How to Live on a Deserted Island

Although disaster scenarios make for great TV shows and movies, you hopefully will never have to go through such an experience. However, you can learn some useful survival techniques. People in real life survived plane crashes or shipwrecks, and then learned to live on a deserted island. You too can prepare for even the worst case scenario if you are stranded on an island.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Stay calm and focus on figuring out a way to get off the island. You need to slow down and relax so you can think things through. Panicking will not help you live.

2. Look at what resources you have on the island. Check to see if there is any fresh water coming off rock formations, or if you see any streams or waterfalls. Look for any fruit trees, especially coconut trees. Find things to use for shelter or to sleep on and keep warm at night.

3. Check to see if anyone has any communication devices. Also keep together any useful items like food, water, extra clothes, fabrics, first aid kits and medications, building materials, papers or plastic bottles that might be in the wreckage of your plane or boat.

4. Choose someone to lead the group. If you are alone, then you are your own leader and decision maker. If not, then choose the most reliable type of person in the group.

5. Get wood and try to start a fire. If no one has any matches or a lighter, then try the old classic way of rubbing two sticks together to get a spark. A fire can serve as a SOS help sign to planes flying by and it can be used to cook food and purify water. It can also deter some predators at night.

6. Build a shelter for yourself and your group to stay protected. You never know what kind of weather may be coming in off the ocean and onto the deserted island and you will want to keep safe. Use palm leaves and branches as cushion or blankets.

Tips & Warnings

• Protect yourself from the sun to prevent sunburn and heatstroke.