Survival situations often come without warning, and it’s not uncommon for them to occur when we don’t have the right tools on hand to make them easier to contend with. This is why having a good, broad set of skills is so important, and being able to use the right skills at the right time can increase our chances of coming out of the situation relatively unscathed. Here are a few examples of tips that illustrate how having a wealth of skills to draw from in an unexpected emergency is so worthwhile.
Phone Battery Fire Starter
If your phone has a lithium-ion battery, you can use it to start a fire in an emergency. All you need to do is make a slit along one of the ends with your survival knife before prying it open a little bit. This will create a chemical reaction that produces fire. However, the fire won’t burn for long, so it’s important that you gather tinder and kindling beforehand. Place the battery atop the material and it should start to burn within a few seconds.
Grease Fires
Grease fires tend to ignite without warning, and they happen so fast that people often get caught off-guard. The two most-common reactions are to try and remove the pot or pan from the stove or douse the flames with water. However, this can make the hot, flaming grease to splatter everywhere and cause the fire to spread out of control. It also increases the chances of sustaining serious burns as well. Instead, the first thing that you should do is cover the pot or pan with a lid. It only takes a couple of seconds for the flames to disappear as they become deprived of oxygen. If you don’t have a lid, you can use a baking sheet or even a large glass plate. You can also douse the fire with some baking soda if you don’t have these items nearby.
Coconut Water Blood
Did you know that coconut water contains compounds that are similar to the plasma found in human blood? In fact, medics used to give wounded soldiers coconut water in WWII as a way to buy some time until they could get a transfusion. While it won’t stop the bleeding, the water will help to replenish what is being lost, and this can slow the onset of shock and dehydration. However, it’s important to note that we’re not talking about coconut milk, which can actually contribute to dehydration. The milk forms as coconuts ripen, so look for unripe coconuts in order to take advantage of this potentially life-saving trick.
Superglue Band Aids
Did you know that you can apply some superglue to minor or moderate wounds as a way to seal the skin and protect the area from infection? It’s much more effective than a band aid, and you don’t have to worry about suturing the wound in the field either. However, superglue can irritate the skin and interfere with the healing process, so it should only be used in emergencies as a temporary solution until you can get proper medical care.
Jellyfish Stings
For reasons that are still not yet fully-known, jellyfish are showing up with alarming regularity in shallow water near beaches and shorelines in areas that have historically been jellyfish-free. Tens of thousands of people are stung every year, and the pain can be debilitating. Conventional wisdom says the best way to treat a sting in the field is to pee on the wound site. While this can help to neutralize some of the compounds in venom that cause pain, urine can also cause serious infections. A safer alternative is to rinse the wound site with some warm salt water to remove any jellyfish residue before dousing the area with some apple cider vinegar, rubbing alcohol or ammonia to neutralize the effects of the venom.
These are just a few examples of how having a deep pool of skills to draw from can be invaluable in an unexpected crisis. Remember these tips, and always keep your eyes open for other ideas as well. Hopefully, you will never need to put what you learn to use, but they’re definitely worth remembering just in case.