The internet contains not only humorous and satirical content, but it also serves as a valuable resource for obtaining information that can be useful in critical situations, potentially leading to life-saving outcomes. We have collated a collection of tips shared by 40 benevolent internet users, creating a practical guide of crucial advice.
Fire Safety
One of the most frequent accidents that happen in the kitchen is a grease fire, which can have severe consequences if not extinguished properly, including being catastrophic or lethal.
Initially, you may have a natural tendency to pour water on the blaze, but this is, in fact, the least favorable option. Such an action will only result in the fire spreading uncontrollably. The optimal solution is to utilize the technique of suffocating the fire to cut off its oxygen source, rendering it unable to continue burning.
On Weather Safety
It’s crucial to know how to stay safe in regions where tornadoes occur frequently. If taking shelter at a location is not possible, you may have to look for a safe place by yourself.
In case you spot a tornado outside, ensure to identify the direction of its movement. If it appears to be stationary, it is, in reality, heading towards you, and you ought to evacuate right away. By determining the tornado’s direction of travel, you can prepare yourself adequately to escape out of its trajectory.
Escaping Poison
Detecting an unusual odor can be a warning sign of hazardous substances in the vicinity. Such smells often suggest the presence of poisonous gases, chemicals that can induce sickness or other dangerous materials.
Be cautious of any unusual odor of roasted almonds in the air, as it may indicate the presence of cyanide. Should you smell this scent without any logical explanation, it is recommended to evacuate the area right away.
Aspirin and Heart Attacks
Speedy medical attention for a potential heart attack can significantly impact one’s survival. Administering aspirin is the initial course of action, however administering it accurately is crucial.
In the case of a suspected heart attack, it is recommended to chew aspirin to ensure it produces the desired result. By chewing the tablet, it can be absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly, allowing it to dissolve any possible blood clots. This method can effectively save someone’s life by decreasing the amount of time it takes for the medication to take effect.
Electric Warnings
Homeowners can suffer severe losses due to electrical fires that stem from defective wiring or appliances. Although these incidents may appear to occur without warning, routine upkeep can typically forestall the vast majority of electrical fires.
To avoid electrical fires, it is important to keep an eye out for any indications that may lead to one. In case of circuits overheating, for instance, they may produce an odd odor similar to that of a fish, which can signify an impending danger. If you happen to detect such a scent emanating from any device, it is essential to unplug everything that is located near the area where the smell is coming from to prevent any potential disasters from occurring.
Water and Electricity Don’t Mix
It is commonly understood that combining water and electricity can lead to severe harm. However, it may be shocking to learn that swimming pools are also a potential hazard for electric shocks.
In case you detect a metallic flavor in your mouth while swimming, it’s crucial to exit the water immediately as this taste could indicate an electrical malfunction present in the water, which could be due to a malfunction in the pool’s equipment. Electrical malfunctions occurring in water bodies could lead to severe injuries such as electric shocks.
Songs For Saving Lives
The correct way to perform CPR involves compressions at a specific pace. Many individuals tend to administer compressions at a slower rate, rendering the CPR ineffective and reducing the chances of the victim’s survival.
To carry out the correct CPR technique, it is advisable to memorize any of the three songs, which will guide you to maintain the right rhythm while performing compressions. The most well-known among these is the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” You need to match your compressions with the tempo of the song to ensure you maintain the correct pace.
Drive Safe
In numerous regions around the globe, the winter season carries the chance of snowfall and freezing temperatures. Removing ice from your vehicle can prove bothersome, leading to a longer than expected commuting time.
You don’t have to deal with ice formation on your windshield or mirrors. To prevent it, apply raw onion to the glass the night before. This method will help you avoid scraping ice and decrease the chances of accidents due to poor visibility.
Just In Case
Knowing how to respond to an animal attack becomes crucial when residing in a rural region, particularly where large and uncultivated creatures are frequently seen.
If you happen to be in regions like northern Canada, there is a possibility that you might come across a polar bear. In such a scenario, it is advisable to remove your clothes as you flee. When you do this, the polar bear will pause to smell your clothes, thus providing sufficient space for you to get away from them.
Feet On the Dash
Extended periods of sitting during car trips may result in discomfort in the legs and back, prompting some individuals to prop up their feet onto the dashboard for relief. However, this practice could be risky in case of a collision.
The deployment of airbags during accidents can result in injuries if a passenger’s feet are on the dashboard. Such injuries include broken legs, hip fractures, and even fatalities. It’s advisable to keep one’s legs down while in the vehicle, although it may cause some level of discomfort. This is the safer option.
