Ways of autonomous human survival in nature. Autonomous existence in nature. Rules of autonomous existence

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Team of Authors
Ways of autonomous human survival in nature

FROM THE AUTHORS

Modern man has overcome an unusually long evolutionary path of development from a cave dweller to the creator of spacecraft. Today we know how to treat many diseases, predict the weather, and enjoy all the benefits of modern civilization. But can we consider ourselves more prepared for an autonomous life than other inhabitants of the wild? We hunt animals for fun, cut down forests and pollute the environment for monetary gain, not to mention committing criminal offenses against our fellow humans. Therefore, many areas of nature, where no human has ever set foot, are cleaner, more beautiful and, most importantly, safe for survival compared to residential areas of many cities around the world. This is the main thing that a person who finds himself in the wild against his will should know. Forests, mountains, steppes, tundra, deserts are habitats for many living organisms; here you can find water, food, shelter, and medicine. Anyone can also avoid attacks from predators if they know the basic rules and laws of life in the wild. Compliance with these rules and laws will ensure your safety.

The main problems of human survival in nature today lie in himself. Poor physical fitness, excessive irritability, fear and panic, the presence of neuroses, chronic diseases and dependence on comfortable living conditions make a person unprotected and unprepared to survive in autonomous conditions.

Most residents developed countries The world is accustomed to traveling in cars, eating in the public catering system, buying clothes in stores, having them hemmed in a studio, building housing, hiring workers, and going to a medical facility with any illness. Skills such as starting a fire, cooking over a fire, hunting, sleeping in a tent, leading an active lifestyle without means of comfort, and always having a portable emergency supply (PES) on hand seem fantastic to many. In fact, these skills are relevant today for almost every person who is going on vacation on a luxury ocean liner, flying, going to the forest to pick mushrooms or go hiking. Given tutorial is dedicated to the emergency survival of a person in the wild, that is, studying it, interacting with it, cultivating love and respect for it, which will be the main and most significant factor in survival.

Chapter 1
WILDLIFE SURVIVAL BASICS

1.1. Emergency situations in nature, preventive measures and priority actions

Knowing the basics of survival is mandatory for every person. Survival should be understood as active, expedient actions aimed at preserving life, health and performance in conditions of autonomous existence.

These actions involve overcoming psychological stress, manifestation of ingenuity, resourcefulness, effective use equipment and available means to protect against the adverse effects of factors natural environment and providing the body with food and water needs.

The capabilities of the human body, like all living things, are limited and within very narrow limits. Where is the threshold beyond which changes in the functions of organs and systems become irreversible? What time limit can people who find themselves in certain extreme conditions have? How best to protect humans from the adverse effects of numerous and varied environmental factors?

Experience shows that people are able to endure the harshest natural conditions for long periods of time. However, a person who is not accustomed to these conditions, who finds himself in them for the first time, turns out to be much less adapted to life in the wild than its permanent inhabitants. Therefore, the harsher the environmental conditions, the shorter the period of autonomous existence, the more strictly the rules of behavior must be followed, the higher the price that is paid for each mistake.

Important The natural environment and its physical and geographical conditions are essential for human viability. By actively influencing the human body, it increases or shortens the period of autonomous existence, promotes or hinders the success of survival. The Arctic and the tropics, mountains and deserts, taiga and ocean - each of these natural zones is characterized by its own characteristics of climate, topography, flora and fauna. They determine the specifics of human life: behavior patterns, methods of obtaining water and food, features of the construction of shelters, the nature of diseases and measures to prevent them, the ability to move around the area, etc.

A favorable outcome of autonomous existence largely depends on the psychophysiological qualities of a person: will, determination, composure, ingenuity, physical fitness, endurance. The basis for success in the fight against the forces of nature is a person’s ability to survive. But this requires certain theoretical and practical knowledge.

The basis of human survival is his conviction that he can and must maintain health and life in the harshest conditions, that he will be able to take advantage of everything that the environment provides.

Forced autonomous survival of a person can occur in the following cases:

♦ loss of landmark;

♦ deprivation of a vehicle;

♦ loss of a person who knows the area;

♦ natural disaster. The reasons for these cases may be:

♦ natural disasters, adverse weather conditions;

♦ transport emergency (shipwreck, plane crash);

♦ inability to navigate the terrain;

♦ inattention;

♦ excessive self-confidence.

In any case, a person must know the factors of survival in the wild.

1.2. Factors for human survival in the wild

Survival factors are objective and subjective reasons that determine the outcome of autonomous existence (Fig. 1.1).

Rice. 1.1. Survival factors

Practice has shown that out of the total number of people who find themselves in an extreme situation, up to 75% experience a feeling of depression, and up to 25% experience a neurotic reaction. No more than 10% retain self-control. Gradually, over time, people either adapt or their condition worsens.

Which reactions of a person caught in extreme conditions - negative or positive - will prevail depends on the following factors.

The physical condition of a person, that is, the absence or presence of chronic diseases, allergic reactions, wounds, injuries, bleeding. The age and gender of a person are important, since autonomous survival is most difficult for the elderly and preschool children, as well as pregnant women.

Psychological state of a person. Favorable psychological factors include the ability to make independent decisions, independence and resistance to stress, a sense of humor and the ability to improvise. The ability to cope with pain, loneliness, apathy and feelings of powerlessness, overcome hunger, cold and thirst, and cope with other survival stressors is important.

Learning to act in autonomous conditions is a fundamental factor for survival. A lot depends on the degree of professional training. Great luck for the group that finds itself in autonomous conditions are the crew members, professional military personnel, doctors, and rescuers. The chances of survival for such a group increase significantly. However, this situation can also create certain problems. The most prepared members of the group immediately become formal leaders, but depending on the specifics of their profession, they are trained to act with necessary equipment, work in a team of professionals just like themselves. In an emergency situation, equipment and special equipment are usually not available, a professional may find himself alone, and the lives of dozens of people who are confused and not ready to act in extreme situations depend on the decisions he makes. In such conditions, a specialist must be not just a rescuer, a doctor, but also the best specialist in this area, have experience in dealing with similar situations, and have crisis management skills.

Let us list the basic skills and abilities that a person who finds himself in a situation of autonomous survival in nature should have:

1) the ability to calculate the required minimum amount of food and water;

2) knowledge of methods for obtaining and purifying drinking water in nature;

3) the ability to navigate the terrain with or without a map, compass, GPS navigators, other devices;

4) first aid skills;

5) hunting skills wild beast, fisheries, production tracking;

6) the ability to make a fire using improvised means;

7) knowledge of the technology for constructing temporary shelters;

8) the ability to signal your location using intercom radio stations, tables, visual and gestural code signals.

Survival means mean a minimum of survival items that ensure a person’s comfortable stay in the wild under any conditions. weather conditions. This is a portable emergency supply (NAS) with essential items.

Equipment

1) V matches with a sulfur head previously dipped in wax - 3 pcs.;

2) cherkash (a sulfur strip applied to the side of a matchbox), in half - 1 pc.;

3) sewing needle – 1 pc.;

4) fishing hook – 2 pcs.;

5) fishing line and nylon thread - 5 m each;

6) potassium permanganate, activated carbon tablets – 3 currency;

7) painkiller tablets – 1 currency.

The NAZ case is in a plastic bag with the edges filled with melted wax, which is tied with an elastic band.

Application

♦ Matches and fire starters are means of starting a fire.

♦ Sewing needle with nylon thread - for repairing clothes, shelters, bags, backpacks, removing splinters and removing ticks.

♦ Fishing hook and line – means of fishing.

♦ Activated carbon tablets and potassium permanganate for the prevention of food poisoning and water disinfection.

Portable emergency supply in the maximum configuration

1) analgin, acetylsalicylic acid, nitroglycerin, validol, activated carbon, corvalol, sodium sulfacyl, ammonia solution;

2) hypothermic bag, tourniquet, sterile, non-sterile and elastic bandages, bactericidal adhesive plaster, hemostatic wipes, miramistin, adhesive plaster, cotton wool.

♦ Dehydrated dry food and vitamins.

♦ Water supply.

♦ Kettle.

♦ Toiletries.

♦ Petrol and gas lighters, waterproof matches.

♦ 2 flashlights with extra batteries and bulbs.

♦ Strong long rope.

♦ Small axe.

♦ Tent or raincoat.

♦ Raincoats, canvas suit, socks, hats, gloves, high boots (preferably rubber).

♦ Spark plugs, dry fuel.

♦ Needles, threads.

♦ Fishing rods and fishing line.

Overwhelming factors for human survival in the wild

Hunger

It is especially important to know the typical symptoms of prolonged fasting. In the initial period, which usually lasts 2–4 days, there is a strong feeling of hunger. Appetite increases sharply. In some cases, burning, pressure and even pain in the epigastric region and nausea may be felt. Dizziness, headaches, and stomach cramps are possible. The sense of smell is noticeably enhanced. Drinking plenty of water increases salivation. A person constantly thinks about food. In the first four days, a person’s body weight decreases by an average of one kilogram daily, in areas with a hot climate - sometimes up to one and a half kilograms. Then daily weight loss decreases.

Subsequently, the feeling of hunger weakens. The appetite disappears, sometimes the person even experiences some cheerfulness. The tongue is often covered with a whitish coating, and when inhaling, a faint smell of acetone may be felt in the mouth. Salivation does not increase even at the sight of food. Poor sleep, prolonged headaches, and increased irritability may occur. With prolonged fasting, a person falls into apathy, lethargy, and drowsiness.

And yet, hunger as a cause of death in emergency situations is extremely rare. This does not happen because people in trouble do not starve. Hunger was, is and will always be an eternal companion to an emergency situation. Hunger is terrible because it enhances the effect of other factors affecting humans. It undermines a person’s strength from the inside, after which he is attacked by a host of other ailments, no less dangerous than hunger, that complete the job.

A hungry person freezes several times faster than a well-fed person. He gets sick more often and suffers more severely from illness. With prolonged fasting, reactions slow down and intellectual activity weakens. Performance drops sharply.

Therefore, in the absence of food supplies, if it is impossible to provide for oneself through hunting, fishing, or collecting wild edible plants, one should adhere to passive survival tactics, that is, expect help in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. In order to save energy resources, unless absolutely necessary, you should not leave the shelter, you need to lie down more, sleep, and reduce any active activity - work inside the camp, walking, etc. - to a minimum, and do only the most necessary work. Duties, and the responsibilities of the duty officer include collecting firewood, maintaining a fire, repairing the shelter, monitoring the area, extracting water, should be carried out alternately, dividing daytime and nighttime into short 1-2 hour shifts. Only wounded, sick and young children are allowed to be released from duty. All other members of the emergency team must be involved in watchkeeping without fail. If there are a large number of people, two people on duty can be appointed at a time. Such an order, first of all, is necessary to prevent outbreaks of apathy, despondency, and pessimistic moods that can arise as a result of prolonged fasting.

Of course, if there is even the slightest opportunity to provide yourself with food locally, every possible effort should be made to this.

Heat. Thirst

The concept of “heat” in relation to an emergency situation is the sum of several components: ambient temperature, intensity of solar radiation, soil surface temperature, air humidity, presence or absence of wind, that is, it depends on the climatic conditions of the place where the accident occurred.

In addition, there are many special cases when a person, for one reason or another, may feel that he is hot. To do this, it is absolutely not necessary to climb into the heat of the Central Asian deserts. You can also languish in the heat in the Arctic, for example, if the quantity or quality of clothing a person wears does not correspond to the work he is currently performing. Typical situations are when a person, for fear of freezing, puts on all the clothes at his disposal, after which he begins to bravely swing an ax, preparing firewood for the fire. Such unnecessary zeal at the moment leads to overheating of the body, increased sweating, and wetness of the layers of clothing adjacent to the body. As a result, a person quickly freezes after finishing work. In such a case, heat acts as an ally of frost, as it deprives clothing of its heat-protective properties. That is why experienced tourists, climbers, and hunters prefer to undress when performing heavy physical work, and to dress warmly during rest.

In these cases, it is very important to constantly monitor your well-being, change clothes on time, and rest periodically.

Of course, combating overheating under the described conditions does not present any particular difficulties. And if any violation of the internal heat balance, then the victim himself is primarily to blame for this. The Arctic or highlands are not places where you can die from overheating.

It is much more difficult for a person in an emergency situation that occurs in a desert or semi-desert zone. And this is explained not by the fact that it is very hot here, but by the fact that the heat enters into an overwhelming alliance with thirst.

Insufficient, as well as excessive, intake of water into the body affects the general physical condition of a person.

Lack of water leads to a decrease in body weight, a significant loss of strength, thickening of the blood and, as a result, overexertion of cardiac activity. At the same time, the concentration of salts in the blood increases, which serves as an ominous signal of the onset of dehydration. Loss of up to 5% of fluid occurs without any consequences for humans. But dehydration of the body exceeding 15% can lead to serious consequences and death. A person deprived of food can lose almost his entire fat reserve, almost 50% of protein, and only then approach the dangerous line. However, when it comes to fluids, losing “just” 15% of fluid is fatal! A person can go hungry for several weeks; without water, he dies in a matter of days, and in a hot climate this happens faster.

The human body's need for water in favorable climatic conditions does not exceed 2.5–3 liters per day. Moreover, this figure is made up of liquid, not only consumed in the form of compotes, tea, coffee and other drinks, but also included in solid food products, not to mention soups and gravies. In addition, water is formed in the body itself as a result of chemical reactions occurring in it.

In total it looks like this:

♦ water itself – 0.8–1.0 l;

♦ liquid dishes – 0.5–0.6 l;

♦ solid products (bread, meat, cheese, sausage, etc.) – up to 0.7 l;

♦ water formed in the body itself – 0.3–0.4 l.

In an emergency situation, it is especially important to distinguish true water hunger from apparent ones. Very often, the feeling of thirst arises not due to an objective lack of water, but due to improperly organized water consumption.

One of the manifestations of thirst is a decrease in saliva secretion in the mouth.

