Survival on a desert island in real life. Basics that are important to know. How to get food in the rainforest? Food that can be found in the uninhabited

How to get food in the rainforest if you are in a survival situation? Although the tropical climate is favorable for the biodiversity of flora and fauna, obtaining food in such a forest is often difficult. Especially if you are quite picky.

In dwells a large number of species diversity of organisms, but not all forests are the same, and not everything in them is edible. Many of you think that the jungle is an edible supermarket, but it is not so. The most necessary things grow there only because someone planted them there earlier.

For example, the well-known one grows most often along the shores of islands. And if you meet her in the depths of the forest, large islands or the mainland, then know that these palm trees were planted by people. It’s the same with bananas: if you come across a grove of wild bananas in the jungle, then it was previously someone’s plantation or it still is to this day. Deep in the dense tropical forests there is very little food to eat. And some uninhabited islands do not have a single coconut tree at all, and their resources are very scarce.

Take, for example, the inhabitants of New Guinea - these are Papuan tribes who live by traditional methods to this day. They live in dense jungles and rely on the sago palm as their main diet.

They extract sago from it, grind the wood and extract the starch-containing component in the soaked state. Sago is pure starch, which they store in powder form and eat as an instant puree. The finished product looks like this:

Due to its high starch content, sago is a carbohydrate product, instead of our potatoes or tropical cassava. Due to the great distance from the coastline, the Papuans do not have the opportunity for good ocean fishing. They are forced to be content with what they have. They catch frogs, small fish in the stream, and small river shrimp. To do this, they build dams on the stream, blocking the path of water, and, therefore, fish. Then they scoop up the water from the pool until all the inhabitants can be simply collected by hand or with a special net. The average catch is usually very small - you can hardly fill your belly with such food and you have to be content with what you have.

In addition to the sago palm, pandanus (pandan) grows wild. Its leaves are suitable for roofing, and its fruits are suitable for food. Pandan fruit cannot be confused with anything else. It grows everywhere.

Among other things, in dense tropical forests you can feed on various larvae, but you should avoid those that do not inspire confidence in you. For example, all creatures with a bright, poisonous color clearly look suspicious. Woodworm larvae are a well-known delicacy for many Aboriginal people. They contain a lot of protein, and, unlike meat protein, it is absorbed much better. You can eat them both raw and in heat-treated form, as you like! Here they are, beauties, in the photo:

For larger game, you will need traps, snares and a bow. You will see about this in another article. Now let’s move on, get out of the dense thickets of the tropical forest of the mainland/large island and approach the coastline, the coral beach. Actually, let's look at how to get food now on a small coral or volcanic-coral origin.

Well, I won’t write about coconuts, you can guess for yourself. Just don’t climb the palm tree, otherwise you’ll fall again. Get food on coral atoll without going into the sea, you can. For example, various birds like to nest on such islands and leave their eggs. Some are left directly on tree branches and can be collected by hand.

Also on such islands live the largest representatives of crustaceans: the palm thief crab, or the coconut crab. They feed on the flesh of fallen coconuts and have a large shell filled with delicate crab meat.

Just look at these delicious claws! This is truly a welcome guest to the table!

Out of hopelessness, you can catch hermit crabs; they are easy to catch, especially at night. But it’s not worth spending time on them without the need, since there is very little meat in them, due to their small size.

Going into the sea and walking along the coral reef of the lagoon, you can discover other inhabitants of this ecosystem. For example, sea cucumbers, which look extremely unappetizing, but are quite edible even raw. By the way, they make sushi from them.

Also edible sea ​​urchins Having broken off the needles, they are carefully opened, like an egg, and the insides are eaten. Only small young specimens are suitable for food!

In addition to bird eggs, you can catch the birds themselves using loops. There is also a chance of seeing chicks falling out of the nest. Some bird species reach quite decent sizes.

You can eat various bivalve mollusks, but some of them are poisonous, and some reach such sizes that you cannot eat one at a time! Here, for example, is a giant mollusk - a sea tridacna:

To hunt larger fish we need a spear. Walking along the shallow lagoon, you can see many fish that you can spear. A spear for fishing should be made with at least 3 tips, but more is better, since with such a spear it will be easier to hit our target.