Dangerous Tides
While spending time at the beach, the regular ebb and flow of the tide is customary. Nonetheless, there may be occasions when the tide serves as an indication of potential danger.
In case you observe a considerably larger distance between the shoreline and the sea, than what is usual, it is advisable to immediately move towards elevated areas without delaying for questioning or doubts. Such a scenario usually indicates an upcoming extreme situation with opposite effects, which could be potentially hazardous like tsunamis or severe high tides.
SOS
While it may not be necessary for everyone to have a complete understanding of Morse code, there is at least one code that should be universally known.
Initially, SOS was a code exclusively utilized by ships in peril in the sea. However, currently, it’s a universal distress signal that individuals employ when they cannot communicate directly. It is advisable to memorize this signal in case of an emergency because it’s relatively straightforward. Fortunately, it’s uncomplicated to recall and easy to keep accessible.
Legal Advice
It used to be acceptable to use the shorthand form of writing a date as MM/DD/YY instead of using the complete format MM/DD/YYYY for a considerable amount of time. This means that instead of writing out the year as 2014, one could simply use “14” instead.
In the current year of 2020, just typing the final two digits of the year leaves the possibility for anyone to modify the date in the future. In order to avoid complications and safeguard your official papers, it is advisable to write out the complete year including all four digits.
Living Through a Lightning Strike
Lightning is a serious matter, as it can be fatal and cause destruction in a matter of seconds. Therefore, what are the precautions one should take to steer clear of it?
It is advisable to reduce the risk of getting struck by lightning by crouching low to the ground since tall objects are more prone to lightning strikes. To prevent hearing impairment from the loud thunder, cover your ears and avoid touching any conductors. While crouching, make sure to balance on the balls of your feet.
Even Eclipses Hurt Eyes
The sun is beautiful, however, it can also be damaging. Apart from causing sunburns, it can also harm your eyes, hence, it is important to always remember to safeguard your eyes.
There might be an instance when you consider not wearing eye protection during an eclipse since the sun is not visible. However, even during such solar occurrences, your retinas can still suffer permanent damage. So, it is always crucial to use eye protection while you relish the spectacle.
Keep Your Furry Friends Safe
In the winter season, pathways and streets can be quite difficult to navigate as a small amount of ice can make them perilous, leading you to try and find ways to prevent accidents.
Melting snow and ice on roads is a frequent use of rock salt. However, the components present in the salt can be dangerous to domestic animals, so it is crucial to clean their paws after their outside activities. This straightforward measure can protect your pet from getting severely unwell due to rock salt exposure.
In Case of Emergency
Being caught in a flash flood while you are inside can be a very frightening experience, leaving you in a state of shock and unable to determine the best course of action to reach a place of safety.
When you are inside a building situated multiple floors above the ground, it might appear quicker to utilize the elevator. However, this action is not recommended, as water can negatively affect the electrical mechanism and cause the elevator to malfunction. To avoid getting stuck, it is best to use the stairs instead of suffering in the elevator, requiring assistance.
Don’t Fall for Everything Online
Given the numerous online resources offering life hacks, it can be a challenge to determine which tips to adhere to. This is particularly the case with hacks related to health.
If you are bitten by a tick or any other insect, it is advisable to adhere to the guidance of a healthcare professional when extracting the pest. Applying oils or any other substance on a tick could stimulate the animal to produce saliva on your skin, which could heighten the likelihood of being infected by a virus like Lyme Disease.
Where to Shelter
It is extremely important to have a secure location to take cover in case a tornado occurs due to its destructive nature. The most effective way to ensure safety is to stay in a sheltered area.
The most secure location to wait out a tornado in your house is the basement. Since it’s situated at least partially underground, it can shield you from the brunt of the tornado’s strength. It’s crucial to stay in the basement till the storm passes, and then return to the upper levels to check for any damage.
Surviving a Sinking Car
Although car accidents are frequent occurrences, they have the potential to turn deadly in a short amount of time. A frightening scenario that is depicted in both movies and real life is the possibility of one’s vehicle submerging in a body of water.
If your car has a flexible headrest, you can use it to break the window and escape, provided you remove it first. You can dislodge the headrest and use the prongs to smash the window, allowing you to swim to safety.
Don’t Fall For It
Hypothermia is common in campers, hunters, and those trapped outside during emergencies. This isn’t always immediately fatal, but this condition can quickly escalate into a serious emergency if left untreated.