The feeling of initial dryness in the mouth is often perceived as a feeling of extreme thirst, although dehydration as such is not observed. A person begins to consume a significant amount of water, although there is no real need for it. An excess of water while simultaneously increasing physical activity leads to subsequent increased sweating. Simultaneously with the abundant removal of excess fluid, the ability of body cells to retain water is disrupted. A kind of vicious circle arises. The more a person drinks, the more he sweats, the more thirsty he feels.

There is a well-known experiment when people who were not accustomed to normal quenching of thirst drank 5–6 liters of water in 8 hours, while others, under the same conditions, got by with 0.5 liters.

It is not recommended to drink a lot of water in one gulp. Such one-time consumption of liquid does not quench thirst, but, on the contrary, leads to swelling and weakness. We must remember that drinking water does not quench thirst immediately, but only after it reaches the stomach and is absorbed into the blood, that is, after 10–15 minutes. It is best to drink water in small portions at short intervals until completely saturated. Sometimes, in order not to waste water from a flask or emergency supply, it is enough to rinse your mouth with cool water or suck on a sour candy or caramel. The taste of the candy will cause a reflexive release of saliva, and the feeling of thirst will significantly decrease. If you don't have candy, you can replace it with a fruit seed or even a small clean stone.

In case of intense sweating, leading to the leaching of salts from the body, it is advisable to drink lightly salted water. Dissolving 0.5–1.0 g of salt water will have almost no effect on its taste. However, this amount of salt is usually enough to restore the salt balance within the body. The most tragic effect of heat manifests itself in the summer in desert areas. Perhaps, in this zone, the heat leaves a person less chance of salvation than even the cold in the Arctic. In the fight against frost, a person has a considerable arsenal of means. He can build a snow shelter, generate heat by consuming high-calorie foods, protect himself from the effects of low temperatures with the help of warm clothes, make a fire, warm himself by performing intense exercise. physical work. By using any of these methods, a person can save life for a day, two or three. Sometimes, using all the listed possibilities, he resists the elements for whole weeks. In the desert, only water prolongs life. There are no other methods available to a person who finds himself in an emergency situation in the desert!

Cold

According to statistics, from 10 to 15% of people who died on tourist routes were victims of hypothermia.

Cold threatens humans to the greatest extent in high-latitude zones of the country: in the ice zone, tundra, forest-tundra, - in winter - in the taiga, steppes and adjacent semi-deserts, in the highlands. But these zones are also heterogeneous in temperature characteristics. Even in the same area, at the same time, thermometer readings can vary by ten degrees or more. For example, often in river valleys, gorges and other depressions, the decrease in temperature as a result of the flow of cold air into the lowlands is much more noticeable than at elevated points of the relief. Air humidity matters a lot. For example, in the Oymyakon region, which is the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature reaches -70 °C (the minimum of -77.8 °C was recorded in 1938), but due to the dry air it is quite easily tolerated. Conversely, the humid frost typical of coastal areas, which envelops and literally sticks to the skin, causes more trouble. There, the air temperature is subjectively always estimated to be lower than it actually is. But, perhaps, the greatest, and in some cases, decisive importance for human survival in low temperatures is wind speed:

♦ at an actual air temperature of –3 °C and a wind speed of 10–11 m/s, their total cooling effect on a person is expressed as –20 °C;

♦ at a temperature of –10 °C it is actually equal to –30 °C;

♦ at a temperature of –15 °C it is actually equal to –35 °C;

♦ at a temperature of –25 °C it is actually equal to –50 °C;

♦ at a temperature of –45 °C it is actually equal to –70 °C.

In an area devoid of natural shelters - dense forests, folds of relief, low air temperatures combined with strong winds can reduce a person's survival time to several hours.

Long-term survival at subzero temperatures depends, in addition to the listed climatic factors, on the condition of clothing and shoes at the time of the accident, the quality of the shelter constructed, the availability of fuel and food supplies, and the moral and physical condition of the person.

In an emergency, clothing is usually able to protect a person from cold injuries (frostbite, general hypothermia) only for a short period of time, sufficient to build a snow shelter. The heat-protective properties of clothing depend primarily on the type of fabric. Fine-pored fabric retains heat best. If we take the thermal conductivity of air as one, then the thermal conductivity of wool will be 6.1; silk – 19.2; and linen and cotton fabric – 29.9.

Clothes made from synthetic materials and fillers such as padding polyester, nitron, etc. are widely used. In them, air capsules are enclosed in a thin shell of artificial fibers. Perhaps synthetic clothing is a little inferior in heat transfer compared to fur, but it has a number of other undeniable advantages. It is very light, almost not blown by the wind, snow does not stick to it, it gets little wet when immersed in a short time into water and, very importantly, dries quickly.

Perhaps one of the best options is to use multi-layered clothing from different fabrics. Special studies have shown that 4–5 layers of clothing retain heat best. For example, a good combination is a thick cotton suit, several thin, loosely fitting woolen pants and sweaters (2-3 thin sweaters warm much better than one thick one, since an air layer forms between them) and a suit or overalls made of synthetic fabric.

Footwear plays a very important role in emergency winter conditions. Suffice it to say that 8 out of 10 of all frostbites occur on the lower extremities. Therefore, a person who has suffered an accident in the winter should first of all pay attention to the condition of his legs.

You need to keep your socks and shoes dry by all available means. To do this, shoe covers are made from available material, the legs are wrapped with a piece of loose fabric, etc. All the material remaining after this is used to insulate clothes and protect the face from the wind.

It is important to constantly remember that clothing, no matter how warm it is, can protect a person from the cold only for a very short period of time - hours, rarely days. And if you don’t use this time wisely to build a warm shelter or search for the nearest populated area, no amount of clothing will protect a person from death.

Very often, in an emergency situation, people prefer to install fabric tents or build shelters from the wreckage of a vehicle or logs. They cling to traditional materials as salvation. Wood and metal seem much more reliable than, for example, snow. Meanwhile, this is a mistake for which you often have to pay with your own life!

When constructing shelters from traditional materials, it is almost impossible to achieve airtight sealing of seams and joints of building materials. Shelters are “blown through” by the wind. Warm air escapes through numerous cracks. Therefore, in the absence of kerosene stoves, stoves and similar highly efficient heating devices, the temperature in the shelter almost always coincides with the outside one. In addition, the construction of such shelters is very labor-intensive and is often associated with the risk of increased injury. There are often cases when such an improvised shelter collapses under the pressure of the wind or due to careless movement and puts the group in critical conditions. Meanwhile, excellent building material is literally under one’s feet. This is the most ordinary snow. Due to its porous structure, snow has good thermal insulation properties. It is easy to process.

Snow shelters - igloos, caves, houses, dens, erected in one and a half to two hours, reliably protect a person from the effects of low temperatures and wind, and, if fuel is available, provide thermal comfort. In a properly constructed snow shelter, the air temperature only due to the heat generated by a person rises to –5… – 10 °C at 30–40 degrees below zero outside the shelter. With the help of a candle, the temperature in the shelter can be raised from 0 to +4...+5 °C or more. Many polar explorers installed a pair of primus stoves inside and heated the air to +30 °C. Thus, the temperature difference between inside and outside the shelter can reach 70 °C.

But the main advantage of snow shelters is their ease of construction. Most snow shelters can be built by anyone who has never held a snow shovel or snow knife in their hands.

The period of resistance to low temperatures largely depends on the mental state of a person. For example, a feeling of fear greatly reduces a person’s survival time at low temperatures. Panic fear of freezing accelerates freezing. And on the contrary, the psychological attitude “I am not afraid of the cold. I have real opportunities protect yourself from its effects" significantly increases the survival period, allows you to wisely distribute energy and time, and introduce an element of planning into your actions.

However, it must be remembered that it is almost impossible to win a single combat with the elements without fencing yourself off from it with a wall of snow bricks. All recognized polar authorities, including Stefansson himself, unanimously assert that a person caught in a snowstorm can only be saved by a timely shelter built and nothing but a shelter!

The most important commandment in combating the cold is stop in time!

One physical strength it is impossible to overcome the frost. In such cases, it is better to play it safe - turn back a little earlier, set up a camp, build a shelter, rest, etc.

In any case, if an emergency occurs in winter, self-rescue of a person or group of people should begin with the organization of a winter bivouac. It is not advisable to engage in other work until a safe shelter has been built or a fire has been lit. Even if there is a tent in the group, the construction of snow shelters must be considered mandatory. A tent can only protect a person from wind and precipitation, but not from frost. Only a person with an unlimited amount of fuel can afford to wait out an accident in a tent. During the construction of a snow shelter, in addition to the main goal - protecting people from cold injuries - a number of secondary goals are achieved, for example, snow construction skills are developed. A person builds the next igloo or cave in a shorter time with less effort.

Very often, spending the night in a snow shelter is preferable to spending the night near a fire. The construction of a cave or house requires less effort and time than preparing a large amount of firewood, lighting and maintaining a hot fire for many hours.

The confidence that the presence of deep snow or crust guarantees a safe overnight stay makes it possible, even in an emergency, to organize a transition and cover significant distances. The depletion of forces expended on the transition is to some extent compensated by the accumulation of experience in moving on snow and building snow shelters. The duration of active activity with a normal food supply can be 8–12 hours a day, respectively, 10 hours will be spent on sleep and rest, and 1–3 hours on setting up a bivouac.

However, it should be taken into account that “passive” survival (waiting for help) at low air temperatures, especially in high latitudes, is always preferable to “active” (independent access to people). The final choice of survival tactics, of course, depends on the specific situation in which the person finds himself.

The only way to guarantee 100% success in not getting hurt in a winter emergency is to prevent it.

It is known that the overwhelming majority of winter emergencies are provoked not by “the machinations of nature,” but by the wrong actions of the victims themselves - a poor level of preparation for the hike, frivolity, and a disregard for basic safety measures.

Survival in conditions of autonomous existence.

Norilsk Pedagogical School

A person’s ability to successfully overcome the harsh conditions of the natural environment is one of his most ancient qualities. Also in time immemorial he learned to protect himself from cold and heat, to build himself a dwelling from snow and tree branches, to make fire by friction, looking for edible fruits and roots, to hunt birds and animals, etc. But centuries passed, and man, having tasted the benefits of civilization, became gradually move away from nature and lose the skills acquired by many generations of ancestors. As a member of society, he is accustomed to the idea that many of his needs are provided by the people around him, that someone is constantly taking care of satisfying his needs, that in one or another unfavorable situation he can always count on someone’s help. And indeed, in Everyday life a person does not have to rack his brains over how to hide from the heat or cold, how and where to quench his thirst and hunger. Lost in an unfamiliar city, he can easily get the information he needs. If you get sick, seek help from a doctor.

However, even today there are often cases when a person, as a result of current circumstances, finds himself in conditions of autonomous existence, the favorable outcome of which largely depends on his psychophysiological qualities, solid knowledge of the basics of survival and other factors.

In the event of a short-term external threat, a person acts on a sensory level, obeying the instinct of self-preservation: he bounces off a falling tree, clings to immovable objects when falling, tries to stay on the surface of the water when there is a threat of drowning. There is no need to talk about any will to live in such cases.

Long-term survival is another matter. In conditions of autonomous existence, sooner or later a critical moment comes when excessive physical and mental stress and the seeming pointlessness of further resistance suppress the will. Passivity and indifference take possession of a person. He is no longer afraid of the possible tragic consequences of ill-conceived overnight stays and risky crossings. He does not believe in the possibility of salvation and therefore dies without fully exhausting his reserves of strength, without using up his food reserves.

Survival based only on the biological laws of self-preservation is short-lived. It is characterized by rapidly developing mental disorders and hysterical behavioral reactions. The desire to survive must be conscious and purposeful and must be dictated not by instinct, but by conscious necessity.

The natural environment and its physical and geographical conditions are also important for human life. By actively influencing the human body, it increases or shortens the period of autonomous existence, promotes or hinders the success of survival. Each of the natural zones determines the specifics of human life: behavior patterns, methods of obtaining food, construction of shelters, the nature of diseases and measures to prevent them, etc.

How should a person who finds himself in extreme environmental conditions behave? If there is no firm confidence in the ability to quickly get out of the current situation, and the situation does not require immediate leaving the scene of the incident, it is better to stay in place, build a fire, or build a shelter from scrap materials. This will help protect you well from bad weather and keep you strong for a long time. In addition, it is much easier to obtain food in parking conditions. In some cases, this tactic will facilitate the actions of the search and rescue service, which has received information about an incident in a particular area.

Having decided to “stay put,” you need to draw up a plan for further action, which includes the following activities:

determining your location; protection from the adverse effects of environmental factors; making a fire; sending distress signals; obtaining food and water; self-help and disease prevention.

Orientation

Terrain orientation is the determination of one’s position relative to the sides of the horizon and local objects. Depending on the nature of the terrain, the availability of technical means and visibility, the sides of the horizon can be determined by the position of the Sun, the North Star, by signs of local objects, etc.

In the northern hemisphere, the direction other than north can be determined by standing with your back to the to the sun. The shadow will indicate the direction north, west will be on the left, east will be on the right. Local noon is determined using a vertical pole 0.5 - 1.0 m long according to the shortest length of its shadow on the Earth's surface. The moment when the shadow was the shortest according to marks on Earth corresponds to the passage of the Sun through this meridian.

Determining cardinal directions using a watch: The watch must be placed horizontally and turned so that the hour hand points to the Sun. The bisector of the angle formed between this line and the hour hand is mentally drawn through the center of the dial, showing the north-south direction, with the south being to the right of the Sun before 12 o’clock, and to the left after 12 o’clock.

At night in the northern hemisphere, the direction north can be determined using the North Star, located approximately above North Pole. To do this, you need to find the constellation Ursa Major with a characteristic arrangement of stars in the form of a bucket with a handle. An imaginary line is drawn through the outer two stars of the bucket, and the distance between these stars is plotted on it 5 times. At the end of the fifth segment there will be a bright star - Polaris. The direction towards it will correspond to the direction to the north.

You can navigate through some natural characteristics. So, for example, on the northern side, trees have a coarser bark, covered with lichen and moss at the base, the bark of birch and pine on the northern side is darker than on the southern side, and tree trunks, stones or rock ledges are more densely covered with moss and lichens. During thaws, snow remains longer on the northern slopes of the hills. Anthills are usually protected from the north by something; their northern side is steeper. Mushrooms usually grow on the north side of trees. On the surface of the trunk of coniferous trees facing south, more resin drops are released than on the north. These signs are especially clearly visible on isolated trees. On southern slopes, grass grows faster in the spring, and many flowering shrubs have more flowers.

