When Water Becomes Scarce
More Articles Related to WaterI don't know about you, but as soon as I think about going without water I get thirsty. Without an adequate intake of water our very survival is at stake.
It is said that many of us routinely live in various states of dehydration because we do not drink enough water on a day to day basis. When you are even just a little dehydrated your physical and mental efficiency drops off dramatically and you set yourself up for a variety of health problems. In a survival situation when you need to function at your peak, the last thing you want to be is dehydrated.
How do you know when you are properly hydrated? One rule of thumb is that you should urinate “gin clear” at least once a day to insure you are drinking enough water and properly flushing out the waste materials your body processes. Dark yellow urine is sure sign you have not been drinking enough water.
Remember – that is “urinate gin clear” NOT “urinate clear gin”.
Be that as it may, when your water supply is low or non-existent you know things are going to become difficult. After oxygen, water is the most important nutrient your body needs. Go without water for just a short time and you are going to feel it. Go without water for just a day or two and you could be in dire straights indeed.
Just how long can you live without an adequate supply of water? That depends on a variety of factors. Obviously you will require more water when you are physically active and when the weather is hot or dry. Wind can also suck the moisture out of your body through the skin. What some people do not realize is that cold air is often very dry and so dehydrates you as you breathe it.
When confronted with a water shortage, you will want to ration your water as much as possible. Don't go so far as the man found dead in the desert with water still in his canteen. Rationing can go to extremes and hurt you more than help. Remember, in an emergency you need to stay healthy enough so that you can get yourself out or make contact with would be rescuers.
When you lack an adequate amount of water from traditional sources you will want to keep an eye out for alternatives. Perhaps you can set up a solar still or extract water from local plants. Often the alert mind can find small seepages in the earth or in rock ledges. Watch for signs of where the local animals go and where plant life seems to be growing more luxuriantly than elsewhere. If you are in an urban environment water can often be found in the plumbing of homes, toilets, and even outdoors in old tires where it has collected from rain. As always, when the source of water is suspect you will want to employ a way to make the water safe to drink. This includes filtering, boiling, disinfection with chemicals, or even use the simple but effective SODIS method.
Good advice is to keep yourself fully hydrated at all times. Then if a lack of water should occur your body is not starting the game with a deficit already. This means tanking up your stomach and topping off your water containers at every opportunity. Staying hydrated at all times can buy you a day or more extra survival time in addition to the ability to function on your highest level.
The Survival Topics article How Long Can You Survive Without Water? discusses the lack of water issue and provides a rough chart on how long a person resting in the shade can expect to live with various amounts of water under different temperatures. The chart is a valuable benchmark when used as a rough guide but is not the final word. Your mileage may vary depending upon age, health, physical makeup and a host of other factors.
You may also want to read the Survival Topics article on Water Discipline, which goes into detail on how best to manage your water supply.
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