It feels like some B-rated survival flick trying to imitate the success of 2000’s Cast Away; you wake up on the sand on an uninhabited island with no plane or boat in sight to save you. You hold nothing but yourself, your tattered clothes, and your own wit to keep yourself alive. Of course, like Chuck, you want to end up actually surviving, and to manage to find your way back home.
Even if it seems like a joke or a very unlikely situation that you will ever need such an article, it pays to always be prepared anyway. You never ever really know if you will be part of the 0.1% until it happens, and by then, it’s too late.
So read on, if you ever find yourself in a very unlucky situation, this article may save your life.
Keep calm and prioritize survival
This seems like such an obvious idea that does not need to be mentioned, but it is so easy to logically say “I will not panic, think rationally, and prioritize my survival above all else.” when you are sitting behind the comfort of your computer reading this.
But despite how bleak everything seems, always try to keep an upbeat and positive outlook. Rationalize everything to your benefit as much as you can. You can have the perfect survival items on hand, but the true difference between life and death may be how much of your sanity you can keep without going off irreversibly over to the deep end before your rescue.
Like all other survival situations, remember to prioritize building shelters and fire making. There should be enough materials deeper in the island to provide even something as simple as a lean-to for sleeping in.
Avoid injuring yourself
In the past, something as simple as a little cut on an arm could spell death for anyone. Antibiotics did not exist yet back then, and so people were left at the mercy of bacteria that surrounded them their entire lives with only their immune system to protect them.
Now, advancements in modern medicine have made this scenario a thing of the past.
At least, unless you find yourself in a survival situation like this one. Having no access to antibiotics means that you have also been plunged into the same situation as these people in the past.
There is nothing protecting you from your environment, which may be filled with potentially unknown bacteria or viruses that your body hasn’t even seen before.
Minimize your injuries, or better yet, don’t get yourself injured in the first place!
Salvage materials
Whenever you start a survival video game, you are usually thrown in a procedurally generated island with some nearby supplies washed on the beach from your downed plane or boat.
If you came from someplace similar, there may be nearby handy supplies and items that you can use, floating on the water or washed up on the beach.
Since your inventory is very much limited to what you can craft with your bare hands, getting as much items as you can from your former watercraft or aircraft can help you survive for much longer, or even give you a helping hand by giving you tools that you can use, like a knife.
Locate food
You are surrounded by water. Not just any water, but sea water. You know what that means, right?
Fish.
Whether it is the swimming kind, or the shelled kind, they can all be considered under the classification of “dinner.”
Well, provided that they are not poisonous, of course. For instance, shellfish with shells that you can pry open easily should not be touched; they are likely diseased.
It is unlikely that you will have a proper fishing rod with you, so craft one yourself, or create a makeshift fishing net or fishing spear to hunt fish. You can also search for crabs on tidal pools or washed up seaweed on the beach. If you head inland, you may also find fruit, but this also has its own dangers.
Make sure to cook your food when it can to kill parasites and to remove any lingering poison.
One last thing: The eyes and spines of fish have moisture in them, so suck those parts up. You should make the most out of every meal, especially when they are limited and can rehydrate you.
Beware of potential predators
Depending on the size of your island, you may either have no predators, or you may be prime meat for 20 of them. Keep a vigilant eye out and fashion weapons like spears and knives whenever you can and always keep them at arm’s reach, especially if you suspect that predators may be roaming about the island and stalking you.
There is also danger in the water. Jellyfishes, barracudas, sharks, sea snakes, and many other sea creatures see you as a threat… or food, and will strike when you least expect it.
Even if you are a great swimmer, your survival chance is low when you try to engage in combat with one of these underwater creatures. Stay in shallower waters as much as you can.
Use rescue signals whenever you can
Don’t forget, your main goal is to get out of the island in the first place and not turn it into your permanent home.
Use different ways to call attention to yourself. Light fire on the highest elevations to show signs of life on the island or spell out words like “HELP” or “SOS” on a sloped part of the beach by using rocks or pieces of wood. You want your would-be rescuers from search planes, helicopters, or boats, to see it from high above ground, so make sure that the letters are as big as possible.