10 wilderness survival myths that are dangerous to believe in

In 50% of cases, when it comes to survival in the environment, we immediately think of movies and stories that we have seen and heard. We don’t even think about the fact that in reality these tips and methods of rescue are not always true and do not always take place in real situations. Today we will tell you about those myths that you should not believe in, if suddenly the situation in your trip is out of control.

Important: Learn how to manage your emotions. Don’t just try, but really stay calm and assess your capabilities and prioritize your needs during survival. A little fear is totally normal, but you shouldn’t give in to panic. Survival is about determination.

Myth 1: You should trust the birds when searching for a watering hole

This is one of the common and old myths. Of course, birds need to drink from time to time and then they fly to the nearest water source. In fact, such a methodology works 100% only in movies and cartoons. In practice, you are more likely to get lost completely than to find a “holy spring”. Although birds do fly to water, this is not their main occupation.

Never trust standing water. Lakes and puddles can be filled to the brim with bacteria and other pathogens. If there is a stream or river running nearby, choose them. But even this water will need to be purified before use. Boil it over a fire or use a filter if you have one.

Myth 2: Sharp objects should be pulled out of the body

You surely remember such examples, when the heroes of feature films get hit by an arrow, or fall on sharp branches, or something else pierces his skin and stays in it. Usually, the hero tries to immediately remove the object from the wound and then continue on with his mission. So, doing this in real life, you risk dying from blood loss due to profuse bleeding.

It should be remembered that any object that hurt you, clogs the wound and plays the role of a plug. Do not try to remove it.

The best thing you can do in such a situation is to wrap a cloth around the object, securing it, and go in search of a doctor.

Myth 3: You don’t have to move to get out of quicksand quickly

Fantasy aside, it’s impossible to drown in quicksand, unless you’re waist-deep. This is no less dangerous, because a stuck person becomes easy prey for predators or simply can die of thirst. Take note – a static posture does not prevent you from being sucked in.

specialist in human safety in the natural environment

The thing about quicksand is that if you don’t move, you don’t get out, and that’s if you’re alone. It’s basically like being in water. You have to make slow and “floating” movements. And if you get help to get out of them, you can stay still.
In general, such sands are a scary thing.

An acceptable way to escape from such a situation: increase the area of your contact with the sand. In other words, just lie on your back and then slowly release your legs.

Myth 4: Urine can save you from thirst

Don’t laugh. Perhaps the most famous case is when mountaineer Aron Ralston got stuck in a crevasse in the mountains and spent 127 hours there. He drank his own urine to quench his thirst and survive. In the end, he survived by amputating his arm and returning to people. They even made a movie about it. Ralston’s courage and resilience are admirable, but his knowledge and survival skills are not.

The composition of urine is very similar to seawater. The presence of large amounts of sodium and chloride ions in it leads directly to poisoning and dehydration. And this is not what is required during thirst.

While drinking urine, the load on the filtering function of the kidneys increases many times, and also lowers blood pressure and the risk of infection. We don’t think you have the necessary urine therapy experience to endure this. We bet you’ll vomit and consequently lose even more fluids.

Myth 5: Plantain can heal a wound.

It’s not all straightforward. The plant is really useful and has healing properties, there are even supporting studies.

Yes. Plantain contains substances that reduce pain and accelerate the healing of wounds. However, to achieve this effect, you should use a laboratory purified and sterilized extract of the plant, while combining it with aloe vera.

A leaf plucked from the curb and moistened with saliva is more likely to open the entrance gate for infection than to share its healing properties. The plantain must be thoroughly washed and crushed so that it gives juice. Only then can it be placed on the wound. Remember that this is an emergency measure rather than a first priority.

Myth 6: Raw meat and fish are fit to eat

Turning once again to the movie industry, it is common for heroes there to eat raw meat and fish if they find themselves on a deserted island. Because it is the first source of information, the myth was able to penetrate strongly into the human consciousness.

In a position where normal food is out of the question, refinements will have to be forgotten. That’s a fact. At the same time, eating raw meat during a famine is an unreasonable risk of serious health problems. Even at school they tell everyone that raw meat contains a lot of pathogenic bacteria and parasites.

Mikhail: You can’t eat raw meat from bear and wild boar, because you can get infected with trichinosis (tiny worms that often live inside wild animals. – Ed. note). You can eat fish, but not all of it. It is allowed, for example, to eat grayling. It’s a clean fish. The question is different. How do you get it?

Any meat of game or fish before consumption is extremely necessary to undergo a long heat treatment, bringing the temperature to at least 70°C. Only then will you be able to survive, not the other way around.

Myth 7: After a snake bite, its venom can be sucked out

It is naive to believe that snake venom first accumulates near the wound and there is a buffer time to get rid of it. It immediately enters the bloodstream. Besides, in addition to a lot of bacteria in the mouth, there are still microcracks and damage to the mucosa. Therefore, you simply double the harmful effects on your body.

The most effective thing to do at this point is to keep your heart from beating more often, so as not to speed up blood flow. Keep the bitten limb below the level of your heart and try to get to the doctors as quickly as possible.

Myth 8: The surefire way to deal with a bear encounter is to play dead

This is a fairly common myth believed by inexperienced travelers. It is again enforced by the movie industry. If you encounter a bear, it is better to start slowly backing away. It is necessary to create a safe distance for yourself. You can also try to impersonate something big – spread your arms out to the sides or open wide your jacket and start making loud noises. This will help scare the bear away.

Your actions should depend on which bear is attacking you:

• A black bear (baribal) should always fight back;
• a brown or grizzly bear will only attack in defense of itself or its cubs. They will warn you first by roaring and showing you that you should not come any closer.

Myth 9: Moss only grows on the north side of a tree

In fact, moss grows on all sides of a tree, and this depends more on the environmental conditions and climate zone. This is not the most accurate way of orienteering, unless you want to get even more lost.

Myth 10: To stop a shark attack, you have to punch it in the nose

Let’s look at the situation objectively. When confronting a shark, even in the water, you are unlikely to be able to hit it on the nose, and even less likely to hit it hard. In the event of an attack, try to keep between you any solid object that will be at hand (aqualung, mask or surfboard).

Now you know what actions of movie characters or game characters should not be implemented in an unforeseen situation. Moreover, you never know whether your usual hike, for example, in the mountains will be just a pleasant walk or will become a real nightmare. For one of our heroes, the hike became that even more of an ordeal. Read about what happened to him in this article.