Questions relating to staying alive
33
votes
5answers
673 views
What are essential items in an emergency kit?
What are must-have items in an emergency kit for a multi-day hiking trip?
27
votes
11answers
929 views
How can you navigate without a compass or GPS
What are the ways you can navigate when you don't have a compass or a GPS? For example how can you tell which way is north.
24
votes
3answers
8k views
Is drinking urine safe?
We've all heard stories about how people saved their lives by drinking their urine. Is drinking urine safe when there are no other water sources available? Can I filter it with a water purifier?
24
votes
6answers
2k views
How can I identify edible berries/fruit from poisonous?
How can I identify edible berries/fruit in the wide and avoid the poisonous varieties? Is there a general guideline that can be followed or is each plant specific?
24
votes
3answers
13k views
How long does water need to be boiled for to kill all bacteria / viruses?
This has come up a few times in a few other questions, but I've heard varying opinions from different people in a number of answers and comments on here - some saying that just boiling for a moment is ...
22
votes
8answers
8k views
Does eating snow help dehydration?
I have heard many people say that eating snow actually can increase dehydration since the energy required for the body to heat up and melt the snow is greater than the benefits received from the ...
21
votes
3answers
354 views
If I have to cross an icy, flowing river, what are some ways I can cross safely?
If I'm alone in a survival situation and I have to cross a very cold river that's still flowing, how should I accomplish this safely?
19
votes
3answers
272 views
What pattern for casual planes should a castaway create on a desert island?
This answer has inspired me to a question: say you are a castaway on a desert island. There might be a plane flying casualy but you can miss it. So you want to create some pattern (e.g. put some ...
18
votes
7answers
497 views
How can you navigate / determine your location in thick fog?
Are there any good hints, tips and ways you can use to navigate around and find your location in thick fog (apart from a GPS)?
16
votes
3answers
1k views
Can I eat rotten meat and carcass providing enough cooking?
I've met often with the concept, that rotten meat and carcass is inedible because of bacteria and toxins. The most harmful of it the botulinum toxin.
However, in the question Can any waterborne ...
16
votes
4answers
281 views
What are the rules for eating raw, wild meat?
Can you always eat raw meat (wild) as long as it is fresh?
15
votes
4answers
296 views
What should I do when I'm lost?
What should I do when I get disoriented or lost? How can I find help or make myself easier to find?
This is a general question to do when lost in the wilderness, whether it is a meadow or mountain. ...
15
votes
2answers
218 views
If I cross paths with a bear, what should I do?
If I'm out hiking, and I come around a corner and stumble upon a bear, what's the best course of action to take to minimize the chance the bear will act aggressively?
Do different types of bear ...
14
votes
5answers
178 views
Keeping warm in an emergency
When roaming the outdoors, it might happen that one finds oneself in a situation that is much, much colder than one planned for.
What can one do in such an emergency, especially when it's so cold ...
14
votes
5answers
2k views
What essential items should go in a small first aid kit?
Another question asked what survival equipment should be carried in an emergency kit. But very little was about medical or first aid supplies (band-aids, gauze, tylenol, moleskin, etc).
What items ...
14
votes
2answers
189 views
Where are good places to look for water sources when I have run out on a multi-day hike?
Luckily this has never happened to me, but even the most prepared hiker can often get themselves into difficulties if they run out of water. My question here is in your experience in remote arid ...
13
votes
3answers
7k views
How can I start a fire by rubbing two sticks together?
When trying to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, what does one need to consider? I am assuming I can't just grab any two sticks and start rubbing...
Should they be dead or green?
Hard ...
13
votes
5answers
196 views
Good books to learn survival?
Does anybody have a recommendation to a good book about how to survive in the Norwegian woods and similar?
12
votes
5answers
494 views
If lost in the wilderness, what is the first thing I should do?
If I get lost in the wilderness, what is the very first thing I should do?
12
votes
2answers
2k views
Can you eat pine needles in an emergency?
If you are in a survival situation in the woods and REALLY hungry, and you are unsure about which plants are edible, can you eat pine needles?
12
votes
3answers
176 views
What steps should I take if someone starts sinking?
What are the steps that should be taken if someone you're hiking with starts to sink uncontrollably into say a marsh? What are some good techniques and points that should be used to get them out ...
12
votes
3answers
169 views
Falling into an ice cold body of water
I've never been hiking in such extreme situations, but if in the situation in the question, i.e. you're hiking in very cold weather and someone falls in (let's say so pretty much their whole body is ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
Can I shoot a bear in self-defense?
Can I shoot a bear in self-defense? Will I face fines and jail time if I do?
11
votes
2answers
166 views
How to make a signal fire that can be seen miles away
If I were lost in the North American woods, how could I make a signal fire that would attract attention many miles away ?
11
votes
3answers
530 views
How can I tell what time it is without a watch?
Assuming I don't have a watch or other time-telling device with me in the wilderness, is there a way to know what time it is? I don't necessarily want to know the exact minute of the day, but a ...
11
votes
4answers
250 views
What to look for when purchasing a fixed blade knife
I'm planning on doing some back country canoe camping this summer. I would like to avoid bringing a hatchet if possible. I also find my folding knifes get full of gunk and I am a little bit afraid I ...
