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Many of us have experienced a situation when every second counts. Here're useful survival tricks that'll help you to escape danger and act fast.
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00:00You can turn ordinary matches into waterproof ones.
00:03Apply a thin coat of nail polish to the matches and let it dry.
00:07Once they're ready, they'll stay dry enough to start a fire,
00:10even if you drop the matches in the water.
00:12If you get lost somewhere during the winter and need a drink, then don't eat snow.
00:17It has much more air than water, so you won't even feel much more hydrated.
00:22Your body also wastes a lot of energy trying to eat it.
00:25Even worse, you might lower your body temperature and could even get sick.
00:30If you find yourself face-to-face with a coyote or a wolf, don't turn your back.
00:35Slowly retreat while facing the animal.
00:37This might only work for a single animal, though.
00:40If you meet a pack, then the most important thing is to make sure that they don't surround you.
00:45Back away towards a tree and press your back against it.
00:48Then choose the right moment and climb it as quickly as possible.
00:52Several layers of clothing will warm you better than one warm fur coat or down jacket.
00:58Air will be trapped between the clothing layers, insulating you and keeping your body warm.
01:03If you get lost in the woods, always try to sleep a little above the ground.
01:08You can lay on a layer of branches and leaves as a makeshift bed or stretch a hammock out between
01:13some trees.
01:14At night, the temperature drops and the ground becomes cold.
01:18Even if you build a fire, it could go out while you sleep, and the ground will be sapping your
01:23body heat.
01:25You're in a boat in the middle of the sea, no food, no fishing net, and you're hungry.
01:29It was supposed to be only a three-hour tour.
01:32Well, guess what?
01:33You can catch fish with the help of shoelaces and any object – phone, watch, or keys.
01:39The shadow cast by the boat in the sea can attract fish, and a reflective object can work as bait.
01:45Tie your keys to your shoelaces and use them as a fishing rod.
01:49Even if a fish doesn't bite, activities like this are a good way to maintain a healthy mind on the
01:54open sea.
01:57A short meditation can save you from a panic attack.
02:01You need to focus on your breathing and try to slow it down.
02:04Your brain will quickly calm down and turn its focus away from the panic.
02:09Oxygen masks and airplanes work on the same principle.
02:12When you control your breathing, your attention is redirected away from whatever bad thing is happening.
02:19You can make a torch out of a log.
02:21Put a small log vertically.
02:24Make a deep star-shaped cut on the top.
02:26Put dry grass, leaves, and sticks inside.
02:29Once you're done, set fire to the log and watch it burn for up to three hours.
02:34This should work the same, regardless of the size and type of wood.
02:38Now, if you meet an angry grizzly bear, never try to run away, because the bear can easily outrun you.
02:45Instead, lie down and don't move.
02:48Grizzlies only usually attack when they see a threat, so they'll often leave you alone if you show them that
02:53you won't cause them any problems.
02:55This only works with grizzly bears, though.
02:58If a confrontation is unavoidable, back away slowly and use bear spray.
03:03If you don't have any, pepper spray will work similarly and should disorient the bear and scare it away.
03:10Or not.
03:11Don't eat berries or mushrooms in the forest if you don't know exactly what they are.
03:16They could be poisonous.
03:18If you have no other option, eat the inner bark of maples, birches, and pines to fill your stomach.
03:24Use a knife to cut away the rough outer bark and get to the softer white stuff.
03:29You can boil it to make it even softer, or cook it over an open fire to make a crunchy
03:34snack.
03:35And if you're really starving, you can look for ants.
03:38They might not be the most appetizing, but they're pretty nutritious.
03:42If you don't have a watch, you can use your fingers to find out how much time is left until
03:47sunset.
03:48Raise your hand so the inside of your palm is facing you.
03:52Your fingers should be between the sun and the horizon line.
03:56See how many fingers can fit in this space.
03:59The thickness of one finger equals about 15 minutes, so you can calculate the time left before sunset.
04:06If you're lost and need to build a fire to attract attention, throw in a lot of pine, cedar branches,
04:12cones, and any unnecessary rubber objects.
04:15Your fire will emit more black smoke, which makes it visible from afar.
04:20If you have no water in the desert but have some food, try to avoid eating for as long as
04:26you can.
04:26The more you eat, the more thirsty you'll get.
04:29The body needs liquid to digest food, so it'll use up what little you have.
04:34A person can live much longer without food than without water, so don't be afraid to stay hungry.
04:41Hey, you've found a huge puddle of dirty water in the forest.
04:44If you're desperate for a drink, you can fill your bottle and filter it into drinking water.
