If you ever find yourself in a survival situation in the middle of the desert, or any other hot climate for that matter, you need to know a few basic tips to help you increase your chance of survival. The heat can take quite a toll on the body, and you need to be extremely careful if you hope to stay healthy. The following tips can help.
Stay Out of the Sun as Much as Possible
One of the first and most important things to do in these situations is to keep out of the sun. Try to find a shady area and wait until the hottest point of the day has passed before you do much of anything. If you aren’t careful, you could start sweating too much, which can lead to dehydration. It could make you colder at night, as well. When things start to get cooler as the day wears on, it will be easier to hike out of the area or to create shelter based on your situation.
When you are moving, go slow so you don’t break a sweat. While it might sound strange, you should also keep your mouth closed as much as possible, as this will reduce the dehydration rate. If you have the material, tie a piece of cloth, such as a bandana, around your face to help slow the dehydration rate.
Cover Your Head
When the sun beats down directly on your head, it makes it nearly impossible to stay cool. Even during the parts of the day that seem a little cooler, you need to have something covering your head. If you don’t have a hat, use another article of clothing to cover your head. However, it’s always advisable to carry a hat with you, whether it’s in your pack for hiking or in your vehicle just so you have one handy.
Drink Carefully
When you get hot, you sweat and the body dehydrates. You want to replenish that water. However, you need to be careful. If you are fortunate enough to have water with you though, don’t drink it all at once. You need to ration it so it lasts. It can be tempting to drink your fill, but if you do, you could run out too soon. If you find a water source, be careful, as it may not be safe to drink.
Don’t Eat
If you eat, you are just going to get thirstier. The body doesn’t need food as much as it does water, so you are better off going hungry for a while in a survival scenario than eating and then using the water your body does have to aid in digestion.
Keep Calm
Finally, you want to stay calm when trying to survive in the desert or anywhere else. If you panic, it can lead to doing something dangerous that could cause more problems for you. Stay calm and think about what you need to do to best increase your chance of survival.
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