Do you enjoy adventurous trips away from civilization? So do we, but it is necessary to stay vigilant. Danger does not only threaten you far away in a foreign country. Even such a common activity as picking mushrooms can end fatally. What should you do and how should you behave when a person finds themselves face to face with danger?
Surviving in adverse natural conditions is not a simple matter. We often hear various tips on how to navigate in nature and especially how to survive in nature, but some of them are completely wrong and often dangerous. In today's article, we bring to your attention the first 3 myths that you should not rely on if you do not want your trip to turn into a disaster.
Myth 1 - When you meet a bear, you should always play dead
While wandering through our forests, you might easily come across a brown bear. There is no exact guide on how to proceed when you meet one. If you spot a bear, start slowly backing away while facing the animal, so you can see its reactions. Only once you are at a sufficient distance, turn around and move away quickly. The brown bear mostly tries to protect itself or its cubs. Starting to run will definitely not help you, the bear will quickly catch up to you. However, if it feels that you pose no danger to it, it will leave you alone. Pretending to be dead will not help you if the bear wants to attack you, it will attack you.
When encountering a bear, it mostly also depends on the species of bear. With most bears, a slow retreat works, and you should definitely not look it in the eyes. If you encounter a grizzly, stop moving. If it notices you and makes a movement toward you, curl up into a fetal position and protect your vital organs, in other words, play dead.
We recommend carrying bear spray, or another highly effective spray against predators. They have a long range, creating up to a 4 m protective barrier that will stop the bear. The substances in it cause intense burning in the area of the respiratory tract, head, and eyes, with a blurring effect on vision. At the same time, it disables the predator's sense of smell, so it stops tracking you by scent. So that you can use it immediately if needed, it should always be within reach.
Myth 2 - After a snake bite, you should suck the venom out of the wound
After being bitten by a snake, you should first of all not give in to panic and should try to notice what kind of snake bit you. In our forests, you can be bitten by a grass snake or a viper, colloquially called an adder. If you were bitten by a grass snake, you have nothing to worry about, it is not venomous. The viper is the only venomous snake in our region. Its bite does not pose a life-threatening danger to a healthy adult, but you must not forget about individual allergic reactions. If you go on a trip somewhere exotic, it is a different matter, because there you already risk being bitten by a larger number of venomous snakes.
If, upon being bitten by a snake, you recall childhood lessons where you were taught that after a venomous snake bite you need to cut the wound, suck out the venom, and tie off the area above the wound, that is a mistake. When a snake bites, it injects venom deep into the tissue and the muscle immediately begins to swell. The venom enters the bloodstream immediately after the bite, so sucking it out is ineffective. On the contrary, with your saliva you can introduce additional bacteria into the wound. Immediately call for professional help and go to the hospital. Being able to describe the snake will help doctors administer the correct antivenom, especially in the case of an exotic snake bite. You should stay calm, so that your heart calms down and pumps the contaminated blood more slowly. Keep the part of the body where the snake bit you below the level of the heart and loosen clothing in the area of the bite. Drink plenty of sweet water.
3. myth - When lost, you need to find food immediately to survive
When roaming the wilderness, or even during such a common activity as mushroom picking, it can happen that you get lost. No mushroom picker certainly carries a compass with them. Finding the right way back can sometimes be very difficult, but as the day draws to a close, food is the last thing you should be worrying about. A person can survive several weeks without food, but out in nature, far from people, you can die as a result of injuries or hypothermia.
The most important thing is to survive the cold night and stay warm. Looking for a cave or a hollow tree will be very strenuous. You can manage to build a makeshift shelter yourself. First of all, start building the shelter from the floor up. It may not rain at night, but the cold will creep up from the ground, so first build a bed out of some dry branches, and only then, if you have enough time and strength, build a roof to protect against cold and wind. Paracord survival bracelets can help you build the shelter and the bed - more about using paracord in nature.
We know very little about how to behave and what to do in various situations in nature when we get lost. There are still many myths that we haven't written about in this article and that are spreading like wildfire. By believing them, you can reduce your chances of survival in life-threatening situations. For those who are heading out into nature and don't intend to get lost, we once again recommend the article how to orient yourself in nature and terrain. So see you next time, in part 2 of the myths about survival in nature!
