15+ Survival Tips That Everyone Needs To Know

"If a service dog comes to you for attention, immediately locate their owner, they could be using a last ditch effort to get help.
A few months ago when I was on a delivery for work, I was stopped by a dog who ran out in the middle of the road (residential). I got out and tried to move the dog, but it followed me all the way to the door of my delivery. Once I was done I checked the dogs tag to bring it home, and I noticed he had all kinds of medical tags. After I realized what the dog was trying to do, I ran towards the correct address and the dog led me through a screen door on the porch. His owner was passed out on the floor, and I called 911.
The individual had a phone (brought by the dog) by its head, and a bag of medications by his side. The dog had done everything it was trained to do, but the person had passed out before it could do anything. The ambulance came, got his pulse back, and took him to the hospital. I don't know if he ended up surviving, but if I hadn't checked the dog's tags and realized it was a medical animal, I wouldn't have hurried, blatantly invite myself in his house, and ultimately get him to a point of survival."

"Nuclear warfare is a serious threat that hasn't been mentioned yet. The following was common knowledge during the cold war era, but most people my age don't know what to do in a nuclear disaster. In a nuclear explosion most of the damage and death is caused by the shockwave the blast creates, not the fireball which has a comparatively small radius. One day you may find yourself outside or looking out a window to see an extremely bright flash. As bright as if you were staring straight at the sun. Do not attempt to locate the source of the flash. You have maybe 8-10 seconds to respond if you're far enough away from the fireball. Lay face down on the ground and put your thumbs in your ears and fingers over your eyes. Breathe through your teeth. Since you're laying face down the shockwave will mostly pass over you. If you're standing up it can cause your lungs, eardrums, and other organs to explode. Once the shockwave passes over you, you need to find shelter immediately. I said before that most death from the explosion is caused by the shockwave. Well, FAR more death is subsequently caused by nuclear fallout AFTER the blast. Do not attempt to travel anywhere. Just get underground. If you're next to a complete stranger's house or a business, don't hesitate to go inside and hide out under as much concrete and steel as possible. You need to remain in this location for the next 48 hours. This is critical. Even if you survive the blast if you attempt to go home and spend just 20 minutes outside traveling you will more than likely die of radiation sickness. Radioactive material after a blast decays exponentially and you will be safe to try and find your loved ones after 48 hours. If you don't wait this out, you definitely won't be alive to find them. When you're ready you need to leave the city and get as far from the fallout as you can."

"If you find yourself hurt in a public place, direct your pleas to one person, not to the crowd cause everyone will think that ”somebody else will help you”. It is called the bystander effect."

"If you ever get lost, the first thing to do is stop moving. Sit down, stop freaking out, and think. If you give in to panic and lose your head, you can screw things up so badly for yourself that help will never find you.
Remember the rule of three:
Starvation will kill you in three weeks. Thirst will kill you in three days. Cold will kill you in three hours. Lack of oxygen will kill you in three minutes. Panic will kill you in three seconds."

"If you think you're being followed turn right four times. Since you'll get to the same place they shouldn't be following you anymore. If they do, you might be in trouble.
Since it's a common warning that you shouldn't go home when you think someone is following you, the smartest is to go to a police station."

"If you're outside in a lightning storm and your hair starts floating, seek immediate shelter. You're about to be struck by lightning.
If immediate (within 15 seconds of movement) shelter is not available, put both your feet together, squat down on the balls of your feet, and grab your ankles. If you're struck, this will give the lightning a direct path down to the ground and hopefully minimize damage."

"If you fall into water, don't panic. You don't have to be able to swim; you just have to float. Hold your breath and let yourself bob to the surface.
If someone is in trouble in the water, they will absolutely kill you in mindless panic. Bring something with you - a float, a rope, a towel - and use that to bridge the gap between you so you can tow the person in.
If you must make direct contact, come up from behind and slip your arm across the victim's chest. Pull the victim's back to your chest and keep his/her arms facing away from you. I've been in the deathgrip of a fat little 8 year old and he nearly took me out.
If a panicked drowner does grab you, do everything in your power to go down toward the bottom. Most will let go; that's the last place they want to go.
Recognize that even if you are both a strong swimmer and a trained rescuer, you are still risking your own life if you go to the aid of a swimmer in trouble. Take it very seriously."

"A few survival tips for mainly the desert but also a lot of places.
If you are lost in the desert, or a lot of places for that mater, the number one thing you can carry to increase your chances of being found is a small reflective mirror. Anytime a plane flies overhead you can reflect light towards them and you greatly increase your chances of being found. This seriously is more important than carrying more water with you (not that water doesn't help, its just not realistic to carry that much water on your back).
Furthermore, if you get stranded in the desert with a vehicle, do not leave your vehicle to find people. You are a lot harder to see than your vehicle and your car can provide shelter (your car has some good reflective mirrors to signal with, especially the rearview mirror). People die all the time doing this, often found only mere miles from their car.
Finally, the universal sign for needing to be rescued is waving two arms up and down. If you wave only one arm to a passing plane, you will not be helped, or at least are less likely to be helped. Also, because a few people have been wondering what to do if you can't use both of your arms, there is another universal way to signal for help that is more versatile. The way I can best describe it is three of anything quick signal. Three gunshots, three whistle blows, three flashes of a flashlight, three flashes from a reflective mirror, etc. Just make sure they are spaced widely enough (at least one second) and that you spend a considerable time before making your next three signals.
There have been many deaths that could have been prevented had this advice been followed."