When it comes to practical facts about survival, popular misconceptions are not just an inconvenience; they can be downright deadly. When lives are at stake, it pays to arm yourself with the right kind of knowledge.
You may have heard about some of these myths before, so, to set the record straight, here are the truths behind them.
Myth #1: Drink liquor to warm yourself
The reality: Alcohol actually lowers your core body temperature.
You may feel warm, but this is due to your blood vessels dilating and the increased volume of blood near your skin. This also explains why people who have consumed too much alcohol look red.
The blood brought near the skin’s surface also makes you sweat (further supporting the illusion of warmth), further cooling your body. Aside from this, a study conducted by the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine found that ingesting alcohol can inhibit our body’s ability to shiver, a physiological response to keep us warm, and further promotes a drop in body temperature.
Myth #2: You should look for food right away
The reality: While food is certainly important for us to survive, the first priorities should be shelter and water, in that order.
You’ll survive without food for at least a couple of weeks (Gandhi, on more than one occasion, went without food for as long as 21 days). But without water, it’s estimated that the human body will survive for less than a week, shorter if you’re doing physical activity and happen to be in a hot environment.
And without shelter? Exposure to the elements can kill you within hours.
Speaking of shelter….
Myth #3: A roof over your head is a shelter
The reality: Just because you can keep your head dry during a downpour doesn’t mean you have a functioning shelter that you can rely on to keep yourself alive.
While lean-tos can provide enough relief during mild weather conditions, a shelter requires walls to protect yourself from the wind and to trap heat, as well as ground insulation to keep your body warm when lying on the ground.
A shelter should provide you the means to maintain heat and keep your body temperature stable, and be a place that’s sturdy enough where you can safely rest and recuperate.
Myth #4: A GPS device is all you need
The reality: You should never leave home without a compass as backup.
Modern GPS devices can do wonders. With a handheld GPS receiver, you can have a worldwide base map, weather tracking and forecasts, and even measure the ambient temperature. Planning your route is easy, and some models even come with expandable memory slots, high-capacity batteries and weatherproof housings so they can be used in a wide range of environments and situations.
But, even with all its conveniences, you can’t rely on a GPS device alone to find your way. Like any complex machine, a GPS device can run out power or simply stop working as it should. Keep in mind that GPS relies on a complex web of satellites and ground infrastructure, all of which are susceptible in the event of war or natural occurrences like solar flares. When that happens, what are you going to do?
For one, don’t leave that compass and paper maps home. Aside from learning how to use a map and a compass, also learn other skills that will make finding your way even without a map and compass possible, like celestial navigation. Having back-ups for your back-up increases your chances of survival.
Myth #5: Boiled water is safe to drink
The reality: Boiling is an important step in purifying water to make it safe to drink, but it’s not an end-all solution for potable water.
Chemicals and heavy metals can’t be eliminated by boiling alone; in fact, it’s actually the opposite—with the evaporation of water molecules, they become more concentrated. Boiling also won’t eliminate the dirt in murky water.
To minimize the risks posed by these contaminants, you’ll have to filter your water. Also, make sure that your water source isn’t near a factory or farm where unwanted substances can leach into the ground and pollute the water sources around it.
Myth #6: You don’t have to worry about hypothermia if it’s not winter
The reality: You can get hypothermia regardless of the season, depending on the environment, shelter and your condition.
Hypothermia, or a drop in body temperature, is a common killer during the winter months. While the cold temperature greatly increases the chances of getting hypothermia, this doesn’t mean it’s confined to the winter months.
You can get hypothermia even if it’s not winter. Temperatures can vary wildly between night and day, like in desert areas. In higher elevations, the temperature can be low enough to induce hypothermia, even during the summer months.
Myth #7: No fire? No problem. You can eat meat raw, like other animals do
The reality: It may be possible, but the chances of getting sick from eating contaminated meat is so high that it’s not worth it.
Sure, some of us can eat steak that’s cooked rare and be fine, but modern packaging and storing methods greatly decrease the chances of getting pathogens from meat.
You could also be thinking “but what about sushi and sashimi? Surely, fish should be ok?”. While some fish can be eaten raw, it doesn’t mean they’re totally safe to eat—our bodies make bad hosts for most of the microorganisms present in the saltwater fishes used in sushi, but the risk is still there. As for freshwater fish? Don’t even think about it. They carry bacteria, parasites and other organisms that will make you sick (at best), and the last thing that you’d want is to be sick during a survival situation.
Play it safe. If you made the necessary preparations, starting a fire to cook your catch shouldn’t be too much of an effort, and makes your food safer and tastier.
Myth #8: Playing dead will keep a bear from mauling you
The reality: Depending on the bear you encounter, it can make you dead for real.
You’ll have better chances of survival if you fight a black bear. Try to scare it away first by posing as a threat—stand your ground and stretch your arms to appear bigger. If that doesn’t work and it still charges at you, don’t be prey! Fight with everything you have until it realizes you’re not worth the effort.
Grizzlies are a different story. If you’re attacked by a grizzly, it’s probably defending itself or its cubs, and being immobile and showing it that you’re not a threat can make it leave you alone. “Playing dead” during a grizzly encounter doesn’t mean immediately sprawling to the ground and closing your eyes—you’ll have to curl yourself into a ball to protect most of your vital organs and put your hands behind your head.
Myth #9: If it’s safe enough for an animal to eat, it’s also safe for you
The reality: Just because you saw your dog eat something in the wilderness doesn’t mean it’s also safe for you to consume, for the same reason chocolate can be poisonous to Fido—we’re all built a little differently.
So, if you see an animal munching on some berries or plants in the wilderness, don’t assume that these same plants are safe for human consumption. Some animals like birds, deer, foxes or racoons are immune from the poison found in some plants.
Myth #10: “Nah, it can’t happen to me. I should be fine.”
The reality: Do not underestimate Murphy’s Law or overestimate your abilities.
Whether it’s a daytrip hike to the woods behind your house or bracing for a nuclear winter, it pays to be prepared and be a step ahead. Get the right tools for the job and, most important, acquire the proper skills and, thanks to this myth-busting guide, the right knowledge to back them up.
