Surviving in a place far from civilization can be very difficult and even more so if you find yourself lost without knowing what to do. You must be prepared to face any situation, whether you have lost yourself on a desert island or a huge forest. Preparation can make a difference to the result. This little manual will help you survive and stay healthy anywhere.

Keep calm

If you find yourself in this situation, the first and most important thing to remember is to stay calm, if you stress, you will not be able to think clearly and prioritize. Relax, the most important thing is that you are still alive and you are capable of doing anything if you set your mind to it.

Supposing that you just arrived or woke up on an unknown island, your clothes will be wet, so put them in the sun and let them dry, you will not want to catch a cold as soon as the adventure begins.

Inspect the area

Every situation is different and needs different analysis and solutions. Take your time.

Once the nerves of the new situation have been overcome, it is convenient that you inspect the area in which you are, find out what animals there are, if the site is safe, if it can flood, if you have the necessary materials nearby to build a shelter later, etc.

As an advice, do not stay near the coast, in case you go up the road or you cut yourself with a coral, but do not go too far, preferably look for a high place and with good peripheral vision. This will increase your chances of being seen or of you seeing something.

Prioritize your needs

It is clear that once calm and after inspecting the area, you will have many questions and desire to do things, or on the contrary, you will not know where to start.

Well, in that case, remember the rule of 3. A person goes 3 minutes without oxygen, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food.

According to the above, the water will go before the food. And before all that, your own safety of course.

In short, your priorities in the proper order are safety, water, shelter, and food.

Evaluate available resources

For all of the above, you must know what you have, either in nature or in your personal belongings.

Ideally, you would have lost yourself with a knife, with a rope, cables and laces (which you can get from your shoes if you wear them), flint and canvas (or raft). But since no one is prepared for these situations, you will have to be creative to achieve everything else.

Protect yourself from animals

You should find an area where you can build your shelter soon and that is also a safe area for animals. To do this, look for a wide area, where you can observe what is happening around, if possible where you can build a high shelter. So that the chances of animals or insects preventing you from sleeping are reduced. In addition, it is also very important at this point, to learn to make a fire, more to protect yourself than to cook.

Create a fire

In case of dangerous animals, use a fire at night to help keep them away.

As surely you do not have flint on hand to make fire. Here we will teach you some ways to make fire:

One way to make a fire is with dry herbs and litter, all placed compactly on top of a fine, dry wood, with a small groove where the tinder is placed. Rub with another stick until smoke appears, then go blowing and repeat the process until the first sparks appear.

And although these last two methods are more difficult to carry out if you do not have the right tools. There is, the method of the magnifying glass, with an optical or camera lens, by means of the sun direct the rays towards the tinder and maintain that position until it turns on.

The strap method is easier to carry out than the previous one, if we do not have rope or laces, we can use a strip of firearms cloth with our own shirt. With a soft wood log, we raise it a little with some stones so that it is slightly inclined. You pass the rope or cloth underneath, surrounding the trunk, and pulling alternately from one end to the other, we are causing the friction that will generate the necessary spark to have fire

Build a shelter

As we talked about before, building a shelter is necessary to protect yourself from predators and to find a safe place to return to when you go hunting or inspecting, in this way you can protect yourself from nature, even imagine that a torrential rain falls.

Refuge_brocha3Normally, these types of guides usually explain how to build a refuge, but it must not be forgotten that it can also be a natural refuge such as a cave.

The first thing that is recommended is that it be a shelter a couple of meters high, to avoid insects or other animals.

Once we have the area, the simplest thing is to build an A-shaped shelter, with two groups of long branches separated by 2-2.5 meters, nail them to the ground and join them at the upper end so that underneath it is A hole. Cover the sides of branches and leaves. If you have a raft, place it covering the poles to act as insulation.

Traps are another way to secure the area, or placing dry branches that break when something steps on them can be a warning.

