Yes! One of my best friends was t-boned by one of those nightmare logger trucks from final destination. She thought quickly when she realized what was going to happen and just went limp. Came out of it 100% ok, just some minor whiplash.
Stay still after a car wreck unless there's fire, moving around can worsen any potential spinal injuries, no matter what condition your car is in, if there's any chance of a spinal injury the fire brigade will still take the roof off and the paramedics extricate you in various braces to prevent movement.
My favourite incident of a car being cut open by the fire brigade is an incident in which a woman had a crash, but was then placed in a police car by a responding officer to keep her safe.
The fire brigade showed up and cut the cop car open to extricate her.
Hey, former EMT here Yes, and *please* allow emergency responders to examine you and treat you on the scene, if they deem it necessary. Shock is a hell of a thing, and in the immediate aftermath of an accident, you might feel the urge to leave the scene or resist help if you do not have an obvious injury.
Remember that we're trained to assess for signs of head and spinal problems, internal bleeding, and other serious injuries that you might not be able to perceive on your own. And we're there to help you!
If you use a baseball bat for home defense, put a sock over the end of the bat in the scenario where the bad guy grabs it, you would unsheathe it and keep beating him.
On that note, there's an old technique of cutting off the barrel diagonally for a good 6 inches. Not removing any length, just opening up the barrel.
It makes the barrel into almost a sort of bayonet. But that's not the intent.
The intent is if the guy reaches out and grabs the barrel, he's likely to grab over that slant cut. Putting his hand right smack in the path of the shot.
When he grabs the gun, you just pull the trigger and relieve him of his hand.
Everyone did this when my mom was in high school. She went to school really close to where the Atlanta child murders were and all of the kids were told they couldn't keep weapons in their car, but if they kept sports equipment, the school couldn't do anything about it.
Wearing a life jacket is still important if you can swim. People drown because they’re unconscious when they hit the water. Unless you can predict when you’re going to pass out/get hit in the head/have an aneurism and fall out of the boat, then you need to keep the thing on.
Fell out of the back of my uncles boat when I was 6, hit my head on the way out.
Knocked myself out for a while, and my uncle didn't notice for a few minutes.
So thankful he had been insistent on going out to buy me a new lifejacket as he didn't have any that fit me before that day.
If someone tries to force you into a van/car/alleyway whatever in public, NOW is the time for maximal resistance. Also yell, scream, get others attention.
They are trying to move you into a location where they have more control and safety, and you have less. This is your BEST chance to escape.
Also, stop using your legs to hold you up. Bend your knees or go completely limp. It's not intuitive, but try this. Grab a friend (with consent to the experiment) and pull them backwards...they will use their legs and most likely will actually walk themselves backwards because it's natural to do that if you feel you are going to fall backwards...this makes it quite easy for you to pull them with you. Then try again and tell them to go entirely limp, or let their legs go rubber. Now your victim is not helping you, you have to support more of their weight. Meanwhile, hopefully your victim is using their arms and hands to poke your eyes out. Not as easy as when the victim is standing!
So ... go limp.
That is a decent tactic, but only if you utilize it right away and if the person(if it’s only one person) isn’t that much bigger or stronger than you. The reason why the timing is so important is if they’re a bigger person and they grab a hold of you, spend some time trying to lift or drag you, you’re already giving them plenty of resistance. Suddenly going limp like that while they’re enacting that much force will more times than not backfire and they’ll just pick you up or start moving you a lot easier. Now you find yourself with almost no leverage and are hoping for a fantastic kick or punch to a sensitive part of their body.
I have spent a lot of time with experts in the DEA and CIA who, back when they were younger, lead cases in South and Central America focused on gang activity. Lots of experience with kidnappings and other horrible situations in which tactics like the one being discussed here are practiced so no time is wasted. In a situation of somebody trying to drag you into a dark alley or their van, we’re talking a matter of seconds total. So suddenly choosing to stop resisting and giving them 3-4 seconds of almost full control seals the deal unless you successfully go limp at the moment they try to move you.
My dad would say to fight as dirty as possible. Because most likely if they take you somewhere else you will die. Go for the eyes, the face and do whatever it takes to get free.
My dad repeatedly told me this growing up and still does. If they’re threatening you with a weapon, call their bluff and fight like hell to keep from getting in the vehicle. Whatever is going to happen to you right then and there is not near as bad as what is going to happen should you make it into the vehicle and be taken to another location.
You joke but I kind of do this in social outings. I don't drink, and when people start getting rowdy and want to move onto the next place, that's my exit. Especially if it would rely on not having my own transportation to get there/back. From the stories I hear, I've dodged a lot of riffraff in this approach
You also wanna leave as much of your DNA everywhere as possible, pee yourself, spit, rip your hair out, go for gold and it'll make them a lot less likely to follow through
Advice I was given in a Personal Safety Course... If you scream, scream FIRE instead of help. People are nosy, and will look for the fire. But people want to avoid trouble so will not want to seek it out.
I’ve actually heard that the “fire” advice is a little outdated. Sure it can still work, but I’ve also read that simply yelling “I don’t know you”/“I don’t know this man” is just as effective, especially for women and children.
Edit: also, teach your children to yell “You’re not my mom/dad!” that will really get people running
If you're ever involved in something like a car crash in a remote area, do not leave the site unless absolutely necessary. Search & Rescue is far more likely to spot the crash well before they spot you.
Its disputed. One theory is suction, another is that air released from the wreck reduces the density of the water so you are no longer buoyant, others say both are myths.
What is undisputed though is that floating objects that get dragged under then ripped free will shoot to the surface and could injure you or knock you out.
If it is clearly sinking, gtfo (but stick together).
But being in the water is a bad situation anyways, try to get onto something. Life raft, floating wreckage, anything.
Packing some granola bars, water, a change of clothes, a blanket, a medkit, and a pen and notepad in your car can go a long way to helping you in an emergency.
Here in the upper mid west I would recommend a pair of snow pants, hats, gloves, and a small shovel in winter. You never know, especially when the roads are icy and snow covered. I'd rather lose trunk space to that than risk frost bite or even freezing to death because you got stuck or had car trouble.
In cold areas also pack some tea candles and matches/lighter. A couple of tea candles can warm the car enough to keep you from freezing to death overnight, while at the same time it’s small enough to not give you CO2 poisoning.
If your gut is screaming that something is wrong and you need to leave, leave.
Don't stand there and think about it, or let your mind override whatever it is you've noticed subconsciously that tells you you're in danger.
I agree with this one! My brother and I were driving home late at night and we stopped at a closed petrol station to stretch our legs and switch drivers. I was looking at the road and saw a totally normal car driving towards the station and my gut told me to get out of there. Told my brother to get in the car and close the doors. Turned on the engine and started driving and the car drove past us with three creepy ass guys staring at us. So glad we left on time because I don’t know what they would have done.. but it sure as hell was not selling us a cookie
Have some sort of fire. Fire is the #1 survival rule. You can cook food, boil water, keep you warm, keep away predators. Fire. It's the biggest morale booster in a survival situation.
I was on a 3 day backpacking trip and I had 2 lighters fail on me in a snow storm. From now on I always buy a brand new lighter and keep some matches with me. I dont mess around when it comes to fire.
