We have all seen the shows with Bear Grylls or les stroud, and while those shows hold a moderate deal of knowledge, nothing really prepares you for mishap. I

So, my fellow outdoors(wo)men, have you ever been in a situation that put your wits to the test? If so, what was the situation? How did you react?

The second part of this thread, deals with tips and tricks. Have you discovered certain methods that are somewhat unique to your experiences?
Did you discover a trick on your own, that you have never read/heard about before?

Cant wait to hear your responses!

Yep, got a couple.

Here is an old one,

I was at the beach swimming after a few beers (Mistake 1). Couldnt see anything cause it was dark... Mistake number 2. either way i got caught up in a undertow and couldnt figure out which way was up or down.

Originally, I panicked. but then i blew some bubbles into my shirt. ( it was cold, mistake 3). and felt to see if they flowed down the shirt or back into my face.

now that i think about it, all my smartest times come after i have been really stupid.

It is hard for me to actually point out specific situations. But I have been in a shooting incident in which I was shot. I was doing security work in Iraq and was on my way from Basra to Kuwait. My background was law enforcement and specifically I was a firearms instructor. Part of being a firearms instructor (in my opinion) is teaching your students to have a survivor mentality. My point is I have had it banged into my head, and I’ve banged it into others that one of the most important things you need to survive a situation, especially an acute incident for which you have not formally planned is to have an absolute belief that YOU WILL SURVIVE!

I can say that, because of this belief and training, when I was involved in my incident I was able to remain calm and in control. At no point did I even think I was going to die. And for those that might say that my injuries were not notable...I almost had my lower left leg completly removed by an AK-47 round and I ended up spending 6 weeks in the hospital to patch me back together.

My point is this; whether you are in a shooting incident, a car accident, lost in the woods or dealing with a nuclear holocaust, you have to have the will to survive on top of all of your other "cool survival skills".