How to live on a deserted island

How to Live on aDeserted Island…

María Jambrina Pérez

The worst possible thing has happened: you are stranded on a

deserted island as a victim of circumstance. All hope may seem lost,

there is no hope of finding rescue. To the contrary, it can be very

easy to survive on a deserted island, even thrive or find rescue,

provided you know what to do.

How to Live on a Deserted Island…

1. Stay calm. The most important thing is to remain calm and think clearly. If

you start panicking, you can lose control and end up losing

your chance of survival. If you make a buddy to talk to it will

help you calm down. Your priorities should be safety, water,

shelter, food. In that order.

Part 1 of 4: Taking it in your stride

Step 1. Stay calm

2. Look around for safety precautions.

Is the area you are in safe? Are there wild animals? Risk of flooding?

Establishing physical safety is the first important step.

Part 1 of 4: Taking it in your stride

Step 2. Look around for safety

precautions.

3. Look for a clean fresh water supply.

Most people start by looking for food, but it is a fact that almost

all "lost" people are found in a matter of hours or a couple days.

You can live for 2 weeks without food but only 3-4 days without

water. If there is no natural source of water, look at constructing a

way to collect rainwater.

Part 2 of 4: Establishing the necessities

Step 3. Look for a clean fresh water supply.

4. Create a shelter.

You will need protection from the elements and natural predators.

This could be a natural shelter such as a cave, or one you construct.

A shelter provides a home base, somewhere warm and shady to

sleep, a place for storing resources, and somewhere to hide from

animals.


Step 4. Create a shelter.

5. Find food sources.

The ocean is filled with life. Try constructing a low V shaped wall

out of stones at low tide, with the point of the V pointing out to

the sea. At high tide, fish should swim inside but become trapped as

the tide flows out.


Step 5. Find food sources.

6. Evaluate your resources.

Do you have a source of fresh water? Do you have a long range

radio, satellite phone, or other means of communication? Are

there other people? People, if managed correctly, can be your

greatest resource.


Step 6. Evaluate your resources.

7. Start a fire.

This may seem like a trivial thing on a deserted island, but fire has a

number of uses. Fire can be used to distill water, cook, and provide

light for you and your rescuers, and If there are dangerous animals,

use fire at night to help keep them at bay.


Step 7. Start a fire

8. Act on all approved ideas together.

Everyone in the group should work together to ensure that all

needs are met, and to ensure that all resources available are put to

good use.

Part 3 of 4: Working together

Step 8. Act on all approved ideas together.

9. Arrange rocks or large objects on a clear path to signal for help.

The recognized mountain distress signals are based on groups of

three (six in the UK). A distress signal can be three fires, three

blasts on a whistle, or three flashes of a light, in succession followed

by a one minute pause and repeated until a response is received. If

you are clear view of boats attempt to make a large red X.

Part 4 of 4: Getting rescued

Step 9. Arrange rocks or large objects on a clear path to signal for help.

10. Try to make contact.

Use a radio, if available, to contact possible rescuers. Use signal

mirrors, fires and flashlights and whatever else to draw attention to

yourself. This can be done while you wait.

Part 4 of 4: Getting rescued

Step 10. Try to make contact.

NEVER GIVE UP.

Desperate acts can be lethal to you and others with you. Willpower

is what allows people to survive without food for weeks. Without

the will to live, you won't. Always envision the great life that you

will have, if you give up, that will be the end.

Education

How to live on a deserted island