How to get food in the rainforest? What will you do if you find yourself on a desert island? What to do first

Where to get water in case of war

I don’t want to touch on such a terrible event as war, but everyone should know the general nuances. During the first bombings, the water in the taps may disappear due to the destruction of the water supply system. The main life-saving reservoirs and life-giving sources in cities are mainly fire departments, hospitals, sanitary and epidemiological stations, military units and reservoirs. The listed objects always have special underground storage facilities in their layout. The water in such hidden storage facilities is pre-disinfected and is constantly renewed. As you understand, the highest quality water supply from these “institutions” is at our champions of cleanliness - sanitary and epidemiological stations. If you are outside the city, it is better to look for moisture in the direction of wells, springs and boreholes.

Reservoirs and wells are accessible sources of water.

Find water in the wild. Survival Guide

So how can you survive in the wild? You went into the forest, let’s say, in an unfamiliar area. Well, our people have a sense of adventure, or a neighbor said that the mushrooms there are the size of an elephant. I’ll get ahead of myself and say that if the fifth place is itching in anticipation of trouble, don’t leave home without plastic wrap! You never know, maybe a shopping trip will take you to the dense forests of Siberia or to the snow-white sands of a little-explored island in the Indian Ocean.

How to get water in the forest

As experienced people say, what kind of forest you find yourself in plays a big role. If the forest is deciduous, then you shouldn’t be upset; there should be a sufficient number of different sources of water, such as streams or underground springs. If you're lucky, you'll also find some river. The coniferous forest is already a little alarming, but there are no hopeless situations. There is no need to panic when you find yourself among a multitude of fir trees and pines. It’s better to strain your memory and remember what Sergei Leonidych talked about this in OBZD lessons in the 9th grade. Does not work? Then I will help you.

If you get lost in the forest, try to find a fresh body of water

This means that we look under our feet and look for slopes - we go down such a descent, since, in theory, water should accumulate in the lowlands. You can observe the behavior of birds, insects and other living creatures. In principle, the very fact that, besides you, there is still someone alive in the forest should already please you. All these forest inhabitants have a natural reference point to sources of life-giving moisture. We follow them, and then carefully pursue them so that they do not notice the “tail”. To do this, in addition to polyethylene, carry with you a squirrel or ant costume. But seriously, animal behavior can be very effective in finding clean water.

Dew and green leaves will help collect water

Good "suppliers" drinking water in the forest, dew and grass are considered. And here our friend - polyethylene - comes into play. If the weather is clear and we can’t collect rain, we’ll try our luck with dew. In the morning you will be able to save on average 200-300 grams. And by filling a bag with grass, or tying it on top of leaves on a tree on a sunny day, we get a liquid that is quite drinkable.

Birch juice

In pursuit of a spectacular photograph, the modern girl is ready to endure even discomfort wildlife. During a photo shoot, in search of a good shot with the most beautiful birch tree, you can easily get carried away and wander into a remote thicket. However, a pleasant surprise awaits you here - the legendary Soviet drink, 100% birch sap. First, this “fresh” must be extracted; for this, any pointed object is useful, with which we make a hole or cut in the tree. It is also a good idea to have a small container to collect the dripping juice. Voila, an environmentally friendly thirst quencher is ready! As a result, birch sap will not only replenish the necessary moisture in the body, but also enrich it with vitamins B6 and B12.

Birch sap will help quench your thirst

Disinfection of natural water

Having finally found water in the forest, do not rush to drink it immediately. Of course, this is a product of wild nature, but crystal purity is not at all guaranteed. But all sorts of unpleasant consequences, which become even more unpleasant when you are far from civilization, are quite real. Therefore, disinfect the extracted liquid with any possible way. Matches and a lighter make the task much easier - you can boil water. If you are a very prudent person or an experienced tourist, then perhaps you will find iodine or potassium permanganate in your first aid kit. A few drops of these “rescuers” will make almost any water relatively safe.

Extracted water must be disinfected

Adventures on a desert island. Or where to look for drinking water

The following situation. You are flying, therefore, to relax after hard working days. But fate and the pilot of the plane decreed otherwise for your free days- now the long-awaited vacation will have to be spent on a desert island. This, of course, is not a forest and the situation promises to be serious, but don’t hang your nose here either. It is quite possible that you will be found faster than you find your “Friday”. In these unknown regions, the main thing is to identify a fresh source to quench your thirst. To maintain the body in a relatively tolerable state, it is necessary to consume at least the minimum amount of water per day - 0.5 liters; and such a frighteningly small amount of liquid, such as 0.05-0.06 liters (50-60 ml.), will allow you to live for more than 10 days.