While mild hypothermia results in feeling cold, this changes once the condition reaches the later stages. Severe hypothermia causes “paradoxical undressing”, which means that people take off their clothes even though they’re freezing. This undressing makes the hypothermia more severe and can cause the sufferer to freeze to death.
Where to Do CPR
If you come upon someone in cardiac arrest, you should immediately start CPR. It’s important, though, to ensure that you’re doing CPR with proper technique that will be effective.
If the person is unconscious on a mattress, your first instinct may be to immediately begin compressions. Doing compressions on a bed will put all of the force into the mattress, not the person’s heart. Move the person to the floor before starting compressions so that they are effective.
Save Yourself From Scams
Identity theft is a growing problem as our lives become more intertwined with technology. With so many scammers out there, it’s important to know how to protect yourself from danger.
The curiosity of an unknown number can sometimes be enough reason to answer the call. This is especially true when the number seems similar to a known phone number. This tactic of mimicking numbers is common with scammers, so be sure to avoid answering those calls when you get them.
Flood Tips
Flood water is filled with a number of hazardous materials. From animal waste to cleaning products, there are many hazards in floodwater that can make you sick.
When cleaning up areas affected by a flood, wearing protective gear is key. Gloves, goggles, and boots will protect you from contracting a disease after coming in contact with floodwater. You’ll want to make sure these items are well cleaned afterward, to prevent pathogens from spreading once you go home.
Searching for Water
Finding potable water is one of the first steps that should be done in an emergency. Doing so can be difficult, but there’s an easy way to find water if you follow birds.
Birds fly directly to water in the morning, so if you follow them you’ll find a body of water. In the evening they fly back to their nests, so you’ll also be able to go in the opposite direction they’re flying to find the water you need to stay hydrated.
Creating Your Own Light
One of the main amenities we rely on is light. If a storm knocks your power out or another disaster leaves you in the dark, it’s crucial to know how to restore visual cues.
Interestingly, the answer could actually be near your favorite coloring book. By burning a crayon, you can keep the area around you lit for a shockingly long period of time – up to 30 minutes! Then you don’t have to worry about operating in complete darkness.
Call In a Professional
There are a lot of situations where you can fix a problem without having to call a professional. This doesn’t apply to all situations, namely when having to fix a garage door.
Garage doors have large springs that are wound very tightly. When released they spin fast as they contract. If your hand, sleeve, or another item is in the spring as it releases, it can cause serious injury or death. It’s better to leave this to professionals who have the proper training.
Saving Yourself
Most people already know that the answer to a choking victim is the Heimlich maneuver. What many people don’t know is how to handle choking when you’re completely alone.
To get the leverage you need, you likely won’t be able to successfully use the traditional technique on yourself. However, correctly placing a chair could save your life. By leaning over a chair for leverage, you can dislodge the food in your throat before you’re seriously hurt or killed by it.
Dress for the Job
Workplace safety is very important, especially in construction and other jobs involving heavy machinery. Accidents in the workplace can result in severe injury or death, so accident prevention is important.
One way to prevent many workplace accidents is to wear blaze orange at all times. Blaze orange makes you more visible to your coworkers, preventing accidents where you would otherwise not be seen. Ensure that those around you can see where you are at all times when using heavy machinery.
Stay Up-to-Date
The majority of house fires can be prevented by performing routine maintenance. This is also true of smoke alarms, which are invaluable in protecting from catastrophic house fires.
Smoke alarms must be inspected every year and replaced every ten years. Every smoke alarm has a date of manufacture on it that can be read to determine when to replace the device. Be sure to replace the alarm when the date recommends to ensure your home stays protected.
On Venomous Snakes
One danger in outdoor activities comes in the form of animal bites and attacks. Bites from snakes are extremely common and can result in serious injury or death if not treated promptly.
The best way to avoid a snake bite is to keep an eye out for snakes on the ground. Many species are well camouflaged, so it can sometimes be difficult to spot them. Pay attention to any movement on the ground and don’t walk where you can’t fully see your environment.
Where to Grill
Grilling is a fun activity that can quickly turn into an emergency. It’s important to remember that grilling involves an open flame and can, therefore, pose a fire risk.
Make sure to grill at least three feet from any structure in your yard. This includes trees, cars, and your home itself. In the event that there is a fire in your grill, it can easily spread. Keeping the grill by itself will make it easy to put out any possible fires.
