All the books on survival and safety tell about how to cope with numerous difficulties. They are all read and believed. We suggest debunking 9 survival myths that will supposedly save your life in dangerous situations.
1. Without Food
Many people believe that you can live without food, but that is not quite true. There are cases, where people deliberately go on a journey without food and take only water with them. The thing is that the body will still get nutrition, but from those reserves that have been accumulated in the form of fat and nutrients before the trip begins.
2. The bites of snakes
Everyone knows that if you are bitten by a poisonous snake, you immediately need to suck the venom out of the wound. It is not right. It is the most dangerous advice which can be given. The poison is absorbed more rapidly through the oral mucosa. It is better to avoid areas where poisonous snakes may be found.
3. Pretend being dead
Many people advise pretending to be dead when you encounter a bear. But it does not work. If you see a she-bear, which is accompanied by her cubs, you can pretend to be dead, but if a male bear is hunting, this method will not work. The fact is that brown bears attack from the back. In addition, they are greedy for easily accessible food, which they encounter on their way.
4. Cactus juice
Desert, thirst, and a cactus. Everyone remembers that cactuses contain a lot of water, but it can be the last drop of water in your life. If you take a sip of cactus juice, it is likely that the kidneys will fail you because there is a huge amount of alkali, which leads to dehydration.
5. Meet with a shark
Sharks are very scary and very dangerous sea creatures. They rarely attack humans. However, if they do, everyone knows what to do – to hit them in the nose. Punching a shark does not always save life. For a few seconds the shark will let you go, but then it will come back even more aggressive.
6. Edible and inedible
You may endure a day without food, but then you want to eat. In the wild, there always grows a lot of plants, but it does not mean that everything can be consumed. There is a special test for “edible and inedible” plants, which you need to take in order to understand, if it is possible for you to survive in the wild in any part of the world.
7. Alcohol warms
Alcohol dilates blood vessels, and therefore blood circulates faster and the body is warmed. Once the alcohol enters the body, the blood rushes to the skin surface, and it seems that you feel hot; however, the opposite happens. A person freezes inside, not feeling this.
8. A knife stabbed in the body
If someone is stabbed with a knife, the first thing they do is try to remove it, but this must not be done. The knife is left in the body, and the wound is compressed to reduce the blood loss. One needs to get to the hospital as fast as possible.
9. Stand in the doorway during an earthquake
During an earthquake, you do not need to stand in the doorway. In modern homes, doorways are not strong enough. If you happen to be inside the building during an earthquake, you need to sit on the floor under some shelter (a table); do not move and do not try to get out.
