What Would You Take to a Desert Island?

Posted by: Josef Essberger

5 things. That’s all

You have to stay alone on an uninhabited desert island for a year. But you can take five things of your choice (no animals).

What five things would you choose to take with you and why?

uninhabited (adjective): without inhabitants; with nobody living there
desert island (noun): a small tropical island in the middle of the ocean, usually uninhabited

Please leave your comments below :)

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Posted by Josef Essberger July 2015
Contributor: Josef Essberger, founder of EnglishClub. Originally from London, England, Josef is the author of several books for learners of English including English Prepositions List and Learn English in 7.

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79 comments

• God says:
  

  I will take my ps5 and ps4 and ps3 and ps2 and ps1 I will take my laptop and a gaming PC and a iPhone and a wifi router and a tower and logo and games

• Carlis says:
  

  I would bring
  -Water
  -A knife
  -A gun (with ammo)
  -food
  Many books

• Ashaz Khan says:
  

  I will take:-
  My family
  Network
  Food
  Games
  And most importantly,PS5

• ellee says:
  

  id bring food and a tent

• Olivia says:
  

  1.my friend
  2.books
  3.first aid kit
  4.food
  journal

• Jon says:
  

  A single jar of cheeseballs

• Hackeem says:
  

  I take BIBLE. It provides sustenance and sexual gratification.

• Jesus says:
  

  I will bring the heaven!

• lol says:
  

  I would bring citty

• alfonso the baus says:
  

  … a heavy mashingun
  a flame thrower
  the hole city including peersons
  goose

• alfonso the baus says:
  

  i would take
  potatos
  toaster
  and why not the 21 guy

• alfonso the baus says:
  

  i also would take a monster pusi cat

• alfonso the baus says:
  

  i would take a banana

• Sônia says:
  

  Well, I will take: a tent, a sleepbag, a pill to clean water, fishing pole and a many books =)

• metalgearsolide1 says:
  

  First I would take the desalination machine for water
  2.i would take a boat and instrument to fish
  4.a tent
  5.a tool to light the fire to eat

• soli says:
  

  I would take a Wi-Fi internet.I can connect to the internet wirelessly. Second, I prefer getting a cellphone because I can call with my families. I could use a computer. Additional I should get a UPS for my computer. Finally I get a water because I can keep my life

• Agba Dajin says:
  

  I will take with me The Holy Quran and source of illumination. Water. Food. To relax, tent. Weapon. So kept alive even for a few days.

• NAIF says:
  

  I will take knife, pistol,stick, some clothes in case of cold and lighter lets go now …

• Adaline Bala says:
  

  I will take:
  big sack full of rice
  Cooking pot -Because I can cook some rice and eat every day. May be I will try to catch some fish to cook with that
  Match box/lighters- For fire
  Solar power water purifier- For water
  Tent -To rest
  So I got food, water and a place to rest. I will survive

• ibrahim says:
  

  Coran (holly book), hook, food, water & books

• Tumpal Hutapea says:
  

  I will take :
  1. gas lighter,
  2. knife.
  3. satelite handphone
  4. Clothes
  5. Book

• Shilan says:
  

  its an unbearable place to go, so if i take something, i accompany with one of my friend just for pleasure

• banga says:
  

  whith my laptop,i’ll learn english,when i’m thusty i drink water that i brought.tent is so important for the rest and sleepping,the torch will help to light in night.the food is also important because i don’t know if i’ll what to eat there.

• banga says:
  

  I’ll take my laptop,the bottle of water,a tent,a torch and food

• Syawal says:
  

  I will take
  1. The most beautiful woman to coming with me.
  2. Big expensive boat with all facility in there.
  3. Hugh Tent
  4. lot of Johnny walker
  5. Map with compas

• idris says:
  

  just with my camel

• Adekemi Okunade says:
  

  Bible, water, food, touchlight, and knife.

• Daphny says:
  

  Well, i tink i will take water, seeds, lighter, knife and a laptop with a solar battery.
  First of all i need survive, so the seeds and water are very important in my rest days in the desert island.
  Then the lighter and knife are necessary in the life.
  For the laptop,i will use it write diary,record my mood.

