An average person may survive for 3 to 5 days without fluid intake. This of course depends on the climate and the how much energy they exert to survive.
A lot of those who do not survive in the wild are reported to have died of dehydration. It is very difficult if you do not know where to look for, how to get, or how to clean water so you can drink.
Fluid Loss
Bushcraft survival primarily depends on food intake, fluid intake, and fluid conservation. If you can't find water to drink most likely you cannot find food to eat. We come down to the third essential point which is fluid conservation.
You must remember that the more fluid you expend means the more fluid you must drink. Here are some methods how our body loses fluid:
- Perspiring - Perspiration is a natural ways to cool our body. If you are trying to survive in an environment with temperatures rising to around 35 degrees Celsius, you may lose around 2 liters of water even if you sit down under the shade of a big tree. Try to minimize your activity to conserve your body fluids. Energy should be spent on getting help or basic survival needs.
- Urinating- It is normal to urinate but if you are trying to survive in the wild, it will help if you can hold it longer to prevent fluid loss. Worst comes to worst, you can apply urine to the skin to help the body cool down. Never drink it though if you do not know how to distill it.
- Vomiting and Crying- Both of these are natural tendencies but may also lead to fluid loss if you cannot control. Try to stay calm and avoid vomiting or crying since these will not help you at all to conserve body fluids.
Methods of Getting Water
Now that you know how to conserve body fluids, you must know how to look for and get some water to drink.
Remember if you only have a liter of water from your bushcraft kit; try to take only a few sips in between long intervals.
Here are some methods to establish good water supply while surviving in the wild:
- Creek beds - you can soak a piece of cloth in the damp sand or mud and wring out the water. You can also try to cut the roots of trees that you can find in the creek bed to source water.
- Rocky formation - the natural terrain may have water pooled in a rocky formation or sipping through its cracks.
- Salt Lakes - if it rains, the top 3 mm of the lake will be fresh water. You can siphon this using grass straw so you can have something to drink.
- Animal Trails - think of animal instinct. Animals will be moving from one source of water to another to survive. Use their trails so you can also find water supply.
- Tree Roots - Before the heat of the day, roots of trees hold water. You can cut them in short lengths and drain them of the fluid.
- Dew - the collection from trees may be tedious but survival is survival
Whatever you do in the wild, make sure that you are drinking clean water. Bad water will cause internal infection and may not help in your aim to survive. Try to boil the water if you can. Remember that clear water is not always clean water.
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