Desert island: how to survive and not panic. How to survive on a desert island? we were asked this question when we passed D. Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe"

A desert island is the dream of any office worker, especially in the midst of a hard day at work. But if you ended up there not of your own accord, but after, for example, a crash, do not waste precious time on walks and colorful selfies, but try to take care of your own safety.

Ed Khalilov, EMERCOM rescuer, survival expert, organizer extreme tours"The Science of Winning" and "Island", gives professional advice on self-preservation on desert island.

If there was a plane crash or a shipwreck, you need to collect all the survivors in one team. Together it is easier to provide assistance to the victims, ensure their own safety and organize actions for their own salvation.

Everything useful that was on the ship or plane needs to be collected. Water, food supplies, medical supplies, clothes, fuel, blankets - the more resources you can find, the easier it will be for you to survive. It is especially important to find a working means of communication that will help you report the crash and call for help.

You must learn as quickly as possible about all the dangers that exist on the island: are there predators, aboriginal tribes or active volcanoes. And intelligence will reveal useful resources and choose the most comfortable spot for the camp.

Sea water is undrinkable, so you need to find a spring or well. Almost all tropical (eg Maldives) islands have coconut palms, which means that you are saved, because coconut milk perfectly quenches thirst. In extreme cases, you can collect rainwater or purify seawater with solar distillers.

If you managed to find coconuts, you are in a big win, because in addition to drinking, they also provide nourishing pulp, so you are not in danger of hunger. There are also bananas and other fruits, you can eat them for a long time. There are a lot of fish in the ocean, and crabs are found on the shore, from which you can cook soup. Set traps, organize fishing, collect fruits - this will provide all the survivors with enough food.

It is necessary to organize a camp and build shelters, first of all, from the sun. In tropical latitudes, the sun's rays are dangerous, so you need to either hide in the depths of the island or build a hut. It is also important to be protected from heavy rain and wind. In places with powerful vegetation, this is not a problem - large leaves will become an ideal building material. If you understand that your stay on the island will drag on for a long time, it makes sense to build a small house.

Fire is needed to cook food, boil water, dry clothes, keep warm and scare away wild animals. It is good if there are matches and a lighter, but in emergency cases fire can be produced with a magnifying glass or batteries and accumulators.

Each member of the group needs a weapon for hunting and defense. It is enough to make spears and clubs or find suitable stones.

Literally everything needs to be stored: water, food, firewood, building materials. It is not known how soon you will be found and rescued, and the elements, wild animals or natives can cut off your access to sources of food and water at any time. Therefore, there should be a reserve that will help to hold out for several days.

For ships and aircraft, the SOS signal is made using three bonfires, which are located in a triangle at a distance of 30-50 m from each other. This is an international signal, and any pilot or sailor will "read" it. It is important to be able to quickly make the fire smoke so that it is noticed both from the ocean and from the air - for this you need to throw green foliage into the fire. On the beach for an airplane, you can use foliage, logs, bright clothes to lay out three SOS letters so that they can be seen from a height.

If possible, try to make a raft - it will allow you to sail away from the shore for more successful fishing, swim on neighboring islands and even reach populated areas. Of course, it is better to have a boat for this, but a raft can help a lot.

If there are enough resources on the island, and you give the SOS signal correctly, your chances of survival are very high. Save food and water, support each other's presence of mind and never lose hope for salvation!

God forbid someone end up on a desert island. However, if this happens, you need to learn how to survive and be prepared in advance. An unprepared or weak person is waiting for death.

First you need to calm down, collect your thoughts and look around. You need to come to terms with this situation and not expect help from anyone.
A person can go two weeks without food, but without water he will not live more than 3-4 days. First of all, you need to look for sources fresh water and not food. If you are on the beach, then this should be done as quickly as possible. Drink sea ​​water by no means is it possible. It is a slow and painful death. Most people die in the first days precisely because they cannot find water. This is the main mistake.

What needs to be done first

Now find safe place for housing as close as possible to fresh water. You don't have to panic. You need to think clearly. Panic and loss of control similar situation will immediately lead you to death.

