In this day and age, survival in the traditional sense of the word is no longer a thing. Or, at the very least, its meaning has shifted from what hunter-gatherers considered it to mean a less extreme version of getting by in the world.

But, it is by no means gone as a concept. There is always a non-zero chance of any one of us finding themselves in situations that would require survival skills.

So, just to be safe, folks in this viral r/ask thread shared random first aid and survival facts.

#1

Trust your instincts. Don’t worry about “looking dumb” or “offending” someone by crossing the street, not getting into a lift, doing something because others dare you and a whole lot of other things.

Image credits: Baaastet

#2

Had an elderly neighbor pass out in his yard last summer at the age of 96. Ran over while calling 911 and checked vitals, then ran back home after remembering from 30 years back in boyscouts that if someone is possibly heat strokin, stuff ice packs in their armpits and growing area. Paramedics said it probably saved his life and kept his heart from stopping. He was back home from the hospital 2 days later and back out mowing his lawn in 98 degree weather. He’s a stubborn old man with a good heart

Image credits: CantFeelMyLegs78

#3

if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, or in a snowstorm, stay with the car. It is a shelter and easy to see from the air. Whereas people who walk off to get help end up lost or frozen, fall into ditches, get covered up by snow, etc.

Also, in an emergency situations, do not take shortcuts through unfamiliar territory. If you know a sure way to get somewhere, use that.

Image credits: BaldBear_13

Survival can mean a lot of things. Seriously, Wikipedia’s segment on survival alone suggests everything from survival of individuals, societies and civilizations as living organisms to physical, non-living things like engineering structures as well as concepts like legal interest holding, and political succession and even things like the soul and spirit.

#4

When encountering bears, remember this:

Brown = lay down (play dead)

Black = fight back

White = goodnight (you’re f****d no matter what)

Image credits: souleaterevans626

#5

Honey is a natural anti-biotic and can be applied directly to a wound.

Image credits: mrxexon

#6

This isn’t physical first aid, but if you experience a traumatic event, play Tetris as soon as possible. It helps to block the formation of memories that can lead to post-traumatic symptoms and flashbacks.

Image credits: dangerousfeather

This is besides side-concepts like reproductive success, i.e. survival of particular genes and even nominal terminology for a genre of film, video games, and other aspects of media entertainment.

So, you can imagine why the traditional concept of survival—as in a person just trying to stay alive—is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind.

#7

Keep away from idiots.

Image credits: Altruistic-Pin8578

#8

I went to medical school so I have a plethora of knowledge in this subject but here’s one thing that everyone EVERYONE gets wrong: you cannot shock someone who has no heart beat. That does not cause someone’s heart to start beating. Everything you learned on TV is a lie.

#9

People have been found dead of dehydration with drinking water on them. If you end up lost or stranded don’t try to ration water yourself to make it last longer, your body is best at utilizing whatever reserves it has. Dehydration symptoms can come on quickly and it may already be too late before you realize.

Image credits: Carl_In_Charge

In an article by StudyFinds, it says that the average American thinks they can survive in the wilderness for roughly 16 days. This, however, seems very questionable because only 17% of folks are very confident about their ability to start a fire, let alone identify edible plants and berries (14%).

#10

this is pretty well known, but if you get stabbed/impaled by something, leave it in until you can get proper medical attention!

Image credits: Jaderiss

#11

pine tree sap is highly flammable, and a ripped shirt soaked in it and wrapped around a pole is a fantastic torch

Image credits: EmployeeRadiant

#12

Take a first aid class. They’re inexpensive and could help you save a life.

The upside of this is that nearly 2 of 3 people experienced a newfound appreciation for the great outdoors because of the pandemic. Nearly 80% of them started thinking more critically about their eco-friendliness with another near 80-percentile claiming that this appreciation also boosted their willingness to take more action about said eco-friendliness.

#13

If you feel like you are going to throw up, get an alcohol swab or a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol on it and breath in the fumes. It takes away the need to hurl long enough to get some Gravol on board, or at least to get to a bathroom. 17 years as a nurse. Still use this trick all the time. Have seen it stop people from throwing up mid hurl(but it’s not long lasting and you don’t want to be breathing and alcohol fumes for hours so it’s just a temporary fix).

Image credits: Joygernaut

#14

Not so much of a tip as dispelling a myth, but you definitely don’t have to run zig zag away from an alligator or crocodile. Just run straight and fast.

Image credits: FireTheLaserBeam

#15

Super glue can be a band aid in desperation

Image credits: Beneficial-Guest2105

Journalist and author Beth Winegarner discussed the idea of survival within the context of modern-day society.

A book that she read, but did not disclose, on survival essentially claims that today’s individual is generally not equipped with the skills needed in order to survive, say, a climate change driven apocalypse.

#16

I know lots of them, but my favorite?

Doritos. You can light then on fire and they burn a long time. They make great fire tender.

