The Wilderness Survival Quiz

Water from the wilderness is not always safe to drink. Boil it for a few minutes to kill any pathogens.

Grizzly bears rarely attack, but when they do, you can play dead. Often, the bears will leave you alone if they no longer perceive you as a threat.

Generally speaking, when encountering a potentially aggressive wild animal, you should face the animal and then slowly back away. During this process, do not open and eat a Snickers bar.

Find out more in the Guides How to behave correctly when encountering wild boars? and How to behave correctly when encountering a wolf?.

It is one of the most important – and overlooked – principles of outdoor survival: Tell someone where you're going. Otherwise, potential rescuers won't know where to find you. And it's best to let the person know when you'll be back.

If you have any kind of magnifying lens with you, like binoculars or even a piece of glass, you can use the lens method to focus sunlight and start a fire. To read my tips on using a magnifying glass, take a look at the guide "Fire with the Sun: 8 expert tips you need to know".

A knife is your best friend. Knives are useful for hunting, defense, and countless tasks that would otherwise be much more difficult. So always carry a knife in the wilderness.

Be sure to check out my guides: 5 knife skills you must have for bushcraft and this one: The most important knife skill for survival in the wilderness.

Hand sanitizer with an alcohol base is a great fire starter. Apply some to dry kindling to ignite your fire – just remember that foam or alcohol-free sanitizers will not work for this purpose.

Fires are good for warmth, cooking, and smoke signals. Rising smoke often attracts the attention of forest rangers and passersby.

The guide "3 primitive signals to make yourself known in an emergency" will help you, if interested.

Rocks, trees, and other objects interfere with cellphone signals. But if you can climb to the top of a high hill, you increase your chances of catching a signal.

Don't panic. Often, rattlesnakes don't even inject venom. Clean the wound and get to a medical facility as soon as possible. Very few people die from a rattlesnakebite, and in those cases, these individuals typically refuse medical treatment.

Mosquitoes and flies are really annoying. The good news is that they don't stray far from water. That means you're likely to find water near your location.

Just because 10 degrees feels comfortable doesn't mean hypothermia can't set in. With a little rain and a little wind, your core body temperature can drop rapidly.

Remember this sentecne: "If it's brown, lay down. If it's black, fight back.". Black bears often keep attacking until they are sure you are dead – fight back with rocks, sticks, your bare hands, whatever it takes.

Plants give off water vapor throughout the day. Cover a branch with leaves with a transparent plastic bag and tie it closed. Hours later, you will find water droplets that can save your life. In my video "The Transpiration Bag" you can find out all about this ingenious method (in German).

Even though you can boil it, stagnant water is sometimes not really healthy. It is better to choose running water if available. You can read everything about finding and purifying water in the guide "Finding, collecting, filtering and making drinking water drinkable – the ultimate water guide".

The North Star has saved many lost souls throughout human history, guiding them to safety at night. This famous star is part of the "Little Dipper".

Learn more methods in the guide "Navigation and orientation without a compass".

Hunting big game takes a lot of time and energy. Think about plants, small animals, and even insects – these types of food can keep you alive over long periods of time if necessary.

I have written essential guides on this topic, which you can find here:

• Edible plants: this emergency food can be found in the forest (list + pictures)
• Survival Basics: Eating insects (preparation, catching, breeding)
• Survival trap construction: how to build a simple deadfall trap

You don't have a weapon? Sharpen a stick, carve a spear. Or grab a hefty rock. If you're in immediate danger from a creature, you need some type of weapon for protection.

It's no surprise that hypothermia (when your core body temperature drops too low) is a leading cause of death for people in cold weather. To avoid hypothermia, you must stay dry at all costs.

Don't panic, as it only makes things worse. Take a deep breath, assess the situation. How to deal with panic in yourself and in others can be found in this guide here.

Cold ground sucks the life out of you, so put twigs or grass under your body. This increases your chances of survival. Until the wolves find you.

It sounds partially cruel, but you can really reset your dislocated knee. Straighten your leg as much as possible to (hopefully) get it back in the right position. But let's be honest, you're not really going to do that, and you're probably going to die.

Emergency whistles have been a staple of survival gear for generations. Three blasts in a row indicate that you need help.

If you find yourself in a desperate situation, you need water. In good weather, you can go about three days without water. But even after the first day, you will be extremely thirsty.

Rain ponchos are a stroke of luck in a survival situation. You can use them to build a small shelter, collect rainwater, and for many other creative purposes.

You need a shelter for the night. You can huddle up in a cave or build a simple shelter out of branches, leaves, and moss. You can learn how to build such a shelter here.

If you require temporary emergency shelter, don't use an old riverbed. In many areas, these riverbeds are vulnerable to flash floods, which can begin with rain showers that fall far from your immediate location.

Tourniquets are a last resort for stopping bleeding. Clean the wound and apply pressure first. Ideally, apply a pressure dressing (read it here). If that doesn't work, then you probably didn't need that arm anyway.