These Survival Myths Could Actually Get You Killed | DEBUNKED

Our love of reckless recreation, and our fascination with ‘lost in the wilderness’ movies means that almost all of us could reel off at least a few survival tactics. The trouble is, are they reliable or could some of them actually make things considerably worse.

Join us as we explore Survival Myths That Could Actually Get You Killed!

#debunked #survivalmyths

What are the 5 most important survival skills?
What is a survival tip?
How to survive in life?
Wilderness survival myths that can get you killed
Is it possible to survive in the wilderness?
How do you survive stranded in the wilderness?
What does it take to survive in the wild?

CHAPTERS:
Should You Light A Fire In A Cave?
Does Alcohol Warm You Up?
Does Boiling Water Make It Safe To Drink?
Can You Drink Water From A Cactus?
Should You Burn, Salt Or Rip Leeches Off?

CREDITS:
Stu K - Researcher / Writer | Illustrator | Producer | Presenter
Mark W - Researcher | Writer
Ross W - Illustrator | Editor | Animator
Robin M - Guest VO

MUSIC CREDITS
Epidemic Sounds

SOURCES

WATER QUALITY LINKS

[DebunkedOfficial]

What's the highest you have voluntarily jumped from? (no parachutes!)
NEW VIDEO: At What Height Does A Fall Become Fatal? DEBUNKED

[pixelpuppy]

me at 3am wrapped up in bed: interesting.

[kensmith]

If you are in a place with bears:
1) Have "bear bells" on your backpack so you don't surprise a bear.
2) If it is legal carry pepper spray.
3) Learn to tell the difference between grizzly bear scat and others. You can recognize grizzly bear scat because it smells peppery and has bells in it.

[bern]

if you don't have water in the desert, you should have brought water

[tylerlarson]

That final tip is an absolute must. Always let someone know where you are going and for how long. My grandpa died because no one knew where he went an so no one came to his rescue.

[YabbaDabbaDoTime]

The best advice he didn't give is, prepare for what could happen. Most people who need rescue aren't lost in the woods, they're stranded. They're usually medically stranded. A GPS locator beacon and a basic survival kit (with tarp and food) will go a long way to saving your life.

One other myth, staying put isn't always a good idea. You're better off finding an open area, a meadow, a river bank etc. where aircraft can see you.

[corkbulb]

So, alcohol indeed does not warm your *core* body temperature, and the vasodilation effect will cause your core body temperature to drop. So yes, drinking alcohol in freezing temperatures will cause you to get hypothermia much faster. However, if you are just rescued from the cold, or are about to find shelter, alcohol can stop and reverse damage caused by frostbite. Old rescue saint bernard dogs used to carry a cute little barrel of brandy around there neck, intended for frostbite victims to drink. This will cause more blood to reach cold extremities and prevent frostbite. The brandy could actually save your life, especially back in those days where frostbite and gangreen could easily kill you, at least much more than now because of antibiotics.

[jayrado]

moral of the video: Don't EVER go outside

[DansBackcountry]

2:44 As someone who does a lot of outdoors activities, I can confirm that fire will crack rock quite easily, especially in areas prone to freezing or heavy rain. In fact, I've used fire often to help split rocks when trying to build up a fire pit.

[MysteryTako]

“Cactus juice. It’ll quench ya! It’s the QUENCHIEST!!

[PlayafromtheHimalayas]

The instant you are lost in the deep woods, at sea, atop a high mountain, or just trying to locate your car in a large parking lot, drink as much piss as possible. - Bear Grylls (possibly)

[saphireflare]

Another trick you can try, for the cave shelter, is to find a nearby dry spot you can build a fire. Build it there. Gather large rocks and put them IN the fire to warm. Then using sticks, transport the rocks back to the cave. They will hold heat for quite a while and help heat the cave (which should stay warm for a bit) without the cracking or smoke dangers.

Just watch out as some rocks COULD explode. Id let them heat then go out to get them instead of hovering over the fire

[gooma]

I’ve always been told to prefer moving water vs still water in the wild

[dogmando]

You forgot about the cactus that Grow “prickly pairs” not only the fruit it holds are edible but the cactus it’s self too.

[dizzysdoings]

Don't know how many times I've heard people say or advise that if you get lost, don't move, but wait to be rescued.
When I was 12, I decided to follow a creek to my grandparents house after playing at their neighbors. I didn't tell anyone.
I couldn't tell you how long I walked. I kept telling myself that it was just a little farther.
Then I came to a cornfield. I could see the road on the other side of it. I knew there wasn't a cornfield on my grandparents road. So I walked out to the road and was able to see my grandparents house way down the mountain. I could also see how to get back.
I could have gotten lost. I could have gotten hurt. And no one would have had a clue as to where I was.

[chrisarcher]

“Drink cactus juice! It’ll quench ya! Nothing’s quenchier; it’s the quenchiest!” *continues hallucinating*

[snoW_]

I'm surprised you didn't mention filtering the water before boiling it. That's what I was taught to do to get rid of stuff like small particles of mud and algae. It makes the water not only safer to drink but also tastier.

[autonomouspublishingincorp]

Slugs are not leeches. (more slugs were shown than leeches)
This is exactly the problem with survival books. They rarely generate the level of understanding required. Fire in a cave? Depends. What size, shape, and material is the cave? Obviously fire has a variety of uses, and a cave is just a void. No cave is 100% safe, nor is there a flat answer to the question that is always true.
Keep your wits about you, and don't panic so you can assess each situation intelligently. Bottom line, Even if you do the wrong thing; your odds are always better trying SOMETHING rather than doing nothing in a survival situation. Make a choice and commit. You are far more likely to poison yourself burning random materials than suffocate yourself from smoke inhalation, so literally ALL variables should be considered.
Weigh the risks and your options, and make the judgement call.
If you are going to die of thirst, it might be worth risking contaminated water. Otherwise, keep looking. Find something you don't know if it's edible? There are techniques to determine if a food source is safe, but following the by the book methods will lead to starving to death long before you can determine the edibility of the unknown thing. Sometimes you may just have to take a calculated risk, but that doesn't mean to just throw caution to the wind and gamble. When you don't know and have to make a call: Use some common sense and take your best guess.

[kingjaries]

"Don't go too big too soon." Yup we have fitness gurus and social media influencers attempting long hikes in sandals with little to no water just to take a few pictures and they end up stuck somewhere requiring valuable sources to be used.

[CallioNyx]

One additional tip: For all that's holy, do not use Bear Grylls as an authority on what to do. His stunts are for entertainment, not education, and several of them are seriously bad.