As you can see, only two points pierced the fish, and if the spear had been single, it might not have been pierced at all.

Among other things, you can find wild almond seeds on the sandy coast. They are edible, grow everywhere and look like this:

Remember the 4th type. If you are walking along sandy shore, if you find such balls under your feet, you can find almond seeds in them. They are edible, I have eaten them myself.

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 very fact that a person ends up on such an island, with his subsequent survival, is a rather rare phenomenon in our lives. 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 similar 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 the conditions 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 fresh water- consider the rest to 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 soil of the island (either a coral or volcanic island), you can look for earthworms in the fertile soils, 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 a long 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 for 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 conditions wildlife consists in trying to get away from this state as quickly as possible, 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

It is almost impossible to find yourself on a desert island alone, contrary to the clichéd stories about brave Robinsons, but still, if you find yourself in such a situation, it should be considered unprecedented luck that a person managed to survive after a plane or ship crash. Knowledge about survival in the wild will help muffle panic and make it easier to settle into your temporary new home.

What you need to survive

When going on any trip, it’s better to be on the safe side and take essentials with you. This set is called a toiletry case (from the English necessary - necessary) and fits into any large pocket.

It includes:

Source of drinking water

Survival on a desert island primarily depends on water. To maintain normal metabolism, the body needs to receive 1.5-2 liters of fluid per day.

In conditions of autonomous survival, the physical load on a person increases many times due to the fact that he is constantly in search of food, accommodation equipment, making weapons and all kinds of devices, so the required volume of water increases to 3-4 liters.

In addition, most of the islands are often located in the equatorial and subequatorial zones in places where coral reefs accumulate, and, therefore, there is a high temperature all year round, at which the body will actively sweat and release fluid. Clean water is the most important factor for survival on a desert island.

In theory, a person can stay alive without it for about two weeks, but being alive and being viable are two different things. Within a few days, dehydration will begin to drain the last strength from the body and make a weakened person easy prey for predators. Therefore, the search for a source of water should be done first.

Sandy coral islands often do not have their own sources of drinking water, but if the island has mountains, most likely it is of volcanic origin, and there is water there. You can either go around the shore in a circle in search of a stream flowing into the sea, or go deep into the island, but it is not recommended to do this without weapons - wild animals may live in the depths and are unlikely to come ashore.

The closer to the stream, the more saturated and dense the vegetation becomes, the soil becomes moisturized, and the number of animals (birds, insects) that come to drink becomes larger.

If there are coconut palms on the island, the water issue can be considered resolved for a while: one nut contains up to 500 ml of milk. Palm leaves and empty coconuts can be used to collect rainwater. To do this, you need to dig a small hole in the sand, place a bowl or other container below to collect water, and cover the entire space around it with plant leaves.

Under no circumstances should you drink sea water. To remove the huge amount of salt it contains, the human kidneys need to spend more water than was drunk. This creates a vicious circle: a person drinks, but the body becomes dehydrated, draws water from the cells, trying to remove salt. If the situation is critical and the body is already dehydrated, sea water can extend life by a couple of days.

But it is worth taking such a step only if there is a guarantee that help will arrive in these few days. What to do if the weather is clear on the island and there are no streams? You can assemble the simplest desalination machine, which is guaranteed to provide up to a liter of fresh water per day.

Even if there is potable water on the island, it is still recommended to make several of these devices just in case; if predators occupy the stream, it will be impossible to approach it and the person will be “evicted” to the shore for a long time.

Instructions:

The entire structure should be in full sun. Water poured into the hole will evaporate and condense on the polyethylene, flowing into the bowl due to the pebble that presses the stretched sheet. Fresh water will accumulate in the reservoir, and salt will remain in the pit. Water from a stream can be drunk in its original form, but it is better to boil rainwater, desalinated water or extracted from a river first.

If the water is cloudy and dirty, you can clean it using a multi-stage filter. To do this, you need to put several sticks, making a small “wigwam” out of them, and stretch pieces of fabric across them to make something like several small awnings.

You can pour sand on the upper level, or charcoal on the lower level. We pour water from above and wait until it clears and enters the reservoir under the structure.

