You shouldn\u2019t cut open a cactus for drinking water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For whatever reason, we love a good survival story. Whether it\u2019s a Hollywood film about Tom Hanks stranded on a desert island or a reality TV show about a former special forces soldier foraging for food and shelter in the jungle, we can\u2019t get enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, for many of us, our knowledge of survival and emergency situations doesn\u2019t go much further than what we\u2019ve seen on television. Worse, much of what we\u2019ve learned and come to accept as good advice is actually wrong. Many of the techniques in question are either ineffective, dangerous, or exaggerated for entertainment value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you ever find yourself stranded, lost, or in a life-threatening situation, here are a few popular\u00a0survival myths\u00a0to be aware of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you get bitten by a venomous snake, the smart move is to get the venom out of the wound as soon as possible. The only problem? This doesn\u2019t actually work. And neither do devices that claim to extract the venom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSnake venom rapidly diffuses into deep tissue, it\u2019s not just pooled up under the skin ready to be suctioned out,\u201d prepper Sean Gold tells Upworthy. \u201cBeing able to suck the venom back through the snake\u2019s bite is also impossible, since the bite tracks immediately collapse when the fangs are removed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to do instead: You need medical attention and antivenom. If you can\u2019t get help, immobilize the wound and keep it below heart level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We all know that cacti thrive in the desert due to their incredible ability to store water. That makes the idea of cutting one open to quench your thirst pretty appealing. Unfortunately, the water stored in a cactus isn\u2019t suitable for drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMost cactus species further protect their spongy flesh with acids and potent alkaloids. These chemicals are usually too acrid for most humans to tolerate and are taxing on the kidneys if ingested. The flesh of some cactus species can also cause vomiting, diarrhea, or temporary paralysis\u2014none of which is conducive to your survival in an emergency situation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to do instead: Your best bet is digging in a dry riverbed to find water, or following birds, bees, and trees to a better source. More importantly, don\u2019t overexert yourself in the heat of the day in order to conserve hydration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ever heard the old rule that moss only grows on the north side of a tree? The idea comes from the fact that moss prefers shady areas, which are more likely to face north. Some people believe you can use this concept to navigate your way out of being lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, moss will grow just about anywhere. It\u2019s often found on north-facing surfaces, but not reliably enough to use as a compass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to do instead: Serious survivalists learn how to navigate using the stars and the sun. The easiest thing to remember is that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, though not precisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It may have made for an entertaining set piece for Bear Grylls, but experts agree that drinking your own urine is not a good survival strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One reason is that in a true survival situation, you\u2019ll be poorly hydrated and your urine will have a higher concentration of waste products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Conversation writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy drinking urine with higher concentrations of waste products (and\/or if your kidneys are impaired), urea and other metabolic waste products can accumulate in your body. This can become toxic to cells, particularly those in the nervous system. This can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, muscle cramps, itching and changes in consciousness. Without treatment, this toxic state (known as uraemia) can be life-threatening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to do instead: Finding fresh drinking water is one of the most difficult aspects of survival. Studying the topography of the area and heading downhill are usually your best bets for finding a stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of people believe that if they encounter a tornado while driving, a highway overpass or tunnel is a good place to take shelter from flying debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the contrary, a bridge or overpass can act as a wind tunnel, accelerating the force of the wind and flying debris. That\u2019s even more dangerous. Depending on your head start and which direction the tornado is moving, you may be able to drive away from it, but it\u2019s not usually recommended, as tornadoes can reach forward speeds of 75 miles per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to do instead: Missouri\u2019s Storm Aware website notes, \u201cIf you are in your vehicle and a tornado is approaching, you should pull your vehicle to the side of the road immediately, get out, and lay flat in a nearby ditch covering your neck and head.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not out of the realm of possibility to imagine yourself in a broken-down car on the side of the road during a blizzard with nothing but an old bottle of whiskey that\u2019s been rolling around in the back for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As tempting as it might be to drink it, experts say don\u2019t do it. Drinking hard liquor can temporarily make your body feel warm, but it actually makes the situation worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outdoor Life\u00a0explains: \u201cAlthough you may feel warmer, alcohol actually dilates skin-surface blood vessels and capillaries, which will chill your core even faster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to do instead: <\/strong>Save the celebratory drink for after you\u2019re rescued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many survival techniques and myths that would require years of learning and practice to master. But a good general rule is that real survival is boring, not flashy. In most situations, the\u00a0best thing to do\u00a0is stay calm, seek shelter, and try to signal for help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You shouldn\u2019t cut open a cactus for drinking water. For whatever reason, we love a good survival story. Whether it\u2019s a Hollywood film about Tom Hanks stranded<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/784520154_1067577405863870_1391456809496516608_n.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11492"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11494,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11492\/revisions\/11494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Real survival is boring, not flashy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n