Get water

There are several ways to get water, depending on the utensils you have. We will start with the simplest:

metodorocioDew method: it consists of tearing a little fabric and knotting it at the ankles, for this technique you have to walk in the morning which is when there is still dew. You can then squeeze the piece of cloth and store or drink the spray liquid.

Rain Harvesting: If there is no natural source of water nearby, you will need to build yourself something to collect rainwater. It is a not very effective method since for this you must wait for

DESALINATION WATER DEW that it rains and find a way to store that water, either with a container, with an inclined blade that guides the rain towards the bowl and even tie a shirt or piece of cloth on a branch and then drain it as in the previous way .

Water filter: with a shirt, dirt or sand and water filter stones, you can make a filter for dirty water. You will not clean the water completely but you can remove most of the impurities. The way to use it is as follows, you make the water pass and you stand under it to drink the drops that are falling.

Distillation: there are several ways to build a still, although the functionality is the same, here we will explain the most common. A still allows you to obtain water from solar energy.

Fruits and coconuts: remember that if you got lost on a desert island, fruits and coconuts have a high percentage of water and vitamins in addition. Coconuts can serve as containers or as tinder (the outer shell).

Get food

Food is necessary and that is why it is important that you investigate the area before occupying to locate the places where there are fruit, roots, berries and coconuts.

As a tip, before continuing, if you are not sure if a fruit or plant is poisonous, break the membrane and rub the inside on a part of your arm, wait 10 to 20 minutes and see if something happens (rash, inflammation …) If nothing happens, chances are that nothing will happen.

Another source of food is insects, although it seems disgusting they have many nutrients.

An original way to fish without a hook is to place large rocks and make a small wall in the shape of a “V” where the beak enters the sea, when the tide rises and falls again, some fish will remain trapped in your trap and you will get a delicatessen for dinner.

Rescue

Maybe after a while you don’t want to get out of there, but just in case, we will tell you how to do the best distress signals to be rescued.

One of the most typical signals is the SOS signal, you can use stones to form this signal; when large so that it can be seen from the sky, you can also place objects along the entire beach, something that is out of the ordinary it can be used to attract the attention of any nearby vessel.

Another good idea is to make the international distress sign, a triangle, for this you can serve 3 fires in the shape of a triangle. After you’ve made a fire, shoot live plants for thick smoke. This will help make you more noticeable and can be seen from further afield. During the night, the fire works well, as a beacon for ships or airplanes.

The journey to unknown lands has awakened the curiosity and passion of many characters throughout history. Never like today has it been so easy to set off an adventure journey to discover new worlds. But it doesn’t hurt to be cautious and listen to the advice for adventurous travelers from those who have already embarked on routes outside the usual circuit.

It is true that not all travelers are the same, the personality of each one is imposed and you could be among those who prefer to take the stay more tied or be one of those who bet on total adventure and let themselves be carried away once they set foot in it. chosen destination. In any case, as it is about living a great experience with each trip, it is convenient to put aside any prejudice for a moment and attend to some tips for adventurous travelers that will allow you to make the most of your route.

1. BEFORE LEAVING

If you like to discover exotic destinations and you are taking the first steps of initiation in this «creed» (yes, once it is tried, it hooks), do not ignore this post in which you will find suggestions in which you may not have fallen.

2. GATHER INFORMATION

As they are less common destinations, the requirements to be able to enjoy the stay are also less known. To have an overview, it is advisable to consult the travel recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. On its website you can get an idea of ​​everything you will need, from the documentation and necessary visas to the security conditions of the country or the main telephone numbers of interest.

3. Get vaccinated

With this information in hand, you will most likely have to start by getting vaccinated to prevent diseases that are not common in Spain. It is the main “toll” that must be paid to be adventurous travelers and return home safely. Keep in mind that you may have to do it a month or a month and a half before your departure. In the International Vaccination Centers (CVI) they will offer you all the information and advice you need.

4. ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTATION

In parallel, you must start the procedures to obtain the visa. As you have already reviewed the recommendations of the ministry, you will know if it is necessary, but experience tells us that it will be so. Don’t waste time and find out as soon as possible at the Consulate or Consular Section of the Embassy of the country or countries of destination accredited in Spain. The concession period is set by the country you visit and you could get an unpleasant surprise if you do not manage it in time.

By the way, if you plan to drive you will also need an international driving license and specific accident and civil liability insurance. Do you know how to change a tire? Do not laugh, because you would not be the first or the last to screw up a day of travel by not having practiced changing a wheel before.

5. Be safe

You may not be a friend of insurance, but your hiring for a trip should be seriously considered, including coverage of medical expenses in case of illness or accident. It is important to check that it covers all the activities that you are going to do, especially those considered risky such as diving, paragliding or trekking.

In case any eventuality arises, it is also worth taking a small medicine cabinet with painkillers and a specific drug for diarrhea and allergies. It is also advisable to add insect repellants, sun creams, a bandage, tape and a disinfectant to heal small wounds.

And to complete the first aid kit, how about attending a practical class before embarking on the trip or at least spend some time watching practical videos on the subject. You will think that it is a hassle or a waste of time, but we remind you of the saying “knowledge does not take place” and who knows if it can get you out of trouble or your knowledge helps another person.

6. BE FINDABLE

The Travelers Registry is a good virtual tool so that in case of any incident the Spanish authorities can contact you, especially if you travel alone. In any case, it is worth noting that adventurous travelers provide family members or friends with the itinerary they are going to take and an email to contact them, such as the places where they are going to stay.

7. PLAN THE TRIP

Before venturing out, look for documentation about the destination (weather, customs, activities, language …), soak up all the possible details, look for related readings, it will be an aperitif that will help you enjoy more when the time comes and even you It will take you to visit places you didn’t imagine.

It’s interesting to map out a route beforehand, but like all good adventurous travelers, you must learn to follow your hunches and deviate when you feel like it to discover that something that will have been worth the trip for.

8. ECONOMIC RESERVE

Regardless of the money you spend on your adventure, a question that you can consult in the blog post on currency exchange, you should have a reserve for emergencies. The trips are unpredictable and it is not hidden from anyone that even the most experienced travelers can be victims of a loss or theft. This reserve you should always keep it in interior pockets or other places that are really difficult to access, because it can save you from a great upset.

9. BE CAUTIOUS

Minimizing risks is one of the tips for adventurous travelers that they should turn into a mantra, especially if they travel alone and are impulsive. When you do not have previous experience or even have it, it is convenient to have some support at the destination that you can trust to know the areas to visit, the associated risks and how to act in the event of an unforeseen event.

OTHER USEFUL QUESTIONS
As with the tire, we recommend that even if you smile when reading this group of last tips, do not discard them. True adventure travelers should know or at least defend themselves in:

The use of the needle and thread. If you think about it, you will be surprised at the number of situations that can be solved by knowing the art of sewing.

Swimming. You never know when to use this skill, perhaps for an emergency, but also to enjoy an aquatic experience at your destination.

And as you put these tips into practice, before you know it, it’s time to start your journey.

Into the Rainforest

The motorised boat drove fast with the wind and water rushing past I opened the bag pack to find the bandana and noticed the poncho rain cover jacket which I gave to the lady holding a baby as with the arm rest seat. Within the hour we came to a tribal camp on the waterfront, stopping to get out my head still moves from side to side, we ascend up the hill to the living huts, dogs whined at the hands of tribal women in hand made hammocks while the chickens ran after a puppy, in the shadows unnoticeable at first but right in front was a Waorani hunter male. 

The jungle had shown its ways on this one eyed practically naked man, large ear pierced holes came down from this noble and humbled warrior. He saw the camera despite my best efforts to hide it, consciously he touched his missing eye and returned to the cabin. I hope to this magnificent person again.

