The Ultimate Water Survival Guide: Simple Step-By-Step Manual on How to Find, Harvest, Treat and Store Water for Self-Sufficiency Off-The-Grid

Introduction

You’d never know the relevance of something until it is gone. We have probably heard this statement a million and one times, but then, we don’t even understand its relevance until the situation plays out. Have you ever imagined a scenario where the material or experience in question is water?

I had never imagined the scenario of water being gone. I didn’t see myself imagining this until one day; I went on a research expedition with some of my friends. The journey happened in one of the hottest and driest places, and indeed we planned for that. However, we didn’t expect our water supply to be enough.

Two days into our five-day adventure into the woods, our water supply reduced to almost nothing. Every minute, our throats progressively felt paper-dry, and we’d gulp water like our lives depended on it. Well, now that I think of it, our lives did depend on it. I remember pouring almost half a gallon of water all over my sweaty face. My mind wasn’t even on the water.

My mind remained off the issue until my campmates and I discovered we had only a gallon of water left. I remember how we’d looked at one another, significantly worried by the looming doom. We didn’t find a stream or river for three days. I remember feeling weak and irritated. My research buddy had come down with a fever too.

Those three days constituted the worst nightmare of our lives. We didn’t even remember our research! We instead ventured on a search for water. Now, this doesn’t have to happen to you. This book has all the details you need to avoid getting dehydrated, regardless of your situation. I really cannot wait to share with you my ideas and discoveries.

Let’s get started!

Chapter One

Dehydration

Dehydration is what you feel when you don’t drink water for a specific timeframe. You should note that drinking water regularly replenishes what is lost via urine, sweat, etc. So, when you lose more fluid than you are drinking, your body’s water levels begin to drop and the effect is that the normal functioning of the body is disrupted. There could be electrolyte imbalances and many other problems, which will be discussed later in this text.

Mild cases of dehydration start after about twenty hours and it could be less if the weather is hot. Some of the symptoms that come with this include the following;

The severe cases start after about three days. You certainly don’t want to experience this feeling. The saliva in your mouth grows thick and then becomes almost non-existent. Then, your gut feels so hot as if it could crack open. Let’s not start with how weak you’d feel all through your body. Check out these other symptoms;

Dehydration affects people differently. For example, the following people may get dehydrated faster than people with normal body conditions.

The reasons for variation in how dehydration affects individuals could also be due to factors like the weather, humidity level, high altitudes, the extent to which the individual undergoes stress or physical activity, etc.

Conditions Related to Dehydration

The existence of certain conditions can be linked to dehydration. Below is a list;

Heat cramps: A painful yet brief muscle cramp is one of the worst things ever to experience. The muscle jerks involuntarily and could happen while you are at work or while exercising.

Heat fatigue: This is more like an illness after exposure to specific high temperatures. This fatigue usually occurs in two forms. One is water depletion; the symptoms include general weakness, headache, loss of consciousness, etc. The other form is salt depletion, comprising symptoms like nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, dizziness, etc.

Heat stroke: This condition must be attended to immediately. In hospitals, heat strokes are termed emergency conditions. It occurs when the body temperature system fails due to lengthened exposure to the sun. As a result, the body temperature climbs to a degree as high as forty-one degrees Celsius. The issue about a heat stroke is that it affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) too. The other symptoms include seizures, disorientation, coma, etc.

Seizures: Seizures occur due to involuntary contractions of muscle fibers. The reason for this is due to an electrolyte imbalance in the body. These electrolytes include Potassium and Sodium, and they regulate specific processes like message signaling, etc. When the water levels are low, the electrolytes become imbalanced, leading to failed electrical transmissions. This issue could even lead to death.

Reduction in blood volume in the body: When there is a decrease in the volume of blood, the result is that the blood pressure drops. There is also a reduction in the amount of oxygen in the blood. And when that happens, the tissues and cells in the body can’t get adequate oxygen diffused to them.

Cerebral edema: Edema is a term used to describe swelling. Cerebral edema means the swelling of the brain. How does this happen? When a dehydrated person tries to take water, the cells in the body try