Water and Food for Survival
Drinking Water versus Food
In the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster few things are as sobering as the realization that services you have normally taken for granted no longer exist. When power and water are no longer available, that's when your forethought and planning for emergencies can make a huge difference in either your temporary comfort or the very survival of yourself and others.
Food is obviously important, but water is a far greater factor in survival. More important than food. You can live for many days without a single morsel of food. Without water, though death may not occur for a number of days, you can quickly sicken and become too weak to help yourself survive. Making sure you keep well hydrated at all times is an absolute priority.
If you haven't prepared and squirreled away a ready supply of water in your home, your vehicle, or on your person, depending on the emergency situation and its location, then you will have to locate a source of water.
Purify Your Water Before You Drink
Your emergency survival situation may occur in an area with many lakes and streams where finding a water supply is no problem. Here, as in areas where water is not so abundant, the main problem and concern will be in obtaining pure water to drink. Even water found in the pristine wilderness may be contaminated, for instance, by a dead animal lying in it.
Therefore, if circumstances allow, purify the water you find before your drink it. There are a number of chemicals and filters available that can be included in your emergency survival kit. Water purifiers in tablet form are the easiest to carry and are handy for treating small amounts of water. Another handy item you could include in your emergency kit is one of the plastic tubes with a carbonated filter built into it to draw the water through.
If You Haven't Prepared
Situations may arise where you have either failed to be prepared or have been separated from or lost your survival kit. Your best option here is to boil the water you find for five to ten minutes. Ten minutes is better. Let it cool then pour it back and forth between containers to dissolve some oxygen back into it. If melting snow to drink, scrape away the top layer and use the snow beneath. Melt a little at a time and keep adding small amounts to it as it melts. The same for ice.
When Water Is In Short Supply
Unless you have a more than adequate supply of potable water, it is prudent to conserve your energy as much as possible to help reduce your need for water. Generally, the more active you are, the more water you will need to consume. Slow down in all of your actions, rest often, especially during the hottest part of the day.
Work to remain well hydrated. Your survival depends on it.
More free useful wilderness survival and emergency techniques are being added at The Survivor's Outpost. Pay a visit to pick up emergency survival advice, or leave a post of your own tips and techniques to share with others.