Perhaps silly, but you can make yourself a fictional friend to talk to. This will help you calm down.
Assess your resources. Do you have a source of fresh water? Do you have a telephone, radio, walkie-talkie or other means of communication? Are there other people? People are always good. So it will be easier. If there are people, then everyone should work together. There should be one goal for each person. A close-knit team will get out of any difficult situation.

Fire. This may seem like a trivial thing on a desert island, but fire is always necessary. He even just can support people morally. Fire is used to distill water, to cook food, to scare away wild animals, and so on. If you can't build a fire, don't worry, it will definitely work if necessary. Life will teach. For now, read on.

Build housing. Housing should be in a safe warm and shady place so that you can sleep, rest, store resources and hide from animals. Try to make housing above ground so that none of the insects, snakes, etc. couldn't get in there.

Look at the water. Any water source good as long as it lasts and you can refine and desalinate it.
If you find sources of fresh water, it is recommended to boil it at first to make sure it is safe. If you have a special filter, that's great.

If there is no fresh water on the island, you need to distill and desalinate the sea water. To do this, you need to find a container and fill it sea ​​water or even urine in case of emergency. In the center of the container, you need to place a smaller container and make something like a funnel. Now you need to cover the whole thing with a lid and keep it on fire. The water will evaporate (steam is clean water that you can drink), fall on the lid, condense and fall into a smaller container. Here this water can be consumed and not be afraid of the consequences. This is the purest water.

You can also do the same in the sun, but then you need the widest possible, flat and not deep surface, the water from which will quickly evaporate. However, in this case, the wait will be very long.

What to eat on the island

Find a permanent power source. There are many edible roots and berries, but be careful! Some of them are poisonous. Eat only if you are sure that such food is safe. Eat little by little and find the right food through trial and error.

Watch what animals eat. It's most likely safe. Create traps and catch animals. All animals can be eaten. Be sure to fish. You will always find a stick, a fishing line can be made from clothes, and a hook can be carved from wood.

Try to make contact. Build a large, unnaturally shaped element using bright colors and shiny objects. Using a walkie-talkie or phone, if available, contact everyone you can. If you don’t find rescuers, people will definitely tell about you. Make from stones or dig a sign on the ground, visible from afar and from above. These distress signals will help you escape if others see them. If you can make a bright flash or explosion, do it all the time when you see planes, helicopters, or ships. Use mirrors, fire high altitude, lanterns, fireworks and anything else that might draw attention.

If you know you will be rescued, just relax. You have done everything. Support yourself and rest while waiting for help. Try to relax and make the best out of this scary time. If there is someone to have fun and play with, then good. If there is someone to bury, bury. There are all sorts of situations in life.

Never give up. Desperate actions can be deadly for you and others with you. There are no mistakes or weaknesses to be made here. Willpower is what allows people to survive without food for several weeks. Without the will to live, you won't last even three days.

Undoubtedly, each situation is unique and requires individual approach. Take the time to think about what you have, who is with you, what you need, what you can do, and so on.

Warnings.

Never drink salt water as a last resort. Salt dehydrates you and makes you worse. Better not to drink at all. Relief can only come temporarily. Drink urine as a last resort. However, do not store urine in a bottle. Only fresh urine is sterile. Later it can no longer be used. In addition, you can drink only the first passage of urine. The second time you can not drink your own urine, this can lead to kidney failure. You need to make a water softener. You must receive clean water leaving salts and impurities. Otherwise, the effect will be even worse than when drinking salty sea water.

  • Do not eat jellyfish or fish that puff up, have spikes, beaks, and so on.
  • Do not eat snakes and other animals with bright colors, they can be poisonous.
  • Rub the leaves and taste their juice. If it burns your hands or tongue, it's most likely poison.

Things you will need to survive on a deserted island.

  1. Knife. The knife is the most versatile tool ever invented. You can do almost anything with a knife. Also find stones to sharpen it.
  2. Toothbrush or floss. Remember to take care of yourself and brush your teeth. Toothache is one of the worst. To make a toothbrush, you can flatten wood.
  3. Cloth. Find warm clothes or make your own from animal skins or trees.
  4. Water and food, respectively.

Now you know what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation. We hope this doesn't happen!

Anything can happen in life and the probability of being on a desert island is not a fantasy. There are a few key points to be aware of survival in such an environment. And I'll tell you what they are.

Survival on a desert island

So, you are on an island. Whether as a result of a shipwreck, a plane crash or a number of other reasons, the fact remains that you are on an island. Not a soul around. Communications are not working or broken.

Motivation to act

Do not try to sit back and wait for help. Take action! Don't panic, keep trying think soberly. Remember that your life depends on your actions! look around around, look water source, preferably fresh. If there fruits, collect them. You can do a little, the main thing is to give food to the brain and calm down nerves. Think maybe there emergency means of communication. Search if possible. Separate if possible bonfire. The sight of a flame improves mood, and indeed, in practice, a fire is very important. Here you will boil water, dry your clothes, and cook food. Do stone building on open space, this will be a sign that you need help. At all, the number three is consideredhelp signal. You can arrange three such piles of stones or breed three bonesra, necessarily in the form trectangle.


Source of water and food

If there is a source of water, it is already good. It can clear from salts. This is usually done by distillation water. If the water is fresh, then it is necessary boil. Build shelter like a hut. Find yourself subsistence. There are a lot of different fruits and berries on the islands, but be careful! Make sure the berry not poisonous. To do this, drop the juice on the tip of the tongue, if the tongue does not burn within the next minutes, then you can eat.


In conclusion, I want to tell you that you always have to fight for life, it is forbidden give up and give up. There are dozens of examples in life when people survived on uninhabited islands, glaciers for a long time. The secret is to keep your brain busy all the time. activities. Divide the day for several segments during which you will do certain things. For example:

  • hour for fruit picking;
  • two hours for fishing;
  • an hour and a half to build a signal for help;
  • three hours to build a house etc.

Thus, you simply will not physically have time to become discouraged, and you will definitely not only survive, but also return home in your right mind.

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There is nothing easier than modern man survive on a desert island. After all, the main and most difficult riddles regarding the rules of survival have long been solved.


Survive on a desert island or where to start

Sometimes you just want to escape from a noisy and such an active city of millions somewhere on a desert island. But for this it is important to know and remember that there are many dangers on the island. Where to start on the island:

  • find water;
  • find shelter;
  • protect yourself from wild animals;
  • kindle a fire.

By the way, instead of water, the first days you can use coconut milk. True, it tastes a little sweet and fortified. But on the island - this is just what you need. But the pulp of coconut can be eaten. It is very fatty, high-calorie and healthy. Hunger satisfies easily. The main thing is not to lean too much, as the stomach may hurt. Coconuts choose yellow or green. These are young fruits in which there is a lot of water. For food, it is better to take brown fruits. Further, the remains of the nut, the shell can be used for a fire instead of firewood. Just look how many benefits from just one coconut!

Finding water

Coconut milk, of course, is good, but after a week you won’t have the strength to look at it. The body needs water. Looking for and collecting water:

  • find a river
  • collect rainwater;
  • collect dew;
  • we prepare a desalinator from sea water.

In general, it is difficult to stay without water. The main thing is not to drink sea water under any circumstances. It can actually make you thirsty.

Fire is my true friend

live long time impossible without fire! After all, you can cook food on the fire, dry wet things, and give a signal to passing ships. Therefore, it is extremely important to get it as early as possible. First of all, you need to take care of its location. Water (rain) and wind should not fall on the fire. If there is no such place, then it needs to be built. Next, for the first fire, you need to collect suitable material. Ideal for:

  • dry moss;
  • grass;
  • thin coconut peel;
  • twigs.

The process is not fast, so do not forget that the fire must burn (smolder) constantly.


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Who hasn't heard of the famous Robinson Crusoe? A man who lived on a desert island for almost 20 years and still started a fairly good household. As for me, I would probably sit on the ocean and sob. And in 20 years, people would have found my bones in this place. But everything happens in life. And I decided to ask what to do in such extreme conditions.


