Dehydration

You lose water throughout the day. Peeing, sweating and vomiting all cause water to be removed from your system. The average person loses a couple liters of water a day.

Failing to replace the water you're losing will eventually lead to dehydration.

It only takes a day or two for the effects of dehydration to be felt. Losing just 5 percent of the water in the body leads to weakness and fatigue. Any greater than 5 percent and you're risking doing permanent damage as your cells begin to dry out.

If you wait until you're thirsty to drink, you're already well on your way to being dehydrated. Drink small amounts of water at a time throughout the day to stay hydrated. If you're low on food, drinking more water can help stave off the effects of starvation.

Intense heat or stress will dramatically up the amount of water you lose—and subsequently have to replace. You may need up to 25 liters of water per day just to survive in an arid climate.

Always drink when you're eating. You need water to digest your food.

If you have limited water and no way to get more in the near future, you're going to have to ration your water. Try to predict how long the water you have needs to last and determine how much water you can drink per day. Spread the ration out throughout the day. Don't give in to temptation to down the whole container at once. You'll be sorry once it's gone and it isn't going to make you feel any better.

Here's a tip you probably aren't going to like, but may save your life in a pinch. Save your pee if you suspect you may find yourself without water. You can buy yourself an extra day by drinking your urine.

The problem with drinking urine is it puts the same toxins your body is trying to get rid of right back into your system. Within a day or so, your kidneys won't be able to handle the concentration of the toxins and will give out. This should only be used as a last-ditch effort to stay alive.

A victim who is showing signs of going into shock or is delirious may be suffering heatstroke. This occurs when the body is no longer able to regulate its internal temperatures because it's been allowed to overheat for too long.

Your first and foremost goal when treating heatstroke is to cool the victim down. Douse them with water. If no water is available, use urine. Make the victim drink a lot of water. If vomiting occurs, make them drink more to replace the lost water.