Wilderness Survival Guide 57 DEHYDRATION In Canada’s wilderness, most lakes, rivers and streams provide safe drinking water, with the notable exception of stagnant water or cedar swamps. Despite this, certain precautions should be taken before drinking any water, no matter how clean and clear it appears. Always look for any dead fish or wildlife in or near the water that could transfer microorganisms or intestinal parasites into it and cause you to suffer from diarrhea, abdominal cramps or vomiting, thus increasing the threat of dehydration and the depleting of your body’s salts. Also be careful not to fall in, as any source of water can be dangerous. Remember, it is more important that you prevent dehydration than it is to fear the quality of water in lakes, rivers and streams in Canada. If there is no body of water nearby, you can collect morning dew or rain from plants, by dragging a piece of cloth through them, then sucking water from the cloth. You can also tie a plastic bag over a live tree branch during the day. Water will condense inside the bag. Another source of water is snow, but it poses its own dangers. Do not eat snow! Your body uses its heat and fluids to melt it, thus increasing your risk of hypothermia. Use a fire or the heat from your hands to melt snow. The soft, loose upper snow makes very little water for its volume. Use the deeper layers of snow that are more granular. They will yield more water when melted. Wherever you obtain your water, remember to drink it in small sips, large gulps will make a dehydrated person vomit, causing you not only to lose more fluids, but also valuable body salts. Never drink salt water, even in small quantities, as the salts in it will draw further water from your blood and tissues into your digestive tract to enable it to dissolve the salt crystals in the sea water. You will thereby only increase your body’s dehydration. Despite this, salt is essential for human survival. Your body loses salt when you sweat and urinate. Suffering from salt deficiency can cause muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea and tiredness. In most survival situations, you will not be able to replace the salts lost so the key is to reduce your salt losses. To accomplish this and reduce the threat of dehydration, it is important that unless absolutely necessary, you do not wander in search of water. Instead, stay put, stay calm and stay rested to conserve your sweat and urine. ...continued www.adventuresmart.ca
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