• Akshata says:
  

  I will take – water purifies, gas lighter,fishing kit,tent,knife.

• Tis'ah says:
  

  I will take mukena for pray, meal, drink, cloths, and the important one is handphone :D

• Soraida says:
  

  I will take water, seeds, rope, knife and lighter in order to survive the rest of my life. I will drink some water and water the seeds for the plants. It will be my food, my hut and air. The rope, knife and lighter will be used for hunting, fishing and cooking. I wish I could be alive with these stuffs more than a year.

• RALAIARINORO says:
  

  Thank you . It’s very intersting topic. I would take 5 things to desert island. First of all, I would bring with my Bible.

  Apart from that, something for eat and drink: water and a piece of bread
  and clothes to change and especially my phone because I coudln’t live without listening songs that’s why I’ve never separated mith my phone.

  Living in a desert island is good if you take it as an adventure time but not live foraver.

• ♪♪blessing♪♪ says:
  

  i will bring my Bible,because i have the answer for everything on it. tent for shelter, lighter to make fire,to warm my body, beside i can’t eat raw meat or fish. Knife or something that can be use to cut or sharp thing, it has many functions. clothes and shoes i won’t be naked there even if i stay alone there.

• Sunho says:
  

  I would take five things below to spend a year alone in the island.

  1.Many many books- in order to cope with loneliness I would read a lot of books therefore I would definitely need as many possible books as I could bring with me.
  2.Satellite mobile to contact my family,my wife and my kid,on occasional basis to let them know that I would be still well and I am well
  3.Cooking equipments – Foods are one of the essential parts to survive regardless where I am so there tools will help me get fed with convenience
  4.A note book and pencil or pen – I will record my daily happenings in the journal in order to publish after I come back from the island
  5.A tent – I will most of time reside in the tent for sound sleep during the night so possessing a robust tent is essential without a doubt.

  I haver thought I would live in an island for a year but it would be so fun and challenging to do the task only by myself. But it would perhaps be the most memorable time entire in my life course.

• Beneteta says:
  

  Wow mee…Am off to a desert island for 365 days with five things only!

  These five lucky things will have to be:

  1. My English Bible of course – to read from
  2. A diary with 365 pages – to record each day’s event in
  3. A camera to take photos with
  4. A small saucepan to use when cooking food and to rest my head on
  5. A canoe to use after my 365 days have passed!!!

• Sylvet says:
  

  1. Cellular Phone w/ spare battery and power bank
  2. Water
  3. First Aid Kit
  4. Matches
  5. Chocolates

  I think these would be the essentials needed for a few days getaway.

• min says:
  

  I would bring:
  matches for food preparation and Bon fire.
  drinking water good for a year, a knife, a bible,
  a water repellent tent and blankets

• Zafar Iqbal says:
  

  1. A book: the Holy Quran – in English!
  2. Seeds.
  3. A Matchbox.
  4. An Axe.
  5. And a lot of YARN. (shelter, fishing, storing, all in one!)

• Ahmad says:
  

  1/mirror,for sending signals because search parties Will be looking plane. 2/plastic raincoat for collecting water at night. 3/tent for protecting from sunlight. 4/compass to know direction 5/knife for cutting anything for eating

• patsy says:
  

  I would take a guitar so as to make songs and spend that time much better
  I would take record palyer to record my songs
  I would take a knife to cut the branches of the trees to set fire
  I would take a lot of nuts to feed myself
  and I would take a big net to catch fish

  written by Joaquin (a student of mine who is a guitarist player and singer of pop music)

• Vicky Llorente says:
  

  I will take water, food, a sheet, a radio and a cellphone

• Johnny says:
  

  1. A knife. It will be really useful there.
  2. The Bible. I think it’s the best book I can take with me. Never going to be tired of reading it.
  3. A photo of my daughter: She’s extremely important in my life. It’ll give me hope.
  4. My laptop with a solar battery. I know I won’t have any internet connection, but it’s going to be really good to have it with me during that year.
  5. A good pair of shoes. They’ll be really useful.