How to survive on a desert island

If you wake up near the water on the island - do not panic. If you run along the shore and tear your throat, it will not work. But to interest predatory animals or some tribes of cannibals is as easy as shelling pears. And preferably go somewhere in the shade. Then the sun will not burn the skin. What else should be done first:

  • calm down;
  • determine your location;
  • find fresh water and food;
  • build temporary housing;
  • stock up on signals.

If you succeeded find a river or stream, You can also try go with the flow. Perhaps it lead to the locals. If not, then you will have to survive on your own. Construction of a hut depends on your building skills. Happy He must protect from the scorching sun, A at night from cold and rain. Also need make a fire. If you have a lighter, you are lucky! And if not, then you need to try yourself in the role of a primitive man and make fire from stone or dry wood.


Fire is very important. At night, he will drive away wild animals, and also help cook food and warm. On the island for food may fit berries or roots. But try unfamiliar plants is not worth it. You need to look for something familiar, such as bananas or coconuts. You can also eat insects. But this is an extreme case. If there is no body of water nearby fresh water, then you can collect water using the leaves of tropical plants. And if you don't want to spend 20 years on the island like Crusoe, prepare dry leaf torches. Or you can lay out on the beach big word HELP.


People who survived

Defoe did not write his Robinson out of his head. There was a real man - pirate Alexander Selkirk, who, due to a quarrel with the captain of the ship, was forced stay on a desert island. He lived there for 4 years. He tamed wild goats, ate fish, fruits and turtles, sewed his own clothes from goat skins and almost forgot how to speak.


A Spanish sailor Pedro spent on the island for almost 10 years, of which 3 years was alone. There was no fresh water on the island. But he was saved by turtles, from whose shells he made bowls for himself to collect rainwater. He made fire from stones that he found on the seabed.

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We all read in childhood D. Defoe's novel "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" and admired the man who managed to survive on a desert island, overcome hunger, make fire and build a dwelling. After reading about the ordeals of Robinson and throwing the book on the shelf, we remain confident that this will not happen to us, that we will never find ourselves alone somewhere on a desert island.

However, it would not hurt us to remember that in the 21st century, ships periodically crash, planes crash, boats sink and people find themselves among deserted islands, in impenetrable thickets of the tropics, among bare rocks one on one with charms wildlife… And then we will have to think, believe, work, remember, invent. I will Survive?

Survive at any cost. Caucasian mountains

So, we ended up on a desert island:

1. First of all don't panic, we maintain sobriety of thinking and do not succumb to negative emotions. We are still alive and therefore there is still a reason for joy. Soon the relatives will sound the alarm and they will start looking for us. Therefore, all thoughts should be focused only on salvation. And the salvation of the drowning, as you know, is the work of the drowning themselves. If you lose heart, then the case can end in death. It is willpower, strength of mind that will help you survive in unusual conditions. It is necessary to strive to fill your whole day with useful activities that can distract you from unnecessary thoughts. Talk quietly to yourself, thinking out loud and weighing the complexities of the current situation, mentally or aloud communicate with nature or relatives and friends. Often such a habit saved a person who found himself alone from insanity.

Looking for a source of fresh water

Let's try to find a spring or a key with . Paths laid by wild animals, wetlands, large ravines usually lead to the spring. If they are not found, then we can replace the water with the juice of some plants, trees, fruits, berries, or we will collect morning dew. If it started to rain, then we do not sit under a bush, but we make a cup from a large leaf of the plant and collect the precious liquid into it. In extreme cases, if there is at least some water nearby, we can always clean it or desalt it. Fresh water is better to boil a little before drinking. Salt water can be desalted with a homemade distiller. This requires any wide capacity.

Pour salt water into it and put a small stone in the center of the container, on which we will install another container, smaller. We will cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and tie around the edges. In the center, just above the smaller container, let's put a small stone. The container must be in the sun. Only in this case salty water will evaporate and settle on the film, and then, in the form of already fresh water, drain into a jar. Be sure to think of something that can be used as a water storage device.

Remember that half a liter of water per day allows the body to be in a relatively normal state, and a liquid of 0.05-0.06 liters per day will allow you to live for more than ten days. And under no circumstances should you drink sea water, since the high concentration of salt in sea water, when consumed, will lead to the loss of fluid by all body tissues.