Stay Hydrated
Coconuts are often seen as a way to find water in emergency situations. Not all coconuts are suitable for this purpose, so it’s good to know which will hydrate you.
While green coconuts have a liquid that will hydrate you, brown coconuts do not. The water from brown coconuts will actually cause significant dehydration when consumed. While not suitable for hydration, brown coconuts do have a husk that is flammable and can repel nearby mosquitos from the area.
Cooking Beans
Sometimes it’s the most everyday items that can be deadly in the right circumstances. This is true of red kidney beans, which can be poisonous if not prepared correctly.
Dry red kidney beans contain a toxin that can cause serious illness if consumed. This toxin can be neutralized by boiling the beans for ten minutes and draining them before they are cooked. It is important that this is done to prevent severe abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Old School Tips
Perhaps the most important thing you can do in an emergency is dial 911 for the authorities. This skill is so important that it is often the first thing many children learn.
If you’re in need of 911, don’t worry about finding a phone that’s in service. All phones made for service in the United States are equipped to contact 911 regardless of whether they are in service with a carrier or not. Even payphones can do so without charging payment.
Surviving a Stampede
While getting caught in a stampede doesn’t necessarily happen every day, this could be a good tip for everyone to write down in all honesty. After all, it’s not something that people normally think about and certainly, no one expects something like this could happen to them — until they find themselves in the situation.
Luckily, this sound piece of advice could potentially save your life if ever you end up accidentally getting tackled down in a crowd full of people.
Easy Water Filter
With so many dangerous pathogens and bacteria found in water, it is always recommended that you keep a water filtration system in your pack. However, if you have gotten lost without being prepared, this is not always an option.
This handy make-do filter uses three sticks tied together in a tee-pee formation, with each layer of natural matter filtering the water as it drips down. However, we would still recommend boiling it after this process! This will help to ensure that the water does not make you ill, which could be deadly in a survival situation.
Lighting a Match
Fire is a survival essential. It can play a critical role in helping you to stay alive as it has the ability to keep you warm, filter water, and cook food. Plus, a fire can also help to boost morale and mental wellbeing.
However, there are a number of challenges in lighting a match in windy conditions. This handy tip aims to beat that, suggesting that by cutting the wood into a Christmas tree shape, the match will stay lit — even when it’s blowing a gale.
Frozen Water
Keep your H2O chilled for survival in all manner of conditions. Frozen water is a great way to ensure that everything stays chilled.
This is an excellent tip, regardless of whether you live in a hurricane-prone area or not. Frozen water bottles can help to keep food fresher for longer, as well as provide hydration when they have melted. If you are living in a hot climate, carrying a frozen bottle can also help to keep you cool. For example, placing frozen bottles in your bed or sleeping area will cool it down before you climb in!
Termite Repellent
There is nothing worse than mosquitoes, and whilst I am sure they have some purpose on the planet, we’re not quite certain what that is! However, if you are in an area with termites, this is a trick that will undoubtedly be useful.
There have been many survival situations, where a person has managed to stay alive by eating bugs. Although not the tastiest of treats, termites are a great source of protein and can be the difference between life and death. Plus, the ability to get through the day without pesky mosquitoes biting is bound to make a difference.
On Fire Safety
Fire is certainly essential, but it can also be dangerous, so this is one of those tips that everyone should know.
Moving around if you’re on fire will only feed the flames and make the situation worse. However, the stop, drop, and roll method will smother the fire and help to prevent any spread. If you are lighting a campfire, always make sure that all campers are aware of the importance of fire safety and the most appropriate action in case of an emergency.
Crossing Water
Sometimes, crossing water is inevitable, so we need to ensure that we cross at a safe spot.
Crossing water can always be dangerous, but crossing fast-flowing water can be even more so. This handy trick involves throwing a stick into the river first to see whether you will be able to cross. If you cannot see the bottom, you may also want to throw a stone in to give you some idea of the depth of the water source.
Determining Daylight
By the time the sun goes down, you will need to have set up some sort of camp, as roaming through the wilderness at night can be dangerous.
This handy tip is a great way to work out how much time you have left before it goes dark. However, this may depend on where you are lost. For example, if you are in arctic conditions, this may not be as accurate.
Marking the Way
Chalk is also essential in your pack, as it is a great way to mark the direction that you have been traveling in. This will help to prevent you from walking around in circles! Plus, as the tip suggests, it can also help search and rescue teams find you more easily.
