Survival Medicine
REQUIREMENTS FOR HEALTHY SURVIVAL IN WILDERNESS
A man is a natural species. In order to survive he needs water, food and needs to take care of his basic hygiene. In a survival situation, despite stress and other dangers, you may not forget about basic requirements for maintaining health. Forgetting about your body will undermine your strength and health and will greatly reduce your chances of survival. Below you can find basic information about how to maintain health while fighting for survival in wilderness.
Water – crucial for survival
You lose water all the time
Human body loses water through normal body processes (sweating, urinating, and defecating). Also many processes, for example digesting, require water. During an average day when the atmospheric temperature is 20 degrees Celsius (C) (68 degrees Fahrenheit), the average person loses and therefore requires 2 to 3 litres of water. Of course, in a survival situation you will probably lose more water because of stress and extensive activities that you will have to perform in order to survive. Other factors, such as heat exposure, cold exposure, high altitude, burns, or illness, can cause your body to lose even more water.
Effects of dehydration
All water that you lose every day has to be replaced. Dehydration is a serious problem with which you will have to deal in survival situations. It will decrease your performance and take away your strength. Severe dehydration can also be a cause of death. Have a look the following results of loss of water in your organism:
- A 5 per cent loss of body fluids results in thirst, irritability, nausea, and weakness. You will still be able to cope with your tasks, but it will be more difficult to focus and you will act much slower.
- A 10 per cent loss results in dizziness, headache, inability to walk, and a tingling sensation in the limbs. You are no longer able to perform difficult tasks, you are very weak and unable to concentrate for even short periods.
- A 15 per cent loss is a severe dehydration. It results in dim vision, painful urination, swollen tongue, deafness, and a numb feeling in the skin. Your body cannot maintain its natural functions. Your reactions become mechanical and basic instincts start to take over.
- If the amount of your body fluids falls below 15 per cent, chances of death because of dehydration are very serious.
Symptoms of dehydration
It is very important to recognise first dehydration symptoms and act before your state becomes serious. Described below are the most common first symptoms of dehydration:
- Fatigue
- Dark urine with a very strong odour
- Low urine output
- Emotional instability
- Delayed capillary refill in fingernail beds
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Trench line down center of tongue
- Thirst
Prevent dehydration – Drink a lot
The best way to prevent loss of water is to drink a lot of it. Depending on the circumstances, this will be even up to 30 litres per day. The best indicator of proper level of body fluids is urine output of at least 0.5 litre per day. Important thing to mention here is that it is better to receive smaller amounts of water often, than a lot once a day, as a normal person cannot assimilate more than 1 litre at a time.
Remember about electrolytes
While loosing water, no matter whether it is due to sweating or urinating, we loose electrolytes (body salts). An average diet can usually replace loss of salts, however when in extreme survival situations or illness additional sources may need to be provided. A mixture of 0.25 teaspoon of salt to 1 litre of water can provide a concentration that your body tissues will readily absorb.
Drinking tips for a survival situation
- Always drink while eating – your body looses o lot of water while digesting. If you do not have water to drink – DO NOT EAT!
- Acclimatise – when you get acclimatised to your environment, your body will act more efficiently.
- Conserve sweat, not water – Limit activities that produce sweat, but do not stop drinking water. Water is vital for survival and many of your body's crucial activities depend on it. You cannot stop drinking. When sweating, you lose your water in an unnecessary way.
- Ration Water – Until you find a suitable source, try to ration your water sensibly. In average conditions, a daily intake of half a litre of a sugar–water mixture (2 teaspoons per litre) will suffice to prevent severe dehydration for at least a week, provided you keep water losses to a minimum by limiting activity and heat gain or loss. But remember that this is an estimate. In hot climates, you may not last two days on half a litre per day. You have to watch your body's symptoms and adjust your intake accordingly.
Food is crucial for survival
Food is second on the list, as without food you are able to survive even up to several weeks. Nonetheless, food is necessary for you to stay healthy. Without food your mental and physical capabilities will deteriorate rapidly, and you will become weak and your morale will fall. Food replenishes the substances that your body burns and provides energy. It provides vitamins, minerals, salts, and other elements essential to good health.
In nature, there are two basic sources of food:
- plants
- animals, fish
Plants
Plants provide carbohydrates, which are the main source of energy. Plants can often provide sufficient energy for the body to function normally. Many plant foods like nuts and seeds can give you enough protein and oils for normal efficiency. Roots, green vegetables, and plant food often contain natural sugar, which will provide calories and carbohydrates that give your body natural energy.
Animal food
Meat is more nourishing than plant food. It also may be more readily available in some places. However, getting meat is more difficult. You need to know the habits of, and how to capture the various wildlife. In survival situations, to satisfy your immediate food needs, first seek the more abundant and more easily obtained wildlife, such as insects, crustaceans, molluscs, fish, and reptiles. These can satisfy your immediate food needs while you are preparing traps and snares for larger game.
Personal Hygiene
Cleanliness is an important factor in preventing infection and disease. It becomes even more crucial in a survival situation. Poor hygiene drastically reduces your chances of survival.
Wash yourself
A good daily wash with soap is ideal, but you can stay clean without it. Using cold water and cloth, you can still wash yourself. You should take special care of your feet, armpits, crotch, hand and hair as these are prime areas for infestation or infection.
or at least Have an Air bath
If water is a scarce resource, get yourself an air bath. Remove as much of your clothing as possible and expose your body to the sun and fresh air for at least 1 hour. Be careful not to sunburn. You should use this opportunity to inspect yourself for any infections, infestations or injures – early treated, they will be easier to manage. In survival situations you may be used to being sore and it is easy to overlook changes on your skin till it's too late.