In second place after fresh water is fire. That's why kindle a fire, which will improve our mood, keep us warm, dry our clothes and help in cooking. It is advisable to choose a place for a fire in such a way that it is sheltered from rain and wind by some kind of shelter, for example, a rock. If there is a lighter or matches available, then we cherish them like the apple of an eye. If there are none, then you can use glasses from glasses, watches, a broken phone or camera.

The existing glass must be positioned in such a way relative to the sun that the sun's rays heat it up and, focusing sunlight, set fire to tinder, which can be made from rot, finely crushed dry bark, dry powdered wood, bird nests, fleecy plant material, wood dust. By the way, in winter time year instead of glass, you can use a polished piece of ice.

In order for the nascent light to turn into a fire, first throw only small firewood, gradually move to larger ones, gently wave around the fire, helping it to swell. And be sure to remember that it is necessary to maintain the smoldering of a kindled fire so as not to re-ignite it every time. In addition, take care to prepare firewood for the fire so that it can be quickly lit at any time and signal your location.

We build any shelter from rain, wind, snow and sun, such as a hut, canopy or dugout. Shelter will give us warmth at night, shade during the day, and a place to hide our food supplies, firewood, and equipment. The type of shelter will depend on your physical data, there is enough material around. It is better to have a shelter near a water source and in an open area. In the warm season, it is enough to make a canopy and dig it in with a groove so that water does not get under the canopy during rain.

For the device of the simplest shelter, you can also use a fallen tree with a dense crown, eversion, thick tree trunks. You just need to additionally overlay them with bark or spruce branches to protect yourself from rain and wind. In winter, with deep snow cover, you can dig a trench at the foot of a large tree. From above, cover the trench with some existing cloth big size, line the inside with several layers of tree branches, and cover the entrance to the trench with snow.

If it is still not very cold, then you can spend the night like a hunter. It is only necessary to prepare a place, if there is a little snow, then clear it of snow and build a fire to thoroughly warm the ground. Then move the fire to the side, and put more branches, moss on the newly warmed ground, and cover it with the available fabric on top. You need to lie down on such a coating warmly dressed, and be sure to cover yourself with a tarpaulin or use another dense fabric on top.

survival in the forest

5. Now you can take care of searching. Food has less priority than water, that's how human physiology works. During starvation, the human body will begin to use its internal tissue reserves, which are enough for thirty to forty days, even in the absence of food at rest and about fifteen days in the presence of physical exertion.

Remember that hunger is strongly felt only in the first week, and in the future, well-being will begin to improve. And although this increases fatigue, a person is able to maintain relative working capacity for thirty to forty days. Therefore, to survive in such conditions, you need to know how to feed yourself in the wild.

Many edible plants often grow on the islands and in the forests. Nuts, fruits and tubers have the highest nutritional value. And don't be surprised by the fact that an excellent source of food in such conditions are insects that live everywhere and at the same time are an excellent source of protein. But if you still decide to fish, using beetles as bait, instead of eating them, then the hook can be made from a pin, a hair clip from a badge, a piece of wire, a nail, a bone.

The easiest way is to use a branch with a spike, which must be attached to something that will replace your fishing line. The fishing line can be made from a strong thread, pulling it out of the fabric of clothing or laces. And from a sharp stone and a long, strong stick, you can build a knife or a pike, which is very convenient to catch coastal fish, birds and small animals. The most important item in this situation is the knife, which is the most important and useful invention of man. If you have it with you, keep it as the greatest value.

Otherwise, try to make it from the available materials at hand. To make a knife, you will need a pointed layered stone, a piece of bone or other stone for sharpening, and again an oblong stone or piece of wood for the handle. Also, try to make a bow and arrow, because this type of weapon is very easy to learn how to use. Onions are best made from elastic wood of birch, ash, acacia. The distance for shooting at a moving target can reach twenty to forty meters. The length of the bow should be approximately equal to the distance from your feet to where the coccyx is located.

Shoe laces can be used as the first bowstring, and after the first successful hunt, a bowstring can be made from animal ligaments and tendons. An important condition for the successful use of a bow is a properly stretched bowstring: usually, the bow is applied to a tree trunk and, resting on both ends, is bent into reverse side. After that, the bowstring is tightly tied.

