Table of contents:
- STOP, the principle of how to survive in the wild
- Skills that you must master to survive when stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere
- 1. Finding a source of drinking water
- 2. Looking for or building a place to live
- How to make "lean to shelter":
- How to make a "tepee shelter"
- 3. Make a fire
- 4. Finding food sources
- 5. Be aware of the threat of predators
- 6. Prepare to wait for rescue
Disasters on the way can come to anyone. This is what happened to Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) who was stranded alone on an island after his plane crashed, if you've ever watched the film Cast Away. The story is fictional, but it can happen to anyone at any time. Including you.
No one wants to be stranded on a foreign island. However, you still need to know and master some basic skills to survive in the wild - not to scare you, just in case you experience it one day.
Here's how to survive if you're stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere.
STOP, the principle of how to survive in the wild
You now know and are sure that you will be stranded for some time on this strange island. On the other hand, you are not sure when the rescue team will come (or if it will really).
Do not panic.Once you realize that luck is no longer in your hands, all you have to do isSTOP. STOP is a survival principle consisting of:Stop (Stop), Think (think), Observe (observe), and Plan (plan).
Pause for a moment to observe your surroundings and clear your mind to start thinking about plans for the future.
Ideally, here are the ways of survival that you should do in order:
- Looking for a source of drinking water
- Find or build a shelter
- Make a fire
- Create a rescue signal
- Making tools for cooking such as gathering wood and looking for spears to hunt for food.
- Making or looking for weapons to defend themselves if at any time there is danger.
Skills that you must master to survive when stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere
1. Finding a source of drinking water
Finding a source of drinking water must be your top priority at this time. Water is a very vital intake for survival. You can survive more than 3 weeks without food, but cannot live without water for more than 3-4 days.
The source of water must be clean and suitable for drinking. Sea water is not your choice. Salt can make the body even more dehydrated, which can lead to kidney failure if consumed continuously. The best source of drinking water in an emergency is rainwater. You can use large leaves to collect rainwater and then transfer it to your drinking water bottle.
Try to muster up the courage to explore the contents of the island. Look for land that is further away from the coast for a chance to find a source of clean water. The farther the land you explore, the more likely you are to find a water source such as a river or maybe a small waterfall that you can use for drinking.
Another strategy is to build an emergency reservoir yourself by using the sun's heat to collect water
Source: http://survivenature.com/island.php
Here's how:
- Dig holes in the sand beside the trees. Dig until the sand feels damp.
- Place the container in the center of the hole. Use a glass or any container that can hold water.
- Fill the gaps around the container with anything wet, such as wet leaves.
- Place the plastic sheet over the hole and secure the plastic sheet by placing stones on either side.
- Place a small stone in the center of the plastic, just above the container.
- Moisture will start to form on the bottom of the plastic and run to the center of the plastic. The water will eventually drip into the container under the plastic.
2. Looking for or building a place to live
Finding shelter is an ideal way of survival when you get stuck in the wild. This aims to protect yourself from the hot sun and rain, as well as a place to rest.
Look for a small cave that you can make "home". If you don't find it, then the last option you need to do is build it yourself. There are two types of temporary shelters that you can make, namely lean to shelter (temporary; for 2-3 days) and tepee shelter (stronger and permanent, if it takes a long stay)
How to make "lean to shelter":
- Find a tree that has large branches and lean one end against the tree.
- Place the smaller branch at a 45 degree angle along the large branch.
- Cover with broadleaf leaves
How to make a "tepee shelter"
- Gather 10 to 20 long branches. The thicker the branches, the safer your tepee will be.
- Plug the 3 ends of the branches into the ground to make a shape like a tripod.
- Position the remaining branches around the tripod in a circle. Make sure to make the doorway in and out.
- Find a leaf that is wide and thick to cover the entire surface of the branch.
3. Make a fire
The fire will warm you as night falls. Not only that, fire can also help signal rescue planes.
How to make a fire:
- Gather dry leaves, twigs and branches of various sizes.
- Using smaller twigs, make a tepee (tripod) shape and insert dry leaves (or dry paper / dry cloth if you have one) in the center.
- Use glasses, binoculars, mirrors, or lenses to focus sunlight on the material that needs to be burned. Then blow gently when it starts to smoke.
Another alternative to building a fire:
- Find wood that is not so hard, make a groove at the base.
- Put some dry material on one end that you are going to burn.
- Use a hard stick to rub it against the bottom of the indentation that was made.
- Dry material will start to heat up and cause small fires. Blow slowly to assist the flame formation process.
- When the fire starts to burn, place another small branch on top of it to help it get bigger.
4. Finding food sources
The best food sources are likely to be in the shallow area surrounding the coast, namely fish. To catch fish, the easiest technique is to use a spear.
Make a long spear from one of the tree branches you will find on this island. Point the end with the knife and make sure the stick is long enough to throw.
Hold the spear at your side. Make sure to walk slowly so that the fish don't escape. When the fish stop and gather in one place, throw the spear at the body or head of the fish.
5. Be aware of the threat of predators
Always be aware of the dangers that might lurk you. You never know what animals live on the island that might endanger your life. As a means of survival, make a pointed spear out of a trunk or tree branch that you find as a personal protective weapon.
6. Prepare to wait for rescue
After you do the things above, you need to be patient and always be ready to wait for the rescue team to arrive. The fire you have set may just be successful in becoming a signal for planes passing in the sky on the island you are stranded on. You also need to create SOS messages on the sand.
Look for a branch large enough to write the letters SOS in the sand so that passing planes can pick up a signal that you need rescuing. Also make sure the fire is kept burning high to create a smoke signal.