FIRE

Nothing lifts the mood like a fire. It is a primal response and one we all still enjoy today. In a survival situation, fire is a critical and key component both as a tool and a measure of wellbeing. Lighting said fire when stranded with a 4WD should be an easy task. You would be equipped with multiple sources of ignition from the obvious matches and lighters to gas burners, and cooking aids. However if for some reason you are without the usual method of lighting a fire perhaps the simplest alternative is to use the spark created when battery leads are crossed. This spark in a pile of dust dry tinder is all that will be needed to get a fire going. If a little more help is needed, a piece of material soaked in a small amount of petrol or diesel will aid combustion. Be sure to remove the battery from the 4WD before attempting this; burning your shelter and resources to the ground is not part of the survival plan!

As mentioned, restrict all activity during the heat of the day and do firewood collection late in the afternoon. Keeping a fire smouldering during the day is easily done with larger pieces of wood which can be brought back to “life” once night time temperatures begin to drop. It’s imperative that you are always thinking of rescue and for the most part it’s search by air that will locate you. Be ready at any time of day to increase your visible footprint from the air by increasing smoke production from your fire. Burning anything noxious such as tyre tubes, fabric, seat covers etc will produce thicker more visible smoke. Have these ready and stock piled next to the fire for easy and immediate access.

Night time temperatures within the centre of Australia can at any time of year drop well below freezing. Your fire will at night become your best friend. Try to avoid exposing one side of your body to the ambient environment and the other to the fire; instead place your fire close enough to the side of your vehicle or awning such that heat can reflect off and back at you keeping you significantly warmer.

Often when camping we will build fires of excessive proportions; something we all enjoy in areas with a good supply of wood. However in a survival situation the very opposite should be the case. Minimal use of wood should be the key for two reasons, maintaining supplies close to where you have become stranded and of course, to greatly minimise the effort required to fetch it. Adding wood to a fire should be done sparingly and only when required. Do not waste energy breaking wood, instead lay larger pieces across the fire and let them burn through before repositioning as appropriate. Keep a supply of smaller, easily combustible timber close by for signalling should it be needed. Green branches placed directly on a well-established fire will produce large plumes of smoke visible for a long distance.
The use of fire in a survival situation cannot be stated enough; from cooking to warmth to signalling to providing a feeling of wellbeing, fire should be a high priority.

FOOD

Survival shows and literature will often play food gathering as the hero in any pear shaped survival situation. Elaborate traps made to harvest mammalian game, spears, odd fishing rigs and countless other fanciful ideas are often depicted, however the reality of survival food gathering is often so much the opposite.

Firstly it is important to understand that while hunger is unpleasant in the short term, exposure to the elements and water shortages are far and away your biggest threat. A healthy adult can survive for a surprisingly long time with minimal food intake but will perish in a very short time without water or thanks to exposure. Without adequate water, food can also be detrimental as it takes fluid from bodily organs to digest, increasing dehydration.

Once again, the chances of being stranded with your 4WD means there is a better than even chance you’ll have food supplies on-board. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be consumed first to avoid them spoiling and of course to gain as much water from them as possible. Avoid cooking vegetables so as to minimise water loss and boiling vegetables destroys their vitamin C.

Any foods that do need cooking such as meats should only be cooked enough to make them palatable. Over cooking reduces nutrients, the higher the heat the greater the loss. Of course the flip side to this is if food is being cooked to kill suspected germs or parasites.
Canned vegetables and fruits should never be drained. This is a valuable source of moisture and everything should be consumed. As supplies run low, ration how much preserved foods you eat versus your resources. Preserved foods can be high in fat which will further dehydrate you if adequate water is not available.

When it comes to harvesting food from your surroundings, once again the less amount of energy you can expend the better your chances. The idea of a roasted wild pig over coals is highly attractive but the reality is far more down to earth than that; literally. Scavenging for bugs, insects and smaller critters is far more viable. The idea of chowing down on a handful of worms or a frog isn’t appealing right now but when it matters, these will be foods of the highest order. As well, slow and precise scavenging will use far less energy and reduce water loss.

Insects and worms are best boiled or dried and crushed into a powder which can be added to water to make thick soups. Small reptiles are best gutted then placed in hot coals till the skin splits. Be sure the meat is well cooked. Frogs can be skewered on sticks and roasted over coals. Any aquatic shellfish are safer boiled to remove harmful organisms. This will produce a broth that is highly nutritious and no water is wasted when everything is consumed. Eating local vegetation is fraught with danger unless a clear and accurate knowledge of their safety is known.

Surviving in an emergency comes down to luck and preparation. Because we can’t control luck, we must be prepared.

WALKING TO SAFETY

This, it must be stressed, is a last resort option, however if you are faced with no choice but to leave your vehicle and continue on foot be sure you know where you are headed, what direction and how far. Travel only during the cool parts of the day and rest in shade during the heat of day. Leave a note with accurate details with your vehicle so that rescuers know you have left, when and in what direction.

PRIOR PREPARATION

The end goal for a vehicle and its occupants becoming stranded is for all parties to make it out alive. This can be greatly, massively stacked in your favour with some simple prior preparation. First and foremost is communication. Letting a third party know you are in trouble is paramount to rescue.

A charged satellite phone that can be easily grabbed at any moment is perhaps the number one choice. The key here is making sure you can get to that phone and, quickly evacuate the vehicle with it in hand should you need to. Think vehicle fire here. A sat phone is of zero use if it’s in a bag in a drawer in the rear of the 4WD which just went up in flames.

A close second is an EPIRB. Once again this needs to be situated such that it can be grabbed and taken within seconds. Unlike a sat phone, reserve EPIRB use to utter, life threatening emergencies. Becoming stranded on the QAA line when all is well except for a stuffed 4WD is NOT the time to push the EPIRB button. Get comfortable, help will arrive, there is no need to alert the authorities.

Also, ensure you have a quality First Aid Kit like the Rescue Swag, stored in the back of the 4WD. when you’re in a high stress survival situation, accidents can be more likely to occur, so being prepared here too is vital for survival.

SIGNALLING HELP

Waving your hands in the air at a passing plane is virtually useless and just burns energy and wastes water. Remove your side mirror and use the sun to flash the plane. Aim by holding your hand at arm’s length with two fingers in the “peace” sign. Place the plane between your fingers and then reflect the sun’s light across your hand. This can be seen for very long distances and will catch a pilot’s eye easily in a desert of nothingness. Likewise a plume of smoke seen from above in a vast emptiness is a sure sign something is not right and all pilots would investigate.