How to survive on a desert island

Desert islands are normally classed as any island within the tropical regions of the planet, with the common idea of them being tiny islands with a single palm tree on them. In reality, the chances of a single tree growing out of a bump of sand in the middle of the ocean are near impossible, and desert islands are normally at least several acres in size. This doesn’t make them easy to survive on though, with the most common problem being fresh drinking water. Survival on such an island would depend on its size and the resources you have on hand, but here are a few things to remember that apply to any desert island survival situation.

I hope you like sea food

It takes at least one acre of land to grow enough food to feed a single person for one year, and the chance of finding an acre of crops growing on a desert island is impossible. There probably won’t even be an acre of land on the island capable of growing anything but grass and a small selection of trees, so relying on food other than from the sea isn’t practical.

Fortunately, there’s more food than you’ll be able to eat in the sea, the problem is catching it. A trident fishing spear would be the easiest thing to make and would allow you to spear crabs and the smaller fish that come close to the shore. Depending on the materials you had on the island you could also make crab traps out of sticks or build small hooks from pieces of metal or plant thorns. Another bonus of living off seafood is that the meat from fish is safe to eat raw, something that may come in handy if you can’t start a fire.

Learn how to make cord

The same process of making string applies to all plant materials, whether it is nettle stems or coconut husk fibers. They can be twisted into a cord which can then in turn be twisted into rope if you require something that strong. The cord can be used for many things like making a shelter and even as far as fishing nets and lines if you have the time to make them.

Water is everything

Finding fresh running water on a small desert island is highly unlikely, and even if you manage to find a static source it will probably be contaminated. Various island insects along with the tropical heat would make it the perfect breeding ground for parasites and drinking from such a source would be a very bad idea.

Tropical plants often have very large leaves and make great rain catchers if they are wrapped into a cone with a container at the bottom. Digging a hole in the earth and making a condensation catcher works quite well in tropical climates, but it would depend entirely on what you had with you as to what you could build. Without equipment you are limited to using plant leaves to catch rain and drinking the water from the inside of any plants it may be safe to do so from.

Protect yourself from sun and salt

Being exposed to the sun for too long is bad for obvious reasons, but even more so when your survival depends on your physical condition. Protecting yourself from harmful rays is a priority as sunburn can drain your overall condition and make you less active, but since sunblock isn’t an option you’re going to be staying in the shade a lot.

The problem that seawater presents is with the salt it leaves on your skin, and with no option to wash it off due to the lack of fresh water, that tiny salt layer can build up and cause sores and cracking on the skin. You may have no option but to go into the sea to find food but it’s very important to dry yourself afterward instead of letting the salt water dry naturally on your skin. The best way to do this is to rub dry sand on your skin which not only removes the water but rubs off any salt that’s starting to build up.