Learning to survive in the wild is quite the challenge, however, with some of the basics, you can make things a lot easier. Here are some of the best from the guys at Secrets of Survival.
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#1. Starting A Fire
Did you know you can use a knife to stab a lithium cellphone battery to start a fire? If you stab a battery, then eventually it’ll explode and sparks will be sprayed. However, never try this technique at home because you could set your place on fire.
If you don’t want to use your phone’s battery, then use a 9V battery and wire wool, as these two items will work just fine. Simply touch both terminals with the wool, and the sparks should fly. Just make sure you’re careful.
Other tips to keep in mind is you can use a tampon that has been teased out, and then you can spray it with bug spray or hairspray. Make sure to dry off any twigs that are even slightly damp. Wet twigs, even if slightly wet, can make starting a fire much more difficult.
Have you ever used a metal mug to keep the hot substance in it and then took a sip out of it too quickly because it not, then congrats. However, you might also be the kind of person that does not take a slice of cake until it has completely cooled off, and we don’t understand why you would do this. Joking aside, you can protect yourself from burning your mouth by sticking duct tape to the mug’s lip.
Duct tape can also come in handy for medical purposes. For example, if you have a punctured lung, then duct tape will come in handy. Also, duct tape is good to have when you don’t have a lot of rope or if superglue and staple-guns are not an option. Trust us when we say you should have plenty of duct tape on hand.
You cannot be picky when it comes to water, especially when you’re backpacking with a friend in India. If you see water when you’re in a survival situation, then you’ll want to drink it. Dehydration is one of the main things that can kill you.
Furthermore, this tip does depend largely on where you are. If there are a lot of people living nearby, the chances are the water is polluted with all sorts of bacteria and dirt. However, if you are that thirsty and feel dehydration is kicking in, then you can gamble. If you can’t find water, then drink your pee because even that is better than no water whatsoever.
Do not outstretch your arms too much because you’ll become tired out faster. Use your legs to do most of the climbing and try your best to keep your hips very close to the rock-face. Maintain sturdy footing as you climb, and never rush yourself.
Memorizing this survival tip can be hard, but you will want to do it because the last thing you want to do is not know where north is, but continue to head south, east, or any other wrong direction. There are tutorials out there that can teach you how to do this.
However, if you’re located in the Southern Hemisphere, then point your noon watch at the sun, while keeping your watch flat and at a horizontal angle. Where is the hour-hand pointing because this is where you’ll want to draw an invisible line. Like we said, lookup tutorials and keep practicing until you finally figure out how to do this.
You can dine on nettle leaves that are located alongside the Zambezi but try not to make contact with the stems because you’ll get stung. The leaves can be eaten too, which resemble maple leaves. As for fruit, you want to pay close attention to what animals are eating because what they eat, you can likely eat.
However, don’t trust birds because many of the foods they eat are toxic to humans. Mammals on the other hand are the perfect ones to watch. If you don’t find any mammals, then you can eat living earthworms, as they are edible. For what’s it worth, raw impala testicles can be consumed, and they don’t taste that bad.
If you’re in an area that is inhabited, then you don’t have to worry much about snares. Hunting is tricky and can drain you. Your time and energy would be better spent trying to get rescued from people.
Nonetheless, if you are in danger of starving and you’re a castaway, then you’ll want to know what your individual species’ behaviors area, and then tailor your snares. You don’t want to spend a ton of time designing a snare that drops from above, but you’re trying to target an animal that has perfect hearing. Your snares need to be well-hidden too, as well as dotted about the area.
Remember, check the traps regularly. You never know when you’ll find an animal in it. Plus, you don’t want anything you’ve caught to suffer for any longer than it has to.