Invited into the main living quarter for water and eggs I walk in smiling to show a person with no harmful intent, the living space was dark with no window, 7 people sat in a room approximately 4m x 3m telling stories together which I’d expected were similar to when any family meets. Returning to the canoe where we began our voyage deeper into the heart of the Amazon basin, along the way I filmed our route into the ever growing depth of plant life, swamp and thousands of creatures silently judging our presence. Birds constantly flew at the speed of the boat, turtles jumped from their logs when passing, Penti stopped the canoe to show a boa snake wrapped around a tree branch, they poked it with sticks and threw twigs until it moved. We passed several albino caiman, butterflies flew past the atmosphere was fantastic, the smell of the jungle settled every time we slowed down I expected it to smell the same as growing up as a child in Thailand but it was very different, more pungent and thick, the swamp smell was surprisingly sweet with a tropical must. After 8 hours in the canoe a storm arose, when thunder came the tribe count  fingers, sitting on a wooden makeshift bench complemented with heavy rain crashing down. I gave my comfy seat and rain jacket with hood to the lady with the baby Daboto but this did not go unnoticed and for the following 8 days she kept an eye on me to see I was fed and given water. The last 2 hours on the boat was hell but we got there eventually, it was dark when we arrived on the water front under outlines of  pitch black trees, shadows stood meters around me, I was completely unexpected, someone took my bag in the blackness only vivid shapes reflected partial moon light, with hands and feet I made it up the mudslide barely able to walk after the 10 hour wooden plank, head still swaying, with a broken arse I collapsed in my hammock.

Waking up at 05:45 a spider monkey was swinging from and pulling up the mosquito net. Clucking throats and excited “oooh ooh” giggles came as though pulling up a ladies skirt in public. It became a game to see how much the little monkey with long limbs could swing on the net before I clapped my hands or stood up. The game then turned into how close pee could be dropped from above without actually hitting me. A few days went and closer and closer until one day I knew the monkey would sit on top of the net and drop bombs, ultimately winning the game. For this occasion I’d engineered a cunning plan; to leave a wasp in one of the bananas….

But that day never came, no one won the game, this morning she didn’t swing on my net, I found out her name is Digi, and she rolled back my sleeping bag and quietly woke me. She turned her back and through the mosquito net I stroked her shoulders and neck. She came under the net with a tail around my arm, with a hand on my chest she fell asleep.

The Indigenous

After being here for 4 days I still can’t understand why some wear t-shirts, why some are topless and why some are naked, think it comes down to personal choice. We were in the jungle every single day, each time I was bitten and so were they, makes more sense to help prevent this? I love my new found relationship with the Huaorani, I met them alone and seldom to people come here, I’ve seen a video of a tour of 8 people visiting and staying for 3 days, a question put to Penti, the average length of stay was confirmed never usually more than 3 but in the Tribal Wives documentary the team stayed for 5 days, in the video’s the tribe came down to the waterfront to welcome them with traditional sing and dance. Valued as a long standing tradition it seems to aid the limited (if any) tourism which help fund Penti’s meetings with the United Nations to fight the political wars on logging and oil, in turn protecting the Tagaeri and Taromenane the completely un-contacted living very close to us. I requested that Penti spread the word around the village that in no way will I intrude in their lifestyle and prefer to go unnoticed on my hammock, or walking through the jungle with them.

I came here alone, the first person to ever visit them without a guide or translator, my visit was unexpected and for much longer than normal.

It’s been a bit chaotic, they wanted to know why I was there, what my job was, my families work…

But I’ve seen the real Huaorani, that was my goal. They are traditional and methodical, they use medicine from the jungle, the primary camp is next to an enormous sacred tree of life, which I touched today as a bat flew inches from my fingers.

Tonight I need to move into a smaller hut, Penti explained for the fiesta over 100 Huaorani will visit for the once a year tribal celebration. Everyone’s excited, the fruit we collected on the canoe has covered various faces and both my arms, however accepted in truth I’ve been shown boundaries, I eat with Penti’s immediate family never with the senior tribe members or the hunter males, they stay up late over the fire chanting and reflecting which I’m happy to see from a distance. 

