How to Survive Anything

How to Survive Anything: Be prepared for an inbound hurricane

Hurricane season on the Atlantic coast usually runs from the beginning of June to the end of November. So far this season, we’ve been fortunate to only see on full scale hurricane and a hand full of tropical storms meander their way toward shore. However, as history has shown, it only takes one serious storm to cripple an entire region of the nation.

If you find yourself in a hurricane’s path, there are a few things you can do around the house to help minimize your risks while you wait out the storm, as well as to help better position you for success once the storm is over… But remember, the best thing you can do to prepare for a hurricane is to get clear of the storm well before it makes landfall.

Stock up on non-perishable foods well ahead of time
Cover windows with plywood (use wood screws, not nails)
Store loose gear indoors or tie it down
Survey your property for trees or tree limbs that look like they could come down. If possible, deal with them ahead of time. If not, avoid rooms in the house near those threats.
Make sure you know how to turn off the gas, electricity, and water in your home.
Put together some water storage
Shelter in an interior room, away from any windows.

How to Survive Anything: Making it through a flash flood

Like most natural disasters, a bit of preparation ahead of time can go a long way. If you know there’s a high flood risk in your area, start by heading for high ground or out of the path of the storm. If, however, evacuating isn’t an option, you run the chance of finding yourself squaring off with one of nature’s most prolific killers: water.

If it can make the Grand Canyon, it sure as hell can mess up your Sunday. Here’s what to do if you find yourself squaring off with a wall of water:

Dump whatever you’re carrying and book it for high ground.
If the water starts to rise around you, look for something to climb (like a tree) and get as high as possible.
If you find yourself swept up in the flood, you are in trouble. Try to orient yourself so your legs are out in front of you so you can use them to stop you from being bashed into any hard objects in your path.
Protect your upper body and head at all costs. You’re going to get hurt, but you can survive if you keep your head above water and your torso free of holes.
Try to steer clear of obstructions in your path. Getting out of the flood is a top priority, but you don’t want to end up pinned up against an obstruction in the effort. Your chances of being killed increase dramatically the more the flood hits you with debris.
Go with the current and work your way toward an edge until you’re in shallow enough water to escape.

Feature image courtesy of the National Parks Service

How to Survive Anything: Dealing with a scorpion sting

Scorpions are scary. I’m not even going to play about that… But they’re also not really all that dangerous. While a scorpion’s sting can really make you feel like crap, it’s uncommon for one to actually kill you. Unfortunately for me, I’ve been stung by scorpions three times over the years (to varying degree of misery).

The best way not to get stung by a scorpion is to leave it the hell alone — but maybe you’ve watched that scene in “Skyfall” a few too many times and now only drink your whiskey with a scorpion poised to sting you in the face. If that’s the case, I respect your drinking habits, but it may be in your best interest to know how to treat one of those stings.

Give the area of the sting a good washing with soap and water.
Reduce the swelling with a cold compress or ice pack.
If the sting is on one of your extremities, elevate it while you ice it.
Stay calm. Some scorpion stings can cause symptoms that may include increased heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle weakness, or vomiting. These are all serious concerns in a survival situation, but the sting itself is very rarely deadly.
Wait it out. Drink plenty of fluids and allow your body to recover before you go picking fights with any other six-legged monsters.

Feature image courtesy of Sony Pictures/MGM

How to Survive Anything: Choosing where to build your shelter

If you find yourself stuck in the wilderness, one of the first things you’ll want to do is prepare a shelter — but before you can do that, you need to choose where you want to built it.

Choosing a good location for your campsite is extremely important, not just in terms of comfort, but survival. You’ll want to pick a location that’s both high and dry — avoid valleys and paths that look like water flows through them when it rains, or you may find your carefully constructed shelter washed away in the middle of the night.

Keep an eye out for insect nests — you won’t want to make camp anywhere near one, and if possible, try to set up near a source of fresh water and an ample supply of dry wood for use in both building your shelter and your fire. Look for threats commonly referred to as “widow-makers,” like large dead branches that could fall on your camp while you’re sleeping and make sure to avoid them.

Making camp near a rock wall can be dangerous (widow-makers) but it can also protect you from the elements on that side and help keep the warmth from the fire near you as you sleep.

How to Survive Anything: What to do when a crowd starts to crush you

While most of the survival skills we’ve addressed so far involve being in the wilderness, there are plenty of risks we face in the Urban Jungle as well. One of the most dangerous places you can be in here in the developed world is in a large crowd when panic strikes.

In terrible situations like a mass shooting or a fire, you may soon find yourself stuck in what is commonly called a “crowd-crush.” Crowd-crushes occur when a large group of people are desperate to get somewhere (like out of a burning building), but something is preventing their progress. The doors may not be large enough to support the volume of people using them, or they may not be open at all.

If you find yourself trapped in a crowd like that, it is absolutely imperative that you keep your footing. Falling down will dramatically increase your likelihood of asphyxiation or being crushed to death. When you feel the surge of pressure coming from the back of the crowd, do not fight the tide — fighting it is not only futile, but it greatly increases your chances of falling down. Instead, roll with the tide and keep moving to the side in one direction. Move with the tide and sideways until you reach the side of the mob and find a way out.

If you do fall down, immediately get into the fetal position with your head tucked between your arms and toward your knees, creating a small pocket of air for you to breath while the crowd clamors over you. It will give you the best chance at surviving.

How to Survive Anything: You hold your breath wrong (yeah, you)

If you’re out on the water, maybe fishing or just going for a swim, you may find yourself needing or wanting to spend some time beneath the surface. Maybe you’re looking for something you dropped, hunting for Catfish to noodle, or avoiding detection from people on shore… regardless of why you’re under water, there’s one thing you can do to improve your chances of surviving it.

Most of us tend to take a number of deep breaths before holding our breath to submerge — that’s a bad idea. Hyperventilating before you go under doesn’t actually increase the amount of oxygen in your blood stream — what it does do is decrease the amount of CO2. That might sound good, but it’s not.

That CO2 in your blood stream is what alerts your brain that you need an influx of fresh oxygen. With a reduced level of it, you can’t actually hold your breath for longer, you just feel like you can. That dramatically increases your chances of holding your breath until you pass out — something commonly referred to as a shallow-water blackout.