The idea of being stranded on an uninhabited island has been quite inspirational, providing ideas for a range of entertainment products, from literary fiction to TV shows. The idea of going to the primitive state within days is both frightening and exciting to observe. However, facing the described situation personally is likely to be excruciatingly difficult, which is why the support of any tools is highly welcome (Byrne et al., 2020). If I was stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with me, it would be a large box of matches since making fire and sustaining it is the number one priority in the wild.
A box of matches will provide a crucial resource for someone who has been shipwrecked and has to live on a desert island. The opportunity to protect oneself from wild animals is the first function that a fire will provide to someone having to live on an island. In addition, fire will provide the warmth that may be needed in the night, when the temperature may lower substantially (Byrne et al., 2020). Finally, by lighting a fire with the help of matches, one will be able to cook food and even start producing additional items. For instance, in case there is clay on the island, creating very basic utensils for storing water and food will be possible.
Since wild animals, hypothermia, and the lack of cooking options are the primary concerns for someone stranded on a desert island, having a box of matches to light up a fire will be the top priority, which is why the specified item would be my first choice. As an invention, matches are highly underrated in the modern world, yet they are irreplaceable in the wild, where they perform three functions at once. Once having matches and the opportunity to light up a fire, one would be able to produce a range of other resources, from very basic utensils to more advanced tools and even weapons. Therefore, matches would be the one thing that I would bring to a desert island.
Reference
Byrne, C., Dooley, T., Manne, T., Paterson, A., & Dotte‐Sarout, E. (2020). Island survival: The anthracological and archaeofaunal evidence for colonial‐era events on Barrow Island, north‐west Australia. Archaeology in Oceania, 55(1), 15-32.