When you are stranded in the wilderness, it is not a walk in the park to survive until your rescue (hopefully you are!). A lot of people simply do not make it through. One of the most important things when it comes to surviving the wild is knowledge. The more you know about how to work with resources and what you can do to arrange for shelter, food, water, and start fires for yourself, the greater your chances of survival.
We have found that even though there is plethora of information regarding survival tips, techniques, and training, there really isn’t much about what can and does go wrong when you are trying to survive out in the wilderness. In this article, we shall take a look at some of the most common ways in which you can become seriously injured while trying to survive in the woods.
Thunder and lightning
Especially if you are stranded in mountainous terrain, thunderstorms and lightning may prove to be a real problem. Some mountains are known for creating their own weather. Even if the weather forecast for the area (the low lands area) is clear, a mountain top can suddenly experience heavy rainfall due to a number of reasons.
In order to stay safe, your best bet would be to find some cover and avoid exposed area at all costs as you may be inviting a horrifying lightning strike. Stay away from hillsides, meadows, watery areas, crests and ridges. Do not make the mistake of trying to hide beneath a solitary tree. If you have no cover such as a car, building, etc. then stay on the balls of your feet, crouch an make yourself as small as possible.
By doing this, you are not only making yourself a small target but also if you are struck by lightning, it will not be as serious. Another thing you should not do is lie down flat on the ground since a nearby ground shot may very well travel a short distance and hit you and if you are lying on the ground, your body will soak up more energy than you want.
Hypothermia
In cold regions, the low temperatures are your biggest enemy. If the human body is exposed to such temperatures for a certain period of time, it will go into hypothermia and eventually shut down. Staying warm and covered is extremely important. As a rule of thumb, you should always dress one layer warmer than you need to for the present weather conditions.
If the temperature is just too low, then there are somethings you can do to get through it. The first thing you should try is to exercise. The human body will produce heat when it is being worked out, therefore, you can jump in place, do some pushups, squats, whatever it takes to get the heart pumping and the core temperature up.
Being able to build a fire is an essential survival skill that you must at least be acquainted with. With just the use of two sticks or some stones, you can create a fire which will not only keep you warm but also serve to keep wild animals away and you can use it or cooking and for treating water in order to make it consumable.
Dehydration
The human body can go for a week or more without food, but can only survive a couple of days or so without water. Therefore, you need to act quickly to figure out your water source. You could dig holes and line them with plastic bags to collect rain water. You should also look for puddles or leaves which may already have accumulated rain water.
If there are coconut trees then you need to scale them and pick some coconuts since they have natural electrolytes and will help you stay hydrated.
Starvation
Food is of course a major concern. When you are stuck in the wilderness awaiting rescue, you will probably be active and moving around trying to make shelter, fire, and find water so your body needs any calories you can give it. You will have to hunt by making your own hunting spear or knife with the help of stones and wood.
Frogs, snakes, rabbits, rats, etc. may all seem very hard to swallow but eating them, or one of them, can save your life.
There are many other things that could go wrong when you are out in the wilderness. It is always best to be prepared for the worst. Remember that it is better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it.