Coconuts are a good substitute for fresh water

Coconuts

So, let's act. To begin with, we examine the island for the presence of at least some body of water with fresh water. Wasn't he there? It's a shame, but don't even try to use seawater for drinking. We don’t need it, you are already in extreme conditions. If the island is rich in palm trees, the situation becomes much simpler: you can drink coconut milk. Moreover, one medium coconut contains 1 liter of water, plus it can enrich the body with important salts and minerals. It’s like drinking and eating – two in one.

Polyethylene to the rescue

If the island turns out to be different from the one in the Bounty advertisement, you can use the following technique (but, again, you need polyethylene). We dig a hole in a sunny place, place a container in the middle, and put any grass or leaves around it. We tightly cover this simple structure with polyethylene, and place a weight in the center of the film so that the condensation that formed due to the sun flows down and falls into the vessel. You may also come across a completely “sad” island, without greenery and tropical fruits. In this case, place 2 vessels under the polyethylene - one empty, the other with sea water. Soon, you will see the long-awaited water in the empty vessel.

Ways to get water in the tropics

Bamboo

Another excellent one in the wild is bamboo. The accumulation of bamboo liquid occurs in the lower segments of the trunks. By knocking on them from top to bottom, the characteristic sound will allow you to understand where there is water and where there is emptiness. We carefully insert an improvised tube made from scrap materials into the filled areas and enjoy. Or, punch a small hole in the bamboo and drain the liquid into a container. Another salvation will be the rainy season, from which you definitely shouldn’t hide. As quickly as possible, take out everything that can become a vessel for filling water.

And remember - the main thing is not to give up. After all, a person is a creature that can survive in any situation!

P.S. The most resilient man on the planet can tell you better about how to find water. Recommendations from Bear Grylls. It's best not to watch for the faint of heart!

Of course, if you have never traveled anywhere beyond your place of residence, then you are not destined to end up on a desert island. But, believe me, life is such an unpredictable thing that anything can happen, including ending up on a desert island. So what will you do there?

Most believe that desert island- this is such romance - the sea, palm trees, sand and enjoying life alone. In fact, you need to survive and fight for your life on the island a lot and fiercely.

In the world great amount uninhabited islands - more than 1500.

The sun, no matter how wonderful it may seem to you, when it’s warm is your main enemy. Burnt skin and dehydration are what awaits you at first.
There is not a minute to lose, and therefore the search for drinking water is the main task in the first minutes. You need to look for water in ravines, or even better, turn on the young tracker in yourself and find an animal trail - it almost always leads to water. Yes, there are very small islands and there are no sources of water there. But water can be obtained. Firstly - you are lucky if there are coconut trees on the island - the juice in the coconuts will quench your first thirst.
Of course, they went too far with alcohol, but the main idea is clear - you need to find a sharp thing - a shell or a bone. Ripe coconuts without husks have “dimples” in which you can also make holes and drink. But you can’t rely on coconuts alone.

For example, if you still have a life jacket or something made of polyethylene, you can create a water collector. To do this, you need to spread a vest over the hole (which you also need to find), press it with stones along the edges and put a pebble in the center to create a depression. Place any container down -
half a coconut, a large shell, etc. After some time it will fill with water. It won't be much, but it's more than nothing.
By the way, if there is a rocky area around you, look for depressions in the rocks, there is almost always rainwater there.
And under no circumstances drink sea water!

The next step is to build a shelter. Since most often an uninhabited island is in the tropics, it is hot there, but a canopy is needed to shelter from the heavy rains that happen in the tropics and the sun.
Don’t make a shelter very close to the water - a storm can destroy your shelter, but don’t climb into the thicket either - you should see the beach and the sea - in case some ship passes by and notices you. Also be careful about caves in the rocks - these are a good place, provided that there are no snakes or poisonous insects. In general, try to build a hut - palm leaves are best suited for this. If you have a piece of some kind of film, then you are doubly lucky - be sure to tilt your canopy and place a container where rainwater will drain. And another piece of advice - don’t put a hut under a coconut tree - coconuts often fall and, by the way, people in the world die from them more people than from shark attacks.