Asylum

Survival on a desert island in an open area is fraught with trouble for a person. A roof over your head will protect you from bad weather, shelter you from the scorching sun, and keep you warm or cool when necessary. At first, you can build a simple, simple shelter, but if help does not arrive within a few weeks, it will need to be improved.

Greater value has not even the shelter itself, but the place where it will be located. On any island, you only need to survive on the shore. There are several reasons for this.

The simplest temporary shelter on the island is a hut. It is advisable to place it above the ground to protect yourself from insects and snakes. To do this, we will place several sticks at a distance of 2-3 meters from the palm tree; they should be securely fixed in the sand. From them to the support tree you need to draw two more sticks and tie them.

You will get something like a triangle, the inside of which must also be filled with sticks to form a “mattress” and covered with palm leaves. You will need to build a canopy from sticks and leaves; in addition, you can add a few more “piles” below for the stability of the structure.

If survival takes place in conditions of absolute unpreparedness, palm leaves can be used as a coating, but this does not mean that you cannot use other materials: plastic film, fabric or tarpaulin.

A variety of debris is constantly washed ashore by the waves; if a plane or ship has crashed, having developed a little on the island, you can build a boat and sail there to pick up useful things.

Such a constructed hut can only serve as a sleeping place and shelter for the first time.

From branches and scrap materials you can build an entire hut where food and weapons will be stored. The main purpose of the shelter is protection from bad weather. You can easily die from a cold on a desert island; the human body does not tolerate such a climate well, so you need to insulate and cover your home with high quality.

Fire

Survival on a desert island becomes much more difficult without a lighter, matches or other means of ignition. Fire is the second most important survival factor after water. Wild animals will never approach it; you can cook food and boil water on the fire, and warm up and dry things near it. Dry branches or moss are perfect for lighting a fire.

Since the tropics are humid, dry fuel will be more difficult to find than in a regular forest, but you can simply dry it in the sun. You need to prepare tinder - a flammable material, the fire from which can then be transferred to the fire.

For this purpose, ground dry grass, cotton wool or fluff (you can take it from the lining of your jacket) is suitable. Then make a bow - it doesn’t have to be of high quality; its use will end when the fire is lit.

You can use a lace from a shoe or sweatshirt as a bowstring:

1. Take a block of dry wood and hollow out a small hole in it.
2. Wrap the bow string around a stick (just place the stick behind the string and turn the bow 180°).
3. Place pre-prepared tinder into the recess on the block and place a stick in it.
4. Move the bow quickly, making “sawing” movements so that the string rotates the stick (we press it down with our hand from above for reliability).

The stick will rotate and heat the tinder by friction. At first there will be a little smoke - this is not fire yet, the friction needs to be increased. When the first sparks appear, the tinder should be carefully fanned and placed in a pile of dry branches that were previously prepared for the fire. The islands do not have the usual good wood, such as oak or beech, which burn for a long time, with high quality and give a lot of heat.

You will have to make a fire using improvised means; grass and moss will burn quickly, so the fire must be maintained constantly, around the clock. In order not to return to this again, it is better to collect branches from the forest in advance and stack them on the shore: this way, firstly, they will dry in the sun, and secondly, they will always be at hand. Fire can be obtained using a magnifying glass.

The mechanism of this method is simple: a magnifying glass collects the sun's rays at one point, and their high concentration literally sets the tinder on fire. A random Robinson is unlikely to have a magnifying glass with him purely by chance, but lenses from glasses or binoculars can be used as one. Only converging lenses are suitable for making fire; diverging ones are useless in this matter.

This means that glasses should be for the correction of farsightedness, not myopia, with positive diopters. It sounds strange, but if there are no lenses, they can be replaced with a regular condom. You need to pour about 1-1.5 liters of water into it (of course, sea water, so as not to transfer drinking water) and tie it tightly.

The lens is placed at a distance of 15-20 cm from the tinder kindling perpendicular to the sun's rays.

The distance and angle of inclination can be adjusted and changed based on how the tinder behaves. When the kindling ignites, you just need to transfer it to the prepared fuel for the fire. The main advantage of this method is that you do not need to exert any physical effort to make fire, the disadvantage is that even the lenses from glasses may not be available to every person.