04:49To clean it, make a rope of gauze or clothing.
04:53Put one end into the dirty bottle and the other one into the empty one.
04:57Before long, the clean water will flow into the empty bottle through the rope while the impurities are left behind.
05:05Before hiking, replace your regular shoelaces with paracord shoelaces.
05:10If you don't have enough rope, these laces can give you a few extra feet in a pinch.
05:14If you're lost in the forest and have nothing to warm you, then take dry leaves and grass from the
05:20ground and put it between two layers of clothing.
05:23This will help you stay warm for a long time.
05:27When you're lost in the desert, try to move as little as possible during the day.
05:31Find a shadow or create it from improvised materials and sit in the shade until dark.
05:37At night, you'll spend much less energy and use up less fluid while you walk.
05:42This will help you to avoid the risk of a heat stroke.
05:46If you fall through some ice, don't try to get out like you would in a pool.
05:50If you put your hands on the ice and try to push yourself out with your arms, it could crack
05:55and make you fall back into the water.
05:57You need to stretch your arms parallel to the ice surface and stretch your legs way back so they float
06:03in the water.
06:04In this horizontal position, start waving your legs as if you're swimming.
06:08Move your arms carefully without putting too much weight on the ice, and you should be able to escape.
06:15If you need to build a fire while it's too windy, here's what to do.
06:19Dig two holes next to each other and create a small underground tunnel between them.
06:24Make a fire in one of the pits.
06:26The wind can't extinguish it, and the fire gets its air through the second pit.
06:30This method is also useful if you need to build a fire without drawing attention.
06:36In the dark, this kind of fire won't be visible.
06:39Don't throw away or pop bubble wrap.
06:42Take it on a hike with you.
06:43It will protect you from the cold better than even a thick blanket would.
06:47Those tiny air bubbles are perfect insulation.
06:50Just put it in between layers of clothing, and it'll stop any warmth from escaping.
06:55The plastic it's made of is also waterproof, so it can stop you from getting wet, too.
07:02Swimming in the sea not far from the shore, you can easily get swept up in rip currents.
07:07If this happens, the most important thing to remember is not to swim against the current.
07:13This will only waste your strength and sap your energy, and you're unlikely to ever overpower an ocean current.
07:19Instead, try to swim sideways along the shore.
07:23Sooner or later, you should get out of the current, and then you can safely swim to the beach.
07:31If you're stuck in a falling elevator, don't try to jump at the moment of collision.
07:36Don't take a sitting position or stand, either.
07:39You need to lie on the floor, facing the ceiling.
07:42Spread your legs as wide as possible, cover your face with one hand, and put the other hand behind your
07:47head for protection.
07:48You reduce the pressure on your body in this position when you fall.
07:53Ooh, you're lost!
07:54A rescue helicopter flies over the forest, but you don't have a flare and don't have time to build a
08:00fire.
08:01Use a small mirror or a phone screen to reflect the sunlight.
08:04Aim the light beam towards the helicopter.
08:07Rescuers should notice the glare and fly over to save you.
08:10Who do you think will win?
08:12A hungry grizzly or a ripe berry?
08:15An angry tiger or a beautiful flower?
08:17A huge python or a green bush?
08:20The answer's not so obvious.
08:23Now you'll see who really controls the jungle and forests.
08:26Meet the most dangerous plants on Earth.
08:30This is the water hemlock.
08:32It grows in North America, in swampy areas of fields and meadows.
08:36Also, you can find this plant on the shores of rivers and streams.
08:40It seems harmless, but it's one of the most poisonous plants in the U.S.
08:45Water hemlock toxins can cause critical damage to an adult in 15 minutes, but only if you swallow it.
08:52Many people mistakenly confuse it with artichoke, celery, and anise.
08:57Despite the dangerous poison, water hemlock is used to cure migraines and intestinal diseases.
09:04This plant has caused a lot of damage to livestock.
09:07White snake root grows in fields and pastures.
09:11When a cow bites it, the plant releases a fat-soluble toxin.
09:15This poison gets not only inside the animal, but also into the milk.
09:20Young calves who drink the milk also become infected.
09:24Poisoned milk is also dangerous for people.
09:27The problem is that this plant, native to North America, is one of the longest-lived autumn flowers.
09:34Now, in modern farms, the poison of this plant is not so dangerous.
09:38But on small private pastures, white snake root is the number one danger.
09:44We all know two kinds of beans.
09:47The ones we eat, and the ones that Jack used to get to the realm of giants.
09:52In addition to them, there are poisonous ones.
09:55These are called castor beans.
