5 Crucial Survival Tips Every Man Should know
Spend enough time in the great outdoors, and you’re bound to find yourself in a pickle. It might be a minor hiccup that throws your plans off track—or a full-blown crisis that threatens your life. Trust me, I’ve been there: lost in the wilderness, shivering with hypothermia, even dodging grizzly charges. I’ve made it through enough close calls to know a thing or two about survival.
Here’s a truth that might disappoint the doomsday preppers dreaming of zombie hordes: the real enemy in most survival scenarios isn’t some external threat—it’s you. More specifically, it’s the boneheaded mistakes we make that land us in hot water. I’ve cataloged my own blunders in a book so you can avoid repeating them. Here are a few hard-earned lessons to keep you out of trouble.
DITCH THE METAL WEDDING RING
Love your spouse? Great. But if you’re heading into the wild with that metal wedding band gleaming on your finger, you’re flirting with disaster. A ring can snag on a rock, a jagged branch, or a piece of gear during a stumble, turning a clumsy moment into a gruesome injury called a “degloving.” Picture this: the skin and flesh ripped clean off your finger in one violent yank. It’s not pretty.
Why risk it? Swap that metal band for a silicone ring—a four-pack costs about $23 and won’t leave you digit-less in a backcountry emergency. Bonus: silicone doesn’t clink against your rifle or bow when you’re stalking game. If you insist on sticking with metal, at least avoid tungsten carbide rings. They’re so tough that ER doctors can’t cut them off—they have to crack them with pliers while your busted finger swells. Ouch.
DON’T DRINK YOUR PEE—EVER
Survival tales love to hype up the gritty stuff, like guzzling your own urine to cheat dehydration. Bear Grylls has made a TV career out of sipping his own brew. But let’s get real: it’s a terrible idea. Urine is 95% water, sure, but the other 5% is a cocktail of sodium, chloride, potassium, urea, and waste your body just kicked out. Sound familiar? Seawater’s 96.5% water and 3.5% salt—and we all know chugging that only makes you thirstier.
Urine works the same way. It dehydrates you faster while forcing your kidneys to reprocess toxins they already dumped. Do it enough, and you’re looking at concentrated poison that could shut your kidneys down for good. A human can survive about three days without water. Drinking pee won’t buy you extra time—it just speeds up the end.
MOSS WON’T SAVE YOUR LOST BUTT
You’ve heard it before: “Moss grows on the north side of trees, so it’s a natural compass.” Cute story, but it’s nonsense. Moss doesn’t care about cardinal directions—it’s all about moisture and shade. If moss is thriving on one side of a tree, it’s because that spot stays damp and out of the sun, not because it’s secretly pointing north. In the Northern Hemisphere, north sides might be shadier, but moss will happily grow anywhere conditions are right—like near a creek or under a dripping branch.
Pay attention to moss patterns to get a feel for the terrain, sure. But don’t bet your bearings on it. Stick to the sun, the stars, or—better yet—a real compass. Moss is a lousy navigator.
THE DEADLIEST BEAST IS TINY
Forget grizzlies or mountain lions. The outdoor world’s reigning killer racks up nearly 750,000 deaths a year globally: the mosquito. Compare that to a measly five fatal bear attacks annually, and it’s not even a contest. Most of those mosquito-related deaths tie back to malaria and other tropical nasties. Your best defense? Cover up. Thick, bite-proof layers—like a nylon rain jacket—beat a flimsy cotton sweatshirt any day. Mosquitoes can punch right through light fabric with their needle-like mouths.
Heading into bug country? Pack lightweight gloves, a mesh head net, and, in extreme cases, a full mosquito jacket and pants. Slather on repellent too. Don’t let those bloodsuckers make you their next statistic.
IF YOU CAN’T NAME IT, DON’T EAT IT
The wild is a buffet if you know what to look for—nuts, berries, roots, mushrooms, greens. The catch? You’ve got to ID them with 100% certainty. There’s no crash course when you’re starving, so study up now. Follow these foraging rules: Never guess. If you’re not sure, skip it. Poisonings don’t usually come from mistaking one plant for another—they happen when desperate folks chow down on random greenery without a clue.
Even with the right plant, don’t gorge. Wild onions are safe, but a pound of them raw will have you puking. Acidic fruits demand extra caution—let your stomach set the limit. And make sure you’re eating the right part. Apple seeds and twigs won’t fill you up, nor will rotten mushrooms or unripe berries. Know your food, or leave it alone.
These tips won’t make you invincible, but they’ll keep you from turning a day outside into a disaster. Learn from my dumbass moments—because the wilderness doesn’t mess around.