Plant fruits, nuts and berries will not provide you good nutrition, but greatly support your strength. Try to eat plants that are well known to you or those that birds and animals eat. If all the plants are unfamiliar, then first eat a couple of berries, a small piece of the stem and wait about five hours. If after this time there are no signs of poisoning, then feel free to eat it. If berries, mushrooms and fruit seeds have an unpleasant odor, then it is better to refrain from eating them.

Much of what you get in the forest or on the island can be eaten raw, but food cooked on fire is much healthier, safer and much tastier raw. During heat treatment, all bacteria, toxins and harmful substances contained in animals and plants are destroyed. You can cook food on fire either by roasting it on a spit, or by roasting it well on hot stones.

In fact, it is best to eat in such conditions once a day and preferably hot, chewing food very carefully.

Galileo. Survive in the Seychelles

Designate your location

Definitely needed designate your location in this place. Can be on a clean, from afar visible place make some construction of stones or other large objects, which will indicate that someone lives on the island and needs help. Bonfires are often used for this purpose.

7. Probably, it would not be superfluous to think about a possible meeting with the inhabitants of the wild, living in this area. You don't need to be afraid. After all, usually wild animals, smelling a person, leave. They attack a person only in the most exceptional cases: if they are injured, scared or forced to protect their offspring. If all the same animals behave aggressively, then they will have to defend themselves: make a fire, make a lot of noise. But in no case should you turn your back on wild animals and do not try to run away. Instead, try to back away slowly while continuing to carefully observe the behavior of the animal. If a tree grows nearby, then quickly climb on it. If there is a river or lake, dive into the water and wait for the predator to leave in the water.

What you should be afraid of is the bite of a poisonous snake. It can be fatal for you. To prevent this from happening, when moving through the forest, look very carefully under your feet, push the thick and tall grass with a stick. Snakes are found in clearings well lit by the sun, near old stumps, big stones heated by the sun. If you find a snake, then immediately stop and slowly, without making sudden movements in small steps, step back as far as possible.

8. Entertainment. When you are full, protected from the weather and wild animals, provided with firewood, food supplies and weapons, you will definitely want entertainment. Build a kite, build yourself a chessboard, write a book on the bark of trees .. Be smart, use your creativity and life on a desert island will bring you in the form of bonuses not only self-confidence, development of strength and endurance, but also joy, peace and tranquility.

Now you can survive on a desert island

Finally, I want to wish you success in mastering the knowledge you have just acquired, turning it into solid skills, because in order to survive in the wild, we need to develop completely different skills that are fundamentally different from survival skills in big cities. And I sincerely hope that my article will help you decide on a list of skills that would not be superfluous to master even before you find yourself alone with nature.

In fact, there are not so many cases of survival on a desert island compared to other regions of the Earth. This is because uninhabited islands are usually located far from inhabited cities and settlements. After all, you still need to swim to them somehow, so the very getting of a person to such an island, with his subsequent survival, is a rather rare occurrence in our life. People visit such islands for some purpose, but usually everything is fine with them.

However, if there is a question, then let's answer it with you. We will analyze all the features of human survival on a desert island, so that if you and I ever find ourselves in such conditions, we could act calmly and think soberly.

Most of you romantics think tropical islands earthly paradise. In part, of course, you are right, but not everything is so simple. It's one thing when you come to Thailand on a tour or on your own, and another thing when the situation of survival took you by surprise. The fact is that in the first case you are in control, you can do whatever you want in your resort, and in a critical situation you find yourself locked in a cage in this tropical prison, surrounded by a sea with sharks and big waves.

