In the event that you find yourself stranded on an island, it’s important to follow the proper survival techniques that will help you stay alive. Among these techniques are finding fresh drinking water, shelter, and eventually rescue.

Disclaimer: The survival tips on this website are for informational purposes only. The authors take no responsibility for the reader’s individual actions or usage of the information presented on this page.

1. STOP and Think

Use the Boy Scouts mnemonic device of “STOP”, which stands for “Stop, Think, Observe, and Plan”.

You’ve just discovered that you are alone on an island. You’re unsure about whether or not rescue will be arriving. Here is the list, in order, of what you should be doing in order of priority:

1. Find a source of drinking water.
2. Find/build a shelter.
3. Build a fire.
4. Create rescue signals.
5. Find a source of food.
6. Create tools for catching food.
7. Fashion weapons for self defense.
8. Create a raft to leave the island.

2. Finding Water

Finding a source of clean drinking water should be your first priority. The body can not live without water for more than 3 or 4 days; however you can survive over 3 weeks without food.

Sources of Water:

Rain Water:

Use any containers you can find and set them out in order to catch any rain water that falls. You can use large leaves to catch raindrops and funnel them into containers.

On The Island:

A good place to find water is by venturing inland. The further inland you go, the better your chances of finding a water source. If the island is large enough, there is the possibility of finding streams and waterfalls that will provide fresh drinking water.

Solar Water Still:

If there’s no rainfall or fresh water on the island and you have a sheet of plastic available, then you can make a solar water still.

3. Build/Find a Shelter

Finding shelter is an important aspect of survival. You need to find a place to rest, while protecting yourself from the elements, such as wind and rain.

4. Build a Fire

Building a fire not only keeps you warm, but it will help to signal any rescue planes that are flying overhead.

5. Finding Food

Your best source of food will most likely be the fish in the shallow areas surrounding the beach. The surrounding water should be shallow enough to walk through and look for fish.

In order to catch the fish, the easiest technique is to use spear fishing. Create a long spear from one of the branches you find on the island. Make the tip as sharp and long as possible, but be sure that the stick is long enough to throw and that it has some weight.

If you can stand on rocks, this will be better, since it will be less likely to alarm the fish and you’ll be able to find them meandering as they snack on seaweed or whatever else they find interesting in the ocean.

If you must walk in the water, then move slowly as to not startle them.

Hold the spear spear at your side above the water. When the fish stops and settles in one spot, quickly extend your arm and throw the spear, aiming for the fish’s head. With enough practice, you will be hitting your target with greater precision.

6. Beware Predators

Depending on the island, be aware of any possible animals that might be inhabiting it.

This means that in the beginning, you will always want to stay alert to any animals that might be stalking you.

For protection, fashion a spear and knife from any branches that you find lying around.

In the ocean, your main concern should be shark attacks while you are fishing. Try to stay in shallow water whenever possible.

7. Getting Rescued

The fire that you started in Section 4 above will be a useful signal to rescue parties that are looking for you.

To increase your chances of being noticed, you should consider creating an SOS message in the sand.

To do this, simply find large tree branches to spell the letters SOS, so that it can be seen from aircraft flying overhead.

8. Traveling/Resting:

Always work during the day, when it’s light out so you can see. Use the night as a time to rest and recover your energy.

If you’re plan is to leave the island on your own, then you’ll need to create a raft.

The two things you will need to create a raft are logs and vine.

 

 

This article first appeared on SurviveNature.com