What’s the Minimum Amount Of Water Needed To Survive?

Let’s face it, running courses and spending time in the outdoors in Britain, there’s no shortage of water…..In fact we take it for granted!  But what about more Arid conditions such as the Desert, Being out at sea or even Arctic conditions?  How much water is required to keep the human body functioning when in Survival mode?

Water loss factors are very much dependent on external and physical factors such as the environment you are operating in (both weather conditions and terrain), and your physical output and fitness levels. The fitter/healthier you are the more efficient your body is at retaining and assigning H2O.

A breakdown of the mechanisms for water loss in the Human body is thus:

• 600ml lost through urination (per 24 hours)
• 400ml lost through the skin (per 24 hours)
• 200ml lost through exhaling (per 24 hours)

It should be noted that the above is a figure for an average sized man whilst resting. If a survivor where to find themselves in a situation where water was scarce they would obviously become dehydrated and the rate of urination would drop, for arguments sake to 500ml<. This leaves a rough figure of 1 Litre or 32 ounces to keep the average human alive whilst resting in a temperate environment.

Keep up to date with our blog for more offers on our Bushcraft and Survival Courses in Scotland and North East England – We feature discounts and competitions regularly.