A big part of survival is being able to think quickly and react appropriately to unexpected problems, and there is no shortage of threats that fall into this category. Fortunately, most big problems can be addressed by taking some little steps. Let’s take a look at a few, popular survival scenarios to illustrate how keeping things simple can often get us out of trouble.
Explosion
The best place to be is behind a large, strong object that can shield you from the blast and flying debris. Dive behind a concrete wall, rest yourself against a cement post or crouch behind a building to the left or right of where the center of the explosion is located. If you’re exposed and can’t seek shelter, the next best thing to do is lay on the ground, belly down, while you cross your feet and cover your ears with your hands and open your mouth. This will help to channel the force of the blast over and around you, and keeping the mouth open will help to equalize pressure and minimize sensory damage. It will also minimize your exposure to flying debris and shrapnel.
Trunk of Car
If you’re ever kidnapped and thrown into the trunk of a car, there are a few options that you can try in order to escape, even if you’re bound. The first thing to look for is the emergency trunk release that is found in almost every late-model car or newer. If it’s not within reach, you can also try to fiddle with the latch in the hopes that it will open. You can also try to push against the back seat and squeeze through the opening if you can pull it off without attracting a lot of attention. Finally, you can try to poke out one of the tail lights in order to use the hole to attract attention from other motorists and get help.
Pine Tree Shelter
If you’re in the wilderness when an unexpected snowstorm strikes, and there’s no shelter nearby, you can use a pine tree instead. All you need to do is get under a large, sturdy tree, dig out and build a small snow wall to reinforce the perimeter of the tree, and you’ve just created a space that will be mostly snow-free. While snow may pile up around you, chances are that you’ll be safe, dry and warm. You can also break off some low-lying branches and use them for padding or to create some insulation against the side walls.
Disarm Someone Behind You
If someone ever sneaks up behind you and pokes a gun into your back, don’t panic. If you can react swiftly and precisely, you can disarm the attacker in a couple of steps. First, slow down or stop walking so the attacker firmly presses the gun against your skin. Next, turn around as quickly as possible and bring down your arm over the attacker’s. This will force the gun into your armpit or space between the upper arm and torso. You can then take-on the attacker with your free hand until you can re-position yourself better in an attempt to fight and disarm the attacker.
Feet Tied with Duct Tape
If you ever find yourself being bound up at the feet with duct tape, you can loosen its grip, or even tear the tape completely simply by jumping. Angle your feet and point your toes outward as far as you can, squat and spread your shins as much as possible, and jump up and down with as much force as you can muster. When you come crashing down, the impact will stretch or cause the tape to break. You may need to do this a couple of times, but this trick really works.