How to organize an overnight stay

Organizing an overnight stay is a labor-intensive task. First you need to find suitable site. First of all, it must be dry. Secondly, it is best to locate close to a stream, on open place to always have a supply of water on hand.

The simplest shelter from wind and rain is made by tying individual elements of the base (frame) with thin spruce roots, willow branches, and tundra birch. Natural cavities in the steep bank of the river allow you to comfortably sit on them so that the place of sleep is between the fire and a vertical surface (cliff, rock), which serves as a heat reflector.

When preparing a place to sleep, two holes are dug - under the thigh and under the shoulder. You can spend the night on a bed of spruce branches in a deep hole dug or thawed to the ground by a large fire. Here, in the pit, you should keep the fire burning all night to avoid a serious cold.

In the winter taiga, where the thickness of the snow cover is significant, it is easier to arrange a shelter in a hole near a tree. In severe frost, you can build a simple snow hut in loose snow. To do this, the snow is raked into a pile, its surface is compacted, watered and allowed to freeze. Then the snow is removed from the pile, and a small hole for the chimney is made in the remaining dome. A fire built inside melts the walls and makes the entire structure strong. This hut retains heat. You can’t get your head under your clothes, as breathing causes the material to become damp and freeze. It is better to cover your face with items of clothing that can be easily dried later. Carbon monoxide may accumulate from a burning fire, and care must be taken to ensure a constant flow of fresh air to the combustion site.

How to make fire

A fire in conditions of autonomous existence is not only warmth, it is dry clothes and shoes, hot water and food, protection from midges and an excellent signal for a search helicopter. And most importantly, a fire is an accumulator of vivacity, energy and activity.

To get fire you need use flint , piece of flint. Any steel object can serve as a flint, or, in extreme cases, the same iron pyrite. The fire is struck by sliding blows on the flint so that the sparks fall on tinder - dry moss, crushed dry leaves, newspaper, cotton wool, etc.

Fire can be made friction. For this purpose, a bow, a drill and a support are made: a bow - from a dead trunk of a young birch or hazel tree 2 - 3 cm thick and a piece of rope as a bowstring; drill – made of a pine stick, 25–30 cm long, as thick as a pencil, pointed at one end; the support is cleared of bark and a hole 1–1.5 cm deep is drilled with a knife. The drill, wrapped once with a bowstring, is inserted with its sharp end into the hole, around which tinder is placed. Then, pressing the drill with the palm of your left hand, quickly move the bow perpendicular to the drill with your right hand. To avoid damaging the palm, place a pad made of a piece of fabric, tree bark, or put on a glove between it and the drill. As soon as the tinder begins to smolder, it must be fanned and placed in kindling prepared in advance.

To achieve success, you should remember three rules: the tinder must be dry, you must act in strict sequence and, most importantly, show patience and perseverance.

Getting food and water

Over 2000 plants grow on the territory of our country, partially or completely edible.

When collected plant gifts need to be careful. About 2% of plants can cause severe and even fatal poisoning. To prevent poisoning, it is necessary to distinguish between such poisonous plants as crow's eye, wolf's bast, poisonous weed (hemlock), henbane, etc. Food poisoning is caused by toxic substances contained in some mushrooms: toadstool, fly agaric, false honey fungus, false chanterelle, etc. .

It is better to refrain from eating unfamiliar plants, berries, and mushrooms. If you are forced to use them for food, it is recommended to eat no more than 1–2 g of food mass at a time, if possible, washed down with plenty of water (plant poison contained in this proportion will not cause serious harm to the body). Wait 1–2 hours. If there are no signs of poisoning (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, intestinal disorders), you can eat an additional 10–15 g. After 24 hours, you can eat without restrictions.

An indirect sign of the edibility of a plant can be: fruits pecked by birds; a lot of seeds, scraps of peel at the foot of fruit trees; bird droppings on branches, trunks; plants gnawed by animals; fruits found in nests and burrows. Unfamiliar fruits, bulbs, tubers, etc. it is advisable to boil it. Cooking destroys many organic poisons.

In conditions of autonomous existence fishing, perhaps the most affordable way to provide yourself with food. Fish has greater energy value than plant fruits and is less labor intensive than hunting.

Fishing tackle can be made from available materials: fishing line - from loose shoe laces, thread pulled out of clothes, unbraided rope, hooks - from pins, earrings, pins from badges, “invisibility”, and spinners - from metal and mother-of-pearl buttons, coins and etc.

It is permissible to eat fish meat raw, but it is better to cut it into narrow strips and dry them in the sun, so it will become tastier and last longer. To avoid fish poisoning, certain rules must be followed. You should not eat fish covered with thorns, spines, sharp growths, skin ulcers, fish that are not covered with scales, lack lateral fins, have an unusual appearance and bright color, hemorrhages and tumors of internal organs. Can't eat stale fish– with gills covered with mucus, with sunken eyes, flabby skin, with unpleasant smell, with dirty and easily separated scales, with meat easily falling away from the bones and especially from the spine. It is better not to eat unfamiliar and questionable fish. You should also not eat fish caviar, milt, or liver, because... they are often poisonous.

Hunting– most preferable in winter the only way provide yourself with food. But unlike fishing, hunting requires a person to have sufficient skill, skill, and a lot of labor.

Small animals and birds are relatively easy to catch. To do this, you can use traps, snares, loops and other devices.

The obtained animal meat and birds are roasted on a primitive spit. Small animals and birds are roasted on a spit without removing the skin or plucking. After cooking, the charred skin is removed and the insides of the carcass are cleaned. After gutting and cleaning, it is advisable to roast the meat of larger game over high heat, and then finish frying it over coals.

Rivers, lakes, streams, swamps, accumulation of water in certain areas of the soil provide people with the necessary amount of liquid for drinking and cooking.

The most reliable way to disinfect water is boiling. If there is no vessel for boiling, a primitive box made from a piece of birch bark will do, provided that the flame touches only the part filled with water. You can boil water by lowering heated stones into a birch bark box with wooden tongs.

Prevention and treatment of diseases

In conditions of autonomous existence, when a wide variety of injuries, bruises, burns, poisoning, diseases, etc. are possible, knowledge of self-help techniques is especially necessary, because you have to rely on your own strength.

To protect against mosquitoes and midges, it is necessary to lubricate exposed areas of the body with a thin layer of clay. Smoking fires are widely used to repel insects. To drive insects out of a hut before going to bed, burning coals are placed on a thick piece of bark and covered with damp moss on top. The smoker is brought into the shelter, kept there until it is filled with smoke, and then it is well ventilated and the entrance is tightly closed. At night, the smoker is left at the entrance on the leeward side so that the smoke, repelling insects, does not penetrate into the shelter.

During crossings, care must be taken not to step on the snake. If you unexpectedly encounter a snake, you must stop, let it crawl away and not chase it. If the snake shows aggressiveness, immediately deal a strong blow to the head and then finish it off. When bitten by a poisonous snake, you must carefully suck out the poison (if there are no cracks in your mouth or lips) and spit it out. Wash the wound and apply a bandage.

In the treatment of diseases, some should be widely used plants .

Ash bark has an anti-inflammatory effect. To do this, remove the bark from a branch that is not very young, but also not very old, and apply the juicy side to the wound. Fresh crushed nettle leaves help a lot. They promote blood clotting and stimulate tissue healing. For the same purposes, the wound can be sprinkled with greenish-brown pollen of a mature puffball mushroom, tightly clamping the cut with the velvety skin of the same mushroom turned inside out.

Fireweed fluff, reeds, flax and hemp tow can be used as cotton wool.

The burning reddish juice of lungwort can replace iodine. And white moss is used as a dressing with a disinfectant effect. Fresh juice of plantain and wormwood stops bleeding and disinfects wounds, has an analgesic and healing effect. This remedy is also indispensable for severe bruises, sprains, as well as for wasp and bumblebee bites. Plantain and wormwood leaves are crushed and applied to the wound.

How to make a distress signal

A fire remains one of the most effective means of emergency signaling. In order to give a timely signal to the search helicopter, the fire is prepared in advance. Dry branches, trunks, moss, etc. are placed in open places - a clearing, a hilltop, a clearing, otherwise the trees will trap the smoke and the signal will go unnoticed. To make the column of smoke thicker and blacker, fresh grass, green leaves of trees, damp moss, etc. are thrown into the flaring fire. The fire is set on fire when a helicopter or plane appears in the visibility zone and the noise of operating engines is clearly audible.

The attention of the crew of the search aircraft can also be attracted by various signals that unmask the terrain: for example, trample geometric shapes in the snow, cut down (break out) bushes, and if there is brightly colored fabric, stretch it in the open.

A favorable outcome of autonomous existence depends on many factors, but the main one is strong knowledge from various areas. It is advisable not only to know how to behave in a given situation, but also to be able to do it, because when the situation becomes threatening, it is too late to start learning.

The earth is an ideal habitat for humans. He cannot exist without nature, since he himself is a large part of it. Many centuries ago, people were very closely connected with the environment and completely dependent on it. Time has passed since then, man has learned to build cities, extract energy, fly into space, and although the connection with nature is not felt so keenly now, we cannot survive without plants and animals, air and water. Situations often occur when a person has to accept the conditions of autonomous existence, that is, survive in the wild without any help. This can happen at the request of the adventurer or outside of his will.

Voluntary Adventure

Sometimes people set goals that require special endurance from them, such as crossing the ocean alone. They take a certain amount of resources, which should be enough for some time, and set off. After this supply is exhausted, they are forced to obtain their own food and water, for example, by fishing and desalinating water. In this case, they say that this is a voluntary autonomous existence of a person. Its goals can be different: connecting with nature, conducting scientific research or experiment, finding out your capabilities. Examples of autonomous existence are quite often found on the pages of books and magazines. One of them is Bjurg Osland's crossing of Antarctica. In 1996-1997, he skied alone through South Pole. In just 64 days, he covered 2,845 km of snow and ice, showing himself strong both physically and mentally. But the most understandable example of this type of activity for the common man is the familiar hiking trips, which do not torture daredevils so much, but still leave them face to face with nature.

Many people don’t like this extreme at all, because it’s really very difficult. Why torture yourself if you don’t see the point in it? But life is very unpredictable, and it happens that, willy-nilly, a person finds himself face to face with nature, and is forced to survive by any means necessary. Such an autonomous existence is called forced. It differs sharply from voluntary, because in the first case a person prepares for such an adventure, he consciously goes for it, setting a specific goal for himself. If a person, for example, is lost in the forest or survives a shipwreck, then he needs to dramatically rebuild in order to survive and return home. It is very difficult, both physically and mentally.

Loneliness Factor

Man is a creature that is highly dependent on society, that is, on the people around him. If he finds himself alone, he can break down psychologically. After all, a forced autonomous existence leads to the emergence of great fear, and if there is no one nearby who could support and reassure, then this fear intensifies tenfold. Often a very negative emotional reaction occurs, which manifests itself in a feeling of hopelessness, approaching death, pain and suffering. This is due to the fact that a person is in an unfamiliar environment, which could potentially pose many dangers to his life. At such moments, one’s own weakness and fragility of the body is especially acutely felt. Living autonomously can cause controlled or uncontrollable fear. In the first case, it can not only be harmless, but also help, push to actions that will lead to the most effective solution to problems. But if this is uncontrolled fear, then it subjugates every thought and action of a person. There is nothing good in panic, it will only make the situation worse.

Distress call

Autonomous existence in nature can be short-lived if you behave correctly. The first thing you should not do is leave the scene of the incident. The best option If a person is not in danger, he will set up camp. After all, it is quite difficult for rescuers to find victims of disaster in the mountains, forests or in bad weather. Therefore, you should come up with a signal in advance that will be given if any vehicle, for example, a helicopter, approaches a person. The best thing in this case would be a fire. This is the fastest and easiest way. The material for it needs to be prepared in advance. If this happens in the desert, then a jar of sand, which is saturated with some flammable substance, can replace the brushwood. A fire should only be lit when the rescue equipment can be seen or heard. In addition, if this is an open area, then you can lay out some kind of sign from stones or trample it in the snow. Flags made of bright fabrics will also not be superfluous.

Nutrition

The autonomous existence of humans in nature is further complicated by the lack of food, which can lead to hunger strike. It can be complete when there is no food at all, but water enters the body, and absolute when there is not even water. The first option is more acceptable, since strength can be drawn from internal reserves (fat deposits and by reducing the size and volume of cells). A person can live up to 70 days without food, but these are adults. For children, this period is reduced significantly. But the main thing, even in the absence of food, is water. Because you can only live without it for a couple of days. It is very difficult to find it in the desert, but if you try, everything is possible. For example, you can build a solar capacitor based on a water-repellent film, or you can squeeze the juice out of a cactus. It tastes bitter, but in such conditions anything will do. If there is a stream or river nearby, then you can drink water from there, but it must be boiled, and if there is nothing, then you should simply put a hot coal from the fire into any vessel. This will help avoid infections in the future.

Location determination

Forced autonomous existence can be reduced if a person knows how to navigate the terrain. The first thing you can do is to retrace your steps if a person is lost. You can navigate using several things at different times of the day (by the sun, stars, shadows, compass, clock, moss on the trees). If you figure out where you came from, it will be much easier to find the right path.

Thus, autonomous existence is the independent survival of a person in the wild. It can be either voluntary or forced. In both cases, survival depends on the moral fortitude and physical fitness of the person in a similar situation.

| Autonomous human existence in the natural environment

Basics of life safety
Grade 10

Lesson 2
Autonomous human existence in the natural environment

When a person finds himself alone with nature, he faces many problems. What needs to be done to save life? How to navigate correctly, make a fire, get water and food, build a home, protect yourself from heat or cold? How to survive?

Many of these problems were discussed in some detail in the 6th grade life safety course. Therefore, we will focus only on those basic points and rules, the knowledge of which will help you survive if, as a result of some unforeseen situation or accident, you find yourself in conditions of forced autonomous existence.

