A big fire beats a shelter
Large-log fires have kept people alive in the cold, but that doesn’t mean you can afford to skip building a shelter. What if it rains or becomes really windy? You never want to sleep out in the open if you can help it. Take the time to build a shelter. It will pay you back every time.

Rub two sticks together to make a fire
Yes, friction is a way to create a flame, but no, you can’t just rub any two sticks together. Friction-fire techniques require practice, patience, and luck. Just because it looks easy on television, don’t assume you’ll be able to do it under pressure without a lot of practice.

Use a thumbnail to test wood
You may have heard that if you can dent a piece of wood with your thumbnail, the wood is suitable for starting a friction fire. This myth just won’t seem to go away, but it doesn’t hold up. Some denser woods are fine for friction fires, and are some softer woods don’t work at all. When the thumbnail test works, it isn’t an affirmation­—it’s a coincidence.

Nose grease is the perfect fire starter
Is there enough oil on the side of your nose to lubricate the top of a bow-drill spindle? I don’t know about you, but I was never that greasy, even as a teenager. Furthermore, when you’re trying to build a friction fire, you’ll produce more sweat than grease on your face, and sweat doesn’t help.

Drink your own pee to stay hydrated
This question invariably comes up in my wilderness survival classes: “Can we drink urine?” My response: “You could, but why would you want to?” Urine is full of the body’s waste products. If conditions are grim enough to inspire you to consider urine as a beverage, then you are most likely severely dehydrated. The urine of a dehydrated person should not be reintroduced into the human body under any circumstances. Pee can be handy in other ways: Use it to dampen clothing for evaporative cooling in hot climates. But it’s not safe or smart to drink it.

Drink raw blood to survive
Sure, there’s water in blood. And some of the traditional cattle cultures of Africa still consume cattle blood with milk, but this is done for protein and minerals rather than hydration. While the consumption of animal blood has helped to keep survivors alive, the risk may not justify the gain. Drinking raw blood could mean you’re consuming pathogens.

Don't feel bad if you believed many of these survival myths; after all, you're definitely not alone! This is just one more reason why it's always a good idea to conduct extensive research so you know you're prepared in case of disaster.

Article Source: Outdoor Life