Food
Of course, after water and shelter, you will need food. One thing - do not spend more calories looking for food than you will get by eating what you find. In other words, don’t run around the island looking for food - you may not find it at all, and your energy will be wasted. Use berries and fruits with caution. Watch the birds and animals - they do not eat what is poisonous. If there are a lot of berries around, then take a closer look at where a lot of them have been eaten, and where they hang untouched and do not eat the last ones. You can also break the berry and press it to your hand - if after a while you feel itching and burning, do not eat. Various oysters and shellfish can be considered ideal food. But be careful here too - don’t step on a poisonous stingray or sea urchin. Don't swim too far - there may be sharks there, and don't grab any animals with spikes with your hands. Look for oysters, mussels, crabs, snails. Do not disdain insects, especially larvae - they are rich in proteins. If you can’t eat them right away, remember where you found them - you’ll come running in a couple of days if there is no other food. The same goes for worms, birds (and their eggs), rats and mice - catch whatever you can catch - your life depends on it.

Fire
Fire is needed - you need to heat-treat the food, and also boil the water you find to avoid any contamination. It's hard to get fire - it's not like a movie where, after twisting a stick a couple of times, you get a fire going. In addition, the fire must always be maintained, and this is a whole bunch of firewood, which you may not have the strength to search for.

One of the best ways fire production - onion. Rope, stick and dry moss - friction is the best helper. By the way, when you wander along the shore, collecting shellfish, take everything you find - it may be useful to you. The sea throws out a lot of garbage and a piece of glass can serve as a lens, and an aluminum can is generally an indispensable assistant - here you have a knife, a lens, and a container. Take the ropes, cellophane, etc.

Safety
If there are no large predatory animals on the island, you are lucky. But insects and snakes are almost everywhere. Insects, in addition to being annoying and poisonous, can also carry various types of diseases, such as malaria; rats are also carriers of fevers. Clear all vegetation around your home - the wind will repel mosquitoes and rats will most likely not engage in confrontation in open areas.
We have already mentioned sea urchins and stingrays, I would like to add - when walking through the forest, do not grab the trunks with your hands - poisonous insects and snakes can sit on them. Do you know, for example, that touching the caterpillar of the Lazy Clown butterfly is almost 100% fatal? Be careful!

Avoid jellyfish and never touch brightly colored frogs - they are deadly!

The desire for salvation
Remember the number 3. This is a symbol of salvation. You need 3 inscriptions - Help (Help), 3 fires, 3 piles of stones, 3 rags, 3 screams - whatever you like, the main thing is that 3. Write on the sand, make fires (be careful so that the wind does not carry sparks and set fire to dry leaves), make shapes from stones and leaves, in general, do everything to get noticed sooner or later.

Survival. Of course, this is an experiment, with the support of a film crew, but interesting...

Can you choose the 4 most important items?

We sincerely wish you to end up on a desert island - your own, personal one, with a villa, a helicopter, a boat, a lot of money and friends!

Add your tips, comments and observations! Let's put together a useful post - what if it comes in handy for someone?

God forbid someone ends up on a desert island. However, if this happens, you need to learn to survive and be prepared in advance. An unprepared or weak person will die.

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. The first step is to look for sources of fresh water, not food. If you are on the seashore, then this should be done as quickly as possible. Under no circumstances should you drink sea water. This 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 to do first

Now find a safe place to live as close to fresh water as possible. You shouldn't panic. You need to think clearly. Panic and loss of control in such a situation will immediately lead to your death.

It might sound stupid, but you can make yourself a fictional buddy to talk to. This will help you calm down.
Evaluate 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. It will be easier this way. If there are people, then everyone must 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 can even just support people morally. Fire is used to distill water, cook food, scare away wild animals, etc. If you can't start a fire, don't worry, you can do it if necessary. Life will teach you. For now, read on.

Build housing. Housing should be in a safe, warm, shady area for sleeping, resting, storing resources, and hiding from animals. Try to make housing above the ground so that no insects, snakes, etc. I couldn't crawl in there.

Look at the water. Any water source is good as long as it is available and you can purify and desalinate it.
If you find sources of fresh water, it is recommended to boil it initially to ensure 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 sea water. To do this, you need to find a container and fill it with 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, drinkable water), hit the lid, condense, and end up in a smaller container. Here you can drink this water and not be afraid of the consequences. This is the purest water.