Each of these methods will help to guarantee a fire in clear weather. During rains, which can last for weeks on the islands, all dry kindling becomes unusable and can no longer ignite with a small spark.

So, when going on a trip by plane or liner, you should always have at least one good lighter in your pocket, which will easily last for a month of use.

Food

On a desert island, food problems usually do not complicate survival. On the shore you can get fish, mussels and other edible shellfish. Before going into the water, it would be a good idea to make “slippers” out of leaves and ropes. The reefs are home to the warty fish (stone fish), whose back is covered with poisonous spines.

It disguises itself as a stone and lies on the bottom, and it is almost impossible to notice such a fish. The poison can be fatal to humans, so it is better to protect yourself once again. If there are coconut palms on the island, this is a guarantee that you won’t die of hunger here. Coconut flesh is very nutritious, water can be collected in the shell, and the hairs on the surface of the nut burn well.

Bananas, mangoes, and papaya can grow on tropical islands. You should beware of poisonous fruits such as ackee or carambola. Hunting large animals alone is like signing your own death warrant. Many islands have herds of wild pigs, but they can be very dangerous.

Hunting such animals can only be done with a firearm and a good supply of ammunition, to ensure that there is always ammunition left for self-defense. Meat provides energy that cannot be obtained from eating fruits and shellfish, so sooner or later you will have to think about how you can include it in your diet.

The safest way to get meat is to set traps.

Animals on uninhabited islands are unaware of the dangers posed by humans and are unlikely to avoid placed loops. Rats live on the islands, and you shouldn’t disdain their meat here - in major cities These animals carry dangerous diseases, but on uninhabited islands they are no different from ordinary rodents.

Self-defense and safety

There should be a constantly maintained fire near the shelter. Wild animals, at the level of natural instincts, are afraid of fire and will never come close, so you need to note how long a particular fire burns, and, based on this, add enough new fuel to it every evening.

At night, forays into the depths of the island, or even just from a shelter, are extremely undesirable; the search for food and household chores must begin before dark in order to finish them by dark. But even during the day you can encounter a wild animal in the forest. In case of such a meeting, you need to have a weapon with you.

You can make a homemade knife from a sharpened piece of stone; a pocket knife will be useless against a large animal. You can carry a burning torch with you in the forest. Clothes will help keep insects away; you need to try to keep it in its original form, not waste it on making filters or canopies.

Finding ways to return to civilization

As soon as the first issues with the organization of survival are resolved, it is imperative to post an international distress signal “SOS” with branches on the coast. How larger area coast, the larger the letters should be, there is no need to spare time and effort, this is the main hope for salvation. Another way to be detected is to light a signal fire.

It is not like a regular one in that it consists of several long sticks. It is better to place it on some rock or hill, but this option is convenient only if there is not the only survivor on the island.

People can distribute responsibilities and assign several people to watch the signal fire at the top, but one person will survive on the shore, and, accordingly, when they see the ship, they will not have time to run and light the fire. There are no restrictions on size and height, the bigger the better, the main thing is to light it quickly.

You can keep a regular small fire next to it to transfer the fire.

A passing ship is unlikely to be able to see the fire and fire, but it will definitely see smoke. The fire must smoke very strongly, and simply using dry branches will not achieve this. At the top you need to store wet leaves (if the sun is shining, cover them with a canopy so as not to dry out), they smoke well in the fire, but the strongest source of smoke is plastic.

If there are bags or any unnecessary plastic items, you should not save them, but feel free to throw them into the fire. A person endures survival on a desert island only out of the hope of speedy rescue, but a ship or helicopter cannot guarantee this. The ship may simply not notice the signals and sail past, or not pay attention at all.

Volcanic desert island with dense vegetation can provide the possibility of indefinite existence. If you settle in properly and domesticate wild plants and animals, then it is quite possible to stay on the island for a long time. But not every person is able to make such a decision and give up the benefits of civilization, human society and favorite work.

Many are willing to take risks and take everything into their own hands for the sake of an illusory hope. If you know in which area of ​​the ocean an uninhabited island is located, you can estimate the distance to big land and try to swim to it on your own. For this purpose, a raft of logs is constructed. There is no need to rush into construction; this is the most extreme and last step that Robinson can take.