Therefore, when you lose control of the situation, over time, your psychological state will change from euphoria to panic. All these colorful landscapes: palm trees, white sand, blue Lagoon- will cause you even something similar to disgust. In addition, the hot sun will hit your body like a laser burning through paper.

water extraction

Therefore, the very first and most important thing in terms of survival on a desert tropical island is the extraction of water. Water is the key to your salvation and survival. If you own an unlimited source of fresh water - consider the rest will follow somehow. In the article, I have already described the methods of extracting fresh water, but let's talk about them again:

  • look for fallen or low-hanging coconuts. Do not climb high palm trees, you may fall from them!
  • see if there are old wells on the beach, since the island was most likely inhabited (albeit temporarily) by people.
  • the island may have rock outcrops in some part of it, there may be rainwater in the cracks and crevices, look for it. You can drink and / or dial it with the help of some kind of pipe, hose found among the garbage on the beach (which I assure you, there are a lot).
  • try to build a solar distiller by digging a hole and covering it with a waterproof film (if you can find it). Never drink sea water!
  • put all the containers found on the beach to collect rainwater.

solar water maker

Shelter building

After the water is the next point of survival - a shelter. Due to the fact that it is already warm in the tropics, there is no need to fence anything serious and capital. It is enough just to build some kind of canopy, i.e. a roof over your head and a bed. The canopy will protect you from both rain and direct sunlight, creating shade and making your survival more comfortable. Place the bed at some distance from the ground so that insects do not climb to you.

Weaving a roof of palm leaves is quite simple: back and forth, time after time.

Ed Stafford in his hideout

The canopy can be built in various ways. If you already have a piece of any film, then stretch it, while making it so that the rain moisture from it flows into a container. If you do not own any film, then you will have to make a roof from plant materials. For these purposes, coconut palm leaves are well suited. Do not settle in the jungle of the island, but make your camp on the beach. From the beach, you will have a good view of passing ships, and the breeze will drive mosquitoes away from you. Remember that mosquitoes in the tropics carry various diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. And also know that all the monsters and babikes of the island that scare you at night with their rustles are located in the jungle, do not settle there!

Foraging

The next item on our program is the extraction of food. Just like with water, I already took care of you, dear friend, and wrote an article: How to get food in the rainforest, so read it, but we will analyze the main points here:

  • coconuts, both fallen (which is even better), and hanging.
  • snails and shellfish on coastal rocks and coastline.
  • Islands hide in the jungle coconut crabs(palm thief), are mined by traps.
  • shark-tailed stingray and stingray(or others) are mined at shallow depths with a spear. Be careful with the spike!
  • fish if you find ways to catch.
  • on the island may be mice and rats, they can be caught and eaten. There are no cellars there, so the rats are not as dirty as in the city, you should not disdain their meat!
  • at a relatively shallow depth, you can get from the bottom sea ​​tridacna if you know what it looks like (marine tridacna is an endangered species!).
  • in the bark and wood of trees (especially rotten ones) you can look for larvae. You can also use them for fishing, as bait.
  • depending on the soils of the island (either coral or volcanic island) in fertile soils you can search earthworms which are rich in protein.
  • feral domestics can live on the island pigs and goats you can try to catch them. However, such luxury is unlikely to be present on your island!
  • birds nesting on the island. Look for both their eggs and try to catch them yourself. Can be obtained using traps.
  • on the island may be old landings taro, cassava, banana, mango, papaya, cucumber. If you find traces of a long stay of a person on the island, then inspect the island for old plantings. Perhaps the island is still used by people who are temporarily absent. However, you should not hope to find a garden.
  • edible wild plants not so many on the islands. In addition to coconut, pandanus and black berries grow there, similar (in appearance and taste) to bird cherry. Other edible wild plants are unlikely.

Opened ripe coconut


Snails are quite edible and rich in protein.


Coconut crab (palm thief)


Edible berries similar to bird cherry

The main rule of obtaining food in conditions of survival on a desert island is to try to spend fewer calories searching for food than you consume. Save your strength, don't waste it on various unnecessary physical work, don't climb those damn palm trees!))

Making a fire

Having water, shelter and at least some food, we need fire. Fire can be used to boil questionable water to kill bacteria, as well as heat-treat caught food of animal origin. In addition, food can be smoked, while extending its safety. Like food, fire is hard to come by. Despite the hot climate of the tropics, the humidity of the air makes any tinder and any dry foliage slightly damp, which makes it much more difficult to start a fire. locals for cooking in the hearth, kerosene is often used as an igniter. High humidity is also available on the islands of non-tropical belts.

