Myth busting and the five P's

Some may know that I'm one of those guys who like to be prepared - Am I one of those prepper-types with all the accoutrements a legit prepper would have? Not telling you, however having a high level of preparedness is something I pride myself upon. I don't prep for anything in particular preferring simply to increase my understanding of survival and safety, and the concepts critical to them, in the modern world. I find it interesting and fun and it forms one of my hobbies that align with many of my other's.

Along the way I've learned some very cool things, some of which could save my life, or someone else's at some stage: Think, vehicle accident, medical emergency, house fire, terrorist activity (shooting etc.), civil unrest, home invasion, being lost or stranded and the like. I also travel into the remote parts of Australia, far from other people and assistance, and in those times many of the skills I've acquired could certainly save me, or someone else from a lot of pain or death itself. Being prepared isn't just about digging pit-traps, making weapons and building fortifications. It's a whole gamut of other things.

Being prepared, having a good understanding of things as mentioned above, brings a lot of confidence and I've acquired a lot of knowledge over the years and therefore feel quite confident in most situations. I still don't, and never will, feel comfortable around snakes though...And most people for that matter.

However having dived down the rabbit-hole of preparedness I have come across a lot of information I've either found questionable, or believed initially only to find out the error later down the track. Of course there's often more than one perspective on a challenge or situation one may be faced with so it's really quite subjective. However it's some of those, survival myths I thought I'd share with you today. Just for fun. src

Now, I understand that some may disagree with me however in the main the myths below are universal, having some connotation no matter where in the world a person might be. Here's just a few.

When stranded in a desert you can get water from a cactus: It may be possible to get a few drops from a cactus however unlikely those drops will sustain you sufficiently, especially when the energy expelled in sourcing them could outweigh the gain. It will also taste very bitter and could cause vomiting or cramps. Not what you want out there. Transpiration bags, morning dew and seeking out sources of water is a better option - But not as good as having ample water to begin with.
If a bomb goes off call the police: OK, sounds legit right? Sort of is depending where you may be at the time. Using a mobile phone within a few hundred metres of a terrorist attack could trigger a secondary or tertiary device. Best to exit the area and call from a safe distance. Often it's a secondary detonation where the most damage is sustained as first-responders are on-scene. So, run away I guess. Some run towards the explosion though...They're the hero's.
Store four litres of water for each person, in your garage or basement: As we all know water is crucial to sustaining life and I endorse storing it however storing plastic bottles or containers on concrete isn't smart. There's a chemical reaction that occurs between the two which will render the water useless through contamination. There's many other better ways to store it and some great ways to create it also. Looking into safe water storage ideas is a good idea as one never knows when it may be needed.
If stabbed or impaled with something pull it out: Hopefully this never happens to you but accidents and incidents do happen, as do terrorist attacks and other violent acts. So, never pull out the object. Call emergency services and support the object by packing something around it, a very bulky dressing or some such thing which will help to stabilise it until more qualified help arrives. Stay still too! The caveat to this is when the object is preventing CPR from being performed, or is blocking the airway.
Praying won't help you: This is an interesting one. I'm not one to pray, or put my faith in an imaginary friend to extricate me from any, and all, situations, or provide for me in any way. It's just not my way. However, it has been scientifically proven that prayer, or a form of it, [meditation maybe], can aid in focussing the mind and keeping thoughts more ordered. Panic is one of the biggest enemies one can have in a survival or emergency situation and the process of praying can help keep the mind calm, focussed, organised and determined allowing for greater decision-making ability. Military training uses regimen and repetition for the same purpose.
Eat snow or ice to hydrate when stranded in cold climates: It sounds legit however eating snow or ice will simply lower the body temperature which wastes energy through the system trying to warm itself up - Two negatives don't make a positive in this case. Also, yellow snow isn't good...Snow could be contaminated so boiling snow or ice then allowing it to cool slightly is a preferred method of obtaining fluids to sustain life. Obviously, because I'm in Australia, my cold-weather skills are far less developed than someone living in Canada may have for instance. Still, this one is universal. Don't eat snow.
In an earthquake stand in a doorway: Whilst there may be some situations where this could be legit most doorways of modern buildings are the weakest point. Back when houses were constructed with mainly wooden doorframes this was probably the safest place however, with modern building technique's changing, buildings can pancake down these days and so getting low and staying under something sturdy like a desk or table is generally the way to go. This is not a hard and fast rule though. Understanding the characteristics of building types where earthquakes are concerned will pay dividends in the advent of you living in a quake-prone area. We all know these things happen, so a little preparation ahead of time is best.

Human's have always lived in a world where unexpected things happen and as much as we'd like to think we have it all sorted out...We simply don't. Has the power ever gone out at your house unexpectedly? Did you have a plan, a torch nearby, candles and matches? Did you ever get a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere, in the dark and pouring rain? Did you have a raincoat, emergency lighting, torch and towel to dry up with? Maybe you called roadside assistance? OK, what if your cell phone was out of service or they were unavailable though? I think you get the point. Preparation is important.

It's easy to come up with a solution in which the individual doesn't have to think independently or be self-prepared; It's what most people do...And why most people are woefully unprepared when they have no choice but to become self-reliant. They're then simply victims if they don't have the ability to deal with the situation. There is no excuse not to have a reasonable level of preparedness with all the resources available these days. One doesn't need to know how to craft a bow and arrow, snare a rabbit, or fight off an assailant using Krav Maga...One just needs a plan and a little knowledge. It's not that hard. Parents take note...You have responsibilities for little people who often rely solely upon you. It makes no difference to other's whether you're prepared or not, but for them? It may make all the difference. Remember PPPPP...Prior preparation prevents poor performance.

Anyway, if you have any great survival or preparedness tips feel free to throw them down into the comments. I think it would be fun to see what people come up with as we all live in different situations with different influences and possible threats.

Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
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