You should test the raft several times in shallow water, check how much cargo it can withstand, make oars and make a test swim around the island, and build a sail. The maximum speed of the raft is 10 km/h, this is not the most quick way return to land, especially in the ocean, where not all places have a current.

In 1947, the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl sailed about 7 thousand kilometers on the sailing raft “Kon-Tiki” in 100 days, so it is possible to escape from the island by swimming. All real stories about the people who survived on a desert island boil down to the same fact - they all had an idea of ​​​​how to look for water, make fire and make simple tools.

There is a well-known story of a boy who spent several years on the island, and he himself claimed that if he had not remembered “Robinson Crusoe” in detail, he would never have been able to hold out for so long. For the sake of their safety, each person must have minimal skills, and then it is up to the wild nature, which can help a person.

Article format: Lozinsky Oleg

Video about survival on a desert island

7 Desert Island Survival Tips:

As children, we all read D. Defoe's novel "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" and admired the man who managed to survive on a desert island, overcoming hunger, finding fire and building a home. Having read about Robinson's ordeals and thrown 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 do well for us to remember that even 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 face to face with the delights of wild nature... And then we will be forced to think, believe, work, remember, invent. Therefore, let’s take care of ourselves in advance and ask ourselves today: what will I do if I find myself on a desert island, what am I capable of, what can I do, how will I survive?
1. First of all, do not panic, maintain sobriety of thinking and do not succumb to negative emotions. After all, we remained alive and therefore there is still a reason for joy. Soon the relatives will sound the alarm and start looking for us. Therefore, all thoughts should be focused only on salvation. And the rescue of drowning people, as is known, is the work of the drowning people themselves. Only if you lose heart can the matter end in death. It is willpower and fortitude that will help you survive in unusual conditions. You should strive to fill your entire day with useful activities that can distract you from unnecessary thoughts. Talk quietly to yourself, think out loud and weigh the difficulties of the current situation, mentally or out loud communicate with nature or family and friends. Often this habit saved a person who found himself alone from madness.
2. We are looking for a source of fresh water. Let's try to find a spring or spring with clean water. Paths made by wild animals, wetlands, and large ravines usually lead to the spring. Only if they are not available, then we can replace the water with the juice of some plants, trees, fruits, berries, or we will collect morning dew. Only if it starts to rain, do we not sit under a bush, but make a cup out of a large leaf of the plant and collect the precious liquid in it. As a last resort, if there is any water nearby at all, we can always clean it or desalt it. It is better to boil fresh water a little before drinking. Salt water can be desalted using a homemade distiller. For this you need any wide container. Pour salt water into it and place a small stone in the center of the container, on which we will place another smaller container. We will cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and tie it around the edges. In the center, exactly above the smaller container, place a small stone. The container should be in the sun. Attention! Only in this case will the salt water evaporate and settle on the film, and then flow into the jar in the form of fresh water. 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 liquid with a volume of 0.05-0.06 liters per day will allow you to live for more than ten days. And under no circumstances drink sea water, since the high concentration of salt in sea water when consumed will lead to loss of fluid from all tissues of the body.
3. in second place after fresh water is fire. Therefore, we light a fire, which will improve our mood, keep us warm, dry our clothes and help us prepare food. It is advisable to choose a place for a fire in such a way that it is protected from rain and wind by some kind of shelter, for example, a rock. If you have a lighter or matches, take care of them like the apple of your eye. Only if there are none, then you can use glass 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 and, focusing the sunlight, set fire to tinder, which can be made from rotten wood, finely crushed dry bark, dry powdered wood, bird's nests, fleecy plant material, and wood dust. By the way, in winter, instead of glass, you can use a polished piece of ice. In order for the nascent fire to turn into a fire, first add only small firewood, gradually move on to larger ones, and gently wave it near the fire, helping it to swell. And be sure to remember that it is necessary to maintain the smoldering of the lit fire so as not to re-light it every time. In addition, take care to prepare firewood for the fire so that you can quickly light it at any time and signal your location.