Friction method with a bow


Therefore, you should not think that now, as in some kind of movie, you will rub two sticks and immediately get coals. I assure you, you will face big problems in making fire on the island. I believe that the surest way to make fire is a bow. Extraction by friction using a bow. Other friction methods are much less effective than a bow. Spend some time making it (string can be made from any rope, shoelace, tree bark, etc.), but then you can use it constantly as a lighter, because one day your hearth will go out and you will have to make fire again. Having even the smallest coals, you can inflate them to a real fire. It is problematic to keep coals in a constantly burning state, you need a lot of firewood, for which you will have to spend a lot of calories, firewood has the ability to burn out quickly, especially at night when you sleep. Therefore, it is important to gain access to make fire again and again - this will provide you with your bow.

Island safety

One of the most important factors for survival on a desert island is safety. However, there are not so many dangers on the island, but the very moment of isolation can increase the risks from these dangers. Let's try to list them.

  • Physical danger. The attack of large mammals is excluded, they are not on the islands, only the possibility of shark attacks in the open sea. Island rats are harmless but can spread infection (such as dengue fever). A stingray sting is very painful. Opportunity to step on a stone fish. Injury from the sharp edges of corals and coral stones/rocks, which can also lead to infection and high fever. Fall from a tree/palm. A blow to the head with a falling coconut can be fatal, be careful, especially during a storm!
  • Bacterial risk. Possibility of picking up bacteria that will cause severe diarrhea and/or fever. For example, amoeba infection from drinking raw water. The possibility of malaria and dengue fever from mosquitoes (up to death). Tetanus in the wound (put anti-tetanus drink), avoid tight bandages on the wound, tetanus develops in an airless environment.
  • Bites. The centipede can sting painfully, it is active in rainy weather, can crawl into a dwelling. Snakes, at night they can converge on fire, be careful. Mosquitoes, especially in thickets.
  • Non-healing wounds. Wounds in such a climate tend not to heal for a long time, fester and continue to be fresh, increasing in size, their cause is bacteria. An ordinary pimple can start to fester and, in the peak case, even lead to gangrene, followed by amputation! This is the harsh truth of the tropics.

Strong storm on the island

Cut down dense trees and shrubs around your home to allow for the free flow of the wind that mosquitoes don't like, and also that you love so much: in hot weather, it is a natural conditioner. Do not build a shelter and generally your camp right under the coconut palms, during a strong storm, coconuts can fall right on you, and the elements themselves can uproot the palms themselves.

Getting out of the island

We have provided ourselves with the most basic conditions for life, but any act of survival in the wild consists in an attempt to get away from this state as soon as possible, i.e. retreat to civilization. You can sail away by yourself by building a watercraft or with the help of other people. For these purposes, it is necessary to equip the island with signal components with which we could attract the attention of passing ships.

The most basic condition is to make you visible and stand out from the same landscape of the island. Prepare dry palm leaves and twigs for a quick signal fire if needed. The fire should be made in the form of a hut, and it is not so much the fire that is important, but the smoke from the fire, which develops many meters up. To do this, throw raw leaves on a blazing fire: it will not burn, but will give thick smoke. It is the smoke that will attract people. Practice building signal fires.

Using my knowledge of the uninhabited islands of the world, I concluded that in our (real) situation, if suddenly you or I find ourselves in a situation of survival on the island, then sail from it on your own on a makeshift boat, like Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away or Bear Gryls in popular show doesn't make sense. Therefore, we are more likely to be noticed by someone in a passing boat than we will be able to get to civilization on a makeshift boat. After all, it is not known how long we will have to drift in the open sea (ocean) before someone picks us up. However, if you have no hope at all, then you can try this method.

Just in modern time there are many more boats than in the days of Robinson Crusoe, so no, no, but someone will sail by. Yes, and all the islands are someone's property, fishermen catch fish in the lagoons, coconut palms are grown on the islands. Therefore, even uninhabited islands are visited by people from time to time. The plot of the film "Outcast", where the hero spent 4 years on the island (in my opinion), is absolutely unrealistic now, this is fiction, you will meet people much earlier, I assure you.

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