We can all sense danger. Let's be real. We all have that gut feeling. Nine time out of ten we ignore it. Why? There is a universal gut feeling. Nature knows things. Let's see how much...
RUNNNNNN!!!
Run Away GIFGiphy"If the animals gtfo, you should too."
"Whenever I see someone running it makes me want to run. I recently realized this might actually be a safety instinctual thing when someone else said they want to run when they see runners, too."
Parallels...
"If you are at swimming at the beach or a coastal inlet & see an unusually calm area of water, get away from it, it could be a rip tide. On that note. If you get stuck in a rip, don't swim against it, you will tire & drown, swim parallel to the coast till you swim out of the rip."
"Squirrels will sometimes watch you from a distance while making alarm calls. The sound varies by species but it's generally a sort of squawking bark. If you hear them barking, and they aren't yelling at you, then there may be something else around they think is a predator. It's worth paying attention."
Smells while hiking...
"Oh! I can answer this! If you're hiking and suddenly smell something very musky, almost reminiscent of a faint country manure, keep your freaking eyes open."
I" was hiking on the Appalachian Trail today, up in Maryland. The wind shifted and the smell changed to something like I described above. Caught me off guard, but I kept hiking. About a quarter mile later, I turned around and began to head to my car since I was already 6 miles into a 2.5 mile hike."
"Right around where the smell changed, I heard a sudden crashing sound and saw a black bear just freakin busting it's way away from the trail into the woods. I had walked past it, and then came back upon it when I turned around."
T"L;DR: if you're hiking and the ambient scent changes suddenly, you're probably close to an animal."
The Storm
Storm Hurricane GIFGiphy"Of you see waves come in to shore with a square pattern or if the tide recedes very fast, evacuate asap. It means a tsunami is coming."
Having lived in the South I always know when a storm is a comin'. That is an easy one. Which begs the question... why aren't more people prepared?
And always listen to squirrels. They know things. Shall we contine?
Flooded
Fire This Is Fine GIF by MOODMANGiphy"Surprised the flash flood sign hasn't been posted yet. If you're walking near water and if turns dirty and dirty with debris in it, get to high ground."
New Year's Eve
"If a tornado looks like it's not moving, chances are that it is either coming right at you, or it's moving away from you. Always assume it's coming towards you and seek shelter right away."
"Not sure about this one. Tornados do a lot of weird stuff. El Reno did a full 180 if I remember right. No expert here but I've lived in Missouri my whole life."
"New Year's Eve, a tornado tore down a house and the neighbor's house about 15 feet away still had its Christmas lights up. Another one jumped over our house that's on the peak of a valley and then take out a garage and barn at the base of the valley. Never try and predict what a tornado will do IMO."
Trust Yourself
"Your own senses. If you feel like something is wrong, there is a good chance it is. In your peripheral you may have seen something or gotten a vibe from someone that made your hair stand. Don't just dismiss the feeling. Our subconscious is very attuned to hostile body language in people capable of violence."
"Edit:. If you have anxiety disorder and you subconscious goes more haywire than usual, it's time to leave the situation anyway. Even if benign you are likely to have a panic attack which is not fun either. It's harder to feel the difference since your baseline anxiety is always up there, but if you feel an increase, it's a good idea to move away. You might be wrong half the time but the point is it's never worth the risk."
"Also, trusting your instincts, even if they are wrong will reduce your anxiety because you have done what your most base brain has asked you to. You will start to realize that you can soothe that anxious part of yourself because it will know it can get out of a bad situation when it happens. That control and predictably will reduce anxiety and give your senses a rest so they can be more attuned to actual danger."
When in Australia
"If a tree is hot to touch get the hell out. I don't know if this is common in other countries, but here in Australia we have what's called "widowmakers", basically eucalypt trees are extremely flammable and its possible for the tree to be on fire internally, but not visible on the outside, and can literally explode at any given moment."
Brightness...
The Original Series GIF by Star TrekGiphy"If an animal is brightly coloured and/or distinctly patterned and easy to see, that's a warning not to mess with it."
I've made a survival list. I love when I learn things from Reddit. There are hidden gems abound. Don't be ashamed, fight for your life.
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