Avoid flash flood areas in foothills.
Avoid avalanche or rockslide areas in mountainous terrain.
Avoid sites near bodies of water that are below the high water
mark.
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Weapons, Tools and Equipment
In survival situations, you may have to fashion any number and
type expedient tools and equipment to survive. Examples of tools
and equipment that could make your life much easier are ropes,
rucksacks, clothes, nets, and so on.
Weapons serve a dual purpose. You use them to obtain and prepare food and
to provide self-defense. A weapon can also give you a feeling of
security and provide you with the ability to hunt on the move.
Clubs
You hold clubs, you do not throw them. As a expedient weapon,
the club does not offer much in the way of combat however in the
wilds it can be rather useful. It can extend your area of
defense beyond your fingertips. It also serves to increase the
force of a blow without injuring yourself. There are three basic
types of clubs. They are the simple, weighted, and sling club.
Simple Club
A simple club is a staff or branch. It must be short enough for you to
swing easily, but long enough and strong enough for you to
damage whatever you hit. Its diameter should fit comfortably in
your palm, but it should not be so thin as to allow the club to
break easily upon impact. A straight-grained hardwood is best if
such material is available.
Weighted Club
A weighted club is any simple club with a weight on one end. The weight
may be a natural weight, such as a knot on the wood, or
something added, such as a stone lashed to the club. It often
resembles a blunt axe.
To make a weighted club, first find a stone that has a shape
that will allow you to lash it securely to the club. A stone
with a slight hourglass shape works well. If you cannot find a
suitably shaped stone, you must fashion a groove or channel into
the stone by a technique known as pecking. By repeatedly rapping
the club stone with a smaller hard stone, you can get the
desired shape.
Next, find a piece of wood that is the right length for you. A
straight-grained hardwood is best. The length of the wood should
feel comfortable in relation to the weight of the stone.
Finally, lash the stone to the handle.
There are three techniques for lashing the stone to the handle:
split handle, forked branch, and wrapped handle. The technique you use will
depend on the type of handle you choose. |
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