Deserted Island: Three things to have

A deserted island is certainly not a place to be. But still, there’s a possibility that one
day, I might be stranded on one. If I was stranded in a deserted island, the three things that I
would like to have to feel safe is a Swiss Army Knife, a good book and a hammer.

On a deserted island, there is only one priority: Survival. To stay in such a place, I
have to learn to survive. On an island, I am not the only thing living there. There are animals
of all sorts. In short, it’s hunt or be hunted. To survive, I have to find the most important
things: food, shelter and water. So, it is essential to only bring things that can lead me to these
basic necessities.

A Swiss Army Knife is indispensable. To get food, I need weapons for hunting. The
blade of a Swiss Army Knife can help me sharpen branches for spears. I can also improvise
by creating a bow and several arrows. They can help me hunt from afar, making hunting
easier. I can also make a net using stray palm fronds. That way I can harvest the abundance of
the sea through fishing. The palm fronds can be knitted with help from the aforementioned
knife.

For food, the knife can also help in slicing meat and gutting fish. Fires can be built too
with the knife. I have to do as the old times- making fire from wood. Using two sticks rubbed
together, I MAY create a fire strong enough to cook food. Then again, I may have to resort to
my eyeglasses to act as magnifying glasses. Why must I live in the Stone Age anyway?

For shelter, the Swiss Army Knife is still useful. The built-in saw in the knife can help
me cut through bamboos and palm fronds. With these things and some strands of stray palm
fronds, I can construct a sturdy shelter to protect me from storms, or at least the worst of it. I
can also combine the properties of the various aspects of the Swiss Army Knife to create a
safe haven from animals. I can dig a pit using a ‘spade’ (half a coconut with a bamboo/branch
shaft) and stick sharpened bamboos/branches into the ground, effectively creating a death
trap for any carnivore stupid enough to attack me.

As for water, the Swiss Army Knife is useful in more ways than one. A person cannot
drink water ‘raw’. One has to boil water before we can use it as a thirst quencher. To do this,
I can use my knife to hack a coconut in half, remove the flesh for food, drink the water, and
begin fashioning a bowl out of the coconut half. Then with this makeshift bowl, I can take
water from a stream or if I must, the sea. Another way of obtaining hydrogen hydroxide or
water is through well digging. With my ‘spade’, I am able to dig a well for access to water.
But this is not all practical since digging a well may result in contaminated water, but it can
also help by shortening the time needed to go to a nearby stream.

I can also create clothes from the skins of animals. By using this knife, I can skin
animals and by using a thorn and some palm fronds, I can do some simple sewing to make
myself comfortable. This also gives me something to do, instead of loafing around.

On hunting, I may also use less open methods and resort to sneakier attacks such as
trap building. I can fashion ropes from vines and pulleys from tree trunks. As stated earlier, I
can fashion fish nets out of palm fronds, so it seems to me that by combining these three
things, I can built a trap.

Besides the points highlighted above, I can also defend myself if some natives attack
me. The knife, as stated earlier, can help me to build an arsenal of weapons. In case of an
ambush, I can also take the knife out to defend myself. On adventures, I can safeguard my
house from natives through intricate traps. If they lay siege on my house, I can make the traps
into more lethal traps. So you see, a knife is practical and useful in a deserted island.

Now, for the reason why a good book is needed for survival. Many castaways go mad
since their sanity is deteriorated by the lack of latching to reality. To them, reality is but a
fragment, and they have slowly degraded themselves into savages. To survive, I need my wits
about. I cannot afford to have my will broken, but I can have my will bent. Having a book
keeps me on track of reality, gives me something to think about and gives me a hinge to
reality. A perfect book to read is “Lord of the Flies”. This book describes how teenagers
survive on a deserted island. This book, I am sure, will provide me insight on survival as well
as entertain me on lonely nights. Another suitable book is “Robinson Crusoe”. A castaway in
an island, this book gives an example of survival. Highlighting my earlier point, having your
wits about to survive, Robinson Crusoe has a companion, giving him someone to talk to, and
keeping his wits about.

Another example of a book that is useful to me is the His Dark Materials trilogy. This
is a complete book and no longer has any surprises left. I would not recommend having a part
of any series with you as the suspense will drive you mad. This book is my favorite and no
matter how many times I read it, the book still has information in store.
 A hammer is another indispensable item that I would bring to a deserted island. I can
break huge rocks easily by using a hammer. I can then use the said rocks as weapons to either
hunt or defend myself from afar. A hammer is useful as a melee weapon in case of native
attacks. I can also throw the hammer towards something to vent my rage.

Another use of the hammer is to break coconuts. I understand that coconuts are hard
to break, and you can use a rock to break it, but why not use a hammer? A hammer is the
modern tool for breaking open objects! And since I have an empty slot, why not bring a
hammer?

I can combine two items, namely the hammer and the knife in fashioning new items. I
can chop trees by embedding my knife on the tree, then using a wedge system with the
hammer as the main force to chop it down.

Another thing that can be done with a hammer is smelting. I can forge simple metal
weapons with a hammer and the necessary ore, if I can find it. I have to just heat the ore until
it is red-hot and hammer it into shape. I can make arrowheads to replace the sharp points on
the arrows, make an axe to help my lumberjack duties and most importantly, I have a chance
of making metal bowls, which can help in conducting heat and making boiling water easier. I
can also use the possible bowls to cook, using animal fats as my oil and a stick as my spatula.
This, added with a few cups of coconut cordial (fermented coconut), will make a perfect
castaway dinner.

Other than these three objects, three more things to have are alertness, creativity and
common sense. These three things can help one survive a deserted island. One has to be alert
at all times, in case of wild animal attacks or native ambushes. One also has to be creative in
creating objects. Most importantly, one has to possess common sense. Never eat poisonous
plants, never touch anything brightly coloured and most importantly: Never harass the
natives.

With these three mundane objects and the three mental talents, I am sure that I can
survive my 3 month castaway on a deserted island.