Make soap
If you don't have soap, you can use ash or sand. If your situation allows, you can also make soap from animal fat and wood ashes. To make soap, you need to follow the steps:
- Extract grease from animal fat by cutting the fat into small pieces and then cooking them in a pot.
- You have to add water to the pot to keep the fat from sticking as it cooks.
- Cook the fat slowly, stirring frequently.
- After the fat is rendered, pour the grease into a container, where it will harden.
- Place ashes in a container with a spout near the bottom.
- Pour water over the ashes and collect in a separate container the liquid that drips out of the spout. This liquid is the potash or lye. Another way to get it is to pour slurry (the mixture of ashes and water) through a straining cloth.
- Mix two parts of grease with one part of potash in a cooking pot.
- Place the mixture over a fire and boil util it thickens.
After the mixture cools, you can use it in its semiliquid state directly from the pot, but you can also pour it into a pan and allow it to harden. You would then cut it into bars for later use.
Clean your hands
If you have germs on your hands, they can infect food and wounds. Wash your hands after handling any material that can potentially carry germs. Also wash them after visiting the latrine, caring for the sick, and before handling any food, food utensils or drinking water. Keep your fingernails closely trimmed and clean, and keep your fingers out of your mouth. Biting your fingernails is the best way to get gems into your system.
Clean your hair
Your hair can become a haven for parasites and bacteria. Keeping it clean, combed, and trimmed helps you avoid this danger. Actually, the shorter hair you have, the easier it is to keep it clean. Remember though, that if you have a very short hair or non at all, extra precautions have to be taken to protect your head from the sun and cold.
Clean your clothing and bedding
Keep your clothing and bedding as clean as possible. This reduces the chance of skin infection and the danger of parasitic infestation. Clean your outer clothing whenever it becomes soiled. Wear clean underclothing. If there is insufficient water, ”air” clean your clothing – shake it, air, and expose it to sun for 2 hours. If you use a sleeping bag, turn it inside out every day, fluff it, and air it. These small activities may prevent you from getting skin infections and parasites.
Clean your teeth
Clean your mouth and teeth at least once a day.
If you don't have a toothbrush
If you do not have a toothbrush, you can make a chewing stick. To do it – find a twig about 15–25 centimetres long and about 1 cm wide, then chew one end of the twig until fibres get separated. You can now clean your teeth with the fibres.
Another method for cleaning your teeth is to wrap a strip of clean cloth around one finger and rub your teeth with it.
You can also brush your teeth with sand, baking soda, salt of soap, rinsing your mouth with water, salt water or bark tea afterwards.
Floss your teeth
Use a string or fibre to floss your teeth. This is especially important if you do not have a toothbrush. Provisional toothbrushes may not get in between your teeth to remove food particles form there.
Care for your feet
Ability to move on your own is of great importance in survival situations. You have to pay special attention to your feet to keep them in a good condition.
Wash your feet
Wash your feet every day. If they are tired, give them a massage. If you do not have sufficient water, clean them with ash or sand and with a clean cloth. On any occasion possible ”air” them. Keep your socks and shoes in a good condition, and especially - try to keep them dry. There is nothing worse for your feet than being locked in a damp shoes for several days. If your shoes are wet, put them on only when you need to walk, dry them for the rest of the time. If it is cold wrap your feet in a cloth, while drying your shoes.
Treat your blisters
Check your feet for blisters daily. Blisters are potentially dangerous, because if they burst open, they expose your system to germs, what may cause infections. If you have a small blister, do not open it. Intact blister is safe from infection. Yet be careful not to burst it. Secure it, so that it does not grow while you walk. If it bursts, you will have to treat it as an open wound.
If you have large blisters, risk of their burst or tear under pressure is too big to leave them to heal alone. To help the blister heal quicker, you will have to remove the liquid form it. The best way to do that is to use a sewing type sterilised needle and a sterilised thread. You should run the needle with the thread through the blister at its base. Then detach the needle and leave the thread in the blister – it will ensure that it does not close and will dive the liquid outside, keeping the hole as small as possible. Secure the blister to prevent it from tearing or growing. You will remove the thread, when the blister is almost healed. Remember that this method is not recommended if you will have to walk in wet shoes as water with germs will get into your blister.
If you do not have sterilised thread, you should use needle only. You can easily sterilise it by exposing it to open fire. You should make a puncture at the base of the blister and squeeze the liquid outside through the hole. Leave your foot to air for a while and then secure it with a clean cloth and protect it from tearing. In most cases, you will have to repeat the operation several times, before the liquid stops gathering. Remember to always sterilise your needle and always clean the blister properly and secure it with clean cloth.
If you notice that dirt got into your blister, it is usually best to tear of the whole blister and treat as an open wound. Dirt in a blister can easily cause a serious infection.
Rest
You need to get sufficient rest to keep going for many days. Plan your rest. Try to sleep enough amount of hours and get some rest during the day between activities. Even a change between mental and physical activities can be refreshing.
Keep your campsite clean
Do not soil your campsite area with urine or faeces. Use latrines, if available. When latrines are not available, dig holes and cover the waste or at least find a good place, which is distant from your camp, yet easy for you to access. In the same way dispose the remaining of your food. This will prevent germs from spreading around your camp.