Location orientation

You know that orientation is the ability to determine one’s location relative to the sides of the horizon, surrounding objects and landforms, to find the desired direction of movement and maintain it along the way.

In emergency or extreme situation After taking urgent actions, you need to determine or clarify your location. There are several ways to navigate the terrain (Scheme 3).

Orientation by compass.

The method of using a compass is well known. To check the serviceability of the compass, you need to bring a metal object to its needle, which will throw it out of stable balance. After removing the metal object, the arrow should return to its original position. If it does not return to its original position or does not settle down for a long time, the compass is not working properly and cannot be used. In the stowed position, the compass needle should be slowed down.

Orientation by celestial bodies (Fig. 1-3). You can determine the sides of the horizon by the sun, by the stars, by the moon.

In clear sunny weather, you can determine the sides of the horizon by the sun. At about 7 a.m. it occurs in the east, at 1 p.m. in the south, and at about 7 p.m. in the west.

In northern latitudes on summer nights, due to the proximity of the setting sun to the horizon, the northern side of the sky is the lightest, the southern side is darker.

The highest position of the sun, corresponding to noon, can be determined by the shortest length of the shadow, and its direction in the Northern Hemisphere points to the north (in the Southern Hemisphere, to the south).

If you have a watch, you can determine the sides of the horizon by pointing the hour hand at the sun

At this position of the clock, a straight line bisecting the angle between the hour hand and the number “1” on the dial will indicate the direction to the south.
On a cloudless night, the sides of the horizon are most easily determined by the North Star, which always points north with an accuracy of 1°.

To find the North Star in the sky, you need to find the constellation Ursa Major, which looks like a bucket of seven bright stars.
In lightly cloudy conditions, when the North Star is not visible, but the moon is clearly visible, the sides of the horizon can be determined by it. The method for determining the sides of the horizon by the moon is presented in Table 1.

Determining the sides of the horizon by plants and animals. Plants can also help in determining the sides of the horizon. The bark of trees, rocks, and the walls of wooden buildings are usually more densely covered with moss and lichen on the northern side. The bark of trees on the north side is rougher and darker than on the south. In wet weather, a wet dark stripe forms on trees (this is especially noticeable in pine trees). On the northern side of the trunk, this stripe persists longer and rises higher. Birch trees on the southern side of the trunk usually have lighter and more elastic bark. In pine, the secondary (brown, cracked) bark on the north side rises higher along the trunk. Anthills have a flatter side facing south.

Orientation based on local features (Fig. 4) allows only an approximate judgment of the location of the sides of the horizon.

In the forest, you can determine the sides of the horizon by clearings and quarter posts. Clearings are cut in the direction from north to south and from west to east. At the places where they intersect, quarter pillars are installed, the sides of which are marked with the numbers of adjacent quarters.

The line between the two lowest numbers is always oriented north.

Notches on tree trunks can serve as a reliable landmark in the forest. They are applied at the height of a person’s chest, on the right side of the path (road). The presence of several notches on the trees indicates the proximity of a road or parking lot.

Based on local characteristics, one cannot definitively judge the location of the sides of the horizon from one or two observations. Conclusions can only be drawn after repeated verification of the initial results.

In some cases, it is not possible to determine the sides of the horizon ( thick fog, snowfall, reeds, night). Then the azimuth movement method is used (Fig. 5, 6).

Azimuth movement method

Azimuth is the angle measured clockwise from the north direction of the meridian in the direction of movement.

If measurements are carried out relative to the true meridian, then the true azimuth (A) is obtained, and relative to the magnetic meridian - magnetic azimuth (Am).

Magnetic azimuth on the ground is measured using a compass. You need to stand facing the observed object and orient the compass. To do this, you need to release the arrow brake and turn the compass until the northern end of the arrow is exactly opposite the zero division of the scale. In this case, the compass must be held horizontally in your left hand, 10 cm below eye level. After this, holding the compass in the oriented position, by turning the rotating cover you need to direct the sighting line of the slot - the front sight into given direction(with the front sight away from you), then press the brake on the magnetic needle and take the angle reading opposite the pointer tip at the front sight.

The essence of movement along azimuths is the ability to find a direction along a given azimuth using a compass on the ground, select a landmark in this direction and go to the intended point.

To move along azimuths, you need to know magnetic azimuths and distances.

All necessary data for moving along azimuths is drawn up in the form of a route diagram in an arbitrary scale on a small sheet of paper, so that it is convenient to use on the road. Instead of a diagram, you can create a table using the available data (Table 2).

When walking, it is convenient to measure the distance in pairs of steps. Therefore, you need to convert the distance from meters to pairs of steps in advance. For a person of average height, each pair of steps is taken as 1.5 m. More accurately, the length of your step can be determined by the measured or known distance on the ground.

When moving along azimuths, they sequentially move from one landmark to another, using auxiliary or intermediate landmarks along the way.

At the starting point and at all subsequent turning points (at landmarks), the direction of movement on the ground is found using a given azimuth using a compass. In the direction of movement, the most distant landmark (auxiliary landmark) is selected and remembered. If the terrain does not allow this, choose a landmark located closer to the turning point of the route (intermediate landmark), begin to move to the next turning point of the route, while counting pairs of steps (meters, time).

The accuracy of azimuth movement is approximately 1/10 of the distance traveled. Therefore, if, after walking the required distance, you do not meet the indicated landmark, place a sign at the exit point, and look for the landmark by walking around this point in an area with a radius equal to 1/10 of the length of the path traveled from the previous landmark.

Equipment for temporary housing

Before you begin building a shelter, you need to determine its main purpose. To do this, you need to take into account the following factors that influence the choice of shelter type:

Presence of rain or other precipitation;
air temperature;
presence of insects;
availability of materials for construction;
duration of the proposed stay;
quantity and physical state victims of disaster.

If possible, you should try to find a shelter that requires only minimal modifications to use, that is, a shelter created by nature. Using such a shelter will not require much time and effort from you. For example, rocky ledges, hummocks, caves, large crevices, trunks of fallen trees, and snowdrifts can be used as shelter. Such natural shelters require only minor improvements.

It is better to start setting up a shelter before dark, so that by nightfall all the main work will be completed. The optimal size of the area for one person is 2 x 0.75 m.

In the warm season in wooded areas, the simplest shelters can be canopies and huts built from poles or from poles and fabric (Fig. 7).

If there is no fabric or film, then a shelter can be built using only trees (Fig. 8). The spruce branches should begin to be laid from below, like tiles, i.e., so that each subsequent layer covers the underlying one by about half. In this case, the water will roll down from above without getting inside the shelter.

If you find yourself in a swampy or damp place, then the shelter must be raised above the ground (Fig. 9).

When building shelters in winter, you need to clear the ground of snow, and then warm it with fires for at least 4-5 hours (at a temperature not lower than -15 ° C, 2 hours is enough). In any case, never lie down to rest directly on the snow. Be sure to make a good bedding from spruce branches, brushwood or other available material. In winter, you can build shelters using poles, spruce branches and snow (Fig. 10).

Making fire

A fire is needed for cooking, drying clothes, lighting, and repelling insects and animals.

You should choose a place for the fire that is dry, open, but protected from rain and located near water. Flat stones and tightly packed branches can serve as a platform for a fire. The fireplace must be cleared. To be safe, you can surround the fire with stones.

Do not light a fire near dry trees: they may catch fire. In winter, you should not light a fire under large trees: snow accumulated on their branches can fall down and extinguish it.

If the snow is shallow, shovel it and light a fire on the ground. In case of deep snow, you can first make a flooring from damp logs, poles and build a fire on it, otherwise the snow under the fire will melt and it will fall down to the ground. Unless absolutely necessary, do not light a fire in peat bogs. A spark can smolder peat, and the hearth will quickly grow both in breadth and depth (peat also smolders at depth). Such fires are very difficult to extinguish.

Making a fire.

To make a fire, you need matches and firewood. But you can’t light large logs with a match. Therefore, first collect the kindling. The best kindling is birch bark and thin dry twigs. They flare up instantly and are dry even with light rain.

After preparing the kindling, select thicker branches. As soon as the kindling flares up, you need to lay thicker and thicker branches, and then lay thick logs. It is more difficult to light a fire in bad weather when it's raining or snow. Then try to cover the kindling with something. Various artificial flammable materials (plexiglass, paper, rubber) will also come in handy in these cases, if you happen to have them.

Firewood must be prepared in advance in large quantities so that you do not have to walk through the forest at night and collect dry wood. To prepare firewood, it is not necessary to have a saw and an ax: there is always enough dead wood or fallen wood in the forest.

The types and design of fires, depending on their purpose, are shown in Diagram 4, Figure 11 and Appendix 3.

Appendix 3

The simplest fires (hearths) for cooking with minimal fuel consumption

Bonfire "Trench" used for boiling water and cooking food in windy weather in open areas. To breed it, you need to dig a groove of the required length and width (depending on the size and number of dishes). The groove should be located in the direction of the wind and have a wide cone-shaped bevel on the windward side.

Bonfire "Pit" diluting is also easy. To do this, you need to dig a hole of the required depth and width and, if possible, line its bottom with stones.

The main means of making fire is matches. They can be ordinary or special wind-resistant (hunting). If there are no matches, fire can be started using improvised objects, as shown in Figures 12-14.

To extinguish a fire, use water, earth or sand. A fire is considered extinguished if you can touch any part of the fire with your hand.

Providing food and water

You can live without food for several weeks; without water, long-term existence is impossible, especially in hot weather.

Providing food. The need for food depends mainly on the intensity of muscle work and environmental temperature. Food is an important factor in long-term survival, when energy and stamina are needed to the maximum. Therefore, if you find yourself alone in a deserted area, you must follow the following rules:

Take into account the entire supply of food and water you have;
divide the food supply: 2/3 - for the first half of the expected loneliness and 1/3 - for the second;
Avoid excessively dry, starchy or spicy foods and meats;
reduce physical activity: the less physical effort you expend, the less water and food you will need;
If possible, eat hot food regularly: cooking makes food safer, more digestible, and tasty;
carefully look around for anything edible. With few exceptions, anything that grows, walks, crawls or swims on the ground is a possible source of food. This is the meat of animals, including birds, fish, reptiles (snakes, lizards), large insects (locusts, etc.), amphibians (frogs), wild edible plants, edible mushrooms;
For better digestion and absorption of food, chew everything much longer than usual.

Your main sources of food in survival conditions can be:

Emergency food ration;
wild edible plants, algae, mushrooms;
food of animal origin.

There are cases when insects and their larvae, large non-hairy caterpillars, etc. were eaten as food. Often a person experiencing severe hunger refuses food because of its unusualness, unpleasant appearance or existing prejudices. If unusual food makes you feel nauseous and vomiting, you should not forcefully eat it.

Water supply.

A person's need for water during moderate physical activity is 1.5-2 liters per day. Under ideal conditions, we can live without water for about 14 days. However, the conditions in which those fleeing find themselves are far from ideal. There is often a danger of dehydration. Therefore, when water supplies are limited, the daily intake should be divided into 4-8 servings. You need to drink water in small sips, holding it in your mouth.

In forest areas, as well as in the mountains, you can use water from open bodies of water: lakes, springs, streams, rivers. In their absence, rain and dew will help. In winter, snow or ice will help. You can eat snow within certain limits, but taking precautions:

Melt the snow in your mouth until it can be made into a ball or a long stick, then suck on it;
don't eat the snow in it natural form: This causes dehydration rather than quenching thirst;
do not chew pieces of ice, as they can injure your lips and tongue;
You should not eat snow if you are hot, or if you are cold or tired: this can lead to hypothermia.

When extracting water, problems with its purification may arise. Water from springs, forest and mountain rivers can be drunk raw, but water from other sources must be purified and disinfected. Water is purified using filters, which can be pieces of fabric or sand.

To filter water, you can use homemade filters consisting of a wooden tripod with pieces of fabric stretched on it (Fig. 15).

However, such cleaning will only help get rid of mechanical impurities. But water, even clean and transparent, can contain various harmful microbes - pathogens of gastrointestinal and other diseases.

The easiest way to disinfect water in the field is to boil it.

If you do not find sources of water, use every opportunity to get it: collect dew or rainwater, you can collect some water in a plastic bag draped over a branch. Try collecting water using the device shown in Figure 16.

In this way, you can collect from 0.5 to 1 liter of water per day.

Questions and tasks

1. Name the methods of orientation on the ground that help determine the sides of the horizon.

2. In what ways can you determine the sides of the horizon by celestial bodies?

3. In what ways can you determine the sides of the horizon based on local characteristics?

4. What data is needed to move in azimuth? How are they prepared?

5. In what ways can you determine the distance traveled?

6. Why is it necessary to equip a temporary shelter for survival? What factors influence the choice of type of housing (shelter)?

7. What functions does a fire perform? How to choose a place for a fire and build it correctly?

8. In what ways can you make fire if you don’t have matches?

9. Explain why food and water are important for long-term survival in a self-sufficient environment.

10. In what ways can water be obtained in the natural environment? Name methods for disinfecting and purifying water in the field.

11. Name the main sources of food in survival conditions.

Task 4

On solar noon in the Northern Hemisphere, the shadow indicates the direction of:

a) south;
b) north;
c) west;
d) east.

Please indicate the correct answer.

Task 5

Select the correct requirements for the construction of temporary housing from the proposed options:

a) the place should be on the river bank at water level;
b) the place must be on a flat, elevated, ventilated area;
c) the place should be among dead wood that can be used for a fire;
d) there must be a source of water and sufficient fuel near the site;
e) there should be a road or a well-worn path near the site;
f) there should be a platform (clearing) near the camp for sending distress signals if necessary.

Task 6

How should you make a fire? Place the following steps in the correct order:

a) place kindling on the soil;
b) put branches on the kindling;
c) light the fire with two or three matches;
d) prepare kindling and firewood;
e) put logs and firewood on top of the branches;
f) comply with fire safety rules.

Task 7

Indicate the simplest method of water disinfection in the field below:

a) cleaning through a filter made of sand and cloth;
b) cleaning through a filter made of sand, cotton wool and cloth;
c) boiling water;
d) adding potassium permanganate to the water.