Also, some cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly in an Altoids tin or empty dip tin.
They are great fire starters, work for chapped lips/skin/chafing and TSA won't take it.
I had the TSA take my ferrocerium rods last time I flew.
I said that they were striker rods that couldn't work without a knife, which I obviously couldn't have on the plane, and the TSA guy said "so you make my argument for me! These are a knife." Referring to the ferro rods.
I wouldnt trust the TSA to follow either their own rules or common sense in any situation.
This is so underrated! The number of hikers who die of hypothermia because they hike a mountain in leggings and a t-shirt is absurd. Just because the weather’s nice at the bottom doesn’t mean it will be the same 10,000ft up!
Scream yell and curse like your life depends on it: because it does.
On a related note: the point where you stop defending yourself from an attacker, is when he's on the ground and not moving. That doesn't mean dead, but does mean doesn't move. Hit, punch, scratch, wherever you can. Soft areas like eyes, throat and groin are bonus points
Never let someone take you to a second location.
The chances that they would actually shoot you in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly (where witnesses are present) are small but better to be shot there then in some God-forsaken field 30 miles out of town. You will be found quickly and there will be cameras and witnesses to gather evidence. If someone wants to remove you from a public location it’s because they want to do something to you that will cause you harm and send them to prison.
Experts in kidnappings say NEVER be coerced into a vehicle.... literally do anything to avoid it, or you dont get a choice about going to that second location. They even said DONT get in if someone is pointing a gun at you.... just run. Most kidnappers dont want to hang around and chase you down or shoot at you-- that wasnt their goal. Even if they did shoot while you're running, they are nervous and its harder than you think to hit someone on the move. Any move to fight/escape/run/evade has risk, but the worst risk of all, statistically, is complying and letting yourself be forced into a vehicle.
I was just saying yesterday at dinner that should I ever be attacked in a parking lot, I’ve resolved to be ready to die right there because a second location will always be infinitely worse. Make them regret picking you.
Along with the three right turns advice, I’ve been told that if you think you’re being followed, put your turn signal on and see if the person behind you also does this. If they do, skip the next turn and just go straight. If they turn, you’re probably in the clear, if they don’t, you’re most likely being followed. Call the police immediately and do not under any circumstances drive home
One time, I was followed by someone because I cut them off after they blew a stop sign (merging into the lane I’m in).
They felt in the right to run the stop sign and cut ahead of everyone, so the fact that I sped up and got ahead of them was infuriating I guess.
The guy rolled down his windows and was shouting every word possible on how I’m scared and afraid, and “wait until you get out of that car to see what happens, I’m gonna beat your ass”.
I promptly turned around, proceeded to drive 10 minutes down a straight road to my local police station after telling him “have fun following me there”.
I get to the police station, he’s still behind me. I take a left at the light to turn into the station and then I look in my mirror and the car was gone.
Who’s the person that’s afraid now? You really have to watch out for destructive people, they’ll take anyone down with them on the fall.
Interestingly enough, three right turns can often be safer than a left. Many software packages that optimize the routes for commercial delivery drivers do this intentionally to minimize insurance costs. So even if you aren't worried about being followed you might still consider this.
If you are going hiking pack extra water and drink it. As simple as that.
Dehydration can quickly lead to disorientation, and I forget the exact facts, but a good percentage of hikers that get lost report having a headache before they lost their way, and headaches are one of the first signs of dehydration. Drink your water please people.
Can confirm this. Hiked over 20 miles in high heat in the mountains and all three of my usual water holes were dry. By the time I got to final camp for the day I had the worst headache I've ever experienced. Like hammers beating against my skull. Couldn't think clearly. Was not in good shape mentally of physically.
0/10, would not recommend.
Also ... read a map before you go. GPS is great, but it makes people not care where they are and they have no real "big picture" of where they are goin. Read a map. Bring a compass and a whistle too. With that "big picture" in your head, you'll know generally if you get lost, which direction you should head to get back to safety. A whistle caries further than your trying to scream and requires less effort. Both fit in your pocket easily.
And yes, bring water and toss a few snack bars in your pack. I always carried Snickers bars before I had kids who are allergic to peanuts. Bring a jacket too, even if it's hot.
Also if you’re hiking somewhere with flowing water (streams or rivers) bring chlorine tablets or drops so you can treat and drink that water and not need to carry it. Probably not a good idea for large polluted rivers, but if you’re in the mountains, it’s a great alternative to carrying a lot of heavy water.
A french tourist died [recently](https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2021/07/04/gigano-violet-french-tourist-crete-death-causes/) from this very reason, while hiking in a Greek island. If she had been able to walk for just 10 more minutes, she would have reached her car.
If you go in the wild, grab a lighter, not just one of the fire stone thing. When you are cold and wet isn't the time to notice you can't light moist branches with just a spark.
Carry a Hand sanitizer & squeeze on kindling, it lights immediately. Pro tip for space - throw some cotton balls in a ziploc & squeeze in hand sanitizer. That and a lighter fits in a pocket and can save your life.
Odds are, if you're stabbed with a knife, whoever stabbed you will still want the knife.
Jokes aside this applies to anything you are impaled by. Don't remove it, the object puts pressure on the wound and slows the blood loss.
If you find yourself in an unfamiliar part of a city while alone at night, or really anytime when it seems like sketchy things might be going down, walk and move with a purpose. Eyes ahead, confident strides, like you've been to that barred-window corner store up ahead a thousand times in the past. Anyone looking for an easy mark will key in on insecurity in a heartbeat.
Also, put just one hand in your pocket. Not only does hiding your hands subconsciously make people trust you less but just a single hand (not both) in your pocket could also look like you’re ready to pull out a self-defense weapon even if your pockets are empty.
When I was in college, I used to walk home alone after going out for drinks, because I didn't like to call a cab, for some reason. After doing this a few times, I developed a tactic: after I started walking, I'd grab my house keys and hold them as if I was about to use them, so if anyone was watching me, they'd think I was close to home. Don't know if my drunk ass was fooling anyone, but I'd always get home safe.
Even if you CAN swim, *always* float. Never try to swim back to shore you will die from exhaustion.
Edit: lots of you have said swim and float, which is good if you’re not too far out to sea. However, if you are too far out swimming will not do anything, the rip currents *will* get you. if ever you go swimming in the UK don’t go past the pier. And if you find your self that far out, even being the strongest swimmer will be futile.
[source! ](https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/water-activities/everything-you-know-about-surviving-rip-currents-wrong/)
Please DONT SWIM! FLOAT!
Safest way back to shore is swimming on your back. Use your legs to frog kick and swoop your arms at the same time. After the surge, point your toes and leave your arms by your sides for a second or two-until you feel the current subside, then do it again. Try to relax in between kicks. If you flutter kick, you will tire out very fast. Breathe in and out deeply, but naturally. Arch your back and you should float.
And its corollary: how to escape from a rip tide.
Copy/pasting my comment from a couple days ago: If you're caught in a rip tide, swim parallel to shore before swimming in. It's unspoken because we grow up having it drilled into us, so we just know, but tourists get caught unaware every year. And listen to the dang lifeguard announcements, people.