10
votes
2answers
198 views
Surviving a forest fire
Awhile back I heard on CBC radio about a man who got trapped in a forest fire (surrounded on all sides) and survived. The way he survived was so ridiculous he was brought to court and almost fined/put ...
10
votes
2answers
223 views
Are carabiners useful tools to have in the wilderness? If so, what would they be used for?
Carabiners are obviously essential in certain circumstances, such as with any type of climbing / rappelling. But are they a good tool to have generally as well, and if so what might be some example ...
10
votes
2answers
93 views
Are there any specific guidelines for edible plants in North America?
I know there are dangerous plants and fruits to eat, but are there any basic rules one can use when in an emergency situation that apply to all safe foods? The 'rules' don't necessarily have to apply ...
10
votes
1answer
276 views
Techniques for building a raft from wood
What are some good techniques to use (materials, knots, etc.) for building a raft by gathering wood in the local area? I'm talking about something to sail on still or slow moving bodies of water, not ...
9
votes
2answers
173 views
Moose: How to decrease the risk of being injured?
Based on Wikipedia:
Moose injure more people than any other wild mammal and, worldwide,
only hippopotamuses injure more.
In this case, what should I do to decrease the risk of being injured ?
...
9
votes
1answer
193 views
What should I do if caught in a sand storm?
If I find myself caught in a sand storm, what should I do? Should I sit it out, or try to keep moving somehow? Can this depend on the severity of the sand storm?
9
votes
1answer
361 views
Are barberries edible?
Barberries are so common around here that there would be enough for a fruit serving a day for quite a while. But there is a problem: I do not know whether or not they are edible. Are they edible in ...
8
votes
2answers
212 views
Will boiling be enough to decontaminate standing water from pathogens and toxins?
Will the boiling of the water itself be enough to decontaminate water taken from such standing water reservoir as that:
This water looks horrible, and probably drinking it raw would cause serial ...
8
votes
2answers
428 views
How do I desalinate seawater?
I know I shouldn't drink seawater (because of the salt it contains), but how can I desalinate it?
8
votes
3answers
275 views
Would a tampon be a good addition to a survival kit
Jezebel magazine suggests a tampon for your survival kit.
I don't question that, if you just happen to have a tampon, you can use it. But at the end of the article they suggest even guys carry one ...
8
votes
3answers
416 views
How do I catch fish with fish hooks but no bait?
As most survival kits come with fish hooks, I am wondering how do I catch fish without any bait?
8
votes
2answers
86 views
Is it necessary to carry a knife sharpener?
Under the assumption that an emergency kit like the ones listed here are for the emergency of getting lost and being stranded for days, how necessary is a knife sharpener?
8
votes
1answer
81 views
Are there significant behaviour differences among bear species to adopt different safety rules?
Living the north-east part of America, my chances of encountering a grizzly bear is very low. I have greater chances of meeting a black bear. If I got the chance of meeting a grizzly, should I change ...
8
votes
2answers
95 views
Are there any specific techniques that should be used when starting a fire in the rain?
Starting a fire can sometimes be hard enough when it's dry, let alone when it's tipping it down. But when it is, what steps should you follow to try to ensure the fire gets going successfully?
I'm ...
7
votes
3answers
376 views
Can I heat a shelter with fire?
So I built my survival shelter and I decide a nice fire would really warm things up. Is there a way I can build a fire that would heat the shelter without too much smoke? I know I could make the ...
7
votes
3answers
357 views
Is the “Rule of 3” proven for food?
The proverbial "Rule of 3" says you can live three weeks without food. Are there any documented cases of people actually living three weeks with no food in the wilderness and surviving?
For those ...
7
votes
2answers
132 views
How to maximise the chances of survival when stranded in open sea?
I read with interest about news of a scuba diver being stranded in the open sea when the diving operator failed to account for all members of a group. Mishaps like this and accidents such as boat ...
7
votes
1answer
294 views
What to do if you're bitten by an adder?
I've heard that while adder bites are poisonous the number of people who have died from them are extremely low. If you're on a trek and you're bitten is it safe to continue for a couple more days ...
7
votes
1answer
133 views
Is it possible to improvise a knife sharpener in the wild?
Assuming I am lost with minimal tools, but have my knife, is there any way to improvise a knife sharpener in the woods?
6
votes
2answers
390 views
What is the best rope to have in a survival situation?
What rope would be most helpful/versatile in a survival situation?
6
votes
2answers
108 views
Does anyone have an account of someone using a survival tin in a survival situation
I have read several books about survival and outdoor field craft skills. Many of these books suggest building a survival kit out of an Altoids tin or something similar. These kits include very basic ...
6
votes
2answers
429 views
How much heat can a candle lantern provide while winter camping?
In answering this question I tossed out that a candle lantern can add as much as 10 degrees (F) of heat while winter camping. I've heard this tossed about before, but is it true? I assume there are ...
6
votes
1answer
185 views
What should I look for when buying a Lensatic Compass
Lensatic Compasses seem to be priced from $5 to $100 USD. What features should I look for when buying one?
5
votes
4answers
264 views
What is a good knife for survival in a forested environment?
What style/size of knife would be most useful in a survival scenario in the forest?
