Learn How to Survive in the Desert

A desert is like an endless stretch of land with fine grains of sand all over. Its beauty is very enchanting to human eyes. The open land with no hindrance in between is amazing to experience as such sights can never be seen in the cities where we live. Sand dunes are eye-catching and no person can say "no" to experience this aspect of our planet.

This is why treks are organized to experience the deserts in the raw form. Treks are organized in such a way that safety and security of every trekker is kept in mind. But unforeseen circumstances can occur at any time. What if such a situation arises and you find yourself stranded with no means to survive? Let's find out what can be done.

If a situation arises when you are the only one lost in the desert, do not lose heart. There are many instances when people survive such extreme situations in life . All you need to have is patience and the willingness to survive!

This kit proves to be very useful in case of contingencies. The items included in the kit can help you in getting the basic needs of survival. Food and water come next to survival kit. It is like your best friend when you are in danger.

Buck up to remain active all night as high temperatures of the day will not let you live for more than a few hours, if you plan to do something during the day.

Whenever going out for an adventurous trip, minimum items you need to keep with yourself in a bag are; a water bottle, some food, and a survival kit. You should always have this bag with you where ever you go.

A basic survival kit should include;

• 20-25 feet cord
• A penknife
• Waterproof match box
• A steel match
• Fishing kit
• Aluminum foil
• Hard candy and gums for energy
• A signal mirror
• A blanket
• Small first-aid kit

This kit proves to be very useful in case of contingencies. The items included in the kit can help you in getting the basic needs of survival. Food and water come next to survival kit. It is like your best friend when you are in danger.

Once lost, you have nowhere to go in the desert. The basic requirement to survive is a shelter. Extreme high temperatures make it unbearable to living beings. So arranging a shelter can save you from direct heat of the scorching sun. Look around and see if you have high rocks nearby. If yes, you can comfort yourself in the outcrop of a rock.

This type of shelter must be temporary and a better shelter can be prepared after the scorching sun sets and temperature is reduced. A proper shelter can be prepared using the cord and blanket in your survival kit. You can always carry an extra blanket in your kit which can be used for warmth when the temperatures drop down drastically at night.

The element of fire plays a key role in situations of distress. Fire helps in warding off unwanted and dangerous animals in the desert. It plays as a signal to the rescue team for identifying a lost person.

It gives you light and warmth in the freezing night temperatures of the desert, and gives you a feeling of security when you are all alone. The match box can be used to light up dried desert plants to generate fire. Fire can also be used to boil water and roast anything edible you find around you.

A desert leaves us with very limited sources of water. Remember, drinking excess water will be lost in urine, so one should drink the available water judiciously. Arranging water should be an essential task during the night.

A solar still can be prepared for collection of water during the day time. For this, a big hole around 3 feet in width and 2 feet in depth is dug out. A smaller hole is made in the larger hole and a container is placed in it. A plastic sheet is used to cover the large hole from above and ends are sealed using pebbles all around.

A pebble is also placed in the middle of the plastic bag. During the day time, water evaporates from the desert surface, this vapor condenses on the inner side of the plastic and drips down in the container and gets accumulated. In this way, some amount of safe drinking water can be collected.

Crushing cactus to obtain water is not a very good idea, as it is bitter in taste and may be harmful. Prickly pear cactus can be used to obtain moisture, but it is important to burn off all the thorns before crushing it to have the "meat" of the cactus for moisture.

Once you have sufficient water, you can arrange for a meal. Look around for food you can eat. Snakes are commonly found in the desert. Not all snakes make a great meal, but rattlesnakes can be fed upon when you have no other choice. Animal meat can also be an option, but one has to be lucky enough to find fresh meat around.

When a person goes missing, a rescue team is sent to search for the person. A desert is such a vast stretch of land that looking out for a person is a very difficult task. There are instances when the rescue team searches for several days, but they don't get a single clue of the lost person.

To make the task of the rescue team easy and to improve the chances of survival, there has to be some effort on the part of the lost person.

One can arrange for distress signals for fast identification. A distress signal can be smoke or fire, as these will be clearly visible from the rescue team's helicopter. A person can also write "SOS" as large as possible as a sign to the rescue team.

SOS is an internationally accepted distress signal and can be used whenever someone is in danger. A signal mirror can also be used to reflect light on a passing helicopter or aircraft to make your presence felt.

Some other survival tips are as follows;

• It is good to gather knowledge about the desert ecosystem before going there. This information may be helpful in case of adversities.

• Always keep your family and friends informed about your trip plan. This will be helpful for the rescue team to start its operation, when it is informed about you being lost in the desert.

• Keep your body covered as much as you can, to prevent loss of water from the body specially the neck region, so that you don't feel thirsty and dehydrated.
• Use your nose for breathing and keep your mouth closed.

• Keep away from dangerous wild animals and insects like lizards, spiders etc.
• Look for birds gathering around a water resource. This may get you enough water for drinking if you are lucky.

• Try looking out for a trail. Following it may land you in some civilization.
• Keep a check on signs of dehydration like dry mouth, sunken eyes, less and concentrated urine, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Following all these tips and techniques for surviving in the desert will surely help to make your way out. All that a person needs is patience and a never-die-attitude to survive in such extreme environment. One best try of your life may save you from the desert and give you a second chance to live a beautiful life!