In a lot of survival situation, the fate of the person or persons depends on one thing and one thing only – energy access. This might be a strange concept, but when any scenario is taken into consideration, energy can make the difference between life and death. Here is why – food is energy, just like transportation, shelter or almost anything else. Getting nutrients means providing the body with the right energy. Using principles that allow for easier movement or using improvised vehicles like rafts means that a person in a survival situation will spend less of their energy reserves.
The same goes for shelter – the better the cover from the outside environment, the more a person will save up their bodily energy reserves. A fire, which is a form of energy release, will help in any survival moment with cooking, warmth, and protection. Thanks to this, every survivalist has to realize that surviving in a challenging situation is all about the ability to gather energy and save themselves from expanding it wastefully.
Yet, at the same time, every survival situation on the face of the planet has an element that provides a constant and endless stream of energy. This element is the sun. Our star allows the Earth to be habitable and without it, this world would never evolve life as we know it. Aside from giving warmth and light, the sun’s rays can be used for a range of things and many of them could prove indispensable in survival setup. What is even more important, most of these can be attained without any special equipment or hardware. In other words, using the sun is a thing any prepper has to be fully informed about. To help with that, here is a list of potential uses of the sun in a survival situation.
1. Purify Water with the “SODIS” Method
Fresh drinking water might seem abundant in many remote and inhospitable regions, but many fail to realize that it is often bacteriologically unsafe. A range of bacteria in otherwise clear-looking water might provide a person with a range of problems, especially things like diarrhea. Fortunately, the sun can help with that. SODIS, which stands for Solar Water Disinfection is a way of purifying water with nothing more than a clear plastic bottle, something that is ever-present in the modern world. The SODIS method works by filling up a PET bottle with water and leaving it in direct sunlight for six hours. The sun’s UV-A rays will kill any germs in the water, including viruses, parasites, and bacteria. What is even better is the fact that the principle works even at low temperatures, because the rays do all of the jobs.
2. Cook Food with a Solar Oven
A solar oven is a very simple device, but one that fully shows how the sun’s rays can be useful. It is basically a well-isolated box that features a clear top lid, either from plastic or glass. This lid allows the sunlight to shine through it and heat the interior of the box. During prolonged exposure to the rays, the interior will continue to heat up and reach a temperature where it can slow-cook almost any kind of food. Having a solar oven is something that can resolve a prepper cooking needs in any environment.
3. Evaporating Water from Plants
With nothing more than a clear plastic bag and direct sunlight, a plant can produce water. This is achieved by placing a bag on a green branch and allowing the sun to slowly heat up space and the water will begin to evaporate from the leafs. The humidity will then be caught by the bag and it will slowly trickle down into its lowest part. This method can take several hours to produce a significant amount of water so you might want to setup multiple bags at the same time if you use this method.
4. Orientation with Sun Rise and Sun Set
While this use of the sun is not connected to energy expenditure, its proper use can save a lot of otherwise wasted energy for anyone in a survival situation. Essentially, the sun is a great celestial element for orientation and this is particularly true for the location where the sun rises, which represented east and the place where it sets – west. With these two bearings, anyone will be able to find north and south as well. This way, they can find a way out of their predicament.
5. Starting a Fire
Sun’s rays are so powerful that they can start a fire easily. To do this, you only need a way to harness those rays into a focal point. This can be done using things like a magnifying glass, but also a range of other improvised means. For example, reading glasses can be used for the same purpose, but also a polished bottom part of an aluminum beverage can or even a clear plastic bag filled with water. It might sound unbelievable, but these bags can act just like lenses and result in a proper fire.
6. Drying Meat to Preserve it Longer
Just like with a solar oven, using the sun to prepare food is a tried and tested way in survival situations. With the process of drying meat, you don’t need any other form of device except for a wooden rack where thin strips of meat will be placed in direct sunlight. Here, the idea is to quickly take out the moisture out of the meat and this way stop any bacteria or mold from growing on it. While on the rack, the meat strips should be turned regularly for an even drying process. If the situation allows, a small and smoky fire below the rack will further improve the process of sun drying.
7. Generating Energy using Solar Panels
Last option uses the biggest need for external devices that cannot be improvised, but also provides the most impressive results. A solar panel can generate electric energy with the power of the sun. This energy can then be used to power communication devices or anything else, which can be lifesavers for a stranded person or group. Today, there are many forms of solar power devices that are both efficient and compact. Many come in the form of durable gadgets that can survive things like falls and hard bumps. Having one of these is essential for anyone who wants to have power anywhere on the planet.
With these proven uses for the sun in a survival situation, anyone can get an immense help from the biggest natural source of energy.
