Water is the most important ingredient of our body. You can starve for weeks, but you will die in days without water. Our ability to survive heavily depends on access to its sources. When talking about survival water should be one of the main subjects. Knowledge about where to find it, how to acqire it, how to drink it, how often and how to recognize we need to drink is crucial for our survival ability.



Condition, when the water content in the body is too small for its proper functioning, is called dehydration. This state is very easy to recognize by the following symptoms:

- Starvation

- Headache, dizziness

- Dry mouth

- Cracked and parched lips

- Speaking difficulties

- Lack of saliva

- Vomiting

- Dark urine, small amount of urine passed until anuria

- Increased body temperature

- Cessation of sweating

- Shallow rapid breathing

- Fainting

- Impaired consciousness and vision

- Contractions

- Constipation

- Convulsions

- Sleepiness

Dehydration is lethal in extreme conditions, even a day without water can kill us. Logical treatment for dehydration is oral dosing of water and reduction of consumption and excretion. In severe cases of dehydration water and electrolytes can be given intravenously.



Man, during slight exertion, loses at least two liters of water a day, but factors such as load, ambient temperature, disease, clothing, nourishing, alcohol, cigarettes and exercises can increase this value up to several liters per day. For example, an hour of marching in the average temperature above 38 Celsius degrees causes the loss of a liter of water per hour. Therefore, the key is to complement the ongoing loss of water.

To avoid dehydration one should avoid:

- Smoking (increases thirst)

- Alcohol (its decomposition increases water consumption)

- Leaving the exposed surface of the skin at high temperatures (water evaporates easier from the body)

- Diarrhea and vomiting (which can dramatically increase water consumption by the body)

- Consumption of salty foods

- Losing significant amounts of blood

- Burns

If one has small amount of water he should:

- Plan its consumption wisely

- Drink slowly in small sips and only during stops

- Limit or stop eating

- Reduce physical exertion and exposure to heat and sunlight

- Chew grass/mint/gum to kill thirst and hunger