#17

If you have asthma and without an inhaler nearby you can drink a strong cup of coffee to lessen the symptoms temporarily

Image credits: redgagw

#18

If you are bitten by a cat and it breaks skin, it is advised to go to urgent care immediately. This is not because of rabies but rather the nasty bacteria in a cat’s mouth. Cats’ teeth are so sharp and small that it is essentially taking a hypodermic needle of bacteria and injecting you. The puncture wound is usually so small that the skin heals very quickly and the bacteria in deeply, making it hard to clean properly. These bites more often than not result in nasty fast-spreading infections.

Getting bitten in the hand or finger are the worst spots.

Look for red streaks.

Luckily, oral antibiotics that are started on right away usually clear the infection…but sometimes you will need IV antibiotics.

The oddly cool thing, and I can speak from experience, when you get IV antibiotics for this kind of bite you can basically start feeling the infection stop spreading and your swollen wound site beginning to shrink. It was like instant relief. My cat bit me (by mistake, he was trying to bite a brush). I didn’t think anything of it. The next day the infection was spreading up my arm and my finger looked like a cocktail sausage. The ER doc said I could have lost my hand if I waited just a little bit longer to go somewhere.

Image credits: AcidCatfish___

According to the book, the skills needed to survive include building structures, hunting and foraging, cooking food, and making as well as repairing clothing, among other things. Now, it would spell trouble in cases when the person is alone or, even worse, becomes ill or injured. However, if things do become so dire, i.e. there’s an apocalypse, being alone was never a long-term strategy.

#19

Before trying to administer first aid or CPR, the scene MUST be safe for you to do so.

#20

Cobwebs contain coagulants. You can use cobwebs to stop a wound from bleeding

Image credits: Spirited-Law7316

#21

If you have to do chest compressions, do them to the beat of (ironically) Another One Bites the Dust at 114 bpm. Also, if you ain’t breaking ribs you ain’t doing any good.

Image credits: PoliteCanadian2

Being alone won’t be the case this time around—folks have historically formed communities, and so communities will continue to form, no matter the calamity. So, in that sense, you don’t need to know everything, just enough for everyone within your group of survivalists to be able to fill in the gaps with their YouTube tutorial experience.

#22

If you punch a bear in the nose. You can say you did something cool before you die.

#23

Don’t trust air pockets. Like you swim underwater and then pop out on the other side in a small cave with air. There’s no way for new oxygen to get in there so it could just be full of basically poison. The oxygen may have already been used up leaving only something bad for you

Story of some kids who swam just 15 feet to reach one. But there wasnt enough air left inside the pocket for them to get a good enough breath to swim back out. All four drowned

#24

Three of anything is a universal signal for SOS/Mayday.

Three rocks in a row. Three marks on a rock. Three sounds in succession.

Moreover, being disabled herself, Winegarner remembers how early in the pandemic disabled and chronically ill folks showed an example through proper masking, socializing online and mutual aid. Besides that, disability activist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha also put out a guide that essentially walked folks through storing two weeks of water, food, power and fuel, sanitation and medical supplies, among other things.

#25

Water is the most important thing. First find water

#26

The needles from a white pine tree are very high in vit A and C, and you can make tea out of it if you’re at risk of a vitamin deficiency

Image credits: Eureka05

#27

If you vomit looks like coffee grounds, go to the hospital immediately because that means you’re internally bleeding somewhere in your upper GI tract.

This in turn means that, if anything, most if not all disabled folks are more or less already ready for the apocalypse. Mayhaps even more than the average healthy person. Now, it won’t hurt to scroll through this list (especially if you’ve come this far and have already committed), so keep it up and internalize it.

#28

Don’t immediately offer water to burn victims until checked out by an EMT or authorized medical personnel. They could choke if their throat is swollen from breathing smoke.

Image credits: ConstantAmazement

#29

If you’re choking and no one’s around to give you a heimlich, fall on your stomach. It’s the same principle and a lot easier to pull off than a self-heimlich.

Image credits: Upset_Toe

#30

If you sustain a serious (LIFE THREATENING) cut on your arms or legs and are bleeding heavily, tie a tourniquet tight above the wound (tourniquet should be closer to your body than the wound) and try to raise the injured limb above chest level to decrease the blood flow. The more quickly you lose blood the less likely you are to be able to take any further measures to ensure your safety. If you don’t have a string, rope, belt to hand, use your shirt, pants, underwear, whatever you can effectively use to tie on your limb. In a life or death situation, it’s better to be alive than “decent” 

Image credits: UnClean_Committee

So, don’t worry, in case of a calamity, just stay smart, get the basics down, and don’t forget that people are by nature social beings whose survival is mostly based on staying together.

Speaking of which, why don’t you also stay together for the comment section and share some of your insights into survival down below!

#31

You can eat all parts of all warm blooded arctic animals except their liver, which contains a lethal amount of vitamin A.

