Survival depends on you. You must be physically fitand know how to locate or collect water. You must knowwhat plants and animals are available for food, how tofind or catch them, how to prepare them, and how torecognize those which will harm you. The more youknow about the conditions peculiar to the region you arein, including the plant and animal life, the better areyour chances for survival.WaterWithout water your chances of living are slight, andall the food in the area means little. That is especiallytrue in hot climates where you sweat a lot. Even in coldweather your body needs at least 2 quarts of water eachday; a lesser amount reduces your efficiency.When you can’t find surface water, tap through theearth’s water table for groundwater (rain or melted snowthat has filtered through the ground). Getting to thewater table and its supply of generally pure waterd e p e n d s o n t h e c o n t o u r o f t h e l a n d a n d t h echaracteristics of the soil.In the desert or arid regions, watch for waterindicators. Some signs of water include—Plants covering animal trails and the direction inwhich certain birds fly. By searching in areastoward which these birds fly, you will probablyfind water.Places that are visibly damp, where animals havescratched, or where flies hover indicates recentsurface water. Dig in those spots for water.Leave your handkerchief out on clear nights tocollect dew; then squeeze the water into a container.During a heavy dew, you should be able to collect abouta pint an hour.You may find runoff water above the water table.Runoff water includes streams, stagnant pools, andwater in bogs. Consider this water contaminated anddangerous even if it is away from human habitation.Boil or treat this water with water purification tabletsbefore you drink it.If you are unsuccessful in your search for ground orrunoff water or if you don’t have time to purifyquestionable water, a water-yielding plant may be yourbest bet. You can easily get clear, sweet sap that is pureand chiefly water from many plants. Many plants withfleshy leaves or stems store drinkable water. Try themwherever you find them. Desert plants often have theirroots near the surface. Pry these roots out of the groundand cut them into 24- to 36-inch lengths. Remove thebark and suck out the water.Not all vines yield palatable water, but try any vineyou find. Use the following method for tapping a vine. Itwill work on any species.1. Cut a deep notch in the vine as high up as youcan reach.2. Then cut the vine off close to the ground and letthe water drip into your mouth or a container.3. When the water ceases to drip, cut anothersection off the vine.4. Repeat this procedure until the supply of fluid isexhausted (fig. 15-10).NOTEIf the liquid is a white sap or very dark in color,it is not drinkable. If the liquid is clear, test it forodor. If it is slightly pink or red in color, thatnormally indicates the presence of tannic acid,which isn’t harmful. If it has no taste, or doesnot taste bad, it is a good source of water.FoodIt takes little reasoning to recognize that yoursecond requirement is food. That’s especially trueduring a time of survival when you need every ounce ofenergy and endurance that you can muster.People have been known to live for more than amonth without food; but unless you are in extremelydifficult circumstances, you don’t need to depriveyourself of something to eat. Used properly, nature canprovide you with food. Apply the following rules assoon as you realize you are isolated:1. Inventory your rations and water. Estimate thelength of time you will be on your own.2. Divide your food—two thirds for the first half ofyour isolation and one third for the second half.15-18Student Notes:
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