18 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2019]
› Above: It can be
tough to prioritize
enough sleep when
you are fighting
to stay alive, but
it needs to be a
consideration in your
planning. A lack of
sleep can adversely
affect your judgment
and precipitate
disaster.‹ Just because it
is cold out doesn’t
mean that your
water requirements
have dropped. It is
hard to get excited
about drinking cold
water when you
are already chilly,
but the symptoms
of dehydration can
be insidious in cold
areas.sleep. Such episodes can exhibit very sudden
onset and result in accidents. Forcing the body
into abnormal sleep cycles due to shift work,
standing watch or air travel can exacerbate
the manifestations of sleep deprivation. A
fun fact is that death results faster from
sleep deprivation than food deprivation. The
longest anyone has ever gone without sleep
and lived is 11 days.POINTS TO PONDER
The human body is a most remarkable ma-
chine. To operate at peak efficiency, this ma-
chine requires fuel, water and rest. Deprive the
machine of any of these critical components
and performance predictably deteriorates. In
a scenario wherein performance is critical to
survival, attention to these three vital com-
modities can make the difference between life
and death.
A modest amount of the right kinds of foods
can keep the human machine operating ef-
fectively for long periods. Eat small quantities
at regular intervals when supplies are tight.
Plan your survival load-out to include sensible
shelf stable foods that require a minimum of
preparation. If time and facilities allow, then
freeze-dried Mountain House meals provide
a nice mix of protein, carbs and fat in a form
that will last 25 years if left unopened in a
cool dry place.
Water is bulky and heavy, but a proper water
filter is not. I have gone weeks living in the
Alaskan bush with nothing more than a water
filter and natural sources for hydration and
thrived. Drink in modest quantities throughout
the day and be mindful of environmental con-
cerns. In hot weather you need more water.
In cold weather you still need plenty of water
even if you don’t feel thirsty. A Camelbak
water carrier is the best piece of survival gear
since the match.
It is easy to prioritize sleep out of your sched-ule when life goes sideways, but you will have to pay that sleep deficit back eventually. Sleep
deprivation is not something you can just bulldoze through. Be mindful of your body’s cyclical
sleep requirements and try to devote at least 90 minutes to each sleep break if at all possible.
Maintain the machine properly and it will perform at peak efficiency. Understanding the science
and physiology behind how our bodies respond to chronic stress can better prepare us for surviv-
al. Plan, perform and survive.GOOD SLEEP HYGIENE
- No ca eine after lunch
- Nothing to drink after supper
- Try to devote at least 90 to 110 minutes to a nap to take best advantage of your natural sleep cycle.
- Try to work either days or nights if possible. When swapping from one sleep cycle to another,