• A person stranded and struggling to survive needs to consider the real choices of what resources he needs. While particular locations in the world would require more of one resource than another due to weather, five essential resources could help a person make it back to safety. Some resource needs are immediate, others are more important for long-term health.
  
  

Water

• Humans need water to survive more then anything else besides oxygen, according to Discovery Health. While a person could survive for possibly up to a week without water, the side effects he would experience include nausea and diarrhea, lethargy and eventually shock. If a person is stranded in a new place, the symptoms will be even more dangerous as he will be even more confused about surroundings. Not just any water will do, either. Humans need fresh water to survive. Salt water will actually increase the rate of dehydration because the salt takes water away from the cells.
  
  

Food

• Some experts believe humans can go up to eight weeks without food, according to Discovery Health. People who go on hunger strikes can often last weeks without food. In a situation where someone is stranded, though, the side effects could be disastrous. Because a person stranded somewhere needs to find shelter and be aware of surroundings, experiencing weakness, confusion and hallucinations could be very dangerous.
  
  

Shelter

• Stranded in a new place without any idea of the weather patterns or wildlife means shelter is an essential resource. Whether the area is cold or rainy or hot and sunny, humans will need a place to go for protection from nature's elements. In a possibly weakened state, humans will also want to find a place where animals cannot attack.
  
  

Clothing

• Clothing is an essential resource for humans when trying to survive. Clothing can help protect against the cold and hypothermia. It can also provide relief from the sun and prevent sunburn. When stranded in a new environment trying to survive, accidentally touching an unfamiliar plant or being bitten or stung by an animal can be deadly. Clothing can serve as a barrier for the skin if any of these plants or animals is around. It can also help to stop mosquitoes from biting.
  
  

Contact

• A lack of human contact can cause negative effects in people. Though no human contact probably will not kill someone, it could be torturous. As social creatures, humans need interaction with others in order to help stimulate the brain. Without this human interaction, a person may find it difficult to assimilate back into society later. Assuming that the person survives and finds her way back to safety, she may initially go into shock and have trouble eating. Studies done on monkeys and observations of prisoners in solitary confinement suggest that interaction is an essential element of survival, according to a report in the New Yorker.