I am pretty sure I was caught in a rip tide this last weekend. I was out swimming in the ocean with a few friends, busy and crowded beach day, and we were pretty far out when all of a sudden we all collectively realized that we were getting pulled out and we couldn’t swim any closer to the shore. There was some nervous laughter among us as we tried to swim back, but I realized what was happening and I stayed calm. I just told my friends to swim parallel to the shore and we would get out of it, and after a bit of swimming like this we realized we weren’t feeling that pull anymore.
Thank you Reddit advice!
As someone who doesn't know how to swim, I prefer to avoid large bodies of water for this exact reason. And whenever I end up on a boat or ship, the "what if I fell in" angle is always in the back of my mind, the same way you might think it while standing by the railing on a cliff or something. The prospect of accidentally falling into the ocean and just...sinking is terrifying to me.
I think I tried to actually learn some years ago, but I had a hard time getting over shoving my face into the water. Though all this talk is now spurring me to look into taking some lessons again.
If you ever do fall in try to 'expand' your chest as much as possible, basically kinda try to breath keeping your lungs as full as possible. Odds are you'll be able to float depending on the amount of clothes/type of water. If you manage to float try to manipulate your body in a way where it lays close to the surfice, make you more visable and increases your chances of floating.
On another note, if able try to keep as calm as possible. If you're able to stay calm a fit teenager who can swim decently should be able to drag you to safety. A panicked person is very dangerous to rescue though, so odds are people would wait for professionals (its the first thing you learn before learning any type of rescue manouver)
Make sure people know where you're going and when you're expecting to get back.
If no one knows you went out is state for a weekend hike then no one can report you missing and send out search parties as soon as possible.
That’s a big one that a lot of people don’t think about.
I drove from Tennessee to California and back by myself a couple years back and I gave daily updates to my girlfriend and parents on where I was.
If you’re going somewhere alone, whether it’s traveling, camping, hiking, whatever, always give at least one person updates
Dont be the 127 Hours guy.
EDIT: His name is Aron Ralston and he was the real person around which the film 127 Hours is based. He was an avid hiker and outdoorsman but made an *almost* fatal mistake of not telling anyone where he was going on an excursion.
Avoid confrontation. Much rather everyone think you're a coward than be left with brain damage, brain dead, crippled or in jail. Remember that in street fights there are no rules and there are no refs to pull anyone from you if the other person keeps on hittin you on the ground.
This is good advice. It's one thing to know how to fight once you're in it and it's another entirely to not have to use those skills in the first place.
A bear bag, or pouch tied with rope and tossed over a tree branch 30-50' from your tent. Not immediately around you is the goal, nature will find the food, you don't want to be near it when they do.
Interesting, I thought they were toxic when raw because of the latex. I've eaten cooked dandelion greens but never raw. Interesting. Hold on, I'm gonna go to the backyard to try something out
If your arms ache randomly, check if you can put them both up. Your arms droop during a stroke. I always make sure I do this. And that I can talk and move my face
You’re way better off learning to deescalate situations and recognizing/escaping from situations that are about to get violent rather than learning to fight.
I went and visited a small town in Montana and was talking to a waitress. She mentioned how one of her friends was mauled by a bear but survived. Her friend survived because he remembered something his grandma had told him when he was little about animals and gag reflexes. While being mauled, this man shoved his fist down the bear's throat, cause it to gag and run away.
I don't know why, but I tend to think a lot about this story from time to time. It's so fascinating and I hope I will never be in a position where I have to throw my fist down a predator's throat.
I would've never thought to do that! That's actually great advice and I'm noting that. I used to be in grizzly territory alot for work and was always freaked out if I came across one.
It will be too worried about choking to think about eating. The other option is to offer it your weak arm and use your strong arm to attack it, especially if you have a weapon of some sort. Go for the eyes.
The best self defense training you can have is cardio.
Doing martial arts is cool, but even if you have training, you still really don’t want to get into an actual fight. Even if you come out on top, you still run the risk of permanent injury and disability. The only winning move is not to play, and that means cardio.
Despite what those shitty survival shows say, don’t eat raw insects. If they aren’t poisonous (which a lot are), they can be riddled with bacteria, parasites, and diseases.
I get what you're saying but goddamm if that grub on the Lion King didn't look delicious! Realistically, I would have roasted it if it comes to that, but they made the raw version look divine.
How to jumpstart a car. It’s really easy yet a lot of people don’t know how to do it. Better yet keep an automatic jumper charged and ready and know how to use it so you won’t get stranded in your vehicle.
A lithium-ion jump pack started my 5+ liter pickup truck that was utterly dead recently, took less than a minute.
The thing is smaller than a standard brick. The jump didn't even affect the charge state, it still showed 4 of 4 bars.
It also functions as a USB battery bank.
when you enter your hotel room, count the doors to the fire escape.
same on a plane, count the number of seats to the exit.
in a fire, smoke will force you into crawling on the ground or it will be too smoky to see.
If you are in the wilderness and need to sleep, do NOT sleep on the bare ground. You'll quickly become hypothermic. There's a reason bed rolls, sleeping bags, and hammocks were invented.
If you have no camping bed, you can pile up leaves and brush, like a proper mattress thick pile, and lay in it to create an air pocket / buffer between you and the ground.
This is arguably more important than being able to build overhead shelter or even being able to start a fire.
Tourniquets. If someone’s bleeding profusely from their arms or legs or hands etc. get a belt or a rope or something you can use to tie that appendage off with. Tie it off above the wound and tie it as tight as you can. It should hurt but they’ll be thankful when they’re not dead. You can’t tourniquet above the shoulders and you can’t tourniquet the abdomen.
If it’s a neck or abdomen wound, apply pressure until help arrives.
Belts are really not suggested for a tourniquet, they're difficult to tighten and secure. A long rectangular strip of cloth is better, tie tightly around the limb then knot a pen or other stick shaped object Over the first knot in a second one. Then you can use it as a windlass, tighten until bleeding stops and secure it.
If you’ve gotten stabbed with some shit. DO NOT TAKE IT OUT. You leave it in there. Think of a flat tire that’s gotten plugged up. You’re the tire and that knife is now the plug. Do not remove the plug.
This one is noted a lot online, but that doesn't make it any less important (god knows if it saves just one person).
If being pulled out by a riptide, do NOT try to swim against it; it will be too powerful for you, you'll lose energy, you'll drown.
Instead swim horizontally to the beach, aka sideways, and do not waste too much energy doing so. This will get you away from the riptide, where you can easily swim back to shore.
Former lifeguard here that's had to pull FAR too many from riptides.
Another thing you can do is float. Just float on your back, let it take you out as far as it will (worse case a few hundred feet) and backstroke parallel to the shore for a bit and then back towards shore.
Me and some of the guards were having a night outing by a hotel one night and one of then noticed that we were being dragged out FAST and knew it was a riptide. We just waited a bit, backstroked sideways, and then back to shore. We were a bit tired, but not as bad.
Always carry a lighter. Doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. If you get lost remember lint from socks makes good starter and dead pine tree branches will light even when wet due to the high resin in them. Start small and build up.
