Bush survival

What if you find yourself in a situation outside your comfort zone? All you've got are a couple of sandwiches, a bottle of water, a mobile phone with no signal and a compass you got last year in a Christmas cracker. How would you survive? Dr Andrew Rochford finds some answers, thanks to help from Nick Vroomans from Staying Alive Survival Services. Nick is one of Australia's leading survival experts.

Survival school: priority one — shelter

The bush is a tough environment, so what's the first thing we should think about? Well, if you're anything like Andrew, it would be food. But according to Nick he's got it all wrong.

"Water and food are the last priorities of survival," Nick says.

So what is the number-one priority? Shelter.

"What we need to do is build a framework and then we'll put some greenery over the top and it'll keep a shower off," says Nick.

Why is shelter such a high priority? Well, don't make the assumption you'll get rescued before nightfall — the cold will kill you long before hunger or thirst, that's why staying warm and dry is so important.

Andrew's shelter is sorted, but it lacks one finishing touch — a bed.

"Laying on the ground is the worst place to be. In a hot environment it's going to sap all that strength out of you and the water out of you. In a cold environment, the same sort of thing, it's going to be damp and you're going to get very cold. So making a bed, and a comfortable bed, in a survival situation is absolutely key to providing yourself some shelter," says Nick.

The more material between you and the ground the better off you'll be.

Survival school: priority two — rescue

We've already built a shelter, so what's the next priority? Getting the hell out of here!

To be found, you've got to be seen. First, you need to put down some ground signals that are visible from a distance.

"We've just grabbed logs that were available in the area and we made a giant V shape," says Andrew. A V shape is the international signal for assistance required.

Next you want to build a fire — that's a signal fire, not a bush fire, so do it in a clearing. Pile up a tower of logs and fill it with kindling. The key thing is to light it fast, which is why you need to have a smaller fire nearby. This is all assuming, of course, that you've brought a lighter or matches with you.

Nick: What I've done is I've quickly made you a torch so we can transfer the fire from here to here. Now, how long do you reckon we've got if we hear an aircraft coming towards us?
Andrew: Not long.
Nick: Not long at all — less than three minutes, usually.

Adding more greenery generates enough smoke to rise above the tree canopy and can be seen for miles.

Of course, to be rescued, someone needs to know you're missing, so always tell someone your plans if you're going bush — where you're headed and when you expect to return.

Survival school: priority three — water

Water from creeks may be natural but it isn't pure. It could be full of bacteria that will upset your insides — so don't drink it unless you've got purification tablets. So how do you get a drink? Nick has a cunning plan thanks to a water transpiration bag.

It works very simply — you put the bag over a nice green branch and tie it off, then tie off another small pouch at the bottom. The branch will get so hot it sweats; water pours out through the leaves and collects in the pouch. Well that's the theory anyway.

Nick's magic bag's been doing its thing for a couple of hours during a typical Queensland summer's day at about 27-28 degrees. Amazingly the bag has managed to produce a good quantity of drinking water in just two hours. In fact a water transpiration pack can yield up to six litres of water in a day — and it's safe to drink.

Survival school: priority four — food

Humans can survive for about three weeks without food, which is why it's the last priority for survival. Plants are the easiest way to get nutrition, but Nick says you need to know which plants are poisonous.

"If we're looking for toxic plants, one of the things that you need to check for is anything that's got a milky sap … one of the other rules for toxic plants is unless you know what it is, unless you really know it's a mushroom, then you shouldn't eat it because usually fungus is going to be toxic."

So you've got to be careful what plants you eat. But what about a nice juicy bug? It's got to be a protein snack right?

Andrew: So I'm eating a bug?
Nick: Yeah give it a go.
Andrew: Okay, I can do this — I think. Here goes.
Nick: Only idiots eat bugs mate.
Andrew (spitting the bug out): What the hell was that? It grabbed onto the roof of my mouth, I'm going to spew.

Many insects can actually be eaten. In fact they're a good source of protein — but you need to know which ones.

Thankfully Nick's found something a bit more appetising for Andrew to try, some berries. Trouble is we don't know if they're poisonous. So here's Nick's three-step edibility test:

• Step one: smell it. If it smells of peaches or almonds it's poisonous.
• Step two: skin test. Put some juice on your wrist and mouth to see if it causes a reaction.
• Step three: taste just one. If you don't get any vomiting or diarrhoea after four hours, it's edible.

A handful of berries may not look much but you can survive for weeks on very little food.

Conclusion

So there it is — survival is all about doing things in the right order: get shelter, let searchers know where you are, then find water and food.

So before you head out, make sure you tell someone where you're going, grab yourself a real simple survival kit and it might be a good idea to wear something appropriate. But if, heaven forbid, you do find yourself lost, try not to panic — the most important thing you can do is stay calm.

Fast facts

• We all know water is essential to survival, but is it safe to drink your own urine? No. Urine is sterile, but it's also acidic and toxic and may make you even more dehydrated. However, if you're really parched and desperate, you can swill it around inside your mouth — just don't swallow!