Tips That May Save Your Life One Day

 Whether it’s natural or man-made, global or local, disasters do happen. Surviving earthquakes, floods, wars, and accidents is not enough – you may need to hold your own for some time. If, heaven forbids, such a terrible occurrence happens, you’d be happy you knew these survival tips.

1. In the case of an earthquake, wooden homes are safer because if they collapse, they leave voids where one can stay. Brick and mortar buildings tend to crumble into smaller pieces, burying potential survivors.

2. If you’re caught in a tornado, don’t hide under a bridge or in a building – they tend to collapse. Your safest bet is to stay in your car, park it in an open area, lock all the windows and doors, buckle your seatbelt and wait it out.

3. If you choose to try and outrun the tornado, don’t just start driving. Instead, watch the funnel and assess where it’s heading, and then drive away from the storm’s trajectory.

4. Caught in an avalanche? Spit! As soon as you stop moving, make an air pocket in front of your face, then spit. Even if you’re disoriented, your saliva is still affected by gravity, so watch where it dribbles and dig in the opposite direction.

5. Stuck in a snowy area? DO NOT EAT THE SNOW! If you need to hydrate, pick up some snow and melt it before you drink it, otherwise you may induce hypothermia from the inside-out.

6. After a catastrophic event, water sources can get polluted, making drinking water hard to obtain. If you have the option, fill up your bathtub, sinks and every container you can with water to provide yourself with safe drinking water for some time.

7. Stuck in the cold and need to start a fire? Pick up a small block of ice and melt it in your hands into a ball. Make sure it’s as smooth as possible, and then you can use it as a magnifying glass.

8. You can also use your eyeglasses in the same manner to start a fire.

9. Got matches but you need to keep them dry? Store them inside of your flashlight.

10. Crayons can be used as a makeshift candle and will burn for quite some time.

11. Nylon stockings can be used as rope, as well as a tourniquet. They can also be used to filter out larger debris from the water.

12. Condoms are even more useful than stockings – you can clean one and turn it into a water container, use as a latex glove, convert into a makeshift slingshot and even keep your cell phone and other things safe from dust and water.

13. In the case of an earthquake, curl up into the fetal position. This will help protect your body and allow you to fit in smaller voids (in collapsed buildings). If possible, try and curl up next to larger, bulky objects (like the sofa) – this will give you added protection.

14. You can use an analogue watch as a makeshift compass. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, align the hour hand with the sun, and about halfway between the hour hand and the number 12 is where South is. In the southern hemisphere, align the number 12 with the sun instead.

15. Use a head light and a water jug to create an ambient light source.

16. Need batteries but the only ones you had are too small? Use aluminum foil to fill the gap between the battery and the docking point on the device.

17. If you need to disinfect and sterilize polluted water, add 2-3 drops of bleach to a water bottle, shake well and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

18. If you need to clean dirty or murky water, place it in a container and put one side of a piece of cloth into the container, then put the other side into a second container and let diffusion work its magic. The water will travel between the containers, and the cloth will filter them.

19. If you’re in an area that has a tick problem, you can make a repellant by making a solution of one part tea tree oil and two parts water. Ticks can transmit all sorts of nasty diseases, so make sure you spray your shoes, socks, and pants.

20. If you already have one or more of these bloodsuckers on you, a safe and easy way to remove them is with a cotton ball soaked with liquid hand soap.

21. If you’re caught in a thunderstorm, don’t seek shelter under trees or tall structures, they attract lightning. Instead, find a sheltered depression or recessed area you can hide in.

22. If you need to cross a body of water, you can build a raft by laying out a tarp, placing lightweight materials on it (like wood or plastic bottles), wrapping the ends and tying it with a rope. Be sure to test and see if it can carry your weight.