09:57They contain one of the most dangerous toxins in the world, ricin.
10:01As soon as it enters your body, it blocks the production of proteins necessary for life.
10:07Without these proteins, your cells stop functioning.
10:10The more cells are destroyed, the more your body suffers.
10:14The castor bean releases ricin when squeezed.
10:18Several beans can cause dehydration, weakness, hallucinations, seizures, and other problems.
10:24About seven beans are enough to cause critical damage.
10:28So remember what they look like, and never touch them if you see them in the woods.
10:33One of the most beautiful plants on the planet is also one of the most dangerous.
10:38This is oleander.
10:40Everything is poisonous in it.
10:42The stem, the root, and the pink flower.
10:45Even a tiny piece of this plant can lead to severe poisoning.
10:49It doesn't need to get inside your stomach to create severe problems.
10:53Just a little touch to the juice of the flower causes allergies.
10:57And don't try to burn it, as the smoke of a burning oleander has toxic effects too.
11:03And now, the most dangerous plant in the world.
11:07One touch of it will hurt you for several years.
11:10Or you may feel the consequences all your life.
11:13The gimpy gimpy plant, also called the Queensland Stinger, looks like an ordinary burdock bush.
11:20It doesn't look like anything poisonous at all.
11:23But if you stand next to this plant, you'll feel suffocation and watery eyes.
11:28There are thousands of tiny poisonous hairs on the leaves of this flower.
11:33You should put on a gas mask if you want to look at the plant.
11:36But if you lightly touch gimpy gimpy, you're in big trouble.
11:40Some compare one gimpy gimpy sting to 30 wasp stings at the same time.
11:47Poisonous hairs easily penetrate under your skin and cause irritation and pain.
11:53The problem is that you can't pull them out.
11:56Wash with soap and water, use some disinfecting ointment,
11:59and you'll see that the situation is only worsening.
12:03The hairs can't be pulled out of there.
12:05They sit there, releasing toxins and driving you crazy.
12:10There's no antidote because scientists still don't know what components the toxin consists of.
12:16It can withstand cold and hot temperatures.
12:19Unpleasant sensations can last for several hours, days, or even months.
12:24People who touched the plant said that the pain from the sting returned even after a few years.
12:31But if it's impossible to get rid of the hairs,
12:34then the only way out is to wait for them to lose their toxicity.
12:38But there's another problem here.
12:40You can tear off one gimpy gimpy leaf with gloves and put it in the laboratory,
12:45dry it, and forget about it for a few years.
12:48And here it lies in front of you, a withered, almost destroyed leaf.
12:53It seems harmless, but it's not.
12:55Even after many years, the poisonous hairs remain on the leaf's surface and still cause toxin effects.
13:03Gimpy Gimpy only grows in Australia.
13:06It loves the sun and dense green forests.
13:09It used to pose a severe danger to tourists and loggers.
13:13But now, all places with this plant are marked with a warning sign.
13:17At botanical exhibitions, scientists put this plant in a cage so people wouldn't touch it.
13:24Rosary peas can be white seeds with a black eye or black seeds with a white eye.
13:29You can find these plants in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Ocean region.
13:35Some species were transported to Florida and Hawaii by people.
13:39You could encounter this plant even on city streets.
13:43Rosary pea seeds are used in jewelry and some toys.
13:47People who wear rosary pea bracelets probably don't know about its seed's toxicity.
13:53Rosary peas, as well as the castor bean, contribute to the destruction of cells.
13:58Interestingly, rosary pea seeds are used not only as decorations, but also for healing certain health conditions.
14:07This is the only poisonous plant from the list that looks poisonous.
14:11You probably won't want to pick it up when you notice it.
14:14See this red stem that looks more like an artery or an enlarged nervous system?
14:19And those berries are similar to eyes.
14:21Doll's eye looks a little creepy.
14:24Their internal structure is also as unpleasant as their appearance.
14:28Doll's eye has a dangerous toxin.
14:31The longer they grow, the more poisonous their composition gets.
14:35Doll's eye chemicals have a sedative effect on muscles and hearts.
14:39This means that your body relaxes so much that it stops working.
14:45You've probably seen this plant in reality or wildlife movies.
14:49Venus fly traps are rare representatives of carnivorous plants.
14:54Fortunately, they're not as dangerous for humans as for insects.
14:58But in any case, you shouldn't stick your finger in them.
15:02So here's how they work.
15:04The plant opens its mouth.
15:06There's a red petal with a fragrant smell in its middle.
15:10It's a decoy.
15:11A fly or some beetle notices this and decides to try it.
