Thousands of adventurers venture into the wild each year, but many face deadly situations they’re not prepared to survive. From 1992 to 2007, over 78,000 people in U.S. National Parks required search and rescue, with 2,659 fatalities—many caused by poor decisions and misguided beliefs.
The harsh truth? Even small mistakes can cost lives. These are the 15 survival myths most likely to get you killed. Knowing the facts behind them could save your life.
1. Sucking Out Snake Venom
When a venomous snake bites, the toxins enter the bloodstream immediately. Attempting to suck out the venom not only fails to remove it but introduces harmful bacteria into the wound. (ref)
The correct response is to keep the victim’s heart rate low and position the affected limb below the heart level while seeking immediate medical attention. Cutting or using suction devices can damage tissue and accelerate venom spread.
2. Playing Dead for Any Bear
While playing dead works for defensive attacks from grizzly bears, it’s a fatal mistake with black bears. During a black bear attack, fighting back vigorously is essential for survival.
For brown or grizzly bears, only play dead if they make contact during a defensive attack. If the bear appears to be stalking you without warning signs, that indicates a predatory attack – in this case, you must fight for your life.
3. Immediate Food Search When Lost
Finding food should not be your first priority in a survival situation. A healthy human can survive up to six weeks without food, but only days without water.
Focusing on food instead of shelter and water wastes precious energy and time. Water and protection from the elements should be your top priorities, as these are far more critical for immediate survival.
4. Drinking Cactus Fluid for Hydration
Unless you can specifically identify the one safe species of barrel cactus, consuming cactus fluid will likely make you violently ill. Most cactus fluid contains toxic alkaloids.
The resulting vomiting will cause you to lose more precious fluids, leaving you even more dehydrated than before. This myth is particularly dangerous in desert survival scenarios where dehydration is already a severe risk.
5. Using Moss for Navigation
The belief that moss reliably grows on the north side of trees is pure folklore. Moss grows on any side of a tree depending on environmental conditions like shade and moisture.
Relying on this myth for navigation could lead you in completely wrong directions. Instead, learn proper navigation techniques using reliable tools like maps, compasses, or celestial navigation.
6. Eating What Animals Eat
Just because an animal can safely consume something doesn’t mean humans can. Birds and squirrels can safely eat berries and mushrooms that would be lethal to humans.
This is particularly dangerous with mushrooms – the odds of correctly identifying safe mushrooms in the wild are extremely low. It’s better to avoid unknown plants and fungi entirely.
7. Warming Up Freezing Victims Quickly
Rapidly warming someone suffering from hypothermia or frostbite can cause severe tissue damage. Rubbing frostbitten skin or using hot water can make the condition significantly worse. (ref)
Instead, warm the person gradually using blankets and warm (not hot) water bottles placed under their armpits. Quick temperature changes can send the body into shock.
8. Building Fires in Caves
While caves might seem like ideal shelter, building fires in them can be deadly. Heat causes rocks to expand, which can lead to dangerous cave-ins.
The confined space can also lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Always prioritize proper ventilation and avoid building fires in enclosed rocky spaces.
9. Relying on Raw Blood for Hydration
While blood contains water, drinking raw blood is extremely dangerous. It can contain numerous pathogens and doesn’t provide meaningful hydration.
The risks of consuming raw blood far outweigh any potential benefits. This practice could lead to severe illness when you’re already in a survival situation.
10. Surviving on Protein Alone
Consuming only lean meat without fat can lead to protein poisoning, also known as “rabbit starvation.” Your body cannot properly digest protein without adequate fat.
Even if you manage to hunt successfully, eating only lean meat can still result in starvation. Fat is crucial for survival and helps your body properly digest proteins.
11. Sucking on Stones for Hydration
This old survival myth suggests that sucking on stones increases saliva production. However, this provides no actual hydration benefit.
More dangerously, there’s a risk of choking if you accidentally inhale the stone. This practice wastes energy and can create additional medical emergencies.
12. Drinking Alcohol to Stay Warm
Consuming alcohol when cold actually increases your risk of hypothermia. (ref) While alcohol might make you feel warmer, it causes your blood vessels to dilate.
This dilation increases heat loss through your skin and lowers your core body temperature. Alcohol also impairs your judgment, making you more likely to make fatal mistakes in survival situations.
13. Skipping Shelter for a Big Fire
While a large fire can provide warmth, relying solely on it for protection is dangerous. Weather conditions can change rapidly, leaving you exposed to rain or wind.
Always prioritize building a proper shelter. A well-constructed shelter provides consistent protection from the elements and is more reliable than maintaining a large fire.
14. Eating Raw Meat & Seafood
Despite what survival shows depict, consuming raw meat and seafood in survival situations is extremely risky. Raw flesh often contains dangerous pathogens.
Even if some raw seafood is safe in controlled conditions, wild game and freshwater fish carry significant risks of parasites and bacterial infections that could prove fatal in a survival situation.
15. Attempting Complex Survival Projects
Many survival guides show elaborate traps and shelters, but attempting complex projects in real survival situations wastes valuable energy and time.
Focus on simple, effective solutions that meet immediate needs. Conservation of energy is crucial when your survival is at stake.
Survival situations demand clear thinking and proven strategies, not Hollywood solutions or folklore. The difference between life and death often comes down to making informed decisions based on scientific facts rather than popular myths.
Remember that in real survival situations, keeping things simple and focusing on the basics – shelter, water, and signaling for help – will serve you far better than attempting dramatic survival techniques seen on TV.
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Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.