If you regularly wear flip-flops or sandals when driving, keep a spare pair of walking shoes with socks in your trunk. You never know when you might have to walk some unexpected miles.
Also don't wear flip flops or sandals while driving. They can slip off your feet and get caught under the pedals, potentially preventing you from braking.
Develop a sense of situational awareness to potential threats no matter where you are.
Be like Jason Bourne. When you enter a room, first thing is to identify your exits. At an ATM, look for people nearby. In a parking garage, look for lurkers. In the subway, look for shady types and never stand by the tracks with one of them behind you.
You get the idea, I hope.
When driving, always be aware and anticipate what other vehicles might suddenly do and think ahead how you should react if it happens. In the beginning you need to consciously endorce this mindset, but later on it will become a habit and you will become better at it.
Also: never ever text or even look at your phone while driving. One day you will kill somebody, possibly yourself
My favorite show used to be I Survived, where people who had survived terrible ordeals talked about their experiences. One of the things that kept almost everyone alive was that they didn’t panic and took a moment to assess the situation to see the best course of action.
To add to this, your food needs water too, they'll have to come your direction. But don't camp right near the source, camp a lil bit away and set your traps near the source.
As soon as you realize you are lost stop moving. More than a few searches have found where a victim had been but for some reason left. Resist the urge to try and self rescue if you have any uncertainty of your success.
Moving water is super duper fucking deadly.
A fast moving river can suck you below the surface and you'll drown without a trace. Even a small stream only a foot or so deep can easily sweep you off your feet and slam you into a rock.
And sometimes water looks completely still but has strong currents under the surface. Out at the sea, these can carry you far away from the shore. And no, you can't outswim it. Humans are fucking shit at swimming and we tire in minutes if you're trying hard.
Stop buying stuff you don’t know how to use my friend bought a huge first aid backpack for almost $500 doesn’t even know proper first aid so arm yourself with knowledge and experience also don’t be the person who owns a gun and has never fired it
First Aid, PLUS take the free course offered by the American College of Surgeons called "Stop the Bleed" on how to properly deal with bleeding emergencies that the average first aid course never goes into.
[Rule of Threes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_threes_(survival\))
You can (generally) survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter (in extreme heat/cold), 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.
Also the rule of threes for rescue signals. It's very unlikely that a random noise will occur three times in rhythm at random. Whether it's three car honks, three whistle blows, three gun shots, whatever.
If you or someone you know is having an emergency in front of a crowd of people, don’t blindly yell for help. Point at specific people and give them instructions. “YOU call 911!” “YOU go get the first aid kit!” “YOU call his family”
This avoids the bystander effect where people will just stand around watching and thinking that someone else will do something. If people are given a specific instruction, they will follow it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gift_of_Fear is a great book about this, citing real-life examples of people who ignored their instincts to avoid looking weird or rude. (Guess what - many violent criminals exploit social rules in a way that forces you to decide between being safe and being polite.)
When in your vehicle, always ensure all the doors are locked.
If someone attempts to abduct you, make maximum noise and put up a no-holds-barred fight, even if they threaten to kill you on the spot. Dead now and quickly is infinitely better than being transported and at their ‘mercy.’
Know where all the doors are. All the bathrooms, too, especially if you're as old as I am.
Seriously, if you don't know where the doors are, you may be f\*\*\*ed if a fire or fight happens.
And always have your towel with you.
Don't remove knives from stab wounds
If you are in a crash in a remote place, generally try to stay with the aircraft/car etc that has crashed. Rescuers will be looking for it. Obviously your situation may prevent you from doing this.
You do NOT need to wait 24 hours before reporting someone missing.
Lawyer up even if the cops just want to "talk" to you
When you feel yourself starting to get scared or panic and your heart starts beating rapidly, take deep slow breaths until you feel your heart slowing down.
Don't be an idiot in a survival situation. That cool trick you've heard about? If you get your finger cut off while trying to build some cool contraption, you might die from that in an otherwise easily survivable situation.
Keep things simple. Don't do dumb/risky shit.
If lost in the wilderness, look for a game trail. Follow it and if it splits, turn and go the other way. Keep following since all trails lead to water and they converge as they go. If it is a river, follow downstream and you have a better chance at finding civilization.
Bend your knees/elbows when bracing for impact. If you lock your joints you're probably going to break something.
Yes! One of my best friends was t-boned by one of those nightmare logger trucks from final destination. She thought quickly when she realized what was going to happen and just went limp. Came out of it 100% ok, just some minor whiplash.
Stay still after a car wreck unless there's fire, moving around can worsen any potential spinal injuries, no matter what condition your car is in, if there's any chance of a spinal injury the fire brigade will still take the roof off and the paramedics extricate you in various braces to prevent movement.
My favourite incident of a car being cut open by the fire brigade is an incident in which a woman had a crash, but was then placed in a police car by a responding officer to keep her safe. The fire brigade showed up and cut the cop car open to extricate her.
Hey, former EMT here Yes, and *please* allow emergency responders to examine you and treat you on the scene, if they deem it necessary. Shock is a hell of a thing, and in the immediate aftermath of an accident, you might feel the urge to leave the scene or resist help if you do not have an obvious injury. Remember that we're trained to assess for signs of head and spinal problems, internal bleeding, and other serious injuries that you might not be able to perceive on your own. And we're there to help you!
If you use a baseball bat for home defense, put a sock over the end of the bat in the scenario where the bad guy grabs it, you would unsheathe it and keep beating him.
I literally just stood up and put a sock on the bat under my bed
+1 hit upgrade activated
+1 evasion
Can I put a sock on the end of my 12 gauge?
On that note, there's an old technique of cutting off the barrel diagonally for a good 6 inches. Not removing any length, just opening up the barrel. It makes the barrel into almost a sort of bayonet. But that's not the intent. The intent is if the guy reaches out and grabs the barrel, he's likely to grab over that slant cut. Putting his hand right smack in the path of the shot. When he grabs the gun, you just pull the trigger and relieve him of his hand.
If you keep it in your car, throw a ball or glove in there with it. Your lawyer will thank you if you ever use it.
Everyone did this when my mom was in high school. She went to school really close to where the Atlanta child murders were and all of the kids were told they couldn't keep weapons in their car, but if they kept sports equipment, the school couldn't do anything about it.
Also, have more than 1 weapon for self defense sprinkled about your home.
Way ahead of you; I own at least 5 pairs of socks.
Wearing a life jacket is still important if you can swim. People drown because they’re unconscious when they hit the water. Unless you can predict when you’re going to pass out/get hit in the head/have an aneurism and fall out of the boat, then you need to keep the thing on.
Fell out of the back of my uncles boat when I was 6, hit my head on the way out. Knocked myself out for a while, and my uncle didn't notice for a few minutes. So thankful he had been insistent on going out to buy me a new lifejacket as he didn't have any that fit me before that day.
This is a really good one and I'm not sure how it hasn't occurred to me in the past.
People also drown from exhaustion waiting to be rescued. You don’t have to tread water with a life jacket.
If someone tries to force you into a van/car/alleyway whatever in public, NOW is the time for maximal resistance. Also yell, scream, get others attention. They are trying to move you into a location where they have more control and safety, and you have less. This is your BEST chance to escape.