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

What to eat on the island

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

Observe what the animals eat. It's most likely safe. Create traps and catch animals. All animals can be eaten. Be sure to catch fish. You can always find a stick, fishing line can be made from clothing, 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 telephone, if available, contact everyone you can. Even if you don’t find rescuers, people will definitely report you. Make a sign out of stones or dig a sign on the ground, visible from afar and from above. These distress signals will help you escape if they are noticed by others. If you can make a bright flash or explosion, do it all the time when you see planes, helicopters or ships. Use mirrors, high lights, flashlights, fireworks, and anything else that might attract attention.

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

Never give up. Desperate actions can be fatal to 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 an individual approach. Take 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 it worse. It's better not to drink at all. Relief can only come for a while. As a last resort, drink urine. However, do not store urine in a bottle. Only fresh urine is sterile. Later it can no longer be used. In addition, you can only drink the first passage of urine. You should not drink your own urine a second time, as this can lead to kidney failure. You need to make a desalination plant. You should get pure water, leaving behind the salts and impurities. Otherwise, the effect will be even worse than when drinking salty sea water.

Do not eat jellyfish or fish that are inflated, have spines, beaks, etc.
Avoid eating snakes and other brightly colored animals, as they may be poisonous.
Rub the leaves and taste their juice. If it burns your hands or tongue, it is most likely poison.

Things you'll need to survive on a desert island.

Knife. The knife is the most versatile tool ever invented. You can do almost anything with a knife. Also find stones to sharpen it.
Toothbrush or floss. Don't forget to take care of yourself and brush your teeth. Toothache is one of the worst. You can flatten wood to make a toothbrush.
Cloth. Find warm clothes or make your own from animal or tree skins.
Water and food respectively.

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

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 populated cities and settlements. After all, you still need to swim to them somehow, so the mere arrival of a person on such an island, with his subsequent survival, is quite rare phenomenon in our life. People visit such islands for some purpose, but everything usually works out well with them.

However, if there is a question, then let us answer it. Let's look at all the features of human survival on a desert island. So that if you and I ever find ourselves in such conditions, we can act calmly and think soberly.

Most of you romantics consider tropical islands to be paradise on earth. In part, of course, you are right, but not everything is so simple. It’s one thing when you come to Thailand on vacation on a package deal, or on your own, and another thing when a survival situation takes you by surprise. The point is that in the first case you are in control, you can do what you want in your resort, but 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 have lost control of the situation, as time increases, your psychological state will change from euphoria to panic. All these colorful landscapes: palm trees, snow-white sand, blue lagoon - will even cause you something akin to disgust. Plus, the hot sun will hit your body like a laser burning through paper.

Water extraction

Therefore, the very first and most important thing in conditions of survival in the uninhabited tropical island is - water extraction. Water is the key to your salvation and survival. If you have an unlimited source of fresh water, the rest will fall into place somehow. In the article How to get water on a desert island, I have already described ways to get fresh water, but let’s talk about them again:

Look for fallen or low-hanging coconut fruit. Do not climb tall palm trees, you may fall from them!
see if there are any old wells on the beach, since the island was most likely previously inhabited (albeit temporarily) by people.
the island may have rocky outcrops in some part of it, there may be rainwater in cracks and crevices, look for it. You can drink and/or collect it using some kind of tube or hose found among the trash on the beach (of which, I assure you, there is a lot).
try to build a solar desalination plant by digging a hole and covering it with a waterproof film (if you were able to find one). Never drink sea water!
Place all containers found on the beach to collect rainwater.

Construction of a shelter

After water, the next point of survival is shelter. Due to the fact that it is already warm in the tropics, there is no need to fence anything serious or major. It is enough to simply 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 crawl towards you.
A canopy can be constructed in various ways. If you already have a piece of some kind of film, then stretch it, while making sure that rain moisture flows from it into some container. If you do not own any kind of film, you will have to make a roof from plant materials. Coconut palm leaves are well suited for these purposes. Don't settle in the jungle of the island, but make your camp on the beach. From the beach you will have a clear 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 women of the island that scare you at night with their rustling noises are located in the jungle, do not settle there!

Foraging

The next point in our program is getting food. Just like with water, I have already taken care of you, dear friend, and wrote an article: How to get food in the rainforest, so read it, but we will also go over the main points here:

coconuts, both fallen (which is even better) and hanging.
snails and mollusks on coastal rocks and coastline.
Coconut crabs (palm thief) hide in the jungle of the island and are caught using traps.
Shark-tailed rays and stingrays (or others) are caught at shallow depths using a spear. Be careful with the stingray!
fish, if you find ways to catch them.
There may be mice and rats on the island, they can be caught and eaten. There are no basements there, so the rats are not as dirty as in the city, and you shouldn’t disdain their meat!
at a relatively shallow depth, you can get a sea tridacna from the bottom if you know what it looks like. (sea tridacna is an endangered species!).
You can look for larvae in the bark and wood of trees (especially rotten ones). They can also be used for fishing, as bait.
depending on the soils of the island (either coral or volcanic island) in fertile soils you can look for earthworms, which are rich in protein.

