Survival Tips

[BSM1]

Smearing Vaseline on the camera lens is a great tip.

Sooo...the block association wants a traditional Santa, eh... BTW, talking about seeing sides of each other otherwise unseen, a couple of weekends ago we played an adult version of "Cards For Humanity" at a gathering of friends. It's not for the weak of heart...

 

[Secret Chief]

Will my f-pace be ok?

Well does it have a bite force of between 1500 and 2000 psi?

 

[Left Coast]

Keep a handsome knight in shining armor nearby at all times.

 

[Quagmire]

If you don't already have some knowledge of wild edibles there are a few simple thumb rules that you can use that probably won't kill you
Never eat anything with waxy or shiny leaves.
Never eat anything that has white sap.
Never eat anything off a bush or tree that has a lot of dead hikers lying at its base.

If a plant passes all of those tests take a tiny tiny piece of one leaf, say half the size of your fingernail on your pinky, put it on your tongue and just leave it there for about 10 minutes.
If it doesn't make your tongue itch burn or if it isn't overly bitter try eating a very small amount and then waiting 20 minutes and by small amount I mean maybe a 1cn in by 1cm piece of a leaf.
Wait 20 minutes. if you don't get sick try eating a little bit more.

if you're still feeling okay it's probably safe to eat but you should still go slowly with it.

You can use this method with leaves, berries, shoots, and roots but most Roots need to be cooked pretty thoroughly.

If you're living off the land like this especially if it's for the first time eat very little for the first two days even if everything you're eating is okay to eat, your body is still going to need time to adjust to it because most of it's going to be new.

Remember to examine and wash everything that you gather before eating it.

If you can, cook everything and cook it well.

All birds are edible and fairly easy to catch.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Don't go anywhere with a psychopath and/or cannibal unless an arm or a leg isn't that valuable to you.

 

[ChristineM]

Well does it have a bite force of between 1500 and 2000 psi?

No but i would like to see a croc or Anaconda open those doors or keep up with it.

 

[Secret Chief]

No but i would like to see a croc or Anaconda open those doors or keep up with it.

 

[Quagmire]

If you cross paths with a wild animal, stand your ground. worst thing you could possibly do is run, if you do you automatically become prey.

Wave your arms, try to make yourself look as big as possible, scream and yell and just basically try to make yourself as annoying as possible.

Remember that smaller animals ---possums, skunks, foxes, and especially raccoons can be dangerous too.

When you're looking for a place to set up camp for the night one of the first things you need to look for is animal droppings. If you find any, especially if they're big, you should keep looking for another spot.

Try and find a spot surrounded by bushes or brambles or even that just has a lot of dead leaves on the ground. that way nothing will be able to sneak up on you without making a lot of noise.

Doesn't hurt to have a big tree to climb close by.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Remember that smaller animals ---possums, skunks, foxes, and especially raccoons can be dangerous too.

really? How dangerous are raccoons... They often seem kinda curious, sometimes they don't show much fear. I was starin down about 3 of em last night, I don't if they wanted a taco I left

Within easy walking distance of my inner city apartment, I have found ...
...stinging nettle, which is an incredibly nutritious food. Wear gloves to pick it ... The stinging hairs go soft and harmless when cooked.

As long as it isn't too close to a motor way right.. then doesn't stuff accumulate lead or something

 

[amorphous_constellation]

When I was living in a remote place, I guess my 3 fears were getting lost, falling in an abandoned well or mine-shaft etc, and getting eaten by a bear. Some places in the u.s. have no towns for hundreds of miles, and just endless woods..

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

really? How dangerous are raccoons... They often seem kinda curious, sometimes they don't show much fear. I was starin down about 3 of em last night, I don't if they wanted a taco I left

They're not safe and if they bite you, they can also carry disease - which may require shots.

 

[Yerda]

Follow someone who knows what they're doing.

 

[BSM1]

If you cross paths with a wild animal, stand your ground. worst thing you could possibly do is run, if you do you automatically become prey.

Wave your arms, try to make yourself look as big as possible, scream and yell and just basically try to make yourself as annoying as possible.

Remember that smaller animals ---possums, skunks, foxes, and especially raccoons can be dangerous too.

When you're looking for a place to set up camp for the night one of the first things you need to look for is animal droppings. If you find any, especially if they're big, you should keep looking for another spot.

Try and find a spot surrounded by bushes or brambles or even that just has a lot of dead leaves on the ground. that way nothing will be able to sneak up on you without making a lot of noise.

Doesn't hurt to have a big tree to climb close by.

Just for the record, being "skunked" by a skunk is like being tear gassed. It doesn't even come close to what a road kill skunk smells like...trust me.

 

[Quagmire]

really? How dangerous are raccoons... They often seem kinda curious, sometimes they don't show much fear. I was starin down about 3 of em last night, I don't if they wanted a taco I left

Cute as they are, raccoons are some of the most vicious fighters in the forest. They're incredibly quick, and they have opposable thumbs, four of them as a matter of fact.

A raccoon can take down a dog many times it's on size. What they do is they latch on to the face with all four paws and wreak havoc with their sharp little teeth.

I talked to a paramedic once up in northern California who said that the worst thing he'd seen in his whole career was when a raccoon turned on its owner (I'll spare you the details). bear in mind this is a paramedic who spent most of his career scraping motorcyclist off of the winding country highway that ran through his jurisdiction, so he'd seen a thing or two.

The fact that raccoons are generally curious and unafraid of people is one of the things that makes them dangerous.