• Michel Sanon says:
  

  I would take the following:
  1) A water treatment machine (It would allow me to obtain fresh water from the surrounding ocean)

  2)First-aid kit (in case I get injured or sick)

  3)A set of cooking materials (that would enable me to cook whatever I could catch on or around the island)

  4) A fishing kit (its purpose is so obvious)

  5)A big knife (which would allow me to cut and shape different things according to specific needs)

  I hope my choices will allow me to survive.

• Yanitary says:
  

  I wish, I was on desert island!!!!

• M ZAHIDUL HAQUE says:
  

  I will prefer to take:
  1. Water in light plastic containers with water purifying tablets to control dehydration due to low humidity and temperatures.
  2. Emergency blankets to be cozy at night when temperature goes down to freezing point in deserts.
  3.Dry foods.
  4.Medical kit plus some emergency medicines
  5.Signalling mirror, fires to sought help at helpless situation

• Josef says:
  

  Shakeel. I love the pics!

• Shakeel Ahmed says:
  

  Well, I would like to take some significant things with me which I’m going to tell you .
  1. Knife 🔪, to use when I need.
  2. Tent is essential that should be rain proof.
  3. Enough meal to have for one year.
  4. My mobile and laptop 💻 bcz I love ❤ to listen music, and study too, so I have enough material in my phone 📱 and in my laptop 💻, that can fulfil my both needs, and there should be fully amenities to charge laptop and mobile.
  5. A torch 🔦, that I’ll use at night when I need to look at something.

• Alfonso says:
  

  Greetings!. I would take a hammock for resting in a high place, a machete for cutting trees and making a haven, a crossbow for hunting, a big pot to boil water and a flint spark lighter for making fire.

• Edwige says:
  

  If I had to stay alone one year on a desert island, I would take matchsticks or something like to make fire; I would take a photo of my children to warm my heart; I would take a guitar to heal my soul from loneliness; I would take a machete as it would help a lot in building a shelter, find food and produce other useful tools; and the fifth thing I would take would be a notebook to write down my daily routine on the island.

• Hoang says:
  

  I will take: laptop, mobile phone, book, clothes, knife.

• Sum says:
  

  I would like to answer that i will take
  1 Food and water for one year because everyone need it for living
  2 tent contain blanket and Interesting English book
  3 crop seed for doing farming because one year is suitable for planting.
  5 I will take ship with oil for getting ride and coming back home.

• Arta says:
  

  1.water 2. a camera 3.book 4.fishhook 5.lighter

• Piroska says:
  

  I often think abaut how fantastic would be to get rid of all the everyday
  problems and to stay alone on an uninhabited desert island for a year.
  We have a lot of things what make our life comfortable.
  It would not be easy to find out what things would I choose to take with me.
  I would like to live there far from the problems of our world so I leave
  my computer,my radio at home.
  I would like to sit under a tree and listen to the birds,to swim in the ocean.
  What I need there:

  1. a tent with a parasol
  2. a lot of tinned food with kitchen tools.
  3. a water purifier.
  4. my favourite English books.

  On this island I would learn how few things are enough to survive the problems.
  5. a life jacket in case of danger

• Oluremi-babatunde says:
  

  I will take my bible, a lantern with oil, water purifier my a blanket and a thermal clothing

• Franck says:
  

  During my stay i will take 1-five litler of water 2-satelite phone 3-the socks 4-the bread 5- radio

• Rajendra Karnik says:
  

  I would take 1. portable rain and heat proof tant. 2. few good books to read. 3.spiritual material. 4. few common medicine. 5. few candles and torch.

  I would prefer to be totally cut off from the world for that specific period.

• jonathan taylor says:
  

  My toothbrush – I can’t live without it and 4 jars of Marmite! Without Marmite there is no life.

• Enrico says:
  

  Hmm, that’s a tricky one.