Additional material

Every person during his vacation strives to “go out” into nature. These are trips to pick mushrooms, walks in the forest, hiking, bicycle and bus excursions, and other trips.

Communication with nature can, of course, give you a lot of positive things: knowledge of our world, a feeling of being part of it, and reserves for healing.

However, joyful moments can be overshadowed by unpleasant incidents, injuries, poisoning, hypothermia, encounters with dangerous people or wild animals. And this most often happens due to ignorance of the conditions in which you find yourself when going out into nature, and illiterate behavior in emergency situations. About what dangers may await you in natural conditions, how to behave in order to avoid them, what to do to preserve your life and your health, convince yourself that you need to prepare just as seriously for any stay in nature and for organizing recreation, as well as for school classes or exams. And your good mood, your health, and most importantly, your life will depend on the results of passing such exams!

Of course, it is impossible to give comprehensive advice for all occasions, but today we will talk about the basic rules of safe behavior in the most typical situations.

What situation is called extreme?

What can become dangerous for you in natural conditions?

As you already know, dangerous, or extreme, is a situation that threatens human life, health, property or the natural environment. It can arise suddenly and require decisive action from you in the very first seconds or minutes. The faster you get your bearings, make a decision and choose The right way actions, the more chances you have to remain alive, healthy and unharmed. But it is best to learn to anticipate the possibility of a dangerous situation. Then you will try to avoid it or be able to prepare for it in order to get out of it without harm to yourself and others.

You already know how helpless even the most dexterous Indian, who does not know the rules of city life, can be helpless in the city. A modern city dweller may turn out to be just as helpless when he finds himself in natural conditions: alone with fields and forests, and even more so with the taiga, tundra, mountains or desert - if he does not have sufficient knowledge, skills and abilities

It is necessary to remember that in any conditions three main groups of factors have an unfavorable influence on you. Natural factors (climatic conditions: air temperature, snow, rain, thunderstorm, solar radiation, terrain; natural phenomena: hurricanes, storms, mudflows, landslides, floods, forest and peat fires and earthquakes).

Technogenic factors associated with human activity (accidents and catastrophes, water, atmosphere and soil pollution, emissions of chemically hazardous substances into the atmosphere, radiation contamination of the area, restricted areas, disposal sites for radiation or chemical waste).

Social factors that reflect problems and contradictions in relationships between people (military and national conflicts, criminal manifestations).

In addition, we are affected by epidemics, various diseases, injuries, dislocations and fractures, poisoning by plant and animal poisons, bites of animals, insects, snakes, overwork and stress.

Always be aware of the possibility of dangerous situations, be able to anticipate, prevent and quickly eliminate their consequences - this is the real way to ensure safe life.

AUTONOMOUS EXISTENCE OF HUMAN IN NATURAL CONDITIONS

Autonomous existence in nature, for whatever reasons it occurs, seriously affects a person. Thus, meeting even the most common needs in an uninhabited area, for example, food and water, sometimes turns into an intractable problem. A person’s life depends not only on education, professional skills, material wealth, but more often on something else - the presence or absence of bodies of water, edible plants, animals, as well as on air temperature, solar radiation and wind strength. But the main thing is that a lot depends on how a person perceives this situation and how prepared he is to face it, how resilient and skillful he is. After all, people sometimes die from heat and thirst, not suspecting that there is a source of WATER three steps away, freeze in the tundra, unable to build a shelter from the snow, die of hunger in the forest, where there is a lot of game, and become victims of the bites of poisonous snakes and insects, not knowing how to give first aid.

Remember:
The basis of success in the fight against the forces of nature is the human ability to survive. The word “survive” has always been used in a very specific sense - “to stay alive, to survive, to be protected from death.” Survival is understood as active, reasonable actions aimed at preserving life, health and performance in conditions of autonomous existence.

The situation of a person who finds himself alone with nature is also difficult because, most often, loss of orientation is a situation when a person, left in a field, in the desert, in a forest, cannot find his way. And this happens due to the inability to navigate, and if this is accompanied by a sharp cold snap or vice versa, then the situation becomes extreme.

Overcoming Fear
Providing assistance and self-help in case of injury
Rescue of property, food supplies
Establishing communications, sending distress signals
Construction of a temporary shelter
Getting food and water
Orientation in space and time.

I need to calm myself down(auto-training method) analyze the situation, breathing exercises and self-hypnosis have a good effect

The main objective: the rescue.

An example of autonomous existence is the description of the hero’s life in D. Defoe’s book “The Life and Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe”

If a person gets lost in the forest.

Stop, calm down and act according to plan
Determine the sides of the horizon
Mentally go through your route
Set landmarks as you move
Listen (bark, noise)
Climb a tree. Look from above

Remember:
If you go into the forest, warn your parents and comrades.

Survival after an accident.

Any difficult situation is best overcome according to a plan - this is proven by experience, as a result of which people remain alone with nature.

Leave the vehicle
Take a safe place
Assess your condition and surroundings
Check food reserve (clothing, matches, compass)
Make an action plan

Remember:
When leaving the scene of the accident, write a note, put it in a jar and indicate where you went. If you decide to stay, set up a camp, look for food, send distress signals.

Temporary housing

The main task of the home is protection from the sun and heat. Use building materials that are typical for the area and taking into account the direction of the wind.

How to get water?

Human need for water is 1.5-2 liters per day in hot weather up to 6 liters

Find a source of water (at the foot of mountain plateaus, on steep rocks, a swarm of midges can indicate the proximity of groundwater
In the desert using a moisture condenser (up to 1.5 liters per day)
From the stream (determine color, smell, transparency and boil for 3 to 10 minutes)
Desalinate salt water by freezing, collect rainwater, melt snow and morning dew in winter.

Remember:
If you can get 0.5 liters of water, that’s good, you can hold out for up to 10 days. Drink water sparingly.

Nutrition

Food is fuel; if there is not enough of it, the internal reserve begins to be consumed; such reserves are enough for 30-40 days
Stage 1 of fasting: from 2-4 days (maintaining performance)
Stage 2 of fasting: from 30 to 40 the feeling of hunger is dulled, fatigue increases, but the person is relatively able to work
Stage 3 of fasting: 60-70 days the body’s metabolism is disrupted, a sharp depression of the psyche.
There is no place on Earth where you cannot find food.
(hunting, fishing, berries, mushrooms, plants, roots, leaves, flowers, buds)

Remember:
You should not eat plants that secrete white milky juice, anything that smells unpleasant, or anything that is unfamiliar. Try any food carefully for the first time; if after 4 hours there are no signs of poisoning, then the plants can be eaten.

REMEMBER!
It is necessary to have the knowledge and skills to survive in conditions of autonomous existence.
REMEMBER!
The effects of survival stressors can be very strong, so you need to be able to overcome them.
REMEMBER!
In an extreme situation, you cannot despair.

How to find your way to housing

Observation and attention to detail are the main thing when moving through unfamiliar terrain. The path trodden by man, even in the most impenetrable thickets, differs from the animal path, although often animals, especially ruminants, use the human path. The most important difference between an animal path and a human path is the location of the branches. A branch hits you in the face, your belt - get off the path: this is the path of the beast, it will not lead to human habitation. The trails are clearly visible in wet areas of the soil and can completely disappear in dry and rocky areas. The trace of a person or horseman, as well as the trace of a large animal, can be identified without a trail along the sakma.

SAKMA- this is a strip on the ground where the grass and leaves of plants have been crushed, moved by a person or an animal and therefore stand out with their color, often lighter than the surrounding grass and leaves. In small bushes (yernik) sakma is found with leaves turned with the lower (lighter) side up or towards the person walking, and therefore they are clearly visible with their light color. green on a dark green background. Traces of people and animals can be identified by broken twigs, crushed rotten branches, overturned and shifted stones, and pulled moss.

The tracks are worse visible in gravelly deserts, on bare stone deposits without lichens and moss. But even here, a careful look can detect a displaced stone or a footprint on the soft soil between the stones. Finding traces is necessary for the right choice a path, an exit to a populated area, a road, a river, a possible meeting with a hunter, a local resident, or to discover one’s own trace, which indicates senseless walking in a circle.

In winter, the search for footprints becomes easier, as they are clearly visible in the snow. In finding the road to housing, knowledge of the notch system can be of great help. In mountain taiga regions, local residents and hunters cut trees along less traveled paths. The cutting is done with an ax or large knife at approximately chest height. With one blow of the ax, not only the bark, but also part of the wood is removed from the tree in a vertical, oblong section, so the fresh cut stands out as a yellowish spot against the dark background of the trunk. However, if the stone is not fresh, it is more difficult to detect it, although it remains visible even from afar. The notches are made on both sides of the tree; the distance between them can be from 10 to 50 meters, depending on the density of the forest. Where the path branches, the cutting is done on three or even four sides of the tree. The same markings are used to mark parking areas.

Paths with cliffs, as a rule, lead to hunting huts, places where traps are set, and to water. In addition to permanent signs (cuts), there are also temporary ones: a branch or a young tree is stuck across the path, pointing with its top in the direction where people turned off the path; The arrow points in the same direction - a chip stuck into a cut made at the top of a stake or tree.

In the mountains and deserts you can often see tours made of stone or thick saxaul trunks, marking a caravan trail. A branch with a rag or an empty bottle is stuck into such a round. Finding your way in an unknown area without a map is an art that can only be learned through long practice. This art consists of the ability to follow tracks, as well as knowledge of the relief features of various natural zones and the entire geographical environment as a whole. In a monotonous area, a windfall taiga, in mountains covered with dense vegetation, or among endless and seemingly monotonous dunes without noticeable landmarks, it is easy to lose orientation and the chosen direction. In addition, on a flat surface, a person without a guide cannot walk in one direction all the time, but will certainly turn to the right, since the step of the left leg is 0.1-0.4 mm longer than the step of the right.

Thus, in the absence of obstacles, the walker begins to describe circles with a diameter of about 3.5 km. When crossing in any area, you must always imagine the location of the cardinal points and the desired direction. On sunny days in the forest it is easy to follow the direction by the shadows of the trees, and on cloudy days - by local signs. desert, for example, the Sun should always be on a certain side. Clouds rushing quickly in one direction for several hours can also help.

Bivouac

If you decide to stay at the scene of a vehicle accident, you will have to set up a temporary camp. In a camp it is easier to organize reliable shelter from bad weather, search for food, provide assistance to the sick and wounded, and equip means for sending signals. First of all, it is necessary to arrange a temporary shelter, which will be required if you fall behind the group or get lost in the forest, especially if this happens in bad weather or the cold season.

Choosing a location.

The place to build a shelter must be chosen very carefully. There are a number of parking requirements that must be met.
When choosing a place to build a shelter, remember: The source of water can be any fresh body of water, from which water is taken with precautions.
In open areas and mountain valleys, protection from the wind should be given Special attention. It is provided by bushes, trees, hillsides, terraces, and large stones. This is especially important when camping without shelter (hut, canopy, cave).
Any type of shelter is placed with its “back” to the prevailing wind. During temporary winds, the back of the shelter should face the strongest wind.
In the mountains, the wind blows down the valleys at night and up during the day.
If there is an abundance of blood-sucking insects, a shelter is not installed in thickets or thickets of bushes or grass, but in an open place where the wind will drive them away.
Parking under steep mountain slopes or cliffs, on the one hand, protects from the wind, but on the other hand, it poses a serious danger due to the possibility of falling stones, landslides and avalanches.
Parking under large trees is dangerous during storms and thunderstorms.
In mountainous areas, it is not safe to remain at the bottom of dry river beds - sudden rains can quickly turn them into rapid flows of dirty water.
On the banks of rivers, one should also be wary of a sudden rise in water level due to heavy downpours or prolonged rains and, therefore, do not place shelters on a very low bank near the water itself.
During rain, a ditch 5-8 cm deep should be dug around the shelter.
In the desert, it is necessary to choose places covered with vegetation that protects the sand from dispersing.
In the tundra, in swampy and mossy forests, in tropical rainforests, and on wet river floodplains, it is necessary to choose the dryest possible place.
In a very damp place, a platform is made from branches and poles. You can make such a platform on the lower, large fork of a tree, and above it there is a canopy of bark or a coil.
Moss, especially sphagnum, contains a lot of moisture and releases it in large quantities when pressed. Significantly drier is the white lichen - moss (reindeer moss).
The site chosen for parking must be cleared of protruding stones, branches, and excrement of wild animals.
All types of shelters are placed opposite the fire on the windward side.

Construction of temporary shelters.

For construction, you need to prepare everything you need, for example, available materials (cloak-tent, jacket, pieces of tarpaulin) or natural materials (branches, poles, spruce branches).
The most accessible shelter is an awning. Installed at a certain angle to the ground, it will not only protect from precipitation, but will also reflect heat from the fire. The sides will be protected by earth, stones, branches, clothing. In forests, you can often find a tree broken at a height of 1-2 m, which has retained a strong connection with the stump. This is the best option to make for building a one- or two-slope hut. If you have fabric or polyethylene, you will get a pyramid-shaped hut. Such a hut can be made using poles. If there is no fabric or film, then the shelter is constructed only from wood materials. To do this, poles are laid on the tree as a base, in one or two rolls. You can use dry birch undergrowth, which can be easily knocked down and broken by one person. These trunks have practically no branches, which allows them to be laid tightly next to each other.

First they build a roof, for which they make something like a lattice. Now this lattice is covered with spruce branches, branches with dense foliage, hay, pieces of bark - in a word, whatever you find. Lay the roof, starting from the bottom, so that each subsequent layer covers the previous one approximately in the middle. Then the rain will flow down the roof without getting inside. IN rainy weather You can cover the hut with waterproof material, and in cold weather, stretch it inside for warmth. It is very important to insulate the floor: cover it with spruce branches or a thick layer of dry grass, moss, leaves, or a blanket.

Types of winter shelters.

If you are left alone in the forest during the cold season, you can arrange an overnight stay at the site of a burnt fire on the warmed ground. Hunters use this method of spending the night without building a special shelter. Having cleared the area of snow, make a small fire for 2-3 hours (warm-up time depends on the air temperature: at a temperature of minus 10-15, two hours is enough, at minus 25-30, 5 hours are needed). Then the coals are raked to the side. A bedding of spruce branches is laid on the heated place to a height of 1-1.5 meters. Let it warm up (about 30 minutes). After the spruce branches stop floating, you can go to bed. If necessary, you can equip a more reliable shelter. The most reliable and durable winter shelter - IGLOO. It came to us from the Eskimos of the Arctic. To build an igloo, you first need to choose a flat area with dense and deep snow. Loose, fluffy snow is not good. Using a rope and a knife, draw a circle that will determine the size of your home based on the following calculation: for one person - 2.4, for two - 2.7. It must be remembered that the larger the hut, the more difficult it is to build. If there are a lot of people, it is better to build many small igloos.

Temporary shelters in the desert.

Temporary shelters in the desert should protect from the scorching rays of the sun and sudden drops in temperature at night. A primitive shelter can be built from the trunks of saxaul, desert acacia or some other shrubs. To do this, in the sand, in a depression between the dunes, they dig a hole 1.5 meters deep and strengthen its walls with branches. In rocky and gravelly deserts, a shelter is constructed from stone slabs, covered with bush branches on top. When building a temporary shelter in the desert, it is necessary to take into account the direction of the wind. And remember that sudden silence is a sure sign of an impending storm. Rustle and sounds disappear, the desert literally freezes. The feeling of stuffiness intensifies. A small cloud appears on the horizon and quickly increases in size. A strong wind rises. You need to be prepared for this and first of all you need to take care of water and food. At the first gusts of wind, you should use any shelter (stone, bush, tree), lie on your side with your back to the wind and wrap your head in any fabric, or at least cover your face with the fabric. Sandstorms usually short-lived. But even if the wind does not subside for several hours, it is better to wait it out. Do not attempt to continue driving under any circumstances. If in a difficult situation you have taken shelter from bad weather, but cannot make a fire, then burning small twigs, dry alcohol, paper and other flammable materials on stones, in a bowl, or a tin can will help out inside the shelter. This will help raise the temperature in the temporary shelter and warm your hands.

Making a fire

Fire pit.

Before starting a fire (if there are no matches) and lighting a fire, prepare a place for it away from trees and bushes (no closer than 4-6 meters). It is thoroughly cleaned of forest debris: grass, dry leaves. It is even better to remove the top layer of turf, exposing the soil in an area larger than the fire itself, and, if possible, cover this area with stones. This is done in order to avoid accidental spread of fire to dry vegetation, leading to a forest fire. It is very dangerous to light a fire in close proximity to dry grass and dry coniferous forest, where flames can spread quickly even with a slight breeze. A fire lit on peat soil easily ignites the layer of peat under the turf, and it is very difficult to extinguish such a fire, since the flame can appear from the ground only after a few days.

And if there is shallow snow on the ground, you need to clear a place for the ground. Pack the deep snow tightly and make a flooring of damp logs and branches. It is not recommended to make a fire too close to a shelter (hut, canopy). The fire should be on the leeward side and at least three meters away from it.

Making fire.

Lighting a fire in any weather, at any time of the year is a kind of art. Lighting a fire without matches is perhaps the most difficult thing in an extreme situation, since life often depends on the presence of fire. Without experience, it is difficult to light a fire even with a large supply of matches. What if there are no matches? There are several ways using available tools. But before you use them, you should prepare dry tinder, that is, something that can quickly ignite even from a small spark. Finely ground tree bark, gauze, cotton wool, fluff, dry moss, and parts of clothing are used as tinder, which, if possible, are moistened with gasoline.

One of the methods of making fire, often described by the authors of adventure novels, is the use of a magnifying glass, which can be made from 2 watch glasses connected to each other using clay or adhesive plaster, with water poured inside. But this method is only suitable if you have at least two watches, or rather, 2 whole glasses, and in sunny weather.

In tourist and other popular literature about travel and adventure, a method of producing fire by friction is often described. Indeed, it is possible to get fire in this way, but this requires a lot of effort, skill, and it is very difficult to complete the structure itself, consisting of a bow, a drill and a support.

The bow is made from the trunk of a young birch or hazel tree, 1 meter long, 2-3 cm thick, and a piece of rope (how to make a homemade rope and knife is described below) as a bowstring. A 25-30 centimeter pine shelf as thick as a pencil, pointed at one end, can serve as a drill.

The support is made from dry burnt hardwood (pine, oak). It is cleared of bark and a hole 1-1.5 cm deep is drilled into it with a knife, which is covered with highly flammable material. The drill, wrapped once with a bowstring, is inserted with one ring into the hole, around which the tinder is laid. Then, pressing the drill with the palm of your left hand, with your right hand you quickly move the bow back and forth perpendicular to the drill. In order not to damage the palm, a spacer made of a piece of fabric or tree bark is placed between it and the drill. As soon as the tinder begins to smolder, it must be fanned and the kindling prepared in advance must be added.

There are many more ways to make fire without matches, and one of them is with the help of two hard rocks (flint, steel). The fire is struck by sliding blows of one stone against another, keeping them as close to the tinder as possible.

Lighting a fire

To light a fire after receiving fire, you need to have on hand pre-collected and prepared kindling6 birch bark, dry wood chips, rotten wood from a hollow, resinous pieces of coniferous tree bark and so-called “incendiary sticks”, which are made from resinous slivers of coniferous tree stumps. Fuel for the fire is also prepared in advance. The kindling is folded in the form of a small pyramid, at the base of which a small hole is left, into which an incendiary stick lit from a rod is brought in.

After the pyramid flares up, thicker and thicker pieces of wood are placed on top of it - dry branches, dry dead wood. To prevent the fire from going out due to strong wind or rain, it is lit under some kind of shelter: an overhanging stone, a rock. You should not light a fire under tree branches - in summer they can easily catch fire, and in winter snow can fall off them, extinguishing the fire. Good fuel for a fire is dry tree branches, preferably coniferous ones. Small dry brushwood, although it ignites easily and produces a strong flame, burns quickly. A lot of it is required and therefore it is only suitable for kindling. When preparing fuel for a fire, you must remember that large, untouched dead wood (oak, birch) is an excellent fuel for a fire, producing intense heat and a small amount of smoke. This kind of fire is very good for the hearth. Branches lying on the ground are suitable for a fire only in dry weather and in dry places. Tree trunks lying on the ground in damp places are completely unsuitable for a fire, as are dead trees standing in wet places near rivers, swamps and lakes. Above the Arctic Circle, among the low-growing bush vegetation, you can also find dry branches and roots suitable as fuel. It is also used for fires and driftwood (tree trunks thrown ashore), often found in river mouths and along sea coasts.

Fuel should be used sparingly and avoid making large or unnecessary fires. Firewood must be kept in a dry place. IN middle lane they must be covered with large pieces of bark, and in the tropics - with palm leaves. Wet firewood should be stacked around the fire to help it dry out faster. Fuel and kindling for the morning fire should be taken care of in the evening. If constant maintenance of the fire is not required for heating or protection from wild animals, the fire is extinguished at night. In order not to waste time lighting a fire in the morning, you need to sprinkle the coals with ash: in the morning they will still smolder, and lighting a fire will not be difficult if you have pre-prepared wood chips. If rain is expected at night, it is recommended to additionally sprinkle the ash with dry soil and place a layer of leaves on top.

Types of fires, hearths, fire preservation.

Bonfires are smoke, flame and flame. Light a smoke fire to repel mosquitoes and midges, as well as to signal your location. Use a fire to cook food, dry things, you can warm up around it if you are spending the night without shelter. Light a fiery fire to illuminate the resting place, heat food, and boil water.

HUT.

The simplest and most common type of fire. This type of fire is good for both cooking and providing warmth and light to the camp. Increasingly thicker logs and sticks are placed obliquely on the kindling, and a hole is left between them on the wind side. The result will be something similar to a hut. This fire is very voracious and requires constant feeding with portions of firewood; it burns hot.

Short, dry firewood is stacked at an angle towards the center, partially resting on each other. With this design, the wood burns out mainly from above, and the flame turns out high and hot. This type of fire is convenient if you need to boil water or cook something in one bucket or pan. If you need to use several vessels, then it is better to build a well.

WELL.

(logs stacked in a log house) - the most common and simplest type of fire. Gives a low and wide flame. Indispensable if you need to cook food in a large bowl or dry wet clothes. Firewood in which is stacked like a log hut. Place two logs parallel to each other at some distance, and two more across them. This design provides good air access to the fire, and the logs will burn evenly along their entire length. This fire is good in dry weather. In the “well” the fuel burns more slowly than in the “hut” and a lot of coals are formed, which create the high temperature necessary for quickly cooking food and drying clothes.

STAR.

Bonfire of the "Star" type.

An economical type of fire that requires hardwood logs.

The logs are stacked in radii from the center, in the shape of a star.

Combustion occurs predominantly in the center and as they burn, they are moved towards the center.

Good for maintaining a fire for a long time without constantly adding branches. Such a fire is indispensable at night: you just need to move the logs towards the center from time to time.

TAIGA.

The taiga fire is the most convenient for canopies (a log lies along the canopy, 2-4 thinner logs are placed with star-shaped ends on it, on the leeward side opposite the canopy).

As they burn, they are moved; they are also suitable for overnight stays without a canopy.

It is made up of several logs laid lengthwise or at an acute angle to each other.

It does not require frequent addition of firewood.

NODIA.

Nodya - used for overnight stays in cold weather. It is necessary to cut down 3 dead spruce logs with a diameter of about 30 cm, up to 3 m long, and trim them on one side along the entire length. Place two logs side by side, light a highly flammable material (thin dry twigs, birch bark) in the gap between them, then place the third log on top so that their hewn surfaces face one another. The node flares up slowly, but will burn all night and does not require adjustment. Although, if necessary, the heat can be slightly adjusted by spreading or moving the lower logs.

A node can also be made from two logs placed on top of each other. In this case, in order to prevent them from falling, it is necessary to drive a pair of stakes at both ends. It is more convenient to light a log using coals from the fire, scattering them evenly over the entire upper surface of the lower log.

Bonfire with reflector

Bonfire "Fireplace"

Very hot. Good for heating. The intensity of combustion can be adjusted by adding vertical firewood - along them the fire moves higher. The burnt-out lower log is removed and the structure is lowered below. A "fireplace" made of thick logs can be used for overnight stays. Gluttonous, requires a lot of firewood. To build such a fire, two stakes made of raw wood are driven into the ground at a slight angle. The thickest logs are placed on the bottom, the rest on top. The assembled structure is pressed from the outside with another pair of thick, damp stakes. The fire is lit on the windward side.

The tent is placed 1-2 m from the fire.

Safe night fire

This type of fire is designed to keep the fire burning all night with minimal risk of logs falling out. It can be constructed with a heat reflector mounted on one side of the fire. The logs should be laid in such a way that there is not a large gap for air between them, then the flame will be low, and two logs placed inclined at the edges will prevent the fire from spreading.

Pyramid type fire

Place two logs parallel to one another, and a row of logs across - this will be the base. Place smaller logs on top and so on until there are very small ones at the top, on which you place kindling and light a fire. The fire will gradually go down. This type of fire burns for a long time and can be used as a night fire.

Bonfire "Polynesian"

Invisible and produces a lot of coals and ash. For such a fire, a hole is dug, its walls are lined with stones (or covered with clay), and a fire is lit at the bottom. If possible, a place for it should be chosen under an overhanging rock or a dense tree crown - in this case it will be invisible not only from the sides, but also from above. A fire does not require a lot of wood. To ensure that the wood in the fire burns well and does not smoke, you need to dig another hole nearby with a narrow channel to the fire for air access.

Cooking fires

FOMCHS.

In treeless areas - steppe, mountainous and tundra-covered areas, where it is difficult to find fuel and where it has to be saved, it is advisable to build fireplaces from stones, turf and other available materials for cooking. When making a fireplace from stones and layers of turf, the passage between its protrusions, into which fuel is placed, should be wider on the windward side and narrower on the leeward side - this improves traction. To set up a fireplace in the ground, you need to dig a trench 1-2 meters long and 0.2 meters deep. The longitudinal axis of such a trench should be directed downwind.

In extreme situations, maintaining fire is of great importance, especially during daily marches. To do this, a container for storing large coals is constructed from birch bark or sea shells. Small stones are placed at the bottom of such a container and earth is poured (preferably sand, clay is fine), coals are placed on top, which are generously sprinkled with ash, and then with earth or sand.

Trench fire

Dig a trench measuring 30 x 90 cm and 30 cm deep, taking into account that the bottom of the trench should be lined with stones. Light a fire on the rocks. Even if the fire goes out, the stones will remain hot enough to fry food on. A spit placed over the coals allows you to roast meat or fish.

Burrow fire.

Dig a hole about 45 cm deep in the slope of a dense earthen embankment. Stick a stick at the top so that it goes into the hole, and move it slightly to make a chimney hole. Remove the crumbled soil from the hole. This fire is ideal for smoking meat and fish. Light a fire in the hole. In case of strong wind, the hole leading to the fire chamber should be located on the leeward side,

Bonfire "hearth"

In the mountains, where it is difficult to dig a hole, you need to make a fireplace out of stones, leaving a hole on the windward side for air flow. A similar fire can be made in the steppe from cut pieces of turf.

Signal fires

For signaling at night, fires are used, which provide a lot of light; during the day, smoke is better visible, and in winter it is black, and in summer it is white.

Bonfire "Pionersky"

A hut is similar to a fire, only much higher. The longest sticks, which are located on the outside of the fire, should be 1.5-2 meters long. The fire flares up quickly, produces a very high flame, but quickly burns out and falls apart.

Smoke fire

First, make a regular fire that produces a strong flow of rising air, for example, a “hut,” and when it burns well, begin to put raw branches, preferably coniferous trees, and grass into it. As a result, you will get a column of former smoke. To obtain black smoke, it is necessary to use resin, petroleum products, rubber

General principles of medical care

In extreme conditions, a situation may arise when, left alone, you must be able to provide yourself with basic medical care. Loneliness, of course, greatly complicates and limits the possibilities of providing first aid, since you cannot help yourself, for example, in case of shock, respiratory or cardiac arrest, lightning, or a fracture of the base of the skull or spine. All of the listed conditions and injuries in this situation are fatal. However, the outcome of many other injuries and illnesses that arise will largely depend only on you.

