Some of the survival techniques are inventive and accurate, but most of it is pure hokum. It's been known since the 1940s that rationing food and water does no good. He shoud have stayed out of the sun as much as possible, even to digging into the sand to keep cool.
shareWhy in the world does rationing food and water do "no good"?
"The value of an idea has nothing to do with the honesty of the man expressing it."--Oscar Wilde
You don't know what you're talking about. Rationing helps to maintain minimum levels of strength and hydration. And he would have been able to get more water from cacti whenever he found them by moving around. Also, if he'd stayed out of the sun, he probably never would have been found alive. Instead, he started walking (with a hat and clothing for protection against the sun) until he found the cabin.
It is better to be kind than to be clever or good looking. -- Derek
Actually, 'cacti' do not contain as much water as the movies/TV make it look. In the SW USA, very little if any.
Also, Ryans character complained about the sand and rocks tearing away at the skin on the palms of his hands - he never thought of taking off his socks first before leaving. They aren't gloves but they are certainly better than nothing ...
You are incorrect. In the Mojave desert, where the film was both set and filmed, there are plentiful barrel cactus, which usually contain enough fluid to survive on.
The barrel cactus contains a wet meaty interior, like an apple. If you cut it open, you can squeeze out the juice (don't eat the pulp). This should only be done in a life or death situation, and only if you know what a barrel cactus looks like (it has pink or red thorns that are curved like fish hooks). Barrel cacti look a lot like young saguaro (which has straight white thorns); never cut open and try to get water out of a saguaro. To get by the thorns of the cactus, bang them away with a rock. Cut the top of the cactus off and use a stick to mash the inner pulp. If the juice is milky, find another cactus in which the fluid is clear.
The fluid tends to be somewhat alkaline, so it might cause mild diarrhea. But if you're not stranded for too long, you should be able to survive. Filtering the liquid through clothing can remove some impurities that irritate the bowel. You can correct the diarrhea once you get to civilization.
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A. Einstein