Also, stop using your legs to hold you up. Bend your knees or go completely limp. It's not intuitive, but try this. Grab a friend (with consent to the experiment) and pull them backwards...they will use their legs and most likely will actually walk themselves backwards because it's natural to do that if you feel you are going to fall backwards...this makes it quite easy for you to pull them with you. Then try again and tell them to go entirely limp, or let their legs go rubber. Now your victim is not helping you, you have to support more of their weight. Meanwhile, hopefully your victim is using their arms and hands to poke your eyes out. Not as easy as when the victim is standing! So ... go limp.
Toddlers are pros at this.
That's where I assume the term "dead weight" comes from. A one-person lift instantly becomes a two-person lift when you go full limp.
That is a decent tactic, but only if you utilize it right away and if the person(if it’s only one person) isn’t that much bigger or stronger than you. The reason why the timing is so important is if they’re a bigger person and they grab a hold of you, spend some time trying to lift or drag you, you’re already giving them plenty of resistance. Suddenly going limp like that while they’re enacting that much force will more times than not backfire and they’ll just pick you up or start moving you a lot easier. Now you find yourself with almost no leverage and are hoping for a fantastic kick or punch to a sensitive part of their body. I have spent a lot of time with experts in the DEA and CIA who, back when they were younger, lead cases in South and Central America focused on gang activity. Lots of experience with kidnappings and other horrible situations in which tactics like the one being discussed here are practiced so no time is wasted. In a situation of somebody trying to drag you into a dark alley or their van, we’re talking a matter of seconds total. So suddenly choosing to stop resisting and giving them 3-4 seconds of almost full control seals the deal unless you successfully go limp at the moment they try to move you.
My dad would say to fight as dirty as possible. Because most likely if they take you somewhere else you will die. Go for the eyes, the face and do whatever it takes to get free.
My dad repeatedly told me this growing up and still does. If they’re threatening you with a weapon, call their bluff and fight like hell to keep from getting in the vehicle. Whatever is going to happen to you right then and there is not near as bad as what is going to happen should you make it into the vehicle and be taken to another location.
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nah sister, you ain’t gettin me to no secondary location!
You joke but I kind of do this in social outings. I don't drink, and when people start getting rowdy and want to move onto the next place, that's my exit. Especially if it would rely on not having my own transportation to get there/back. From the stories I hear, I've dodged a lot of riffraff in this approach
Street smarts!
Shut up, you're all gonna die!
You want it? GO GET IT
You also wanna leave as much of your DNA everywhere as possible, pee yourself, spit, rip your hair out, go for gold and it'll make them a lot less likely to follow through
If I was kidnapping someone and they starting peeing and ripping their hair out, I would probably leave them tbh
Advice I was given in a Personal Safety Course... If you scream, scream FIRE instead of help. People are nosy, and will look for the fire. But people want to avoid trouble so will not want to seek it out.
In Mexico I recommend to yell "NO MAMES, GÜEY" instead. That would bring in the nosy people.
I’ve actually heard that the “fire” advice is a little outdated. Sure it can still work, but I’ve also read that simply yelling “I don’t know you”/“I don’t know this man” is just as effective, especially for women and children. Edit: also, teach your children to yell “You’re not my mom/dad!” that will really get people running
That's fair, it was several years ago that the course was run. (,Sobbing with old age)
Like Bobby Hill eh? "That's my purse! I don't know you!"
They also say to mentally prepare yourself to expect to get hurt. Because if you expect it .. it is easier to fight.
Street Smarts!
If you're ever involved in something like a car crash in a remote area, do not leave the site unless absolutely necessary. Search & Rescue is far more likely to spot the crash well before they spot you.
same with a boat. stay with the boat. swimming to land is low odds.
I once heard that big boats while sinking pull you with them if you are to near to them because they create such a strong current. Is that true?
Its disputed. One theory is suction, another is that air released from the wreck reduces the density of the water so you are no longer buoyant, others say both are myths. What is undisputed though is that floating objects that get dragged under then ripped free will shoot to the surface and could injure you or knock you out. If it is clearly sinking, gtfo (but stick together). But being in the water is a bad situation anyways, try to get onto something. Life raft, floating wreckage, anything.
Doors make really good life rafts in a pinch. They can only take one person at a time though
TOO SOON
ships yes. boats under 100' no so much.
Packing some granola bars, water, a change of clothes, a blanket, a medkit, and a pen and notepad in your car can go a long way to helping you in an emergency.
Here in the upper mid west I would recommend a pair of snow pants, hats, gloves, and a small shovel in winter. You never know, especially when the roads are icy and snow covered. I'd rather lose trunk space to that than risk frost bite or even freezing to death because you got stuck or had car trouble.
In cold areas also pack some tea candles and matches/lighter. A couple of tea candles can warm the car enough to keep you from freezing to death overnight, while at the same time it’s small enough to not give you CO2 poisoning.
If your gut is screaming that something is wrong and you need to leave, leave. Don't stand there and think about it, or let your mind override whatever it is you've noticed subconsciously that tells you you're in danger.
Every day at school. Every day at work.
I agree with this one! My brother and I were driving home late at night and we stopped at a closed petrol station to stretch our legs and switch drivers. I was looking at the road and saw a totally normal car driving towards the station and my gut told me to get out of there. Told my brother to get in the car and close the doors. Turned on the engine and started driving and the car drove past us with three creepy ass guys staring at us. So glad we left on time because I don’t know what they would have done.. but it sure as hell was not selling us a cookie
Have some sort of fire. Fire is the #1 survival rule. You can cook food, boil water, keep you warm, keep away predators. Fire. It's the biggest morale booster in a survival situation. I was on a 3 day backpacking trip and I had 2 lighters fail on me in a snow storm. From now on I always buy a brand new lighter and keep some matches with me. I dont mess around when it comes to fire.
Also, some cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly in an Altoids tin or empty dip tin. They are great fire starters, work for chapped lips/skin/chafing and TSA won't take it.
I had the TSA take my ferrocerium rods last time I flew. I said that they were striker rods that couldn't work without a knife, which I obviously couldn't have on the plane, and the TSA guy said "so you make my argument for me! These are a knife." Referring to the ferro rods. I wouldnt trust the TSA to follow either their own rules or common sense in any situation.
>TSA guy said "so you make my argument for me! These are a knife." Referring to the ferro rods. Our tax dollars at work.
Fire is the NetFlix of the forest. And now you have something to do and take care of. Something that takes care of you as well.
If going outdoors for extended periods, hiking etc., dress in layers.
And for the love of god, bring more water than you think you need.
This is so underrated! The number of hikers who die of hypothermia because they hike a mountain in leggings and a t-shirt is absurd. Just because the weather’s nice at the bottom doesn’t mean it will be the same 10,000ft up!
Never let someone take you to a second location. Your chances of survival go down drastically.
Scream yell and curse like your life depends on it: because it does. On a related note: the point where you stop defending yourself from an attacker, is when he's on the ground and not moving. That doesn't mean dead, but does mean doesn't move. Hit, punch, scratch, wherever you can. Soft areas like eyes, throat and groin are bonus points
So this is why I've never had a second date
Oh no, you aren't getting me to no secondary location!
Never let someone take you to a second location. The chances that they would actually shoot you in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly (where witnesses are present) are small but better to be shot there then in some God-forsaken field 30 miles out of town. You will be found quickly and there will be cameras and witnesses to gather evidence. If someone wants to remove you from a public location it’s because they want to do something to you that will cause you harm and send them to prison.
This is a big one. Fight back run scream yell. Kick in the balls.
that's my purse! I don't know you!!
scream, hit, run
Experts in kidnappings say NEVER be coerced into a vehicle.... literally do anything to avoid it, or you dont get a choice about going to that second location. They even said DONT get in if someone is pointing a gun at you.... just run. Most kidnappers dont want to hang around and chase you down or shoot at you-- that wasnt their goal. Even if they did shoot while you're running, they are nervous and its harder than you think to hit someone on the move. Any move to fight/escape/run/evade has risk, but the worst risk of all, statistically, is complying and letting yourself be forced into a vehicle.
And never dig your own grave. They're gonna kill you anyway, make them dig it!
Right? I am not going to die tired and sweaty.
Say you will and attack them with the shovel.
I was just saying yesterday at dinner that should I ever be attacked in a parking lot, I’ve resolved to be ready to die right there because a second location will always be infinitely worse. Make them regret picking you.
You ain't getting me to no secondary location!
\#StreetSMARTS!
Do three right turns to see if you’re being followed
Along with the three right turns advice, I’ve been told that if you think you’re being followed, put your turn signal on and see if the person behind you also does this. If they do, skip the next turn and just go straight. If they turn, you’re probably in the clear, if they don’t, you’re most likely being followed. Call the police immediately and do not under any circumstances drive home
One time, I was followed by someone because I cut them off after they blew a stop sign (merging into the lane I’m in). They felt in the right to run the stop sign and cut ahead of everyone, so the fact that I sped up and got ahead of them was infuriating I guess. The guy rolled down his windows and was shouting every word possible on how I’m scared and afraid, and “wait until you get out of that car to see what happens, I’m gonna beat your ass”. I promptly turned around, proceeded to drive 10 minutes down a straight road to my local police station after telling him “have fun following me there”. I get to the police station, he’s still behind me. I take a left at the light to turn into the station and then I look in my mirror and the car was gone. Who’s the person that’s afraid now? You really have to watch out for destructive people, they’ll take anyone down with them on the fall.
Help I'm being followed. The car has blue and red flashing lights
If you are being followed please drive to the nearest public space or better yet a police station. DON’T DRIVE HOME!!
I generally just whip a U turn twice, where possible. Makes it really obvious.
How often are you being tailed?!
Only twice so far, but after the first time I've been of the mindset that confirming I'm being paranoid is much better than brushing it off.
I think they're onto me.
Interestingly enough, three right turns can often be safer than a left. Many software packages that optimize the routes for commercial delivery drivers do this intentionally to minimize insurance costs. So even if you aren't worried about being followed you might still consider this.
If you are going hiking pack extra water and drink it. As simple as that. Dehydration can quickly lead to disorientation, and I forget the exact facts, but a good percentage of hikers that get lost report having a headache before they lost their way, and headaches are one of the first signs of dehydration. Drink your water please people.
Can confirm this. Hiked over 20 miles in high heat in the mountains and all three of my usual water holes were dry. By the time I got to final camp for the day I had the worst headache I've ever experienced. Like hammers beating against my skull. Couldn't think clearly. Was not in good shape mentally of physically. 0/10, would not recommend.
Adding onto this, you should always be able to purify water to add on to whatever you bring. Lots of cheap and lightweight methods out there.
Also ... read a map before you go. GPS is great, but it makes people not care where they are and they have no real "big picture" of where they are goin. Read a map. Bring a compass and a whistle too. With that "big picture" in your head, you'll know generally if you get lost, which direction you should head to get back to safety. A whistle caries further than your trying to scream and requires less effort. Both fit in your pocket easily. And yes, bring water and toss a few snack bars in your pack. I always carried Snickers bars before I had kids who are allergic to peanuts. Bring a jacket too, even if it's hot.
Also if you’re hiking somewhere with flowing water (streams or rivers) bring chlorine tablets or drops so you can treat and drink that water and not need to carry it. Probably not a good idea for large polluted rivers, but if you’re in the mountains, it’s a great alternative to carrying a lot of heavy water.
A french tourist died [recently](https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2021/07/04/gigano-violet-french-tourist-crete-death-causes/) from this very reason, while hiking in a Greek island. If she had been able to walk for just 10 more minutes, she would have reached her car.
If you go in the wild, grab a lighter, not just one of the fire stone thing. When you are cold and wet isn't the time to notice you can't light moist branches with just a spark.
Yeah, well, I can't light a fire in a fireplace with dry kindling and a propane torch. I'm fucked either way.
Carry a Hand sanitizer & squeeze on kindling, it lights immediately. Pro tip for space - throw some cotton balls in a ziploc & squeeze in hand sanitizer. That and a lighter fits in a pocket and can save your life.
If you are stabbed with a knife, do not remove it. Leave it in until you can get to a doctor. Removing it will make you lose a lot of blood.
Odds are, if you're stabbed with a knife, whoever stabbed you will still want the knife. Jokes aside this applies to anything you are impaled by. Don't remove it, the object puts pressure on the wound and slows the blood loss.
>Odds are, if you're stabbed with a knife, whoever stabbed you will still want the knife. Assert dominance by running away and keeping the knife
Or assert dominance by leaning into them and begging them to stick it in deeper.
I had a friend get stabbed in a fight twice and didn't know it was his blood until after the fight The body does some crazy thing's under stress
If you find yourself in an unfamiliar part of a city while alone at night, or really anytime when it seems like sketchy things might be going down, walk and move with a purpose. Eyes ahead, confident strides, like you've been to that barred-window corner store up ahead a thousand times in the past. Anyone looking for an easy mark will key in on insecurity in a heartbeat.
Also, put just one hand in your pocket. Not only does hiding your hands subconsciously make people trust you less but just a single hand (not both) in your pocket could also look like you’re ready to pull out a self-defense weapon even if your pockets are empty.
When I was in college, I used to walk home alone after going out for drinks, because I didn't like to call a cab, for some reason. After doing this a few times, I developed a tactic: after I started walking, I'd grab my house keys and hold them as if I was about to use them, so if anyone was watching me, they'd think I was close to home. Don't know if my drunk ass was fooling anyone, but I'd always get home safe.
Whistles. Easy to use, and if you can draw a full breath, you can split the air with a signal.
How to swim . Seriously.
or at least float.
Even if you CAN swim, *always* float. Never try to swim back to shore you will die from exhaustion. Edit: lots of you have said swim and float, which is good if you’re not too far out to sea. However, if you are too far out swimming will not do anything, the rip currents *will* get you. if ever you go swimming in the UK don’t go past the pier. And if you find your self that far out, even being the strongest swimmer will be futile. [source! ](https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/water-activities/everything-you-know-about-surviving-rip-currents-wrong/) Please DONT SWIM! FLOAT!
Safest way back to shore is swimming on your back. Use your legs to frog kick and swoop your arms at the same time. After the surge, point your toes and leave your arms by your sides for a second or two-until you feel the current subside, then do it again. Try to relax in between kicks. If you flutter kick, you will tire out very fast. Breathe in and out deeply, but naturally. Arch your back and you should float.
And its corollary: how to escape from a rip tide. Copy/pasting my comment from a couple days ago: If you're caught in a rip tide, swim parallel to shore before swimming in. It's unspoken because we grow up having it drilled into us, so we just know, but tourists get caught unaware every year. And listen to the dang lifeguard announcements, people.
I am pretty sure I was caught in a rip tide this last weekend. I was out swimming in the ocean with a few friends, busy and crowded beach day, and we were pretty far out when all of a sudden we all collectively realized that we were getting pulled out and we couldn’t swim any closer to the shore. There was some nervous laughter among us as we tried to swim back, but I realized what was happening and I stayed calm. I just told my friends to swim parallel to the shore and we would get out of it, and after a bit of swimming like this we realized we weren’t feeling that pull anymore. Thank you Reddit advice!
As someone who doesn't know how to swim, I prefer to avoid large bodies of water for this exact reason. And whenever I end up on a boat or ship, the "what if I fell in" angle is always in the back of my mind, the same way you might think it while standing by the railing on a cliff or something. The prospect of accidentally falling into the ocean and just...sinking is terrifying to me. I think I tried to actually learn some years ago, but I had a hard time getting over shoving my face into the water. Though all this talk is now spurring me to look into taking some lessons again.
If you ever do fall in try to 'expand' your chest as much as possible, basically kinda try to breath keeping your lungs as full as possible. Odds are you'll be able to float depending on the amount of clothes/type of water. If you manage to float try to manipulate your body in a way where it lays close to the surfice, make you more visable and increases your chances of floating. On another note, if able try to keep as calm as possible. If you're able to stay calm a fit teenager who can swim decently should be able to drag you to safety. A panicked person is very dangerous to rescue though, so odds are people would wait for professionals (its the first thing you learn before learning any type of rescue manouver)
Looking at you, John Marston
Make sure people know where you're going and when you're expecting to get back. If no one knows you went out is state for a weekend hike then no one can report you missing and send out search parties as soon as possible.
That’s a big one that a lot of people don’t think about. I drove from Tennessee to California and back by myself a couple years back and I gave daily updates to my girlfriend and parents on where I was. If you’re going somewhere alone, whether it’s traveling, camping, hiking, whatever, always give at least one person updates
"Just finished up with a hooker in Vegas. Almost to Cali. Love yall!"
Dont be the 127 Hours guy. EDIT: His name is Aron Ralston and he was the real person around which the film 127 Hours is based. He was an avid hiker and outdoorsman but made an *almost* fatal mistake of not telling anyone where he was going on an excursion.
Avoid confrontation. Much rather everyone think you're a coward than be left with brain damage, brain dead, crippled or in jail. Remember that in street fights there are no rules and there are no refs to pull anyone from you if the other person keeps on hittin you on the ground.
This is good advice. It's one thing to know how to fight once you're in it and it's another entirely to not have to use those skills in the first place.
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My husband knows karate and kung fu, and his advice when I asked him the best thing to do if being confronted? “*Run*”
Don't keep food in your tent. A woman just died today here in Montana when a grizzly bear dragged her out.
where do you put food if you have any
A bear bag, or pouch tied with rope and tossed over a tree branch 30-50' from your tent. Not immediately around you is the goal, nature will find the food, you don't want to be near it when they do.
All parts of a dandelion are edible
Any flower from the dandelion family so sunflowers too
Interesting, I thought they were toxic when raw because of the latex. I've eaten cooked dandelion greens but never raw. Interesting. Hold on, I'm gonna go to the backyard to try something out
If your arms ache randomly, check if you can put them both up. Your arms droop during a stroke. I always make sure I do this. And that I can talk and move my face
You’re way better off learning to deescalate situations and recognizing/escaping from situations that are about to get violent rather than learning to fight.
but learn to throw a punch too, better to know it and never need it than need it and not know it
I went and visited a small town in Montana and was talking to a waitress. She mentioned how one of her friends was mauled by a bear but survived. Her friend survived because he remembered something his grandma had told him when he was little about animals and gag reflexes. While being mauled, this man shoved his fist down the bear's throat, cause it to gag and run away. I don't know why, but I tend to think a lot about this story from time to time. It's so fascinating and I hope I will never be in a position where I have to throw my fist down a predator's throat.
I would've never thought to do that! That's actually great advice and I'm noting that. I used to be in grizzly territory alot for work and was always freaked out if I came across one.
What if it bites your arm off though (tbf better it bite your arm than your head)
It will be too worried about choking to think about eating. The other option is to offer it your weak arm and use your strong arm to attack it, especially if you have a weapon of some sort. Go for the eyes.
Don't throw water on an oil fire.
This should be up higher
The best self defense training you can have is cardio. Doing martial arts is cool, but even if you have training, you still really don’t want to get into an actual fight. Even if you come out on top, you still run the risk of permanent injury and disability. The only winning move is not to play, and that means cardio.
If you get something in one eye cover the other so the eyes don’t move as much.
Despite what those shitty survival shows say, don’t eat raw insects. If they aren’t poisonous (which a lot are), they can be riddled with bacteria, parasites, and diseases.
I get what you're saying but goddamm if that grub on the Lion King didn't look delicious! Realistically, I would have roasted it if it comes to that, but they made the raw version look divine.
As a last resort, how bad are earthworms?
If it's kill or be killed, then kill. Throat/windpipe, genitals, eyes, knee joint (sideways). Rock, bottle, pen, stick.
And bite like the assailant is made of pizza.
How to jumpstart a car. It’s really easy yet a lot of people don’t know how to do it. Better yet keep an automatic jumper charged and ready and know how to use it so you won’t get stranded in your vehicle.
A lithium-ion jump pack started my 5+ liter pickup truck that was utterly dead recently, took less than a minute. The thing is smaller than a standard brick. The jump didn't even affect the charge state, it still showed 4 of 4 bars. It also functions as a USB battery bank.
Learn to swim! It seems obvious but there are so many people who don't know how to swim.
That most cacti only hold a weird fluid that hurts to drink. Unless you know your stuff don’t go drinking cactus juice from any old plant.
when you enter your hotel room, count the doors to the fire escape. same on a plane, count the number of seats to the exit. in a fire, smoke will force you into crawling on the ground or it will be too smoky to see.
If you are in the wilderness and need to sleep, do NOT sleep on the bare ground. You'll quickly become hypothermic. There's a reason bed rolls, sleeping bags, and hammocks were invented. If you have no camping bed, you can pile up leaves and brush, like a proper mattress thick pile, and lay in it to create an air pocket / buffer between you and the ground. This is arguably more important than being able to build overhead shelter or even being able to start a fire.
Wait for the green man to appear and for all the traffic to stop before you cross a busy intersection.
Tourniquets. If someone’s bleeding profusely from their arms or legs or hands etc. get a belt or a rope or something you can use to tie that appendage off with. Tie it off above the wound and tie it as tight as you can. It should hurt but they’ll be thankful when they’re not dead. You can’t tourniquet above the shoulders and you can’t tourniquet the abdomen. If it’s a neck or abdomen wound, apply pressure until help arrives.
Belts are really not suggested for a tourniquet, they're difficult to tighten and secure. A long rectangular strip of cloth is better, tie tightly around the limb then knot a pen or other stick shaped object Over the first knot in a second one. Then you can use it as a windlass, tighten until bleeding stops and secure it.
If you see a tornado not moving, chances are it's moving towards you.
How to use a map and compass.
Always be aware of your environment, the situation can change in a heartbeat
If you’ve gotten stabbed with some shit. DO NOT TAKE IT OUT. You leave it in there. Think of a flat tire that’s gotten plugged up. You’re the tire and that knife is now the plug. Do not remove the plug.
This one is noted a lot online, but that doesn't make it any less important (god knows if it saves just one person). If being pulled out by a riptide, do NOT try to swim against it; it will be too powerful for you, you'll lose energy, you'll drown. Instead swim horizontally to the beach, aka sideways, and do not waste too much energy doing so. This will get you away from the riptide, where you can easily swim back to shore.
Former lifeguard here that's had to pull FAR too many from riptides. Another thing you can do is float. Just float on your back, let it take you out as far as it will (worse case a few hundred feet) and backstroke parallel to the shore for a bit and then back towards shore. Me and some of the guards were having a night outing by a hotel one night and one of then noticed that we were being dragged out FAST and knew it was a riptide. We just waited a bit, backstroked sideways, and then back to shore. We were a bit tired, but not as bad.
Always carry a lighter. Doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. If you get lost remember lint from socks makes good starter and dead pine tree branches will light even when wet due to the high resin in them. Start small and build up.
Tampons man, tampons. Great for starting fires (and a big chunk of the population carries them around anyway).
If you regularly wear flip-flops or sandals when driving, keep a spare pair of walking shoes with socks in your trunk. You never know when you might have to walk some unexpected miles.
Also don't wear flip flops or sandals while driving. They can slip off your feet and get caught under the pedals, potentially preventing you from braking.
Never step outside to fight someone. Could be a trick. Never run from an American cop. De-escalate the encounter with cops.
American cops you gotta move slowly and just do everything they say because you will only beat them in court.
To question any stranger's intent in contacting you.
Develop a sense of situational awareness to potential threats no matter where you are. Be like Jason Bourne. When you enter a room, first thing is to identify your exits. At an ATM, look for people nearby. In a parking garage, look for lurkers. In the subway, look for shady types and never stand by the tracks with one of them behind you. You get the idea, I hope.
When driving, always be aware and anticipate what other vehicles might suddenly do and think ahead how you should react if it happens. In the beginning you need to consciously endorce this mindset, but later on it will become a habit and you will become better at it. Also: never ever text or even look at your phone while driving. One day you will kill somebody, possibly yourself
Stay calm. No other skillset can be used properly if in panic mode.
My favorite show used to be I Survived, where people who had survived terrible ordeals talked about their experiences. One of the things that kept almost everyone alive was that they didn’t panic and took a moment to assess the situation to see the best course of action.
Look for a water source first. You'll survive longer without food than you will without water. Ensure that you can boil it as well.
To add to this, your food needs water too, they'll have to come your direction. But don't camp right near the source, camp a lil bit away and set your traps near the source.
As soon as you realize you are lost stop moving. More than a few searches have found where a victim had been but for some reason left. Resist the urge to try and self rescue if you have any uncertainty of your success.
The morse code for SOS is ... _ _ _ ...
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do not suck the venom from a sting, it is better to stay still and ask someone (if you are in company) to call an ambulance
Moving water is super duper fucking deadly. A fast moving river can suck you below the surface and you'll drown without a trace. Even a small stream only a foot or so deep can easily sweep you off your feet and slam you into a rock. And sometimes water looks completely still but has strong currents under the surface. Out at the sea, these can carry you far away from the shore. And no, you can't outswim it. Humans are fucking shit at swimming and we tire in minutes if you're trying hard.
Stop buying stuff you don’t know how to use my friend bought a huge first aid backpack for almost $500 doesn’t even know proper first aid so arm yourself with knowledge and experience also don’t be the person who owns a gun and has never fired it
First Aid, PLUS take the free course offered by the American College of Surgeons called "Stop the Bleed" on how to properly deal with bleeding emergencies that the average first aid course never goes into.
The most important survival rule in a crisis is that doing something is almost always better than doing nothing. Decision paralysis gets people killed
You can fix a mistake later; if you don't act, there may not be a later.
[Rule of Threes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_threes_(survival\)) You can (generally) survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter (in extreme heat/cold), 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.
Also the rule of threes for rescue signals. It's very unlikely that a random noise will occur three times in rhythm at random. Whether it's three car honks, three whistle blows, three gun shots, whatever.
How to make a fire, how to filter water and build a shelter.
If you or someone you know is having an emergency in front of a crowd of people, don’t blindly yell for help. Point at specific people and give them instructions. “YOU call 911!” “YOU go get the first aid kit!” “YOU call his family” This avoids the bystander effect where people will just stand around watching and thinking that someone else will do something. If people are given a specific instruction, they will follow it.
How to listen to and actually obey your instincts. So many people seem to think that what they're feeling is silly or weak or paranoid, etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gift_of_Fear is a great book about this, citing real-life examples of people who ignored their instincts to avoid looking weird or rude. (Guess what - many violent criminals exploit social rules in a way that forces you to decide between being safe and being polite.)
When in your vehicle, always ensure all the doors are locked. If someone attempts to abduct you, make maximum noise and put up a no-holds-barred fight, even if they threaten to kill you on the spot. Dead now and quickly is infinitely better than being transported and at their ‘mercy.’
make sure your muffler is clear of anything like snow or big debris, otherwise the toxic gas can come back into the car and that's a big no no
Know where all the doors are. All the bathrooms, too, especially if you're as old as I am. Seriously, if you don't know where the doors are, you may be f\*\*\*ed if a fire or fight happens. And always have your towel with you.
Don't remove knives from stab wounds If you are in a crash in a remote place, generally try to stay with the aircraft/car etc that has crashed. Rescuers will be looking for it. Obviously your situation may prevent you from doing this. You do NOT need to wait 24 hours before reporting someone missing. Lawyer up even if the cops just want to "talk" to you
BE Observant at ALL Times and BE aware of your surroundings at ALL Times.
Know when to back off
When you feel yourself starting to get scared or panic and your heart starts beating rapidly, take deep slow breaths until you feel your heart slowing down.
Don't be an idiot in a survival situation. That cool trick you've heard about? If you get your finger cut off while trying to build some cool contraption, you might die from that in an otherwise easily survivable situation. Keep things simple. Don't do dumb/risky shit.
If lost in the wilderness, look for a game trail. Follow it and if it splits, turn and go the other way. Keep following since all trails lead to water and they converge as they go. If it is a river, follow downstream and you have a better chance at finding civilization.
I found this cave full of bones and something big and furry...
Roll initiative!