4. We build any shelter from rain, wind, snow and sun, for example a hut, a canopy or a dugout. Shelter will give us warmth at night, shade during the day, and the ability to hide our food supplies, firewood and equipment. The type of shelter will depend on your physical characteristics; there is enough material around. It is better to place the shelter near a water source and in an open place. In the warm season, it is enough to make a canopy and dig it with a groove so that water does not get under the canopy during rain. To create a simple shelter, you can also use a fallen tree with a dense crown, inversions, or thick tree trunks. You just need to additionally cover them with bark or spruce branches to protect them from rain and wind. In winter, with deep snow cover, you can dig a trench at the foot of a large tree. Cover the top of the trench with some existing cloth big size, line the inside with several layers of tree branches, and fill the entrance to the trench with snow. If it is not yet very cold, then you can spend the night as a hunter. You just need to prepare the place, if there is a little snow, then clear it of snow and make a fire to thoroughly warm the ground. Then move the fire to the side, and put more branches and moss on the newly heated ground, and cover it with the available fabric on top. When lying down on such a covering, you need to be warmly dressed, and be sure to cover yourself with a tarpaulin or other dense fabric on top.
5. Now you can take care of searching for food. Food has a lower priority than water, this is how human physiology works. During fasting, the human body will begin to use its internal tissue reserves, which are enough for thirty to forty days, even in the complete absence of food at rest and about fifteen days in the presence of physical activity. Remember that hunger is felt strongly only in the first week, and in the future your health 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.
There are often many edible plants growing on islands and forests. The highest nutritional value is in nuts, fruits and tubers. And don’t be surprised by the fact that an excellent source of food in such conditions are insects, which live everywhere and are also an excellent source of protein. But if you still decide to go fishing using beetles as bait instead of eating them, the hook can be made from a pin, a pin from a badge, a piece of wire, a nail, or 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. Fishing line can be made from strong thread, pulled from the fabric of clothing or shoelaces. And from a sharp stone and a long strong stick you can build a knife or pike, which is very convenient for catching 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. Only if you have it with you, keep it as the greatest value. Otherwise, try to make it from available materials. To make a knife, you will need a sharpened 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 making a bow and arrow, because this type of weapon is very easy to learn to use. It is better to make a bow from elastic wood of birch, ash, and 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 the place where the tailbone is located. Shoe laces can be used as the first string, and after the first successful hunt, a bow string can be made from animal ligaments and tendons. An important condition for the successful use of a bow is a correctly tensioned bowstring: usually, the bow is applied to a tree trunk and, resting against both ends, it is bent in the opposite direction. After this, the bowstring is tied tightly.
Plant fruits, nuts and berries will not provide you with complete nutrition, but they will significantly support your strength. Try to use plants that are well known to you or those that birds and animals feed on. Thus, 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 no signs of poisoning appear, then feel free to eat it. Thus, 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 an island can be eaten raw, but food cooked over a fire is much healthier, safer and much tastier than raw food. Heat treatment destroys all bacteria, toxins and harmful substances contained in animals and plants. You can cook food over a fire either by roasting it on a spit or by thoroughly frying it on hot stones.
In fact, in such conditions it is best to eat once a day, preferably hot, chewing the food very thoroughly.
6. You must indicate your location in this place. You can make a structure out of stones or other large objects in a clean place that is visible from afar, which will indicate that someone lives on the island and needs help. Bonfires are often used for this purpose.
7. It would probably be a good idea to think about a possible meeting with the wildlife inhabitants living in this area. There is no need to be afraid. After all, usually wild animals, sensing a person, leave. They attack humans only in the most exceptional cases: if they are wounded, frightened, or forced to protect their offspring. Only if the animals behave aggressively will you have to defend yourself: light a fire, make a lot of noise. But under no circumstances should you turn your back on wild animals or even try to run away. It is better to try to retreat slowly, continuing to carefully observe the behavior of the animal. Only if there is a tree growing nearby, then quickly climb it. If there is a river or lake, dive into the water and wait in the water for the predator to leave.
What you should be afraid of is a poisonous snake bite. It can be fatal for you. To prevent this from happening, when moving through the forest, look very carefully at your step, and use a stick to push apart the thick and tall grass. Snakes are found in clearings well lit by the sun, near old stumps, large stones, heated by the sun. Only if you find a snake, then stop immediately and slowly, without making sudden movements in small steps, step back as far as possible.
8. entertainment. When you are well-fed, protected from bad 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 tree bark. 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.