15:15They climb inside the flower.
15:17But the Venus fly trap doesn't immediately get closed.
15:21Tiny sensitive hairs inside the plant count the movements of the fly.
15:26If the fly has made more than two movements within 20 seconds,
15:30the plant closes its mouth in less than a second.
15:34This interval prevents the Venus fly trap from needlessly slamming when some garbage lands there.
15:40Then the fly becomes trapped.
15:42The bristles on the plant's jaws work like a cage.
15:45Prey cannot escape.
15:47Then the Venus fly trap injects digestive juice into its mouth, which destroys the fly.
15:53Five to 12 days later, the plant opens again and waits for a new lunch.
15:58The Venus fly trap can eat flies, beetles, spiders, and even little frogs.
16:05Giant hogweed causes the most extensive damage among all plants.
16:10It's dangerous not specifically for one person, but for entire forests and fields.
16:16Giant hogweed is an invasive plant.
16:18It's like a parasite.
16:20It multiplies quickly and destroys all other flowers in the area.
16:25Insects don't feed on giant hogweed.
16:27It's also problematic for people to destroy it,
16:30since giant hogweed causes an allergic reaction on the skin.
16:35It grows quickly.
16:36It's immune to poisons and lives long.
16:39Giant hogweed can reach the height of a one-story house and be deeply rooted in the ground.
16:45It releases its seeds, and a light breeze spreads them for miles.
16:50Scientists still can't create an effective way to combat it.
16:54But there's nothing that can defeat giant hogweed in nature.
16:57Well, not yet.
16:59Nature and evolution always find a balance.
17:03The Baltic Sea Anomaly
17:05In 2011, a diving team came down to the bottom of the northern part of the Baltic Sea.
17:11They went on a treasure hunt.
17:12But what they came upon was a pretty weird object.
17:16When they took photos and showed them to others,
17:19many believed it was a sunken spaceship of another civilization.
17:25Other people thought that some natural causes formed the object.
17:28But the metals inside the structure definitely couldn't have been formed naturally.
17:33Now, some scientists even believe it was something that appeared way back in the Ice Age.
17:39Maybe it was even a meteorite that ended up trapped under ice back then.
17:45A maelstrom is a whirlpool.
17:48Some sort of a powerful rotational current that forms when two currents collide and create a circular vortex.
17:55Even fearless Vikings were afraid of maelstroms because those were forces so powerful that they could sink large ships.
18:03These whirlpools remain dangerous even today.
18:06But luckily, not for big modern ships that are large enough to withstand the power of maelstroms.
18:12But a cruise ship that gets into a maelstrom usually faces massive waves
18:17that can rock even big vessels from side to side pretty intensely.
18:23A maelstrom can be so strong, it can turn into some sort of an underwater black hole.
18:29Yep, black holes are not only present in the cold expanse of space.
18:33You can find them here on our home planet too, swirling in the oceans.
18:37They're similar to those in space, since they're compacted so tightly that nothing they trap can escape.
18:46Underwater black holes often span up to 93 miles in diameter.
18:50And if you got into one of those, you probably wouldn't even know it.
18:55These black holes act like vortices.
18:58But because of their size, even professionals can hardly see their boundaries.
19:04Here's something relaxing.
19:06Next time you go to the beach, pay attention.
19:08And maybe you'll see an optical phenomenon called the green flash.
19:13You can see it shortly after sunset or right before sunrise.
19:17It occurs when the sun is almost completely below the horizon,
19:20while its rim, the upper one, is still visible.
19:25For just a second or two, that upper edge of the sun will appear green.
19:30It's because you're looking at the sun through thicker parts of the atmosphere
19:34as it's moving down in the sky.
19:36As it's dipping below the horizon, light refracts, or bends, in the atmosphere and gets dispersed.
19:45Wait for a clear day with no clouds or haze on the horizon to see this phenomenon better.
19:52You've been looking forward to a nice swim,
19:55only to realize that the water in the ocean is red?
19:59Better avoid going in.
20:01Florida is known for its red tides.
20:04It occurs when the concentration of specific microscopic algae is higher than normal.
20:11Thousands of species of algae in marine and fresh waters are mostly harmless to animals and humans.
20:17They even help us, since they're an important source of oxygen.
20:21But some, like the algae that makes the ocean red,
20:24can be extremely dangerous for marine animals,
20:27like sea turtles, fish, and seabirds.
20:31This kind can grow out of control and produce neurotoxins harmful to humans,
20:37especially those who have some respiratory issues.
20:40Such people should avoid red tide areas,
20:42especially when winds are strong enough to push the algae toward the shore.