#32

If someone is very dehydrated and vomiting, stop giving them water. They will just continue to vomit it up losing even more fluids. They need electrolytes fast.

#33

If you are about to get buried by an avalanche, put your hands over your mouth forming a little pocket in front. It gives you room to breath and also you can spit to find out which direction is up to start digging.

#34

If somebody comes from behind and tries to strangle you, raise your hands high and twirl around

Image credits: These_Tea_7560

#35

You can tell the difference between a fracture and a sprain if the subject is nauseous when you apply pressure to the wound. Nausea is a symptom of a fracture

Image credits: Spirited-Law7316

#36

I have used duct tape and electrical tape as a band aid. Just don’t use carpet seam tape. I knew a carpet installer once that did that, and ended up with blood poisoning that almost killed him.

Image credits: spider1178

#37

If you find yourself in a situation where you might drown; stop thrashing, control your breathing, lean back and use gentle movements, and try to float before making your next decision. Saw so many PSAs about it growing up

#38

You can do the heimlich on yourself using the back on a chair.

#39

If your blood pressure drops use caffeine and salty snacks to help raise it to more normal levels

#40

Birch tree bark makes great fire starter.

Image credits: Right-Ad-5647

#41

Do not trust stagnant water in the wild if it’s clear. The lack of life means it’s likely poisoned.

#42

Turmeric is really good to stop bleeding, and help a wound clot. It does stain but it’s widely used in Asia aside from cooking, for medical purposes.

#43

If you find a plant with berries, purple are your best bet, white or yellow are not. Roughly 80% of purple berries are edible, 50/50 on red, only about 10-20% of yellow or white berries are edible.

#44

Stay low escaping a fire smoke will up so stay low and get out asap

#45

Rubbing Vaseline or some type of lip balm up your nose can help with nose bleeds when in dry climates or high altitude.

Any time I travel out west I do this. I also do it basically when I turn on the heat in my house for the first time. I do it before bed and keep the practice up until I quit running the heat. It also helps me be less congested when I wake up. I use Blistex.

Image credits: Low_Copy4023

#46

Stay on designated trails/paths. There’s a good reason they tell you to do that. ?

#47

If you cut off your finger put it in a baggy with milk not ice. Ice will kill your nerves milk will preserve it

#48

Never ever eat a bear’s liver. Their livers contain so much vitamin a that you will quickly and painfully die of poisoning.

In a similar vein, if you suspect you’ve just ingested Deadly Nightshade, you need to quickly drink about 1 liter of vinegar to give you enough time to make it to the hospital.

Image credits: IHateConservatives66

#49

You can get limited water by placing a bag over a branches full of leaves but keep it closed around the branch. Then after a little while you accumulate a gulp of pure water. Also, dig a hole with a cup in the center and place a similar film/wrap over the hole with a rock over the cup on the plastic. it will fill the cup over time due to humidity. It will only prolong the inevitable, but it’s something.

Image credits: Global_Profession_26

#50

If you’re trying to keep a fire stoked or need to turn an ember into a fire, pinch your thumbs and pointer fingers together to create a diamond, press your lips against it and blow into the lower part of the fire or directly at the embers. This directed, powerful air will do wonders and keep you from wearing yourself out trying to get it going.

#51

Bridges freeze first. Especially at night.

#52

Putting antibiotic creams inside a wound can hurt the beneficial bacteria involved in healing

Last I was told it was recommended to put around the wound, not in it. I still put in around and in the wound when treating myself

#53

You don’t have to outrun the bear, you just need to trip your friend.

#54

If you get bit by a poisoinous snake you don’t need to catch it or even know what type of snake it is anymore, modern anti-venom can treat multiple types of venom and trying to catch the snake only makes it more dangerous.

#55

Apparently the little tea lights produce a lot of heat. Just have a glass jar to hold them so the wax doesn’t go over your car if knocked.

Will help keep you warm and don’t run the car. If your exhaust is blocked it will leak back into your car and that is a one way ticket to meeting your dead relatives.

#56

never eat snow it cools the body faster

#57

There’s a plant in europe that called yarrow (achillea millefolium) and that can be used as a primitive blood stopper for small cuts and nosebleeds. I tested it and it seems to work better than only a tissue. Also, it has a striking resemblance with hemlock (Conium Maculatum), which is toxic. So if you’re in doubt, don’t stick it on a wound.

Image credits: benabart

#58

Never give pain medication to someone with a head injury.

#59

With a bit of chocolate you can polish the bottom of a soda can to near mirror finish to start a fire.

Image credits: nazihunterusaversion

#60

Silk oak wood will kill you if you get cut or scrapped by it. Source: grandpa’s woodshed. He had a BAD infection in his leg and needed wound care for a few months. No idea what happened until his Dr asked if he had ever worked with silk oak wood. He’d gotten a choice peice of it to work with and scrapped his leg on the log.