In conditions of forced autonomous existence, even if you are healthy, it is important to be able to use self-control methods. Signs of sudden general fatigue are: redness of the facial skin, followed by severe pallor, spotty skin coloring and bluish lips, imprecise, sluggish movements, excessive increased breathing (shortness of breath) and pulse with a slow return to initial values after cessation of physical activity. What should you do if you are unwell or injured and there is no one to help you?

Firstly, with any injury you need to remain calm, no matter how dangerous the situation. Panic destroys the ability to reason rationally and therefore leads to incorrect actions. In addition, a panic state is a loss of precious time, when, perhaps, the issue of life and death is being decided.

When providing first aid to yourself, be sure to follow a strict sequence of actions:
1. First, you need to eliminate the cause that directly threatens your life or further deterioration of your health. If you get caught in the wreckage of a vehicle (car, plane), also in a blockage of trees, in a rockfall or an avalanche, try to get out without panicking, without jerking in different directions, but moving slowly and methodically, trying not to “disturb” the debris, stones, fallen tree trunks.
2. When you feel pain, try to identify it. exact location- this will help assess the extent of the damage. In addition, knowing the source of pain will help you tolerate it more easily.
3. Having got out to a safe place, having calmed down a little, examine the body looking for wounds, places of severe external and internal bruises, fractures.
4. Having established the degree and location of injury, remember the methods of self-help you know.

What should you do when providing first aid to your comrade or comrades who find themselves in a pile of rocks or under the wreckage of a vehicle, or in other extreme situations that lead to serious injuries?
1. Make sure there is a pulse.
2. Turn onto your stomach and clean your mouth (if necessary).
3. Perform artificial respiration
4. If there is bleeding, apply a tourniquet.
5. Bandage the wound.
6. For fractures, apply a splint.

Unacceptable:
* leave the victim in a coma * lie on his back;
* place a bag, backpack, folded clothes under his head;
* carry or transport the victim from the scene unless absolutely necessary (threat of collapse, avalanche, explosion);
* remove fragments or other objects from the wound unless absolutely necessary;
* insert prolapsed organs into the wound in case of penetrating wounds;
* combine bone fragments in open fractures;
* give the victim something to drink in case of penetrating abdominal wounds;
* disturb the victim and force him to move unless absolutely necessary.

It must be remembered that in the first minutes after an injury a person may experience a so-called state of shock.

It can manifest itself in:
* sharp blanching of the skin and mucous membranes;
* emotional and motor arousal;
* incorrect assessment of the situation;
* no complaints of pain even with very serious injuries;
*fussiness and thirst for activity.

Prevention and treatment of diseases

To treat wounds and burns, you can use cedar resin, spruce resin (a resinous substance released when a tree is wounded), and marsh cudweed. Instead of iodine solution, you can use the burning reddish juice of lungwort. Burnet (rhizomes) and tansy (flowers) have an antimicrobial effect. Fresh plantain and wormwood juice stops bleeding, disinfects wounds, and has analgesic and healing properties. This remedy can be used for bruises and sprains, as well as wasp and bumblebee bites. Plantain and wormwood leaves should be crushed and applied to the wound; they contain essential oils, tannins, and substances that increase blood clotting.

Distress Signal Methods

In the absence of a walkie-talkie or pyrotechnic means of signaling (signal cartridges that produce bright orange or bright crimson smoke, small rocket cartridges fired from a device the size of a fountain pen), only the simplest and at the same time fairly reliable methods of sending distress signals are used.

BONFIRE

The smoke of a fire has long been used as a call for help. To give a signal in a timely manner, fuel for the fire is prepared in advance.

It is placed in open places: a clearing, a hilltop, a river spit. The smoke should be thick and black. To do this, after it has flared up, add fresh grass, green leaves of trees, pine needles, and raw moss to the fire. In winter, the fire should be covered from snow with spruce branches.

A permanent signal fire at a stationary camp is lit on some elevated place. It consists of three fires located in a straight line 10-15 meters apart or in the form of a triangle. Thus, three columns of thick dark smoke will be visible at once. You need to light a fire only after seeing a search plane or helicopter, but not before.

INTERNATIONAL CODE SIGNALS.

Geometric figures of the international code are laid out from spruce branches in the snow or by trampling snow, breaking out or cutting down bushes, but always in an open place. Made of stones, such signs will also be visible from the air, but much worse. It is better to make signs at least 6 meters long and about half a meter wide. Only in this case will they be visible from an airplane or helicopter.

SIGNAL MIRROR.

One of the most effective alarm systems! But you must have it!

You can replace the mirror with a piece of bark with a piece of foil from a chocolate wrapper attached to it, or even a well-polished lid from a tin can. From an airplane flying at an altitude of 1-1.5 kilometers, the light “bunny” is detected at a distance of up to 25 kilometers, that is, earlier than any other visual signal. In metal shiny objects used as a signal mirror, a hole is punched in the center for aiming at the aircraft. It is advisable to send the signal beam of the mirror along the entire horizon even in cases where the noise of the search aircraft is not heard. Signals given by shouting, whistling, flashes of light or shots must have a frequency of 6 times per minute with a minute pause, then the signal is repeated again, and so on until a response is received. The response signal (“Call accepted, help is on the way”) is given at intervals of 3 times per minute, also with a one-minute pause. If it is not possible to light a fire or use a red flare or mirror to signal when a search helicopter appears, you should wave a light object against a dark background or a dark object against a light background. A common mistake of confused people who find themselves in trouble (on land and at sea) is to use all signal means, and in particular shooting, at the first sounds of the engine. A signal is a chance for salvation, so you cannot spend all the means of signaling at one time.

Nutrition

Providing household needs.

Making a knife. Of course, having at least a small penknife will solve many problems. What if he is not there? In this case, there is no need to despair. You can always find a way out: it all depends on what natural zone and specific area you are in. If in the mountains, then sharp fragments and fragments of rocky nature, chips of quartz and flint with their hard cutting surface of the edges can be used as a knife. In the forest-tundra and taiga zones, you can just as successfully use chips - chips (flakes) from large coniferous trees that have fallen to the ground. Their wood itself is quite durable; if you burn it over a fire, you will get, albeit not very durable, but a primitive cutting tool that can temporarily solve all problems. You should look for toothless shells in the rivers. Half of such a shell is also a cutting tool. In desert and semi-desert zones, chipped saxaul and turtle shell plates are suitable for these purposes. In order to peel a mushroom or any edible plant, you can use the sharp cutting edge of a sedge leaf.

HOMEMADE ROPES

Ropes and threads are needed for a wide variety of purposes: repairing clothing, making fishing line, dishes, mattresses, devices for carrying loads and much more.
The most common spinning plant is nettle. Dry nettle stems are placed on an inclined log and the fibers are peeled off with the sharp edge of a shell, stone, or wood chips. To avoid getting burned, wrap your hands in clothing. The fibers are washed in water and hung to dry. They are then used to make threads that have great strength. They can be used to repair clothes and shoes. From such threads you can weave ropes of different thicknesses. They braid them like braids.

A similar fiber can be obtained from the stems of fireweed and white clover. For sewing, instead of a needle, you can use a sharpened and polished spruce stick, hedgehog needles, prickly acacia needles, and thorns of various shrubs. They use them, like an awl, to pierce fabric or birch bark, and then thread a thread or birch bark strip into this hole.

Getting food and water

A person who finds himself in conditions of autonomous existence must take the most energetic measures to provide himself with food by collecting edible wild plants, fishing, hunting, i.e. use everything that nature provides. Over 2000 plants grow on the territory of our country, partially or completely edible. When collecting plant gifts, you must be careful. About 2% of plants can cause severe and even fatal poisoning. To prevent poisoning, it is necessary to distinguish between such poisonous plants as crow's eye, wolf's bast, poisonous weed (hemlock), henbane, etc. Food poisoning is caused by toxic substances contained in some mushrooms: toadstool, fly agaric, false honey fungus, false chanterelle, etc. It is better to refrain from eating unfamiliar plants, berries, and mushrooms. If you are forced to use them for food, it is recommended to eat no more than 1 - 2 g of food mass at a time, if possible, washed down with plenty of water (plant poison contained in this proportion will not cause serious harm to the body). Wait 1-2 hours. If there are no signs of poisoning (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, intestinal disorders), you can eat an additional 10 - 15 g. After a day you can eat without restrictions. An indirect sign of the edibility of a plant can be: fruits pecked by birds; a lot of seeds, scraps of peel at the foot of fruit trees; bird droppings on branches, trunks; plants gnawed by animals; fruits found in nests and burrows. Unfamiliar fruits, bulbs, tubers, etc. it is advisable to boil it. Cooking destroys many organic poisons. In conditions of autonomous existence, fishing is perhaps the most affordable way to provide yourself with food. Fish has greater energy value than plant fruits and is less labor intensive than hunting. Fishing tackle can be made from available materials: fishing line - from loose shoe laces, thread pulled out of clothes, unbraided rope, hooks - from pins, earrings, pins from badges, “invisibility”, and spinners - from metal and mother-of-pearl buttons, coins and etc.

It is permissible to eat fish meat raw, but it is better to cut it into narrow strips and dry them in the sun, so it will become tastier and last longer. To avoid fish poisoning, certain rules must be followed. You should not eat fish covered with thorns, spines, sharp growths, skin ulcers, fish that are not covered with scales, lack lateral fins, have an unusual appearance and bright color, hemorrhages and tumors of internal organs. You cannot eat stale fish - with gills covered with mucus, with sunken eyes, flabby skin, with an unpleasant odor, with dirty and easily separated scales, with meat that easily separates from the bones and especially from the spine. It is better not to eat unfamiliar and questionable fish. You should also not eat fish caviar, milt, or liver, because... they are often poisonous.

Hunting is the most preferable and the only way to provide food in winter. But unlike fishing, hunting requires a person to have sufficient skill, skill, and a lot of labor.

Small animals and birds are relatively easy to catch. To do this, you can use traps, snares, loops and other devices. The obtained animal meat and birds are roasted on a primitive spit. Small animals and birds are roasted on a spit without removing the skin or plucking. After cooking, the charred skin is removed and the insides of the carcass are cleaned. After gutting and cleaning, it is advisable to roast the meat of larger game over high heat, and then finish frying it over coals. Rivers, lakes, streams, swamps, and accumulation of water in certain areas of the soil provide people with the necessary amount of liquid for drinking and cooking.

Water from springs and springs, mountain and forest rivers and streams can be drunk raw. But before you quench your thirst with water from stagnant or low-flowing reservoirs, it must be cleaned of impurities and disinfected. For cleaning, it is easy to make the simplest filters from several layers of fabric or from an empty tin can, punching 3 - 4 small holes in the bottom and then filling it with sand. You can dig a shallow hole half a meter from the edge of the reservoir, and after a while it will be filled with clean, clear water. The most reliable way to disinfect water is boiling. If there is no vessel for boiling, a primitive box made from a piece of birch bark will do, provided that the flame touches only the part filled with water. You can boil water by lowering heated stones into a birch bark box with wooden tongs.

Poisonous and medicinal plants and mushrooms

1. Poisonous plants

It is rare to meet a person indifferent to flowers and beautiful herbs growing in the forest. But: some plants are unsafe for humans: some are poisonous, others can cause serious burns. You can be poisoned by the fruits, roots, stems and flowers of plants. Such “poisoners” are henbane and datura vulgare, poisonous aconite, speckled hemlock, barnacle, lily of the valley, periwinkle, adonis, buttercup and many others. Just touching the leaves or flowers of some plants can cause a burn with blisters and difficult-to-heal ulcers on the skin. These include: wolf's bast shrub (forest lilac), blue or large-nosed fighter (monkshood), ash and others. The most the best remedy protection from poisonous plants - do not touch a single flower or shrub if they are not familiar to you.

2. Medicinal plants

In the walnut-fruit forests there is a wide variety of medicinal plants that can be harvested as medicinal raw materials. Examples of such medicinal plants are: lungwort, plantain, valerian, currant, pine, spruce, rowan, bird cherry, St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), chamomile (Anthemis spp), immortelle (Helicrysum samandiga-arenarii), coltsfoot ( Tussilago farfara), oregano (Origanum vulgare), sage (Salvia officinallis), thyme (Thymus serpyllum), golden root (Rhodiala rosea), rose hips (Rosa spp), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), Turkestan hawthorn (Crataegus turketstanika), etc. .

3. Mushrooms

Edible mushrooms

White mushroom, whitish oyster mushroom, pink volnushka, Boletus edulis. giant, autumn string, marsh russula, food russula, forest champignon, common champignon, field champignon. Lactarius necator, Lycoperdon perlatum, Cantharellus cibarius, Boletus granulatus, Boletus variegatus, Kuehneromyces mutabilis, Armillariella mellea, Leccinum scabrum, Leccinum aurantiacum, Xerocomus badius, Lactarius deliciosus, Morchella conica, Morchella esculenta, Verpa bohemica, Gyromitra gigas, Gyromi tra infula, Russula paludosa , Russula vesca, Agaricus sylvaticus, Agaricus campestris, Agaricus arvensis

Less edible mushrooms

Common oakweed, Variegated umbrella, Gray-pink fly agaric, Yellow-brown floater, Gray dung beetle, Violet rower, Boletus luridus, Macrolepiota procera, Amanita rubescens, Amanita fulva, Coprinus atramentarius, Tricholoma nudum

Conditionally edible mushrooms

True breast, White podgrudok, Slender pig, Blue-green stropharia

A favorable outcome of autonomous existence depends on many factors, but the main one is solid knowledge from various fields. It is advisable not only to know how to behave in a given situation, but also to be able to do it, because when the situation becomes threatening, it is too late to start learning.

The thirst for knowledge of the environment is one of the most powerful driving forces, inherent in a person. It is she who makes a person, despite incredible difficulties and hardships, strive for the poles of the planet, climb, risking his life, the highest mountain peaks, penetrate the ocean depths and volcano craters, and storm outer space.

