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  • Once, when I was a kid, I went hiking with my family and got lost.

  • I still remember how terrified I felt.

  • Lucky, it took less than 10 minutes for my uncle to find me.

  • And I guess that's where my interest in all kinds of survival tips comes from.

  • 1.

  • If your wrists are bound with zip ties, rotate and move them back and forth against each

  • other.

  • It's likely to loosen the cords a bit, and you'll be able to remove the ties.

  • Also, while you're being tied, try to clench your fists.

  • Itll expand the muscles in your hands, and the ties will feel looser once you relax

  • your muscles again.

  • This will let you wriggle your hands out of the plastic cords.

  • Note: What you originally did to earn getting plastic ties on your wrists is not covered

  • here.

  • 2.

  • If youre in a tough situation with nobody around to help you out, it's all too easy

  • to succumb to panic.

  • In this case, you can use a psychological trick.

  • First, visualize how to successfully get out of trouble.

  • Then, set several small goals and tackle them one at a time.

  • Itll preoccupy your mind and prevent you from overthinking the situation.

  • For example, being lost in the wilderness, you can draw up the following plan:

  • - Find a safe place.

  • - Start a fire.

  • - Build a shelter.

  • - Find a water source. …and so on.

  • Itll take your mind off visualizing all kinds of catastrophic outcomes.

  • 3.

  • If you find yourself with frostbite, take care of it as soon as you can.

  • Despite the popular misconception, do NOT pour hot water on the damaged skinitll

  • make things much worse!

  • Instead, if you can't see a doctor immediately, remove any wet clothing and put the place

  • with frostbite in warm water.

  • Then, make sure that the damaged body part isn't going to freeze again, and keep it elevated

  • to reduce swelling.

  • Lastly, put a bandage on the frostbitten area.

  • If it's your fingers or toes, wrap a bandage around each of them, and place cotton balls

  • in between so that they don't touch.

  • Never, ever rub the damaged spot!

  • 4.

  • You probably know that without water, a person can survive no more than 3 days, but it may

  • take even less time before your body stops working properly.

  • It depends on how hot the weather is or how active you are.

  • So if you run out of water in the wilderness, your top priority is to find a source of it.

  • Keep in mind that water always runs downhill.

  • Head in that direction - it's your best chance to find clean water and avoid dehydration.

  • Speaking of flowing water

  • 5.

  • If you get lost in the wilderness and have no idea what direction to choose, find a stream

  • or a small creek.

  • Follow it until it merges with a larger river, and itll take you to an inhabited area

  • where you'll get help.

  • 6.

  • You should never go on a hike without some means to make a fire.

  • A lighter sounds good, but what if you lose it or drop it in water?

  • To be on the safe side, put some matchsticks in a plastic bag and bring them along.

  • Keep in mind that the bag should have a secure seal to protect the matches from liquids.

  • Another way to ensure that your matchsticks will work when you need them is to cover their

  • heads in wax.

  • It's easy to do!

  • Just dip the matches into hot wax and let them dry.

  • Itll make them waterproof, and to use one, you'll just have to scrape the wax off the

  • match head.

  • 7.

  • So, let's say, you're wandering in the wilderness, lost and desperate, when suddenly you see

  • a cave!

  • Nobody will deny that it can make a perfect shelter!

  • There’s some wood and tinder you can pick up nearby, AND you have matches!

  • It seems all odds are in your favor!

  • And they are if you don't make a fatal mistake - which is building a fire inside the cave.

  • The main problem isn't the smoke from the fire.

  • The thing is, the heat coming from your fire will cause the rocks (which make up the walls

  • and the ceiling of the cave) to expand.

  • Eventually, theyll give in, and you may get trapped in a rockfall or a landslide.

  • To stay warm AND safe, build a fire right outside the cave!

  • 8.

  • If you find yourself surrounded by snow and with no drinking water on hand, eating snow

  • is NOT the best way to rehydrate.

  • In fact, itll most likely lead to further dehydration!

  • How come?

  • Once you stuff some snow into your mouth, your body must start a process that will melt

  • the snow and warm it up.

  • Therefore, you'll need to spend more energy, which will make you lose liquids faster.

  • But that's not all: eating snow can give you hypothermia (when your body temperature is

  • too low), which is twice as dangerous if you're alone in the wilderness.

  • Besides, chances are that snow contains harmful bacteria that will cause an infection.

  • If you don't have any other solution, you should melt the snow you're going to consume

  • in your hands first, and stay away from the stuff that doesn't look fresh and white.

  • 9.

  • Imagine that you're in water, and your hands and legs are securely tied up with a rope.

  • It’s not your day.

  • It may seem like an already lost battle, but it isn't!

  • First and foremost, do your best to suppress panic and the instinctive urge to flail.

  • Hold your breath and wait until you get down to the bottom.

  • As soon as you feel something solid beneath your feet, bounce off it and get back to the

  • surface.

  • Once you're there, bend your knees and curl your body into the fetal position.

  • Then arch your back and kick yourself toward the surface until your head is above the water.

  • Take a breath, and repeat the whole submersing-bouncing-breathing thing, while moving toward the shore.

  • 10.

  • If youre restrained and lying in a puddle of mud or muddy water, arch your back.

  • This posture will help the air get to your lungs faster and more easily.

  • Granted, it might not work as effectively in rough waters.

  • In that case, you should completely rotate your body, and the moment your head is above

  • the surface, take a deep breath.

  • After that, keep moving forward, toward firm ground.

  • 11.

  • As soon as you realize you're lost in the woods during a hike, immediately stop.

  • It may sound counterintuitive, but the best solution isn't to keep walking.

  • For one thing, when you move, you'll get dehydrated faster.

  • Besides, the further you travel away from wherever you got lost, the longer itll

  • take a rescue party to find you.

  • The best idea is to stay where you are and try to create some sort of shelter.

  • 12.

  • There’s an "Urban Survival Myth" that it's safe to drink saltwater in small amounts.

  • But in reality, such a delusion can have very dramatic consequences.

  • Drinking any amount of saltwater leads to dehydration much faster than if you don't

  • drink anything at all.

  • The best thing you can do with saltwater is to use it for cooling down your body, not

  • drinking.

  • 13.

  • When you go on a hike or decide to spend several days camping, pack your bag with some extra

  • stuff for unpredicted situations.

  • Let's say, a pair of spare socks, for example.

  • If you fall into a stream or get caught in bad weather, you'll be happy that you've packed

  • them.

  • Also, it won't hurt to pack more food than you'll probably need.

  • Opt for products that don't weigh a lot, like dried fruit and peanut butter or beef jerky.

  • Believe me, this foresight may save your life in case of an emergency.

  • At the same time, never take with you more than you can physically carry for a long time.

  • Even better, take your backpack on a test walk to figure out if you can manage its weight.

  • Me, I think I’ll just hike on over to a nice hotel and chill by the pool.

  • Oh yeah!

  • Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like and share it with a

  • friend!

  • And here are some other videos I think you'll enjoy.

  • Just click to the left or right, and stay on the Bright Side of life!

Once, when I was a kid, I went hiking with my family and got lost.

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