Food that can be found in the uninhabited. How to get food in the rainforest? Find water in the wild. Survival Guide

As children, we all read D. Defoe's novel "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" and admired the man who managed to survive on desert island, overcoming hunger, making fire and building a dwelling. 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 salty water will 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 time 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, 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. Shelter is better near a water source and on open place dispose. 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 large existing cloth, 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 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 reverse side. 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 kite, build yourself a chessboard, write a book on the bark of trees. Be smart, use your creativity and life on a desert island will bring you in the form of bonuses not only self-confidence, development of strength and endurance, but also joy, peace and tranquility.

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 big amount 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, make flatbreads from it, boil it into puree, 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, tridacni - with all this 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.

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. To do toothbrush, you can flatten the tree.
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. 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.

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 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 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 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 the 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 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. Take time to make 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 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.

Just 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

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 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 kind of river. Coniferous forest It’s 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

Dew and grass are considered good “suppliers” of drinking water in the forest. 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 the discomfort of the wild. 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 will examine the island for the presence of at least some body of 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!

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.

There is a large variety of species 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 heat-treated, 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 onto the palm tree, otherwise you’ll fall again. It is possible to get food on a coral atoll without going into the sea. 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! That's it, really 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.

Sea urchins are also edible; after breaking 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 for more big 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.

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