Tireless geologists set off in search of underground treasures, prospectors are laying new routes in the taiga and deserts, sailors and fishermen are plowing the blue expanses of the ocean, a restless tribe of tourists rushes on long journeys along well-trodden and untrodden paths.

It would seem that in our age of technical revolution, when numerous and varied means of protection have been created from the adverse effects of high altitudes and low temperatures, when the technical perfection of air and sea transport ensures the safety of a person in flight and on water, and communication means make it possible to signal for help from anywhere on the planet, travelers, sailors and explorers cannot be threatened tragic fate Georgy Brusilov and Vladimir Rusanov, Robert Scott and John Franklin, Solomon Andre and Roald Amundsen.

But no matter how far technological progress has come, the Arctic snowstorms have not become warmer, hurricanes still shake with their power, ocean storms and typhoons have not gotten any better, and the drying heat of the desert is still merciless.

And it sometimes happens that, by the will of circumstances, a person finds himself in a critical situation in a deserted area or in the ocean, often in extreme, i.e., extremely strongly influencing conditions of the natural environment, “which are on the verge of tolerance and can cause disturbances in the functional activity of the body, putting it on the brink of disaster" (Korolenko, 1978).

In the world press you can read reports about the death of ships and sailors who found themselves on lifeboats and rafts in the middle of a stormy ocean, about careless fishermen carried out to the open sea on a broken ice floe, about travelers lost in the desert, about forced landings of planes in the taiga and the ocean, about tourists in distress in the mountains. A modern search and rescue service has a variety of means to quickly locate, provide assistance and evacuate victims. However, due to the remoteness of the incident site from populated areas and airfields, lack of timely information about the disaster, unfavorable meteorological conditions, failure of radio communications or other reasons, people will find themselves in conditions of autonomous existence for some period of time, i.e. they will provide all their living needs at the expense of available forces and means, without any outside help.

The natural environment and its physical and geographical conditions are important for human life in conditions of autonomous existence. By actively influencing the human body, the natural environment increases or shortens the period of autonomous existence, promotes or hinders the success of survival. The Arctic and the tropics, mountains and deserts, taiga and ocean - each of these natural zones is characterized by its own characteristics of climate, relief, flora and fauna. They determine the specific life activity of a person who finds himself in a particular zone: behavior patterns, methods of obtaining water and food, construction of shelters, the nature of diseases and measures to prevent them, movement around the area, etc.

However, the importance of each issue will be determined by the geographic location of the area.

For example, in the desert, the leading actions will be to protect against dehydration, overheating and to obtain water; in the Arctic, the fight against cold will come first; in the jungle, people’s efforts should be primarily aimed at preventing heat exhaustion and tropical diseases, etc. Experience suggests that people are able to withstand the harshest natural conditions for long periods of time. However, a person who is unaccustomed to these conditions, who finds himself in them for the first time, by chance, as a result of prevailing circumstances, turns out to be much less adapted to life in an unfamiliar environment than its permanent inhabitants.

Therefore, the harsher the environmental conditions, the shorter the period of autonomous existence, the more stress the struggle with nature requires, the more strictly the rules of behavior must be followed, the higher the price that is paid for each mistake.

To maintain his life, a person needs certain conditions: food, water, housing, etc. At the same time, being a member of society, he gets used to the idea that many of his needs are provided by the people around him, that someone is constantly taking care of satisfying him needs, that in any unfavorable situation he can always count on someone’s help. Indeed, in everyday life, a person does not have to rack his brains about how to hide from heat or cold, how and where to quench hunger and thirst. If he gets lost in an unfamiliar city, he can easily obtain the necessary information; if he gets sick, he will turn to doctors for help.

With an autonomous existence in a deserted area, such an everyday philosophy developed by civilization is completely unacceptable, since satisfying even the most ordinary needs of life sometimes turns into an intractable problem. Despite the acquired many years of experience, a person’s life becomes dependent not on the usual criteria (education, professional skills, financial situation etc.), but on completely different factors (solar radiation, wind strength, air temperature, the presence or absence of bodies of water, animals, edible plants).

The favorable outcome of autonomous existence largely depends on the psychophysiological qualities of a person: will, determination, composure, ingenuity, physical fitness, endurance, etc. But they alone are often not enough for salvation.

People die from heat and thirst, not suspecting that three steps away there is a saving water source; they freeze in the tundra, unable to build a shelter out of snow; die of hunger in a forest infested with game; become victims of poisonous animals, not knowing how to provide first aid for a bite.

The basis for success in the fight against the forces of nature is a person’s ability to survive.

In biology, sociology, and economics, this word has always been used in a very specific sense, meaning “to stay alive, survive, be protected from death.”

However, with the development and emergence of the problem of “man in extreme environmental conditions,” this term acquired a different meaning.

Survival is now understood as active, expedient actions aimed at preserving life, health and performance in conditions of autonomous existence.

These actions consist of overcoming psychological stress, showing ingenuity, resourcefulness, and effectively using emergency equipment and available means to protect against the adverse effects of environmental factors and meet the body's needs for food and water.

And yet, no matter how well a person is trained in the methods of life support in conditions of autonomous existence, no matter how perfect the equipment he has, the time during which the body can withstand the effects of high or low temperatures, tolerate the lack of water and food, depends on the speed of changes in physiological functions, on the depth of their violations and the reversibility of processes.

The capabilities of the human body, like all living things, are limited and within very narrow limits.

What are these limits? Where is the threshold beyond which changes in the functions of organs and systems become irreversible?

What time limit can people have when they find themselves in certain extreme environmental conditions? How best to protect humans from the adverse effects of numerous and varied environmental factors?

To answer these questions, researchers went to the Arctic to study the processes of energy exchange in the body at low temperatures in snow caves and igloo houses.

Hiding in the unsteady shadow of a parachute tent, they studied the peculiarities of heat transfer in fifty-degree heat. They walked through the jungle, cutting their way with machetes, climbed mountains, and made their way through the taiga jungle. Scientists more than once went to the ocean, to the tropics, and there, having left the ship, they remained for many days on lifeboats and rafts with limited supplies of water and food. Having temporarily turned into “those in distress,” they experienced heat, thirst and loneliness. Sometimes they balanced on the brink of risk so that every piece of advice, every recommendation had the following message: tested on themselves.

This book is an assistant, this book is an adviser for those who are going on a journey, for those who are on the way, where they can be warned by the unexpected, putting them face to face with nature.

Its chapters were born in a frozen tent at the drifting stations North Pole-2 and North Pole-3, among the hot dunes of the Central Asian deserts, under the canopy tropical forest, on a boat among the ocean expanses. But this book is not only the fruit of the author’s many years of research on the problem of human life support in extreme environmental conditions. It summarizes the experience and knowledge of many domestic and foreign scientists and practitioners - doctors, biologists, geographers, zoologists, botanists, professional rescuers and travelers. In it, as if in a small encyclopedia on survival, the reader will be able to obtain the information necessary for an autonomous existence in any region - in the Arctic and taiga, in the desert and in the mountains, in the jungle and in the ocean. He learns about how heat and cold affect a person, what happens in the body during this process and how to protect it from their adverse effects; about wild edible plants that can satisfy hunger; about how to find and obtain water in the desert; how to build an Eskimo igloo house out of snow and make a fire without matches or a lighter; about poisonous animals and shellfish and methods of treatment for poisoning; about the habits of sharks and methods of protection against attack; about how to navigate by natural signs and much more.

This knowledge will give a person strength and confidence in combat with nature. And if at least one of those who, using the knowledge gleaned from my books, emerges victorious, finding himself face to face with nature, the author will consider his mission accomplished.

Volovich Vitaly Georgievich
“ONE ON ONE WITH NATURE”

Survival in the wild requires a certain base of knowledge, skills and abilities. The larger this base, the easier it is to cope with the most difficult situations. But even in conditions of autonomous existence, it is necessary to have basic ideas of how to survive. However, in this case, a person prepares himself in advance, is familiar with the area, has a certain supply of food (or knows how to get it himself) and necessary things.

Extreme and autonomous survival

Extreme conditions without preparation can lead to the most disastrous outcome, so any advice on obtaining food, fire and fresh water, building a shelter and first aid will be not just important, but vital.

Autonomous conditions, if they do not include an established life, then at least presuppose a pre-selected area, route and navigation skills.

The most important problems, which almost always come into contact with survival in extreme conditions, are:

lack of drinking water;
place to stay overnight;
making fire;
search for food.

You need to be aware of such difficulties and, if possible, prepare for them as much as possible. At the first failure, continue and try to maintain calm and mental balance, which are just as important in extreme survival.

Overcoming fear, self-confidence and other psychological aspects are very important for a person when he is left alone with nature. Even if you have a backpack with a full set of vital things, this is not a guarantee of safety and peace of mind. Autonomous existence can last quite a long time. Supplies will quickly run out, and you will have to get everything yourself.

Survival, no matter extreme or autonomous, requires overcoming many tasks, obstacles, and one’s own fears. And also the acquisition of many more new practical skills, which in the conditions of civilization, a person may not even have suspected.

Essential Survival Skills

Anyone who wants to master this science must have an idea of the basics of autonomous existence. This applies to both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. To prepare in advance for the harsh realities that you will encounter in the wild, you need to master some basics.

Expertise in creating shelter and finding food will be useful to everyone - both adults and children. To know what needs to be trained, it is worth identifying the main points.

Making fire and setting up a fire

To survive in an extreme situation, this skill will help you stay warm and survive any frost. There are many simple and effective ways getting fire using ordinary objects. When teaching a child, it is worth showing him how to use a flint and matches.

– one of the basic survival skills. Foraging for branches and knowing how to light and maintain a flame will help even in the harshest conditions. The basic principle of an open fire is that it will either burn long or hot.

Ability to get water

During extreme survival, the body loses moisture faster. That is why you need to know how to look for and process it. You should not drink any fresh water that you come across along the way - it can contain many harmful bacteria. It is also worth learning a method of extraction such as condensation. extremely important in any situation. If a traveler has several plastic bags, he can wrap the branches of trees and bushes, and after a few hours collect them - they will contain a small amount of liquid.

Orientation

A basic survival skill is . First, you should learn how to use a compass and map, and relate the data received to the real terrain. It's quite simple. In addition to the basic topographical signs and scales, you need to know how the sides of the horizon are determined based on natural features. Surviving in extreme conditions without such skills will become much more difficult.

Knowledge of wild animals

A common cause of disability for people stranded in the forest is injury from wild animals. Often it turns out to be a snake. Here main advice for survival - be careful when passing through forest areas. It is also important to learn the rules of behavior in such situations. For example, you should not throw sticks at snakes when attacking them. This specific survival skill represents knowledge about the behavior of different species of wild animals.

First aid

The most common reason to learn first aid is the risk of finding yourself in a situation where it is needed. This could be injury, loss of consciousness, sudden attack. The main difficulty in training a medic is to develop the ability not to panic. Staying calm can save more than one life. By studying the basics of medical art in practice, you can quickly memorize every movement and act confidently in case of danger.

Creating a Shelter

If the fire is lit, there are no animals around, and first aid has been provided to the victims, you should think about creating shelter. In case of rain, a hut is built from spruce branches and tree branches. You also need to know in what place it is possible to install a structure, and in what place it is impractical or even dangerous. You need to clearly understand what functions the shelter should perform, know the basics and methods of arrangement with minimal effort.

Psychological preparation

Any person can know the intricacies of finding food and starting a fire, be able to build a hut and provide first aid, but in a stressful situation he will be incapacitated due to fear, despair or despondency. All actions must be performed automatically, no matter how extreme the conditions around you may be. This can only be achieved by practice combined with personal example.

Physical training

One of the most important rules and survival skills - to always be in shape. You need to learn to cope with physical activity in advance. To do this, you don’t need to exhaust yourself with daily training - just run 30-40 minutes a day at an easy pace, do 3-5 approaches on the horizontal bar and uneven bars. To teach a child a healthy lifestyle, you need to become a role model for him.

Autonomous and extreme conditions

As for the differences in extreme and autonomous conditions, they are very significant.

The first can also be defined as being in the wild, where there are no familiar or familiar places and structures. Also, extreme survival sometimes includes the nature of surprise (plane crash, accident, natural disaster, natural disaster). Therefore, in this case, the psychological factor of behavior is exacerbated.

Ways of autonomous human survival in nature. Autonomous existence in nature. Rules of autonomous existence

Team of Authors Ways of autonomous human survival in nature

FROM THE AUTHORS

Chapter 1 WILDLIFE SURVIVAL BASICS

1.1. Emergency situations in nature, preventive measures and priority actions

1.2. Factors for human survival in the wild

Voluntary Adventure

Loneliness Factor

Distress call

Nutrition

Location determination

Basics of life safety Grade 10

Lesson 2 Autonomous human existence in the natural environment

Location orientation

Orientation by compass.

Azimuth movement method

Equipment for temporary housing

Making fire

Making a fire.

Appendix 3

Providing food and water

Water supply.

Questions and tasks

Additional material

What situation is called extreme?

What can become dangerous for you in natural conditions?

AUTONOMOUS EXISTENCE OF HUMAN IN NATURAL CONDITIONS

If a person gets lost in the forest.

Survival after an accident.

Temporary housing

How to get water?

Nutrition

How to find your way to housing

Bivouac

Making a fire

General principles of medical care

Prevention and treatment of diseases

Distress Signal Methods

Nutrition

Providing household needs.

HOMEMADE ROPES

Getting food and water

Poisonous and medicinal plants and mushrooms

1. Poisonous plants

2. Medicinal plants

3. Mushrooms

Volovich Vitaly Georgievich “ONE ON ONE WITH NATURE”

Extreme and autonomous survival

Essential Survival Skills

Making fire and setting up a fire

Ability to get water

Orientation

Knowledge of wild animals

First aid

Creating a Shelter

Psychological preparation

Physical training

Autonomous and extreme conditions

Team of Authors
Ways of autonomous human survival in nature

Chapter 1
WILDLIFE SURVIVAL BASICS

Basics of life safety
Grade 10

Lesson 2
Autonomous human existence in the natural environment

Volovich Vitaly Georgievich
“ONE ON ONE WITH NATURE”