Food that can be found on a desert island. Survive on a desert island or where to start

Sometimes you just want to escape from a noisy and active city of millions somewhere to 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;
• light a fire.

By the way, instead of water, you can use coconut milk for the first days. True, it tastes a little sweet and fortified. But on the island this is exactly what you need. But the coconut pulp can be eaten. It is very fatty, high in calories and healthy. Hunger is easily satisfied. The main thing is not to lean too hard, as your stomach may hurt. We choose yellow or green coconuts. These are young fruits that contain 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 at the amount of benefits from just one coconut!

The alluring beauty of the tropical island and the density of vegetation tells us that there is definitely something to profit from here! But in fact, this is a mistaken opinion. After all, to find out what is on a desert island you need to make a lot of effort. How many people died of hunger in such “paradise” places, how many were poisoned, not knowing what could be eaten and what not. When you notice a bright fruit, don’t rush out and don’t take risks! After all, your life is at stake. Unfortunately, banana and coconut trees are not ubiquitous, so you can only survive on them if you are very lucky. Such palms rarely grow on their own and usually indicate that they were previously planted by humans (or even currently owned by humans). This article will be devoted to what you can do to satisfy your hunger in such conditions.

Pandan is a plant that looks like a dense palm tree with many trunks. The fruit resembles a pineapple and is difficult to confuse with something else. When ripe, they can be red, yellow, purple or even blue. You can safely eat this plant; you can make flatbreads from it, boil it into purees, and even eat it raw.

The sago palm is a huge source of carbohydrates; with it you can get up to 150 kg of so-called sago. A starchy product that, when added with water or fruit juice, will resemble mashed potatoes. The method of preparing sago is not complicated, but it requires time and physical energy, but then you can live with such a product for a long time! And so, first you need to separate the bark from the palm tree and get to the core - it is from this that sago is extracted. By the way, the tree must be young! The cores should be cut and left to dry in the sun, once they become crisp they can be ground into flour. The flour must be washed, allowing the water to settle. The sediment is dried. Now this product can (as described above) be dissolved in water and eaten.

You can profit from animal products, for example, from wood larvae - finding them is not difficult, but daring to eat them is a much more difficult task. They can be fried, but they are just as edible raw. The most important thing is to separate the upper part and squeeze out the contents of the intestines. Never eat the larvae that are attached to the inside of the leaf.

You can catch sea cucumbers in the sea (they are inactive and not difficult to catch).

Giant clams, oysters, sea urchins, tridacnas - with all of these you can provide your body with enough calories to survive.

How to survive on a desert island. Things you'll need to survive on a desert 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. 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.
3. Cloth. Find warm clothes or make your own from animal or tree skins.
4. Water and food respectively.

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

Having organized your life activities on the island in collecting water, lighting a fire and obtaining food, you should think about spending the night. “Shelter” is necessary in order to shelter from rain and direct sunlight. The risk of animal attack on uninhabited land is minimal.
The main task is to provide maximum shelter from the sun, rain and wind, so you can limit yourself to a canopy and a bed. A canopy is quite easy to weave from palm leaves. The bed should not come into contact with the ground, preventing insects and moisture from the ground from penetrating to the person.

So, we have indicated that for survival it is necessary to exclude panic and fear. Soberly define the tasks - this is searching for water, making a fire and getting food. Next, build a canopy that will protect from the sun and rain.
It was not for nothing that we provided our survivalist with minimal means of protection against insects, a small amount of water, food and matches for the first time. In fact, without this it is quite difficult to survive on the island. A minimal injury that takes a long time to heal in tropical conditions can result in death. Any fruit eaten can be poisonous. The idea of ​​spending some time on the island is very dangerous, and without a minimum set of medications and protective equipment, the chances of successful survival are close to zero.

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 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 large element unnatural shapes, 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, fire high altitude, 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.

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. 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.
3. Cloth. Find warm clothes or make your own from animal or tree skins.
4. Water and food respectively.

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