The United States Navy celebrates its birthday every 13th of October. In its 243 years of existence, the U.S. Navy has had a hodgepodge of personalities joining its ranks. They have a collection of former presidents, astronauts, actors, singers, talk show hosts, authors, athletes, scientists, a Hustler magazine publisher, and tons of heroes. These people had various ranks and designations while in active service but the ones who probably get the most attention are the members of the famed Navy SEAL.
Jesse Ventura, a former wrestler and politician, fought in the Vietnam War as part of the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team, which later became the Navy SEAL. Other well-known members of the elite team include original Navy SEAL member Rudy Boesch of Survivor fame, astronauts William Shepherd and Chris Cassidy, and the late sharpshooter extraordinaire Chris Kyle.
If there’s one thing that these Navy SEALs may agree on, it’s that they learned a great deal about respect, discipline, and survival from being the cream of the crop. Fortunately, other former members of this elite group have shared some Navy SEAL survival tips they have learned.
Navy SEAL Survival Tips When Life Is Threatened
According to former Navy SEAL and author Clint Emerson, your best bet to survive a life-threatening situation is to run away. If you are under fire, run away in a zigzag pattern. If you run in a straight line, you’re putting a bulls-eye on your back.
If running away is not an option, you must find a safe place to hide. You can’t hide behind bushes or tall grass. Bullets can still hit you even if the shooter can’t see you. You must hide behind something that bullets cannot penetrate.
You’re last option after running and hiding is to fight. Remember, you should only fight if there s nothing more you can do. If you’re in a group, you should work together to take the perpetrator down.
Underwater Navy SEAL Survival Tips
When you are bound and forced to walk the plank or thrown into the water, you can still get out of this predicament alive. Emerson revealed that you can avoid drowning by earning to control your breath. Make deep breaths and quick exhales. The more air there is in your lungs, the more buoyant you will be. You should also try to reposition and arch your back. This will make it easier for you to get air.
You will need to swim back up to get some air. See if you can reach the lake floor or seabed and use it to push or ricochet yourself up.
Navy SEAL Survival Tips in the Woods
Staying Put
If you’re lost in the woods, stop. Perhaps one of the most important Navy SEAL survival tips in this kind of emergency is to wait to be rescued. If you keep moving, you’re making it more difficult for rescuers to find you. Stay where you are and make provisions to survive until you are found.
Build a shelter using whatever you have and find. Take account of all the gear and supplies you have so you can plan how to use and ration them, respectively.
Stay Hydrated
Water will be a valuable commodity. Avoid doing any strenuous tasks so you don’t have to sweat. The more you move, the more you become dehydrated. It’s that simple.
If you run out of drinking water, you should know where to look. Bodies of water such as rivers and lakes should be your priority. If you don’t find one, remember that water runs downhill. Go downhill to find clean water. You can also collect rainwater, check leaves for dew, get water from bamboos. If you find water, you should filter and then boil it to make it safe for drinking.
Preparation is Key
As they say, prevention is better than cure. Before you go on your hike, make sure you have more than enough food, water and other supplies. It’s always better to have more.
Also, be prepared for any emergency scenario. Pack a jacket even if it’s in the middle of summer. You’ll be glad you did if you get lost in the woods and the night gets too cold for comfort.
Get Spotted
Make it easier for rescuers to find you. Always carry an emergency whistle, survival mirror, lightsticks, and fire starters to build fire and send smoke signals.
If help does not come, you must decide if you have to wait longer or go find help yourself. If you have to do the latter, you’re best net to find civilization is to follow the water. If you find a creek, follow it until you reach the river. Go further and you will likely find a settlement.
Other Navy SEAL Survival Tips
Blend In
One reason why Navy SEALs succeed in their mission is that their targets are unaware of their presence. In other words, they don’t know the Navy SEALs are out to get them until it’s too late, at least most of the time.
Blending in is one of the many Navy SEAL survival tips you can apply in your everyday life. When you’re out in a crowd, make sure you don’t attract attention. Don’t talk too loud on your new iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S9. If bad people see that you own an expensive phone, they will consider victimizing you.
You should also curb your online presence. If you post too much information about you and your family, you’re putting everyone at risk, Avoid posting about your whereabouts. Don’t announce that you’re all alone. Some people, even your acquaintances, will see this as an opportunity to have you all to themselves. Also, avoid posting photos of your new devices or anything expensive. Don’t make yourself a target.
Do A Houdini
There are a lot of horror stories about people being tied and gagged in home invasions. You also see movies about terrorist attacks, bank heists and kidnappings where the victims are bound. You should always have a handcuff key and razor blade with you in case something like these happens to you.
Before you’re tied up, make an effort to “get big.” The goal is to be loosely bound. Tense your muscles so they will expand or take a deep breath to expand your lungs while you’re being tied up. Once you relax, you’ll see that you have space to maneuver and possibly escape.
Thanks to this elite group of soldiers, the United States and the people who live here are safe. And thanks to those who shared Navy SEAL survival tips, we are even more prepared for emergency situations, especially the kind that wants to erase us from existence. This is a short list, however. Feel free to add more Navy SEAL survival tips in the comment section.
When it comes to fighting for your life, it would be nice if you know how to handle yourself in a fight. Enroll in self-defense classes or learn martial arts. You can also check out Street Fight Academy and learn some underground fighting moves.
Check out The Gentleman Pirate for more tips on how to survive different disasters and emergency situations.
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