Surviving in the wild without any equipment is extremely challenging, but the following tips can help increase your chances of survival: ### Finding water sources - **Observe plants**: - Some plants can indicate the direction of water sources. For example, in arid areas, if you find trees with well-developed root systems such as willows and poplars, they usually grow in places with groundwater, and you can dig near them to find water sources. - In addition, where water-loving plants such as reeds and calamus grow, you can often find water sources. For example, these plants are often found in wetlands and riverbanks. If you look carefully along the areas where they grow, you may find streams, ponds or shallow wells. - **Animal tracks**: - It is possible to find water sources by following animal tracks. In order to obtain water sources, many animals will regularly go to fixed water sources to drink water. Observe the footprints left by birds, wild animals, etc., and look in the direction of their movements to find water sources. - For example, ants often line up in a long line and move towards the water source. Following the ant trail may help you find the water source; in addition, observing the mud prints, hair and other traces left by animals at the water source can also determine the location of the water source. - **Use natural phenomena**: - In the early morning, water vapor in the air easily condenses into dew on the surface of low-temperature objects. You can place some clean stones, leaves, etc. on the ground, wait for the dew to condense, and collect it as a water source. - If you have a plastic bag, you can also open it and hang it on a branch, and use the bag mouth to collect the water condensed from the surrounding air. - In coastal areas, you can also get fresh water by collecting salt frost left after the evaporation of seawater. Put seawater in a container and let it evaporate naturally in the sun. When salt frost appears at the bottom of the container, scrape off the salt frost, rinse it with a small amount of clean water, remove impurities, and you can get relatively pure drinking water. ### Find food- **Plants**: - The fruits, rhizomes, and young leaves of some plants can be eaten. For example, brightly colored and sweet fruits such as wild strawberries, mulberries, and raspberries can be eaten safely in the ripe season; wild vegetables such as dandelions, shepherd's purse, and purslane are rich in vitamins and minerals and can be eaten directly after washing, but be careful to distinguish them to avoid accidentally eating poisonous plants. - The roots and stems of some plants can also provide food. For example, kudzu root is rich in starch. It can be dug out, washed, cut into small pieces, and roasted or boiled on the fire. The bulbs of lilies are also edible, but they must be thoroughly cooked before eating to remove possible toxins. - **Animals**: - You can catch some small animals for food, such as insects, snails, frogs, etc. Insects are rich in protein. Common edible insects include locusts, crickets, ants, bees, etc. After catching them, remove the wings, legs and internal organs, and cook or roast them before eating. - Snails and frogs are also edible, but be sure to cook them thoroughly to kill possible parasites and germs. When catching snails, you can look for them in wet grass or under stones; frogs generally live near water or in wet places, so be careful not to harm protected frog species when catching them. - If you have the conditions to make simple traps, you can also try to catch some small mammals, such as hares and squirrels. For example, you can make a simple lasso trap with branches, vines, etc., place it on the path where animals often appear, and wait for the prey to take the bait. ### Build a shelter - **Use natural materials**: - You can find some big trees and build a simple shelter with them. Use the tree trunk as a support and build a sloping roof with branches, leaves and other materials to protect against wind and rain and prevent heat loss. - Or use the surrounding rocks and choose a leeward and dry rock crevices as a shelter. If the rock surface is not flat enough, you can use leaves, hay, etc. to make it more comfortable. - In places where there are no big trees and rocks, you can use branches to build a tent-like structure. First, insert several longer branches into the ground to form a frame, then use shorter branches to cross and fix them on the frame horizontally, and finally cover it with leaves, thatch, etc. to form a simple shelter. - **Consider the terrain and environment**: - Give priority to building shelters in places that are higher, dry, flat and sheltered from the wind. Avoid building in low-lying areas, riverbanks, valleys and other places that are prone to floods, mudslides or strong winds. - If there are rivers or streams around, consider the changes in their water levels and build above the flood level to prevent being submerged. At the same time, pay attention to the surrounding environment and avoid building shelters in places where there is a risk of falling rocks, near wild animal nests, or where snakes and insects are present. ### Making a fire to keep warm - **Drilling wood to make fire**: - Find a dry hardwood stick as the drill rod and another softer stick as the base. Dig a small groove in the base, insert one end of the drill rod into the groove, and rub it quickly with both hands.