Survival Myths That Can Get You Killed

There are so many “truths” that people hold on to that are wrong. Facts that are passed on and thrown about in conversation daily that just plain false. Most people never bother to check things out and simply accept things and begin to repeat them to others, growing the misinformation. Today I’m going to play Mythbusters and tackle a few of the more well know myths in the survival field that are plain wrong.

Moss Grows on the North Side of a Tree

This myth is based on that fact that moss like to grow in the shade and damp. In the Northern hemisphere the north side of a tree would receive the least amount of sun if any and would seem to give some credence to this myth. The fact that in theory it seems to make sense is probably why I is so prevalent. I’ve heard this myth my whole life, if you are ever lost you can use it to navigate. Since I began to hike and camp I’ve looked at pretty much every tree I’ve seen with moss growing on it. The majority of the time moss does not grow on one side but the entire tree. I would walk around a tree and look and moss, at least here in Tennessee grows all the way around a tree. I really could tell little to no difference if it was growing more on one side or the other. They were all simply covered in it. Lesson learned here do not rely on navigating using this method. ]

Water From Cactus

Like many I grew up believing that if for some reason I found myself lost in a desert I just needed to find a Barrel Cactus and drink the water from it like a fountain. I can not even figure out how this myth got started. Cacti are greedy with their water and you will not be holding a glass beneath one to fill up. The liquid you find inside one will be slimy and acidic. If the disguisting slime oozing from the cactus does not dissuade you from putting it in your mouth you will regret it later. Cacti are full of both malic and oxalic acid. Consuming the cacti slime will cause vomiting and diarrhea. Having either or both of those conditions will leave you far worse off than before guzzling the acid slime. Do not attempt to drink from a cactus no mater how thirsty you are it is not worth it.

That wraps up the first installemnt of Survival Myths. There are so many out there I can make this a regular post covering them. If you like this let me know and I will keep on busting Myths spreading the truth.

Do you have a favorite survival myth that you hear all the time? Let me know in the comments!