Survival Skills in Emergencies

Why learn this? What the body can take

Emergencies such as war, floods, storms or long power cuts can cut off water, food, heat and news. Knowing the limits of the body helps you decide what to do first. This is a rough guide, not an exact rule, and children, old people and sick people have less time.

• Air: about 3 minutes without breathing. Move away from smoke, dust or gas first.
• Shelter: about 3 hours in very harsh weather (cold, wet, wind, or fierce heat) without protection.
• Water: about 3 days without drinking. A person needs about 2 to 3 litres a day, more in heat.
• Food: about 3 weeks without eating, but you will feel weak and unable to think clearly much sooner.
• Sleep: after a whole night awake, thinking and reactions get slow and mistakes grow. Rest in turns with others, even in short naps.

Weather and shelter

Your body makes heat, but wet clothes, wind and cold ground take it away fast. When body heat falls too low it is called hypothermia: shivering, slow speech, clumsy hands. In hot weather the danger is heat stroke: very hot skin, headache, confusion.

• In the cold: keep dry, wear layers (loose layers trap warm air), cover head and hands, sit on a mat or bag, not on bare ground. A shelter out of the wind can be a room with a window blocked, a tent, or a plastic sheet.
• In the heat: stay in shade, wear light loose clothes, drink small sips often, rest in the hottest hours.
• Stay together: sharing body warmth helps.

Panic and how to prevent it

Fear is normal. Panic is when fear takes over thinking: you run without a plan, forget things or make others scared too. Prevent it with these habits.

• STOP: Stop (stand still), Think (what is the real danger now?), Observe (look, listen, check the people and place), Plan (choose one small safe step).
• Slow breathing (box breathing): breathe in for 4 counts, hold 4, breathe out 4, hold 4. Repeat a few times.
• Give simple jobs: collecting water, counting food, comforting a small child. Having a job calms people.
• Get true news: follow official alerts, sirens and radio. Do not spread rumours. Obey instructions of the authorities.
• Prepare early: a kit and a family plan lower fear a lot.

Improvised survival items

Keep a kit for at least 72 hours: water (3 litres per person per day), food that needs no cooking, a torch, a battery or hand-crank radio, a power bank, a first-aid kit, medicines, warm clothes, a whistle, copies of papers, some cash, and a plastic sheet. If you have no kit, improvise:

• Plastic bottle filter: cut a bottle in half, turn the top upside down as a funnel. Put (from the top) cloth, sand, crushed charcoal from a cooled fire, then gravel. Pour cloudy water slowly and catch the drops below. This only makes water clearer. It does not kill germs. Boil the water after.
• Shelter: a plastic sheet or blanket over a rope, tied down at the edges; insulate the ground with cardboard or clothes.
• Cloth mask or wet cloth: helps against dust and smoke.
• Signals: a whistle (three blasts means "help") or a bright cloth.
• Light: use a torch, not open flames, indoors, and never leave a flame alone.

Finding water and food safely

Water, safest first: stored sealed water; tap water that officials say is safe; rainwater caught in a clean sheet or pot; then flowing streams. Avoid flood water, puddles, ponds and sea water (salt makes thirst worse). Never drink urine. Clear-looking water can still hold germs.

Make it safe: filter it through cloth first, then bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute (3 minutes in high mountains above about 2,000 m). Let it cool, keep it in a clean covered container. Purification tablets also work if you follow the pack.

Collect more: spread a clean sheet to catch rain, mop morning dew with a cloth and wring it out.

Food: eat packaged and stored food first, and share it out for the days ahead. Do not eat unknown plants, mushrooms or berries, because many look safe and are poisonous. Wash hands, keep food covered, and cook meat and eggs fully. If you must eat wild food, only use well-known plants with the advice of someone who knows your area.

Try it

Build your own 72-hour list on paper and tick what you already have at home. Practise STOP and box breathing for one minute.

With an adult, make a bottle filter with cloth, sand, charcoal and gravel. Pour muddy water through. Compare the water before and after, and remember: it is clearer, but not safe until boiled.

Key formulas and definitions

• Rule of 3 (rough): 3 minutes air, 3 hours shelter, 3 days water, 3 weeks food
• Water need: about 2-3 litres per person per day
• Kit: at least 72 hours (3 litres × people × 3 days of water)
• STOP = Stop, Think, Observe, Plan
• Box breathing: in 4, hold 4, out 4, hold 4
• Boil water: rolling boil for 1 minute (3 minutes above about 2,000 m)

Worked examples

Common mistakes

• Drinking water because it looks clear. Germs are too small to see, so boil it.
• Drinking sea water or flood water. Salt and dirt make things worse.
• Thinking the bottle filter makes water safe. It only makes it clearer.
• Rushing off in panic. First STOP, then act with a small plan.