However, instead of drawing a cross, you could also draw an arrow in the direction that you went. So, if you do come across the same tree again, you know that you’ve already tried that particular route.
Makeshift Compass
We’ve already gone over marking your path just in case you get lost and need to find your way out of the wilderness, but what happens if — for some reason — you didn’t end up leaving markers for yourself? Well, you can try this life-saving hack!
While a leaf and needle don’t seem like much on their own, creating a makeshift nature compass out of these tools could really be your saving grace if you have no idea where you are.
Removing Foreign Bodies
In the wilderness, infections can be common and extremely dangerous. If a member of your team has hurt themselves, and there is still a foreign body left in the wound, it’s advised that you leave it there until you are able to seek medical help.
This will depend on how long you’re staying out but hopefully, in this type of situation, you’ll be able to call emergency services. If it’s a small object, such as a splinter, try to avoid using a knife or tweezers to dig it out. Instead, put hot water into a bottle and place the opening onto the affected area. This will create a vacuum, sucking the splinter out in a clean way.
Cleaning Wounds
Your first aid kit should always be the first thing you pack, as it can truly save your life in so many dangerous situations. Even the smallest of cuts can result in infection, which can easily become serious in wilderness conditions. As a result, we recommend keeping your kit in your bag, having one in your car, and a portable one on your person.
However, if it’s not available or you don’t have anything to clean wounds, this handy trick for making your saline could make all the difference until you are able to seek medical advice.
Importance of Shelter
When you are lost in the great outdoors, shelter is everything! However, protecting yourself from the elements is not just about a roof and walls.
To build an effective shelter, you should also insulate the flooring, as it’s here where we can lose a significant amount of heat. Using grass, leaves, and moss for a make-shift bed! It’s also essential that you choose your shelter spot carefully. You don’t want to wake up after realizing you’ve built your temporary home on an anthill!
Making Fire
As we have already mentioned, fire is a survival essential and any wannabe wilderness expert will have a range of methods to create this life-saving element.
This tip has been featured by survival expert Bear Grylls on his TV show, and it’s a quick and easy way of creating fire without a match or a lighter. Before you use the chewing gum wrapper, make a small bundle of kindling to add the flame to. This could be anything that burns including material fibers, grass, hay, or even shavings from wood.
Rule of Three
Whatever happens, it’s always important to remember the rule of three. We can survive three minutes without air, three days without water, and three months without food.
If you get lost for a long period of time, your priority must be to find water. Dehydration affects us physically and mentally, and it can make doing other things much more difficult. However, it’s important to make sure that your water source is freshwater only, as saltwater will only make you feel much worse.
Candle In the Cold
Those living in cold climates must always be prepared in the event they get stuck in their car in the snow. This preparedness can prevent hypothermia in the event of an emergency.
A survival candle is one such tool that should be kept in the car for this purpose. These candles can give off enough heat and light to keep you alive for hours in the cold. Some even burn hot enough to heat small portions of food or boil water.
Best Survival Apps to Have Handy
The great thing about smartphones is that we have some of the best information in the world at our fingertips. In a survival situation, though, which apps should you stake your life on?
Use apps like the Offline Survival Manual, SAS Survival Guide, and Army Survival Handbook which are full of great general tips. You can get more specific with medical information in the Red Cross Apps, location services with Motion X-GPS, or ways to counter starvation with Wild Edible.
Identifying a Venomous Snake
When you’re outside, no matter if you’re in your garden or on a hike, you could encounter a snake. It’s important to know which ones pose a threat and which ones aren’t venomous.
Signs such as a triangular head and elliptical pupils are signs that you should definitely stay away from the creature you’ve encountered while rounded heads and pupils are less threatening. However, remember that it’s better not to approach a wild animal at all when the situation can be avoided.
How to Survive Quicksand
It might seem cartoonist, but the threat of quicksand is all too real in some parts of the world. If you encounter this deadly obstacle, what’s the best way to handle it?
First of all, struggling is the worst thing that you can do. If you can’t reach a branch to pull yourself out, lay down – it’s best to increase your surface area. From here, you can treat the sand like fluid to float on and slowly work your way out.
How to Light a Grill
If you use propane grills, make sure you properly light it when you use it. Lighting the grill improperly can quickly turn your fun barbecue into an emergency.
Make sure to light your propane grill with the lid fully open. Lighting it with the lid closed can cause propane gas to accumulate in the grill. If enough gas accumulates a spark can be all it takes to cause an explosion that could seriously injure those around the grill.
