Desert Survival in the Context of a Zombie Apocalypse

Introduction

In the case of a Zombie Apocalypse; a desert seems like a fairly safe place to lay up due to its low population density and abundance of natural obstacles, which can either hinder or assist in evasion. With a little experience and research it is possible to survive in the desert, making use of the land to your advantage so as to increase your chances of survival despite the seeming lack of water, food and shelter. In this brief article I will attempt to give some brief pointers on how to survive in a desert scenario. For the purpose of this article I will only be considering survival in arid deserts, as cold deserts are another scenario entirely.

Preperation

The first consideration that needs to be made in desert survival is adequate preparation. There has already been much discussion on this site as to BOB's and many good suggestions have been made. Despite this wealth of information I will still include my own suggestions as to what is important to bring into an arid environment:

1. WATER!!!: as much as is possible to take with you, the containers you carry this water in will also be invaluable as they will serve as your long term water storage.
2. Extra clothing: It gets cold in the desert, especially at night, and extra clothing can be useful to retain body heat
3. Food: Long lasting food, such as freeze dried energy bars and military ration packs are great for such a scenario
4. Sunglasses, sunblock, hat with a brim, lip salve: Exposure to sun can cause eye discomfort, pain, and temporary blindness. Sunburn is unhealthy and uncomfortable.
5. Knife: A small folding knife is sufficient. Bowie monsters are appropriate for hunters, fisherpersons, and assassins.
6. Waterproofed matches and fire starter: Chances are if one needs a fire most, it will be cold, wet, and windy. Fire ribbon, candle stubs, or fuel tablets will aid in starting a fire under adverse conditions.
7. First aid kit
8. Torch and extra batteries: A small hand-held light is adequate.
9. Map and compass: If possible these are invaluable for ensuring that one does not become separated from their own base of operations
10. Whistle and/or mirror: To signal to other members of your group
11. Large plastic bags, tarp, or emergency space blanket: To build a shelter and collect water
12. A small spade or entrenching tool

In an extreme survival situation, often small things such as insect bites, scratches, and sunburn are left untreated, and often can accumulate and result in death or incapacitation of a person. Thus it is important that even something as trivial as band-aids are included in a BOB.^v

Conservation of Water

Water is your most valuable asset in a desert, and as such your first thoughts should be for conserving as much water as you can. The largest loss of water in the desert is through sweating, and as such it is important to ensure that sweating is kept to a minimum while in the desert. There are a few simple ways to prevent excess body heat.


Firstly, try to only move long distances at night when it is cool. Not only will this help prevent sweating but it will also assist in dealing with the cold, which I will address later. Secondly, during the day wear light, loose and breathable fabric and stay as still as possible, resting in shade. This will greatly decrease the amount of water needed for drinking. If you are in an area during the day without shade, continue moving until you reach shade. Resting in the sun can be dangerous as the temperature at ground level due to both the direct radiation of the sun as well as the reflected radiation of the ground and the conduction of heat from the warm surface of the ground is so hot, it can literally cook you. Finally, do not smoke or drink alcohol, eat small amounts of food, and during the night only, drink enough to sate your thirst, no more. If you follow these basic suggestions the amount of water consumed will be greatly lessened.ⁱ

Finding Water

As mentioned above, water is your greatest asset in the desert, and you will need to replenish your supplies regularly. Here are a few tips for finding water in the desert. Firstly, look for water indicators; these are plants that only grow near permanent water sources. These plants often have larger, greener leaves than surrounding plants and have long taproots that go deep into the soil. However, water indicators vary much from region to region and it is a good idea to research what plants are water indicators in the area you are planning to use. Secondly, the terrain itself can lead to water. A large cliff or upstanding rock often collects water in damp sand at the base. Dig in damp soil or sand and wait for the hole to fill with water. Furthermore, springs are often found at the contact between different rock formations. A cliff with a band of differently coloured rock which has an area of thickly growing plants near the contact point probably has a seep or spring. Finally, animals can lead you to water, so a large number of tracks heading towards a single point can indicate an open water source. Further to this, water can be "manufactured" by way of either a solar still or a vegetation still. Both these have been covered in other articles on the site and as such I think there is no need to rehash this material. ⁱ

A final note on some of the dangers of water in the desert needs to be made. Firstly, cactus do contain water, however it is in the form of a mush that needs to be strained before drinking. Furthermore, water obtained from cactus often causes vomiting and or diarrhea, thus completely dehydrating the drinker. Secondly, do not consider all water from springs and streams to be pure. If possible all water found in the desert should be purified. This is done by boiling for one minute or by use of commercial iodine or chlorine tablets. Desert soils contain heavy minerals such as selenium and poisonous compounds such as cyanide, and it is possible for these to collect in a water source. Distrust any water which is devoid of plant and insect life, which has animals bones nearby, or which has an encrustation of minerals around the edge. Just because water is in a spring does not mean it is safe or pure. Finally, don't attempt any method of collecting water if it is overly strenuous, as you will waste more water sweating than you gain from the water you will find.^vi

Transportation

If you are going to be using vehicles in the arid desert there are two suggestions that I can make. Firstly, attempt to use a vehicle with broad tires, as more narrow tires will not dissipate the mass of your vehicle and can result in you getting bogged. Furthermore, it is important to make sure that your vehicle's tires are fairly new, as the extremes of temperature in the desert can wreak havoc upon the integrity of pneumatic tires. If possible get non-pneumatic tires; although they aren't as comfortable for riding in they won't sustain as much damage in extreme heat conditions. If, instead of driving or riding you decide to walk, there are two small pointers that can be suggested for helping you 'beat the mind-games'. ⁱ


