Clive Gifford - The Ultimate Guide to Surviving in the Wild

Whether youre marooned on a desert island, lost near the South Pole or trapped alone in the Rocky Mountains, this book offers expert survival tips and facts that will help keep you safe and improve your chances of survival in the wild. Get acquainted with wild creatures, learn how to get spotted and rescued in the wilderness and discover extraordinary tales of real life survivors who showed bravery and ingenuity to get out of alarming situations.

TAKE CARE!

Take care wherever you see this sign. Never undertake any of the tips next to one of these symbols unless you are accompanied by an experienced and qualified survival expert!

Exploring Earths wildernesses can be fun and exhilarating, but never underestimate how dangerous they can be!

The Sahara Desert is the worlds biggest hot, dry desert, stretching all the way across North Africa. Its a SERIOUSLY scary place to get lost. Large areas of this deadly desert are nothing more than roasting hot sand dunes, rocks and pebbles. But in some places, there are scrubby plants, flowers, a few trees and oases, where natural fresh springs flow out of the ground.

Sahara Desert fact file

Area:

9,200,000 km almost as big as the USA!

Maximum temperature:

58C

Average rainfall:

7.5 cm per year

So how on earth do you get lost in the Sahara Desert? Sometimes people drive into the desert, then get cut off by a sandstorm, or stuck in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. Planes have crashed in the desert, and anyone who escapes alive is left to face the elements. Some people run into trouble while trekking across the desert on foot a pretty dangerous thing to try.

WHAT TO DO FIRST

If you dont act fast, youll soon succumb to the Saharas super-harsh conditions. The main dangers you face are:

Sweltering heat

Dazzling, burning sun

Lack of water

Freezing cold temperatures at night

Sandstorms (if youre unlucky)

Deadly animals (more on them later!)

Keep cool

If you need to move, look to travel early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the suns full glare. Stay in the shade as much as possible, either in the shadow of a car or plane, behind rocks or in a cave.

Drink water

If you have a water supply, keep sipping it. DONT ration it or save it. Dont leave lids off bottles, as the water will evaporate.

Stay with your vehicle

If you have a vehicle such as a car or plane, stay close to it, as a large object like this will help rescuers to spot you. But dont sit inside it, as it may get dangerously hot.

Beware mirages

These illusions, caused by the heat, can make sand appear as a shimmering pool of water ahead.

CREATURE FEATURE:
SAW-SCALED VIPER

This snake, also called the carpet viper, is perfectly camouflaged, and very small only 3060 cm long. If you step on one, it wont hesitate to strike and bite you with its poison-filled fangs. To avoid it, listen for the shaking, scraping warning sound it makes by rubbing its scales together.

Deserts are defined as regions which receive less than 250 mm of rainfall a year. Much of the Sahara receives less than half of that. With fierce heat, and your body potentially losing as much as a litre of sweat an hour, water is your number one priority. You can survive for only a handful of days without water. So, seek out a supply before you do anything else.

The landscape around you may appear dusty and dry, but water can lurk beneath or just out of view. Heres where you might find water

Base of slopes and cliffs

A good site for a potential pool, spring or underground water source. Choose north-facing slopes which are in shade for most of the hottest part of the day.

Wadis

A wadi is a valley or gulley, usually formed by a river which has dried up. Head to the outside bend of a dry river bed and dig down.

Plants

A large clump of bushes and other plants, especially ones with broad, green leaves, can indicate moisture below ground.

Birds

Most creatures dont live far from water. Bees, for example, fly no more than 34 km away from a regular water source. Low-flying birds may be full of water theyve just drunk, so note their direction.

GET PRACTICAL:
DIG FOR VICTORY

When you think youve found a source of water, start to dig.

Do your digging in the very early morning when groundwater is usually nearest the surface.

Dig down 30 cm and if the ground feels sticky or wet, keep on digging. If its still dry, save your energy and pick a target elsewhere.