Desert Regions survival
Desert Regions survival
Most desert lands were once fertile and some of the creatures that lived there then adapted to the new conditions.
Desert Survival
The survivor must learn to make the most of any available shade, to create protection from the sun, reduce moisture loss and restrict activity to the ends of the day and the night. Learn from the peoples who live or travel through the deserts.
In some deserts, especially the Sahara, the deserts of the Middle East, of Peru and northern Chile and parts of the Gobi desert in Mongolia, there are great temperature differences between night and day. At night condensation of any moisture in the air can make some water available- and in the Namib desert of southern Africa fog coming in from the sea often provides moisture for life. Elsewhere, in such deserts as those of Western Australia, northern Mexico and the Mohave of the south western USA, where the temperature changes are comparatively slight, there is very little condensation and consequently both plants and game are very rare.
Sometimes, as in the Kalahari, there will be sparse grass and thorny bushes and, even in the most barren conditions, some kind of life seems to survive, though often invisible if you don’t know where to look.
Dust and sand storms may occur at certain times of the year, reducing visibility to zero and demanding maximum protection to prevent sand entering every orifice. Dust devils- desert whirlwinds like tornadoes- are quite common. When rain does come- and in some territories years may pass with none at all- it may be in torrential down pours which create flash floods, before being quickly absorbed into the parched ground. This provides for a brief blossoming of vegetation and the emergence of species such as the Spade foot Toad of Arizona for rapid reproduction.
Desert rainfall and temperature
Typical of desert extremes are conditions in the Rub’al Khali, the “Empty Quarter”, of southern Arabia. For most of the year there is only a trace of rain but over 30mm may fall on a single day in the winter. July temperatures may reach over 48C(120F),dropping to 15C(60F) at night, and December extremes range from 26 to 6.6C (79-20).
Water
Water needs are paramount. Finding it is VITAL. If you have it, ration it immediately. If you are stranded by mechanical failure during a planned desert crossing, you will have plotted your route with an awareness of oases, wells and waterholes.
Wells can be very deep and the water level require a container lowered on a line to reach it. Small water holes in wadi bottoms are often seasonal. They are usually covered with a stone or brushwood. Away from known waterholes, try digging at the lowest point between dunes. Do not dig in the heat of the day, the exertion will use up too much fluid and you may not be able to replace it.
You must always balance fluid loss against possible gain. Exploit cactus and roots as water sources and , in deserts where the day/night temperature range is great, exploit this to produce water by condensation.
Desert Life expectancy
Life expectancy depends upon the water available and your ability to protect the body from exposure to the sun to minimize perspiration. Allow a slight negative balance. Drink 1.5 litre for every 2 litre lost and then drink at the rate the body is sweating.
Life expectancy depends upon the water available and your ability to protect the body from exposure to the sun to minimize perspiration. Allow a slight negative balance. Drink 1.5 litre for every 2 litre lost and then drink at the rate the body is sweating.
Efficiency is then impaired little and no water is wasted. Less fluid will not result in less sweating. Sweating is a cooling mechanism, not a way of losing moisture. If more fluid is drunk than needed it will be excreted and used to no purpose.
Without water you will last about two and a half days at 48C(120F) if you spend the whole time resting in the shade, though you could last as long as twelve days if the temperature stays below 21C(70F).
If you are forced to walk to safety the distance you cover will relate directly to water available. With none, a temperature of 48C(120F), walking only at night, resting all day, you could cover 40km(25miles). Attempting to walk by day you would be lucky to complete 8km(5miles) before collapse. At the same temperature, with about 2litres of water you might cover 56km(35miles) and last three days.
Your chances are not appreciably increased until available water reaches about 4.5 litres per person, though training and determination to survive could contradict predictions.