  Well, I guess I’d take with me

  1) one ton of books (:-)
  2) one power generator (with suitable cables and a one year supply of diesel)
  3) one fully equipped wooden cabin (with fridge, heating, maybe a satelite tv, telephone, laptop, medication, etc.)
  4) one ton of food and drinks
  5) one fully equipped tool box

  That’s five, isn’t it? :-)

• Shamsuddeen says:
  

  I will take my phone so when I arrive I will always. be with English club

• Shamsuddeen says:
  

  I will take two camels so that when I’m thirsty I would…………

• Hiba says:
  

  I will take : my favorite book, chocolate, radio, knife, light
  And enjoy LOL

• Elia Lopez says:
  

  Hi I will take a book of English and the rest four Items for fishing

• Max says:
  

  i will take shovel, match, knife, hook, rope.

• Gingerxx says:
  

  What an interesting topic! and how various of the answers are!

  Staying one year alone in an uninhabited desert island sounds physically and mentally challenging. If I can take five things with me for one year, I would choose the following five things.

  1. Dream of coming back as a motivation to move on.
  2. A bag of plant seeds for keeping actively working and food to eat.
  3. A solar lamp to fight against attacking animals.
  4. A sleep bag for sleep.
  5. A pair of running shoes.

  It would be interesting to build a world from the very beginning.
  Good luck!

• Josef says:
  

  Lola! It says you cannot take animals with you!! :)

• Lola says:
  

  I will take my brother (he knows a lot about survival), a lantern, enough clear water, a knife and a fishing rod.

• T.marma says:
  

  If fortunately to go to the island obiously I will take following five things….
  1. Portable solar panel for accessing mobile phone and laptop
  2. Water purifier
  3. Diary and pen
  4. Fishhook
  5. Knifes

• juma says:
  

  according to how am been to be on abandoned area, if my existence in a desert island by accident meaning that by ironically of destiny than i will be dead by 7 days ,and if my presence were planned previously that is sound so euphoric my package of journey must be including those elements;
  1.my lovely sweet heart Sara
  2.water bottles for two days
  3.saving guards
  4.food for two active lovers
  5.sun protective creams and ointments
  6.and finally if i became clueless and found my self in disastrous situation definitely i will use my JACK SPARROW charisma and his creative mind

• jahangeer says:
  

  I would like to take water, grams, water and heat proof tent, fishing rod and stove and most important a chopper with pilot. So that it could take me back went I am done.

• Pierre says:
  

  Well, as i’m hoping to survive I think i will choose the following items:
  1-Clear water 2 liter per day equals 720 liters.
  2- A fishing rope, to hopefully catch some fishes and various sea food.
  3- A lighter with sufficient gas reserve to light fires for cooking and cut the chill of the nights.
  4-A knife to enable me to built a small hut for two.
  5-A playboy bunny to keep me company, warmth at night, and cook my meals.
  if everything works well i’ll be ready to sign for another year under the same terms and conditions!

• Masood says:
  

  I will bring following items on this island to stay some period:- 1)-Fish Catching Equipment, 2)-Motor Boat, 3)-Satellite Phone, 4)-Laptop, and 5)-Food Stuff.

• mimoun says:
  

  I’ll take a fishhook that it would be to have good feeling when I spend almost the time for fishing and preparing some meals,I like a fish ,and I’ll need the knife to cut every thing, also the lighter to get a fire for make a food and a fresh water enough for year and cereal to bake some beard, may be it will be so difficult to pass a year alone.

• Josef says:
  

  Good answers! Don’t forget to say “why”!

• L Myers says:
  

  My class has decided they will take: water, a camera, beef jerky, a fishing pole, and a tent.

• sam says:
  

  I will take a satallite phone,some food stuff,a sheet to build tent,lighter,rope

• Kimiya says:
  

  Well , i think , i would take some breads , knif,rob , water and english book.

• Claudio says:
  

  I would take a bed to sleep, canteen, knife, rope and hook.

• Somi says:
  

  I would take with me a book, water, chocolate, lighter and knife :)

• Annie says:
  

  I will take five things below to desert island: