Many times, we see some outdoor survival myths on television that we believe may be useful at some point in time. Do not be fooled by these techniques, not all of them are true and may have unwanted results.
When we are at a crossroads in terms of survival, sometimes we can get to do some very extreme things. Sometimes, they can be our only way out, although most of the time we can end up worse than we were before.
Next, we are going to reveal the most common survival myths that we have been taught or learned since we were kids.
Drinking Water from a Cactus Can Save Your Life
We have always heard that if you are in a desert area or in lack of water and you find some cactus, you can cut it or open it and drink the liquid that is inside, thinking it is “potable” water.
The truth is that this liquid is a sticky juice that is more like a pulp. Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and discomfort in general since it contains many dangerous toxins.
You Can Eat What an Animal Eats
Sometimes we think that all that an animal can eat can also be eaten by humans. Be careful because animals consume foods that are in their environment, thanks to the evolutionary characteristics that they developed over time.
For example, do not eat some grains or berries that you have seen some birds or squirrels eating. These animals are equipped with a special digestive system that eliminates the poison of some foods from their common diet. Eating these foods could kill a human if you don’t know them well.
Do not eat whatever an animal eats if you’re not one hundred percent sure what it is.
Possible Bear Attack: Play Dead
If you ever have the misfortune of finding yourself with a bear, your best option will be to move away silently without attracting a bear’s attention. But, in case the bear wants to attack you and becomes aggressive, depending on the type of bear, our reaction should be different. For example:
- If you meet a black bear, do not try to play dead, as this will attract him more towards you. What you must make the bear see is that you can be bigger than him. Open your arms and scream loudly; most likely, the bear will run scared.
- If you find a brown bear (grizzly), it is best not to scare him by threatening him. Reign on the floor protecting your vital parts with your arms and legs. Probably the bear gets tired and you do not care about it. Let’s hope!
Boiling Contaminated Water Makes It Drinkable
While it is true that germs and bacteria in the water die once you boil it, this does not always happen with the contaminated water that can be found in any survival situation, as it may contain oils, lead or pesticides.
Boiling this water will not make it totally drinkable. What you can do is filter this water with stones and sand. You can do this using a bottle of any kind.
If There Is No Water, Drink Your Pee
While it is true that in some cases drinking urine does not cause damage, other times it could be fatal if you drink it while dehydrated, as in the case of an extreme survival situation.
When you drink your urine, your body must work twice as much to filter all the salts, toxins or other elements that are in this liquid, causing more rapid and severe dehydration than you already had.
Sucking the Poison of a Snake Can Save Your Life
Sucking the venom from a snake bite will not save your life, as we see in many movies.
Once the poison is introduced into the blood, it is introduced into the bloodstream quickly and will not help in anything but spreading it faster.
Even if someone else places their lips on the bite, this will only help to release more bacteria, as well as allowing the poison to enter in the mouth and esophagus.
The best thing to do in this situation is to keep the victim’s heart rate as low as possible, avoiding moving too much and, if possible, calling an ambulance or asking for professional help.
Finally, do not pay attention to everything you see on television. Many times, it can get you into more problems than you would like in this type of outdoor extreme situations.
Preventing is your best option. Learn survival techniques before you go for a walk of this type. Just like a horse racing enthusiast, you must pay attention to the calendar and proper schedules to do what you plan and take care of yourself. Everything will be OK!