Feral domestic pigs and goats may live on the island; 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 themselves. Can be obtained using traps.
the island may have old plantings of taro, cassava, bananas, mangoes, papaya, and cucumbers. If you find traces of human presence on the island, then inspect the island for old plantings. Perhaps the island is still used by people who are temporarily absent. However, you shouldn’t hope to find a vegetable garden.
There are not many edible wild plants on the islands. In addition to coconut, pandan and black berries grow there, similar (in appearance and taste) to bird cherry. Other edible wild plants are unlikely.
The main rule of getting food in survival conditions on a desert island is to try to spend fewer calories searching for food than you consume. Save your energy, don’t waste it on various unnecessary physical work, don’t climb those damn palm trees!))

Starting a fire

Having water, shelter and at least some food, we will need fire. With the help of fire, you can boil questionable water, killing bacteria, and also heat-treat caught food of animal origin. In addition, food can be smoked, thereby prolonging its preservation. Like food, fire is difficult to obtain. Despite the hot climate of the tropics, the humidity in the air makes any tinder and any dry leaves slightly damp, making it much more difficult to start a fire. Locals For cooking in the hearth, kerosene is often used as an igniter. There is also high humidity on islands in non-tropical zones.
Therefore, you should not think that now, like in some movie, you will rub two sticks and immediately get coals. I assure you that you will face great problems in making fire on the island. I believe that the surest way to make fire is with a bow. Extraction by friction using a bow. Other friction methods are much less effective than the bow. Spend time making it (a bowstring can be made from any rope, shoe lace, tree bark, etc.), but then you can use it constantly, like a lighter, because one day your fireplace will go out and you will have to start the fire again. Having even the smallest coals you can fan them into a real fire. Keeping coals in a constantly burning state is very problematic; you need a lot of firewood, which you will have to spend a lot of calories to prepare; firewood tends to burn out quickly, especially at night when you are sleeping. Therefore, it is important to gain access to start a fire again and again, this is what the bow will provide you with.

Safety on the island

One of the most important factors Survival on a desert island is safety. However, there are not 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. An attack by large mammals is excluded; there are none on the islands, only the possibility of an attack by sharks in the open sea. Island rats are harmless, but can spread infections (such as dengue fever). The stingray sting is very painful. Possibility of stepping on a stone fish. Injury from the sharp edges of corals and coral stones/rocks, which can also lead to infection and high temperature. Falling from a tree/palm. A blow to the head from a falling coconut can be fatal, be careful especially during a storm!
Bacterial danger. Possibility of contracting bacteria that will cause severe diarrhea and/or fever. Possibility of contracting malaria and dengue fever from mosquitoes (even death). Tetanus in the wound (use anti-tetanus shot).
Bites. The centipede can sting painfully, it is active in rainy weather, and can crawl into your home. Snakes, at night they can converge on the 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; they are caused by bacteria. An ordinary pimple can begin to fester and, in extreme cases, even lead to gangrene, followed by amputation! This is the harsh truth of the tropics.

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 of an attempt to quickly escape from this state, i.e. leaving for civilization. You can sail away yourself, by building a floating facility or with the help of other people. For these purposes, it is necessary to equip the island with signaling components with which we could attract the attention of passing ships.

The most basic condition is to make you noticeable and stand out from the sameness of the island landscape. Prepare dry palm leaves and branches to quickly build a signal fire, if necessary. The fire should be made in the form of a hut, and what is important is not so much the fire as the smoke from the fire, which develops many meters upward. To do this, throw raw leaves onto a blazing fire - it will not burn, but will give off 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 came to the conclusion that in our (real) situation, if suddenly you, or I, find ourselves in a survival situation on an island, then sail from it yourself on a homemade craft, like Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away or Bear Grylls in a popular show - makes no 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 homemade craft. 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 absolutely no hope left, then you can try this method.

It’s just that in modern times there are many more boats than in the days of Robinson Crusoe, so no, no, but someone will sail by. And all the islands are someone’s property, fishermen fish in the lagoons, and 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 sat on the island (in my opinion) for 4 years - absolutely