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Rewarming is the main way to treat someone with hypothermia. But a hot bath can cause excruciating pain and can even trigger a heart attack. Instead, place hot water bottles under both armpits, or use skin-to-skin rewarming.
This isn't entirely wrong, but it works best if the current goes directly out to sea. The best thing is to remain calm, and swim at a perpendicular angle away from the current and towards the shore.
This technique is a big no-no. The venom will immediately enter the bloodstream, and putting your mouth in the wound will only deliver extra bacteria. Plus, you'll get venom in your mouth!
This is actually not true. For example, cotton can lead to hypothermia if you rely on it as your primary base layer in cold weather. It's great in hot, dry climates, but once it gets wet, it loses its insulating properties.
In moderate cases of hypothermia, high-calorie foods can be given in small, repeated doses to restore the victim's heating abilities. But in more serious cases, feeding the victim can be dangerous, as they might vomit and choke.
This is actually quite dangerous, as heat causes rock to expand. This can lead to breakage, and the last thing you want are rocks falling on you!
While large fires have kept people alive in the cold, you can't afford to skip building a shelter. Imagine if it rains or becomes really windy. Plus, you never want to sleep out in the wide open.
While some aquatic birds rarely leave the water’s edge, you can't trust that all birds fly to find water. Sometimes they could simply be flying toward a known clearing to spend the night.
It might be safe once in a while, but raw animal flesh can contain pathogens, which include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, and viruses.
Let's be real: it's really hard to land a solid punch on the nose of a moving shark, especially in water. If a shark comes for a bite, try to put a sold object between you and the animal.
Bears are excellent tree climbers, so you won’t be even remotely safe by climbing one. Follow the tips from the previous slide.
You might think jumping into a nearby lake is a good way to escape from a swarm of bees, but they'll just sting you when you surface again. Instead, run away until you lose them, or find a car or structure to seal yourself inside of.
The truth is moss can grow on all sides of a tree. So don't depend on this myth for navigation.
Frostbite occurs when ice crystals form in your skin and other tissues. But rubbing the injury will cause even more tissue damage. Instead, treat frostbite with painkillers as you slowly rewarm the tissue.
A person suffering from serious hypothermia will get drowsy. This is a warning sign that sleep can lead to death. Keep the victim awake as you warm them up.
Yes, friction is a way to create a flame, but not by rubbing two sticks together.
Sources: (Outdoor Life) (Insider)
See also: How to survive animal attacks
A lean-to might help protect you from the wind, but it won't keep you warm. Instead, you need something with walls, a roof, and a small doorway to stay warm and dry.
Just because water is running, doesn't mean it's entirely safe to drink. Pathogens, heavy metals, and other contaminants can still be present and make you sick. All water obtained from the wild needs to be filtered and purified before consumption.
Sure, you can drink your own pee, but should you? Urine is full of the body’s waste products, so it's actually not smart to drink it...
Yes, there's water in blood. But drinking raw blood could mean you’re consuming pathogens, which is a big no-no.
If you're lost in the desert, don't get your hopes up if you find a cactus. Most of the time, cactus fluid will make you sick. This can lead you to vomit up precious liquid, leaving you even more dehydrated.
Playing dead only works if you’re being attacked by a mother grizzly defending her cubs. But if a black bear attacks, always fight back by making yourself large and loud.
Those Mylar-coated emergency blankets might not look very warm, but the aluminum coating on these blankets is thermal-reflective, meaning it will keep you heated. So they're actually lifesaving.
The idea is that sucking on a stone causes saliva to flow, but there's actually no real gain. Plus, if the stone is too small, you may end up chocking on it.
You can actually survive up to six weeks without food. So your main priority is to find water and shelter.
You should always take a GPS unit with you into the backcountry. But you can't solely rely on it for navigation. You better bring a map and a compass, in case it breaks or the batteries die.
Despite our shared biology, we can't always eat what animals eat. For example, birds and squirrels can eat certain berries and mushrooms that would kill a person.
Actually, liquor is the last drink you need in a cold-weather survival scenario. While you might feel warmer, alcohol dilates skin-surface blood vessels and capillaries, which will cool you down even faster. Instead, drink hot tea or cocoa.
From drinking your own urine to pretending to be dead during a bear attack, here are some of the most common survival myths that you shouldn't believe. Click on to discover them all.
Common survival myths that are actually dangerous
These misconceptions could easily send you down a deadly path
LIFESTYLE Wilderness
When it comes to survival in the wild, there are tons of tips that are, unfortunately, completely inaccurate. We might have gotten these ideas from movies, TV shows, and even cartoon strips, but the truth is some of the most common misconceptions about survival could literally get you killed.
From drinking your own urine to pretending to be dead during a bear attack, here are some of the most common survival myths that you shouldn't believe. Click on to discover them all.