20:49Volcanoes can spew poisonous gas, ash, and red-hot lava.
20:53Those are the most obvious dangers most of us already know about.
20:57But submarine volcanoes can be very tricky in their own way.
21:01Sometimes, when they're located in shallow waters,
21:04they reveal their presence by blasting debris of rock and steam high above the surface.
21:11Since submarine volcanoes are surrounded by an unlimited supply of water,
21:15they can behave differently from those on land.
21:18When they erupt, seawater gets into active submarine vents.
21:24Lava can be spreading across a shallow seafloor,
21:27or sometimes even flowing into the sea from land volcanoes.
21:31When in water, it may cool down so quickly that it shatters into rubble and sand.
21:36So, there are large amounts of volcanic debris left there.
21:40You know those popular black sand beaches in Hawaii?
21:44That's how they formed.
21:47Hot lava and powerful eruptions certainly don't sound safe.
21:51But submarine volcanoes in deeper waters are equally dangerous,
21:55even though they're not necessarily erupting.
21:58They produce pockets of bubbles.
22:00These bubbles reduce the density of the surrounding waters,
22:03which can even sink ships.
22:07The worst thing is that when you look at the surface of the ocean,
22:10you can't understand something's wrong.
22:13But at the same time, tiny bubbles are there,
22:16causing ships to lose buoyancy, and with very little warning.
22:21Across sea is a rare phenomenon,
22:24beautiful to observe, but also very dangerous.
22:27It's when you see square waves,
22:30which are more common in shallow parts of the ocean.
22:32That's something you can often see in France,
22:35or on certain beaches of Tel Aviv.
22:38But it can also happen in many coastal areas across the world.
22:43Across sea occurs when two wave patterns travel at oblique angles.
22:48They form this checkerboard-like pattern.
22:51It mostly happens when two swells meet,
22:53or when a swell pushes waves in one direction,
22:56while a strong wind pushes them in another.
23:00These square waves can be dangerous for swimmers and boaters.
23:04The waves produced by strong ocean currents can be pretty unpredictable and tall,
23:09sometimes up to almost 10 feet.
23:11This phenomenon is sometimes called white walls.
23:14These waves can be so powerful that they can turn over even big boats.
23:21If you fill a clear glass with some ocean water and take a closer look,
23:25you'll see it's full of very small particles.
23:29Seawater contains dissolved salts, fats, algae, proteins, detergents,
23:34and other bits of artificial and organic matter.
23:38If you shake that glass, you'll see tiny bubbles forming on its surface.
23:43That's how seafoam forms when waves and winds agitate the ocean.
23:47When you see thick seafoam, algal blooms might have caused it.
23:52When big blooms of algae fall apart in the sea,
23:54large amounts of that matter move in the direction of dry land.
24:00Most kinds of seafoam aren't dangerous to humans.
24:03But when blooms of algae fall apart,
24:05it can have a negative impact on both the environment and people.
24:10For example, when seafoam bubbles pop,
24:13the toxins they contain get released into the air,
24:15and they can irritate your eyes or cause some other health issues.
24:21You can see a tidal bore in the areas where a river empties into a sea or an ocean.
24:27It's a powerful tide that goes against the current and pushes up the river.
24:32A tidal bore falls into a category of something called the surge,
24:36which is a sudden change in depth.
24:39A tidal bore is a positive surge,
24:41which means it pushes up a river, making it much deeper.
24:45A negative surge is when the river suddenly becomes very shallow.
24:50You won't see tidal bores everywhere.
24:53The river must be fairly shallow with a narrow outlet to the sea.
24:57The place where the sea and the river meet must be flat and wide.
25:01Also, the area between low and high tide must be at least 20 feet across.
25:07Of course, there are some exceptions,
25:10like the Amazon River, the world's largest one.
25:13The mouth of the Amazon is not narrow,
25:16but the river experiences tidal bores.
25:18That's because its mouth is shallow
25:21and has many sandbars and low-lying islands.
25:24The tidal bore is so strong there
25:26that the river doesn't even have a delta.
25:29Its sediment goes directly into the Atlantic Ocean,
25:32where fast-moving currents take it away.
25:36A tidal bore is often unpredictable
25:38and can be extremely rough.
25:40In many cases, it changes the color of the river
25:43from greenish or blue to brown.
25:45It can damage vegetation
25:47or even tear trees out of the ground.
25:50So, recreation sports like kayaking and river surfing
25:53can be hazardous in these areas.
25:57Even if you just want to take a look at a tidal bore,
26:00be careful.
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