Survivorman: Kalahari Desert
Survivorman: Kalahari Desert
The scenario – you’re alone, you’ve run out of gas, you have limited supplies, and you’re in the one of the world’s most treacherous environments. Survivorman: Kalahari Desert, with host Les Stroud, offers a loose guide to extending your stay in a formidable desert without succumbing to the elements, at least not until you feel the signs of heat stroke and dehydration.
Aside from the extreme heat Les has to be cognizant of other dangerous elements. Scorpions from the Parabuthus genus, which includes the world’s deadliest version of an already eerie creature, highly venomous puff adders and the Cape Cobra. Les is particularly weary of the Cape Cobra and repeatedly mentions it as a threat. The sometimes aggressive snake likes to hunt in weaver bird nests, huge communal bird nests that hang relatively low from the acacias and camel-thorn trees that dot the landscape. Being the only shade in this unforgiving environment these trees are a good choice for shade, but a poor choice for avoiding deadly snakes.
With extreme temperatures ranging from 149F on the surface of the sand and 107F in the shade to 44F at night battling the elements can take not only a physical toll on the body but the psychological effects can be your downfall. Fortunately, preparation and experience help Les slog through his visit while offering up a few kernels of knowledge to the viewer. In particular, the search for water becomes informative as it is imperative to him because his stay is scheduled for seven days but he only has a four day water supply. In light of this, Les gives us four desperate ways to attempt to collect water. He assembles a urine still, a plant still, a rain catch, and he chews on the bitter but watery root of a local plant called hemsbok.
A Survivorman episode wouldn’t be the same without some sort of animal trap or snare. Unfortunately, there are no desert hares or fuzzy rodents running around for Les to nosh on. His target, the very deadly scorpions he is so worried about every time he sits by his fire (Les tells us that scorpions are attracted to fire). Six succulent scorpions become Les’s unusual kabob snack along with a huge ostrich egg (a gift from locals).
On day six Les has had enough. Suffering from dehydration headaches and nausea Les tells us he is walking to the safety crew camp. He’s somewhat apologetic to the viewer for not staying the full week. No apologies necessary, I’d say you stayed about five and half days longer than most of us could handle.
Learning with Les
Tidbits and tips from the episode Survivorman: Kalahari Desert
• Cape Cobra bites are usually fatal without treatment
• Deathstalker and Fat-tail Scorpions are among the deadliest in the world
• The placement of the sun and stars took Les some getting used to (he’s from the N. hemisphere)
• Drink one gallon of water a day in extreme heat
• In intense heat, sit still in the shade during the day
• If possible, make a weapon, such as a prong-headed spear for peace of mind more than anything
• Make a tightly woven fire bundle, use fuel and oil from the parts of the truck (if possible) to make fire easier to achieve
• To cool down quicker, moisten your carotid arteries, and wrists to bring down your core temp.
• Crossing the terminals on a truck battery with metal offers a good spark to start your fire bundle
• Make a mound to rest on because scorpions don’t like to climb up the sand (snakes are another story)
• There are many animals that live in the Kalahari
• Locusts are “surprisingly” tasty
• Breathing in too much alkali dust can cause severe nosebleeds
• Hemsbok plants have an unusually high water content in their root system
• Weaver birds build large communal nests – and are difficult to spear
• To trap a scorpions – build a little deadfall just outside its nest with a container for it to fall in – which looks like a slit in the sand near rocks or vegetation
• Cut off the stingers of scorpions before eating them – the venom is not harmful to humans if digested unless you have ulcers
• You can cook eggs in the hot sand near your fire
• The underside of a soda pop can is good for magnifying the sun to start a fire – just polish it up with chocolate (it’s the wax in the chocolate that does the polishing)
• The convection of the hot wind sucks the moisture out of you more than the heat alone
• Don’t eat millipedes they contain cyanide
• You can get water from your urine by making a solar still – dig a hole and put a container in it – pee around the container (not in it) and cover the hole with plastic or a material that won’t soak liquid – make sure that you arrange the cover so that any liquid that condenses on the underside of it will drain down into the empty container
• You can get water from plants – wrap part of the plants leaves with a plastic and tie off one end – essentially the same process in a solar still works here but – water yields vary
• Eating a large meal after days without adequate food or water can cause nausea
• Never enter the desert without a multi-tool and plenty of water
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