On top of all that, raccoons are one of the primary carriers of rabies, but are unaffected by it themselves, so there's no way to tell if one has it.

if all that weren't enough, there's a parasite in raccoon's stool that if you accidentally ingest it or get it in your eyes it can cause you to go blind, crazy, or just kill you outright.

All in all raccoons are about the last critter you want hanging out at your place.

Edit: forgot to mention they can open doors, latches, and even zippers.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

What they do is they latch on to the face with all four paws and wreak havoc with their sharp little teeth.

maybe kind of like a honey badger.. aren't those especially fatal to be in bad contact with.. they might be sort of related to raccoons, they might both be in the weasel family

defective raccoons are generally curious and unafraid of people is one of the things that makes him dangerous.

I get concerned if I see them in the daytime, that doesn't seem normal.. I guess I should be watchful.. I kinda like to sit outside on a hot night and listen to podcasts.. tend to be awake all night since I work 3rd shift, suppose I got to watch my back

I don't know if you saw this youtube channel, I think it's called the 'raccoon whisperer,' this older guy sits out and feeds 30 of them at a time.. doesn't seem safe right

 

[The Hammer]

I recently found a video about how to crack a coconut without tools and now I'm wondering: what are some survival tips you people know? Give us the staying alive tips you know for the outdoors!

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If you are in an area and short on water, clear plastic (think plastic bag) wrapped around a green plant, will collect a small amount of drinkable moisture after about 24hours.

EDIT: Also, if you get stung by a Stinging Nettle, nearby you can usually find Dock plants. The Dock plant leaves can be ground up and used as a salve for the Sting(s).

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Flint, knife, duct tape, super glue, basic first aid kit, batteries, flashlight, compass. Those alone can help you get through quite abit.
Some interesting points:
-Super glue has some antiseptic properties and help seal and protect wounds. It was developed during the Vietnam War to give seriously wounded soldiers more time to get treatment by providing a means to help manage bleeding, buying troops extra time until medics arrived and saving many.
-You can boil water in a plastic bottle suspended above water. The bottle may warp, but it wont melt.
-Boiling water for 10 minutes kills germs and makes water generally safe to drink (except salt water. I forget how make that potable). This does not, unfortunately, get rid of a bad taste.
-Leaves and sticks can be fused together dor makeshift shelter.
-its not ideal to learn or figure out in real survival, but you can start one by rubbing two sticks together.
-Makeshift traps can be easy and often arent overly complicated.

 

[Vinayaka]

I recently found a video about how to crack a coconut without tools and now I'm wondering: what are some survival tips you people know? Give us the staying alive tips you know for the outdoors!

​

Really? You just throw it at something hard.

But this is just an example of lack of communication between cultures. One culture's 'survival technique' is another's way of life.

 

[BSM1]

Flint, knife, duct tape, super glue, basic first aid kit, batteries, flashlight, compass. Those alone can help you get through quite abit.
Some interesting points:
-Super glue has some antiseptic properties and help seal and protect wounds. It was developed during the Vietnam War to give seriously wounded soldiers more time to get treatment by providing a means to help manage bleeding, buying troops extra time until medics arrived and saving many.
-You can boil water in a plastic bottle suspended above water. The bottle may warp, but it wont melt.
-Boiling water for 10 minutes kills germs and makes water generally safe to drink (except salt water. I forget how make that potable). This does not, unfortunately, get rid of a bad taste.
-Leaves and sticks can be fused together dor makeshift shelter.
-its not ideal to learn or figure out in real survival, but you can start one by rubbing two sticks together.
-Makeshift traps can be easy and often arent overly complicated.

Thankfully I have watched enough Coyote and Road Runner episodes to know what doesn't work.

 

[SigurdReginson]

I'm gonna love this thread.

Some survival tips I've learned:

The juice of a fiddlehead, and the spores of a young fern act as a minor pain suppressant; they act great as an emergency pain reliever in case you get stung by a stinging nettle.

Why would you be stung by a stinging nettle? Stinging nettles are a super food, and when you boil them, the venom is disabled. You can eat them just fine, then. They are delicious and full of nutrients.

Cat tails make excellent food if you come across them. The pollen can be used like flour (for, say, pancakes and things like that), lower leaves can be used for salads, the young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, and the young flowers can be roasted.

Queen anne's lace is a wild carrot, and the flower bundles can be deep fried to make fritters (using cattail pollen, if you like). Just don't mistake it for poisonous hemlock or yarrow, which they look very similar to. One way to tell the difference is to break the root in half and smell. The queen anne's lace will have a strong carrot smell, and if the root is young enough, that is edible, too.

Chicory root is great for bush coffee, if you need something to drink. Clover flowers are also great for teas, or they can be eaten raw like they are with the leaves.

I remember that Dual Survival show when they tried to survive in the Olympic national forrest, and failed. It's easy to survive here, as there's plenty of food and kindling for fire (but they got rained out). You just need to have a little specific education for the area, first.

Edit: Oh! Also, some strains of dandelions are edible (you can see their leaves even in some salads you buy in the store, like spring mixes). They were originally brought from Europe to the Americas during the settling process, because they weren't sure there was edible food to eat here. Since then, they've spread like wild fire.

Camas is also an edible root plant, but only before it's flowered (much like queen anne's lace). The first people's of the pacific northwest ate this food often. Problem is, death camas looks very similar to the edible kind before it flowers, so I definitely do not recommend trying to eat that one unless you are a trained expert.