22 fascinating facts about bushcraft and survival
Ancient Survival Knowledge
1) Flintknapping is one of the oldest known skills, dating back over 3.3 million years, and was crucial for making tools and weapons.
2) Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy found in the Alps, carried a survival kit, including a copper axe, fire-starting tools, and medicinal plants.
3) Indigenous people in Australia and the Americas mastered fire-stick farming, a controlled burning technique that shaped ecosystems for better hunting and plant growth.
4) Ancient Egyptians used honey as an antibacterial wound dressing, a practice still backed by modern science.
Strange but True Survival Facts
5) Tree bark can be eaten! The inner bark (cambium layer) of pine, birch, and aspen is rich in carbohydrates and has been used as emergency food for centuries.
6) The Japanese Samurai carried survival fishhooks woven into their clothing, ensuring they always had a way to catch food if stranded.
7) Squirrels can lead you to water – they rarely travel far from reliable water sources.
8) The Rarámuri people of Mexico can run over 100 miles in a single session barefoot, an endurance skill developed for survival in harsh terrain.
Nature’s Hidden Survival Tools
9) Coconuts once saved WWII pilots – downed airmen in the Pacific often survived on coconuts, which provide food, water, and even a source of charcoal.
10) Some plants “scream” when stressed – certain species release chemicals that warn nearby plants of drought or insect attacks.
11) Spider silk is stronger than steel by weight and has been used in survival situations as makeshift fishing lines and sutures.
12) Bamboo can grow over 35 inches in a day, making it an invaluable survival material for shelter, food, and tools.
Unbelievable Survival Stories
13) Juliane Koepcke survived a plane crash from 10,000 feet into the Amazon rainforest and walked for 11 days with maggot-infested wounds until she was rescued.
14) In 1820, a group of sailors from the Essex were stranded at sea, inspiring the story of Moby-Dick. They resorted to drinking turtle blood and cannibalism to survive.
15) Hugh Glass crawled over 200 miles after a bear attack in 1823, inspiring the movie The Revenant.
Animal Instincts and Survival
16) Ravens sometimes lead wolves to prey, knowing that they’ll get leftovers from the kill – a real-life example of interspecies teamwork.
17) Camels can drink 30 gallons of water in 13 minutes but don’t store it in their humps—those are actually fat reserves.
18) Some frogs can freeze solid in winter and thaw back to life in spring, thanks to natural antifreeze in their blood.
19) Bees can sense human fear – they detect pheromones released when we’re scared, making them more likely to sting.
Extreme Survival Capabilities
20) The Tardigrade, or “water bear,” can survive in space, extreme radiation, boiling water, and even the vacuum of space!
21) You can survive being struck by lightning multiple times – Roy Sullivan, a park ranger, was hit seven times and lived.
22) Hibernating bears don’t urinate for months, and scientists are studying them to develop new treatments for kidney disease in humans.
