How to Ration Water

In a survival situation you should begin rationing your water immediately even if you have a good supply. You have no idea how long it will be until rescue or until you find civilization. The general guideline is to drink no water day one. Your bodies reservoir will replenish this. Days two through four drink 14fl oz and days five onward drink 2 - 8fl oz daily depending on climate and water availability. Moisten lips and tongue while drinking, before swallowing. To avoid vomiting, sip slowly.

Peventing disease

One of the many concerns one might face while braving the wilderness is the threat of disease. It's much easier to prevent a disease than it is to cure one with limited resources so here are some tips you can use to your advantage:

• Protect food and drink from flies and vermin
• Bury excreta
  
• Wash yourself often and avoid swallowing water when you do
• Wash and smoke louse-ridden clothes
• Cover body to reduce risk of insect bites
• Sterilize eating utensils
• Wash and peel fruit
• Clean hands often, especially when eating or preparing food.
• Purify drinking water
• Get all suitable immunization before traveling

Most of these are common sense but they are important to keep in mind either way so stay vigilant!

Knowing Which Plants to Avoid Eating

In a survival situation plants are most likely going to be the most common source of food. Therefore it is important to know which plants to avoid eating as many are poisonous (such as the Cherry Laurel, pictured above) and dangerous to ingest. Here are some general guidelines when it comes to identifying plants that should be avoided.

• Avoid old or wilted leaves - The leaves of some plants (raspberry, blackberry, peach, plum, cherry) devolop deadly toxins when they wilt so stick to fresh green leaves.

• Avoid plants with barbs on stems or leaves - Even tiny barbs can irritate the mouth and digestive tract.

• Avoid fruit which is divided into five segments unless you know it is safe - Nature has a way with patterns and many five segment fruits are harmful to ingest.

• Avoid Red plants unless again, you know they are safe - Another pattern you see is that most red plants are dangerous to eat.

• Avoid plants with milky sap - there are a few safe ones such as the dandelion (every part of a dandelion can be eaten EXCEPT for the stem which of course, contains white milky sap) but for the most part steer clear.
  

Collecting Water from Animals

Another way of getting fresh water in a survival situation is through animals. Animals eyes contain water that can be obtained by sucking on them. All fish, saltwater and otherwise, carry some fresh water along their spine. By carefully gutting them you can remove the backbone and pour it right down your throat or into a container to save for later. Be wary of the other juices in fish though as they are high in protein and digesting them will take water away from your vital organs, dehydrating you faster. In the desert some species of frogs and toads also contain freshwater reservoirs in their bodies.

Collecting Water by Condensation

A very simple way to collect fresh purified water in the wilderness is to tie a plastic bag around a tree branch. First, find a green, leafy branch that has good sun exposure and tie a large plastic bag tightly around it so that no air escapes. Place a small stone in one of the corners of the bag so the water that has evaporated from the tree leafs throughout the day will all drip down to one point. At the end of the day tear a small hole in the corner to collect the water and filter it through a piece of cloth such as a bandana to remove any debris. Simply tie up the corner and you can repeat this process for up to 3 days on the same branch. Happy Surviving!