A new morning today and more family greet me with informal broken Spanish “dias” or “buenos” from the few who venture out to Coca, although many look to question why I am here. For breakfast a charred boar head came off the fire, I noticed my carving below the left eye and smiled again remembering the cheek is considered somewhat as a delicacy, the taste blew my mind. Later in the afternoon I came back to write, I don’t understand why but the mass of crowd have left, no one’s here I’m alone except for middle aged lady crying outside my hut. She swings her legs from the raised log where the cries come in long drawn rhythm, as though a chant for when you feel sad, she looks to her right in anticipation, but not to see me through the cracks in the panels. 

Just back from a trip in the canoe the rapids and strong currents forced us to the upstream banks, we pulled the plants and trees to make it through the stronger centre flow, small yellow birds played and each time you look down a new insect is crawling on you. The calm water in small pools so still they seemed notorious for feeding grounds, different noises layered the plants growing through the thick brown water, I’d like to know the what’s beneath but maybe a thought best left to the imagination. 

Arriving back to find on the small grassy centre hill where a stretch of grass separates the huts, 4 elders stand in a circle constantly active shredding vines with their fingers or sharp edges to free wood from its bark. I can’t help but wonder about the 5 journalists who were speared years ago before visitations were approved. Now a motion picture I know the incident occurred in Huaorani territory on a long grassy landing strip and can’t help but wonder if the actors played the roles of these men, or their fathers.  

They didn’t like me or my camera.

Daily Life

My new hut seems to be the a housing for a female chicken, she’s laid 4 new eggs in the corner and since I’d gone unnoticed quietly writing, the neck feathers are now raised high and wings are spread in defence over the eggs, I stand up as the wind blows the cloth which acts as my door, it’s the last I see of her. 

I’ll take them to Penti he’ll be happy for the new eggs, I enter his family hut to find relatives and his partner, I hand her what turned out to be 7 eggs and made a sleeping gesture, they roared in laughter as though I’d shit them out myself. 

I’m sure the hunting men had special names for me like “princess balls” or “girly man” which is fine, I’m not being speared.

Sitting in the open grass observing the tribes play football a mature teenage girl comes and speaks, 10 minutes with her I’ve leaned enough to answer the previous questions asked, an elder tribesman walks past and frowns, tilts his head and walks on glaring. She assures me some senior members are traditional and not to worry. Reality still kicks in from the things seen here; walking with the hunting party through the rainforest, boars and monkeys over shoulders covered in blood, for centuries relying on the jungle for what they need and matching that with their own tools provided by the environments, spears, blowpipes, fire and medicine culminate the priority list bringing true culture with shaman’s visions and a genuine delicate touch to the things around them. The taller men are a few inches shorter than me whereas back in Scotland think I’m just below the average height, they walk with raised chests which rest their long hair I believe packs of dogs have once influenced their ways. They growl in day to day conversation and when all goes quiet a human wolf howl breaks the silence. In dances the girls chant in a circle and the boys form a triangle with the eldest at the frontal point panting loudly “hah hah hwooooooo” before howling as a group in sync. Some men smile wide showing teeth while talking followed directly with an immediate frown of anger, this happens in as commonly as the conversation itself, it’s hard to tell if they’re telling a funny story or very pissed off.

Eating around the fire today I saw my friend Digi for the first time since moving huts, as the small spider monkey came forward I crouched, hesitant and cautious before suddenly running into my stomach with the tail around my arm and shoulder, I’m one of the few who don’t kick her.