Firstly, instead of examining your entire route as a whole and thinking "there is no way I can make it that far, that fast in that terrain," break it up into small achievable legs with designated rests. A good way to do this is on the fly, challenging yourself to reach certain terrain features in the distance so as to give you a visible goal. ⁱⁱ

Dealing With Heat and Cold

The elements can be the biggest killers in a desert survival scenario and as such it is important to recognise the effects of both heat and cold, as well as how to treat element induced ailments. Exposure to heat can cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke, where the body struggles to maintain its core temperature. Symptoms include: Vomiting, headache, restlessness and / or loss of consciousness. Furthermore, people experiencing heat stroke will stop sweating and have a high temperature and may lapse into a coma. The best way to deal with this is to place the victim immediately in the shade, stripping off as much clothing as possible. If water is available use it to cool the person and if possible immerse the person in tepid, not cold, water. If untreated, heat stroke can result in brain damage.

The cold can be just as deadly as heat. If a person is not adequately protected from the night air they can often succumb to hypothermia as the cold leeches their body warmth. Symptoms can include: shivering, loss of coordination, confusion, and in severe cases the person will stop shivering, become rigid, lose consciousness and die from heart failure.


To treat hypothermia a shelter should be set up if this is possible. Wet body clothing should be removed and replaced with warm, dry clothes. It may be necessary to build a fire to dry clothing and provide warmth. The victim must be warmed from outside sources; when the body is no longer producing heat, placing the body in a sleeping bag or other insulative materials will do no more good than placing a rock within. A most effective method is person to person contact. Warm stones or bottles full of warm water may be used if care is taken to avoid burning the skin. The best way to treat hypothermia is to avoid it, so remember to make use of extra clothes and to avoid sleeping in direct contact with the ground of a night time so as to prevent the ground leeching warmth from your body.ⁱⁱⁱ

Plants and Animals

Plants can supplement your diet while in the desert if you know what is poisonous and what is not. A few simple rules to establishing whether a plant is poisonous: Plants with milky sap should be avoided. White berries should never be eaten, and red berries are poisonous about half the time. Unless you're an expert in fungi, do not eat mushrooms. When encountering a possible new food source the following procedure should be followed.^vi

• Cut/crush the plant matter to be eaten and rub it on a small patch of skin (e.g. the underside of the wrist)
• If after one hour no ill effects, cut/crush the plant matter to be eaten and rub it into a patch of sensitive skin, preferably on the lip.
• If after one hour no ill effects, cut/crush the plant matter to be eaten and put the matter into your mouth, swill it around and spit it out.
• If after one hour no ill effects, take a small section of the plant matter to be eaten and swallow it.
• If after 24 hours no ill effects the plant matter is safe to be consumed.

Animals can be used to supplement a diet; however, they are often hard to catch and prepare. Almost all animal meat is good to eat as long as it is prepared well. As a general rule smaller animals are generally easier to kill and prepare. As such one can make a noose with fishing line or string and lay this around the entrance to a burrow. When the animal emerges it may be possible to snare it. A loose tangle of fishing line by a waterhole or by scattered seeds may trap birds. If one carries a gun, it may be possible to kill small game such as rabbits. Usually a handgun is not useful for this purpose; a handgun was not designed to hunt anything but humans. In this case it is important to weigh up the importance of using ammunition to kill game as opposed to using ammunition to kill zombies. A good idea for supplementing ones diet for protein is insects, the best of which are crickets and hairless grubs, but avoid grubs with hair as some can be poisonous.^iv

A final note on animals which can be dangerous to humans: don't stick your hand where you can't see it! If you stick your hand under a rock, log or into a crevice you are just asking to be bitten by something poisonous (or even a very crafty zombie) and as such it is important to always move an object to look under it rather than just shoving one of your appendages into an unseen dark spot. Most poisonous animals will not attack you unless provoked, and as such if you keep alert (which you should be for zombies anyhow) you will avoid the dangers of such animals. Finally, always shake out your boots and groundsheet before packing up and moving, as this will dislodge any creepy crawlies that have made your belongings home. Although I have never found anything doing this, it does give yourself some peace of mind when putting your shoes back on.^vi

Conclusion

Having taken the above points into mind when entering a desert survival scenario you will be much better prepared for living within this seemingly hostile environment in the case of a Zombie Apocalypse. You should be able to make use of the terrains natural benefits to survive, whilst staying away from densely populated cities and towns. Just remember the basic rules of arid desert survival: prepare well, conserve your water and don't stick your hands where you can't see them. On a final note this article is meant to be an introduction to arid desert survival, and many great books and resources exist out there if you want to improve your knowledge base. Despite this wealth of scholarly knowledge the best way to learn is to experience the desert environment through hiking groups, camping trips or adventure tours, so get out there and learn as much as you can. Remember, prior preparation prevents poor performance.

Bibliography

1. Australian Army: Land Warfare Procedures - General LWP-G 0-2-4
2. RMC-D War Fighting Wing Battle Book - 2009
3. P. Mike, Active First Aid - 2006
4. 'Yank' Levy, Guerrilla Warfare, Penguin Books - 1941
5. A. Stilell, Crisis Survival - 2010
6. M. Woodruff, The ABC's of Desert Survival - Date Unknown