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Dangerous Snakes: The Coastal Taipan

Posted by Survive on March 18, 2012 Comments Off

A Coastal Taipan

The Coastal Taipan is yet another deadly poisonous snake species living in Australia (Poisonous critter capital of the world). It is considered by some to be the 3rd most venomous snake in the world, after its cousin the Inland Taipan and the Eastern Brown Snake, another native Australian.

The venom of the Coastal Taipan contains a potent neurotoxin, and can kill in as little as 30 minutes. If untreated, the bite is fatal in nearly 100% of cases.

The Coastal Taipan is also notable for its size. It often reaches a length of 6.5 to 7.5 feet and occasionally as long as 9 to 11 feet. It is the largest of the venomous snakes of Australia.

Growing Your Own Food and the Benefits of Heirloom Plant Species

Posted by Survive on March 11, 2012 Comments Off

One of the benefits of growing heirloom plant species over other types is that after growing heirloom plant seeds to harvest, they will provide you with a new batch of seeds. Due to the industrialization of agriculture, fewer and fewer varieties of plants are grown, which means overall less genetic diversity among these species. Also, most of these varieties will not provide you with a new batch of seeds with which to grow a new year’s crop. This means having to buy new seeds year after year.

Deadly Diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Posted by Survive on March 8, 2012 Comments Off

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a deadly disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. It is primarily transmitted from infected ticks to people through a bite injury, and has a habitat range spanning both North and South America. It has gone by the name Black Measles due to the appearance of the resulting rash.

Symptoms:

Headache
Fever
Muscle pain
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Loss of appetite
A rash sometimes develops after the first few days on infection, but not always

Treatment for RMSF consists of antibiotics as soon as possible. Hospitalization is often necessary. Read more »

Deadly Sea Critters: The Sea Wasp Jellyfish

Posted by Survive on March 7, 2012 Comments Off

The sea wasp, or Chironex fleckeri, is one of several box jellyfish and possibly the most toxic, having been described as “the most lethal jellyfish in the world”. The sea wasp is also the largest of the box jellyfish species. It lives in the waters of North Australia all the way up to the coastal waters of the Philippines.

The venom of the sea wasp has been known to kill in as little as three minutes. The sting is extremely painful, and in addition provides a triple threat to your body by attacking your skin, heart, and nervous system.

First aid for a sea wasp sting: First the victim must be taken out of the water in order to provide first aid. The area of the sting should be washed in vinegar, which will deactivate the venom. Emergency medical services should be contacted for treatment as soon as possible. While not all box jellyfish stings are typically fatal, the sea wasp’s sting is particularly dangerous and should be treated as such.

Disclaimer: The information in this post is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, emergency treatment or formal first-aid training. If you find yourself in a life-threatening/emergency medical situation, you should seek medical attention immediately.

First Aid: Treating a Stingray Injury

Posted by Survive on February 29, 2012 Comments Off

Symptoms of a stingray injury:

Immediate, severe pain lasting up to 48 hours
Swelling/bleeding in the wound area
Sweating
Low blood pressure
Loss of consciousness
Dizziness
Paralysis
Muscle cramping
Nausea/vomiting
Seizure
Irregular heart rhythm

Stingrays possess venomous tail spines which can result in serious injury, though fatalities caused by stingrays are quite rare. The most infamous example of a fatal stingray injury is the one that killed “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Erwin. Once the victim is stung, the stinger will usually break off in the wound. This doesn’t hurt the stingray, which will regrow a new stinger in time. Surgery may be required to remove an embedded stinger. Swimmers and divers are most at risk of injury due to the many hours they spend in the water.

Stingrays generally avoid making aggressive attacks on people. However, when stepped on they will frequently sting in self defense. It’s easy for stingrays to go unseen by people due to their habit of hiding under sand and their camouflaged bodies. As a result, most stingray injuries occur on the victims legs. If you are wading in waters known to be home to stingrays, it’s wise to use a tool to shuffle the sand around beforehand, scaring them away. Another option is to drop/throw some rocks into the water. If you are already in the water and have no tools for moving the sand around your feet, shuffle your feet in the sand to let any nearby stingrays know to get out of the area.

A stingray injury can be quite painful, partly due to the physical trauma of the injury and partly due to their venom. Pain often last for about 2 days, but is usually at its most extreme immediately after the injury takes place and for the next hour or so.

If the spine punctures the chest or abdomen of the victim, the chances of the injury being serious or fatal go up. Note that Steve Erwin died from a stingray injury in the upper torso area. Read more »

How to Survive an Avalanche

Posted by Survive on February 21, 2012 Comments Off

Surprise! You just got buried in snow! An avalanche occurs when a large volume of snow quickly flows downhill, triggered when the volume of snow surpasses a threshold of weight, earthquakes, or animals.

It is disputed whether or not loud noises can trigger an avalanche, though the human voice is probably not loud enough to trigger an avalanche even at its loudest volume.
If possible, move to the side of the avalanche as much as possible, getting stuck right int he middle is the worst place to be.
Another option is to grab hold of a tree and hang on for dear life.
If you are being enveloped by an avalanche, cup your hands over your mouth, which will create space for you to breathe under the snow while you wait to be rescued.
Once caught in the snow, push your leg or arm out in hopes of reaching to the surface, where it is possible for someone to see you and come dig you out.
Rarely is it possible to dig oneself out of an avalanche.

First Aid for Minor Cuts, Scrapes, and Burns

Posted by Survive on February 8, 2012 Comments Off

Not all injuries require a trip to the emergency room, but even minor wounds should be cared for in order to prevent infection (especially if you are out in the wilderness) or making them worse and slowing down the time it takes to heal.

Burns:

For first and second degree burns resulting from flame or heat, you should run some lukewarm water over the burn and wrap it up securely in a damp cloth. Try to keep the injury elevated. Avoid popping any resulting blisters.

Cuts and Scrapes:

Wash the injury with water and soap and try to keep the wound clean, watch for redness to appear around the injury, a possible sign of infection. Wrap the injury in a piece of cloth. If bleeding won’t stop, you will need to fashion a tourniquet. You can improvise one with a strip of cloth or a belt. Tighten the tourniquet the limb above the injury.

Pooping in the Great Outdoors

Posted by Survive on February 6, 2012 Comments Off

If you’re stuck out in the wild and have nothing with which to wipe your ass after defecating, there are a few other good options for getting your butt clean:

Not only does it make for an easier, faster defecation, squatting (as opposed to sitting) also leaves your butt clean after the dirty deed is done, so there’s less to clean.
Leaves (of the non-poisonous varieties) are always a go-to toilet paper substitute. Beech leaves are prime.
In the cold, snow is a great way to get your ass clean after a good pooping.

First Aid for a Lightning Strike

Posted by Survive on February 2, 2012 Comments Off

Should someone you know be struck by lightning, you should perform the following:

Call for emergency medical assistance for the injured person.
Provide appropriate first aid measures. If the person is not breathing, perform rescue breathing. If their heart has stopped beating, provide CPR. If the injured person has both a pulse and is breathing on their own, look for other injuries.
Check for burns. Lightning burns two spots on the body: where the person was struck and where the electricity left the body. A lightning strike can also cause broken bones and a loss of hearing or eyesight.

Fishing Gear: The Speargun

Posted by Survive on February 1, 2012 Comments Off

A speargun is a fishing tool which fires a spear underwater. There are two general types of spearguns, those that are air powered and those powered by rubber or latex bands. Fishing with a speargun allows for fishing in deeper waters than permitted by traditional spearfishing.