I haven’t written for a while, allot has changed, I made a joke about being nervous when I first arrived like charades I scratched the side of my neck, looked left then to my feet and picked my nose mumbling. The whole camp loved this gesture and now when I see people they do it back. By the next morning everyone in our  community was doing it when they saw me laughing hysterically, I did it back as they almost fell over. To laugh at yourself seemed to be the key. They could also see now I showed no signs of being awkward, very much relaxed with them.  One man in particular who held stern face, a physically strong hunter male and from the beginning I thought he’d been plotting to turn me into a baguette… this afternoon he stood next to me as I watched the young ones start the field fires for the fiesta, he folded both arms, sharp eyes pierced the thick brow below the straight line traditional fringe. He looked at me, I looked back, he looked away and smiled almost holding in a laugh. Yea he wanted to do the nervous joke thing, but far too honourable for shenanigans.  When I’d returned later back I found waiting in my hut an old senior frail man, with a long grey moustache he sat cross legged for me to join him. I laid out a world map from Coca tourist information, offered him a smoke which he accepted and pointed to highlight Ecuador on the map, the Amazon, equilateral line through to the Congo and on to Asia. Circling Europe I ended the shape at Scotland and put my hand on my chest. He took some time staring down and pointed at the Antarctic and the mass of white. I made a gesture of being cold; we sat for around 15 minutes as he conducted his completely silent interview.

La Selva

After this day I sat with the group unnoticed, mostly just watching them play football with my paper and pen, they had adopted the sport and somewhat revitalised the way it’s played. The Huaorani in our village had enormous strong flak jacket feet, the thick bottom layer had grown into dark yellow armour which in some cases had almost reached as high as the ankle bone. The girls played rough rugby football, a large slap bellowed each time the ball whizzed from the kick they’d give the rugby boys back home a run for their money. One player was around 7 months pregnant; they all used their chest to stop the ball, combined with shoulders this also acted as an offensive battering ram.

Penti showed me the ways of their people in what felt like the final time we would go together on another adventure through the selva, he was a very busy man during this celebrations and took me with an armed hunter for what I think was protection. Delicately opening a circular leaf to show the colors of a red caterpillar, before closing it very softly leaving it exactly as he found it. Such a contrast from the flying spears and blood baths witnessed before, to the now soft careful considerations. Before me stood for the second time the enormous ancient tree, this is more than a jungle, it flourishes with wonder, flocks of tropical coloured birds unsettle as they flash colours through the playful monkeys observing our presence, a spiders silhouette lay on a leaf above my head. The silent quicksand  waits to help the tribe claim food, the red leaves serve a purpose to mark trees with petroglyphs, orange and blue butterflies land to investigate and lush green leaves surround us with water drop reflecting the sun. Penti and the hunter that smiles with frowns seem more than interested in my video documentary and when alone with them it feels very different as when filming and not trying to hide the lens when in public. They want to know how many people will view my video, and possibly choose to visit the Huaorani. The writings I’d made lying on my hammock- how many will read this and venture into meet them; ultimately bringing finance to help Penti campaign with the UN for land rights oil and logging. 

Arriving back at camp to be greeted by an indigenous Huaorani women who had probably never been out the territory, practically naked she greeted with a smile held up by large raised cheekbones, enormous feet and few remaining teeth encompassed in her scarred face, I wondered what people at work would do if they saw her walk through the doors and log into a PC.

I played the nervous charade joke hoping she’d heard the news, she confirmed as her knees gave into the laughter…. 
I was back in the community and welcomed well for the beginning of an incredible celebration. 

Something’s Left Unsaid

I’ve left many things out of these tales with the contacted region of this mystical Amazonian society.

If you’d like to know more for yourself come to Equador alone or with a friend, head to the Orellana province, do not speak to any guides and find a Huaorani who likes you, and be prepared to properly shit your pants.

Stop washing your hair, wearing deodorant and putting anything on your feet, especially in the jungle.

The dirtier you are the less they notice you.

The more I smelled the closer they came.

You will never be one of them, they are the proud Huaorani 
and you are a tourist.  

The untrue smiles in the first few days will stop, to be exchanged for small touches and an honest consideration. 

They’re curious about us too and for a short time you can feel the ways of their lifestyle while in careful hands.