Share Your Real Life Survival Stories

Share your real life survival stories both "in the field" and urban survival.

What survival situation did you find yourself in?

What did you do to get through it?

What kit did you have with you? What worked and what didn't? Did you have to improvise anything?

Did it change your perspective on life?

What advice would you give to prepare others for an unexpected situation similar to the one that you've been through?

One day in 2001 my friend and I took a "shortcut" through the desert between Jerusalem and Ramalla from our teacher's house to our school. We followed a small canyon for about 5 miles but ended up facing sheer cliff on three sides. The cliff blocking our path had a giant old rusty storm pipe coming out of the base. Promtly four dingo colored, mastiff sized wild dogs came rushing out. Two went up the left side of the cliff, one went up the right side and the last began to approach us. We also noticed vutures circling over-head. We were flanked, unarmed, and pretty screwed. We immediately picked up th biggest rocks we could find, and after yelling at my friend not to dare run or look them in the eyes, we slowly started to walk backwards the way we came. The dogs were just waitng for us to turn our backs, and I knew if we did we would be dog chow. After about what must have been half a mile the dogs backed off and headed back to their stormpipe I suppose. Which left us with a brisk 4.5 mile hike back the way we came with buzzards circling all the way. No water, and it must have been 100 degrees F, but it was a dry heat, so you know. My advice, when some idiot tells you hiking through the desert with no water or weapons is a good idea, tell them to bugger off.

[edit on 3-9-2009 by dashen]

I'm not really sure this counts but.

I took my B.O.B for a 2 month jaunt into the English woods. I only carried food to last 3 days and after that i found my own. This was on a friends land of course and so hunting was legal *cough*. So my basic bug out bag lasted for 2 months and i could easily have gone on for longer.

I hunted rabbits, deer, pigeons and any other animals i could find. It was mid summer so there were also plenty of plant foods around. water was the tricky part. I used a very rudimentary filter and boiled it to kill everything in it. It was often slightly grainy and so i boiled it for longer to make sure it was safe.

I have also spent time out in the winter, only a couple of weeks. I used a tarpaulin, hammock, sleeping bag and a fire to keep me warm. It was very comfortable when i built a decent fire. One night i couldn't build a proper fire but it was still comfortable, although it got cold around 5am.

[edit on 3-9-2009 by ImaginaryReality1984]

I once got chased by a group of short fused Spanish fathers who were convinced ' a tourist ' shot one of their kids in the neck with a gas rifle.

And they had mistaken me for the guy that shot the child, they were convinced it was me.

I really had to hide, and change clothes, and stay away from the police. Why? Because the police doesn't like tourists, and the locals won't help you either, so we were told by the tour guide.
And next to that, it was my last day there, and we had 1 hour left before heading back home with the touring bus.

In this situation, I had to overcome crying girls, and panicking guys.
Telling them what to do and where to go. I almost enjoyed the rush of being in danger.

With danger I mean Spanish fathers beating tourists up with sticks and batons.

People got injured, people who had nothing to do with it. But what would you do if someone shot your kid with a gun?
You would hunt down the first human in the area carrying a gun.
And I being my stupid self, bought a gas gun. Just because I like guns.
And they're legal to buy there. It was a Glock model gas operated.

And Just when I took the thing out of its box, unloaded, I was seen by this woman, being the mother of the child that was shot.

From that moment on, I was in # to my ankles. And for some reason they attacked my friends as well. I was with a large group, about 20-25 friends.
But still out numbered.

When they attacked the group I was already of the camping complex waiting outside on the curb view . I went ahead with an Asian friend just in case that Spanish woman really called the police. She was yelling ' Politia ' when she spotted me.

After injuring 2 group members to the head with a metal pipe, and knocking 2 people unconsciousness. They found out they didn't got me, the guy with the gun.
So they broke lose from the police that arrived shortly after at camping office and headed into town, searching for me and my little Asian friend.
I heard they were coming after me, after a friend who was detained called me and said to hide myself and not come near the camping or I would get arrested.

Just when I got the call a girlfriend of mine comes running towards me in tears telling me to run. She told us the whole story giving my Asian friend a panic attack. I tell her to get back to the camping, act dumb and get our stuff to the bus. After calming down my friend we split up into town, and we tried to hide till it was 8 o'clock, time to leave.

I encountered them twice, lucky for me they didn't recognize me the first time. The second time I encountered 4 guys. And I didn't recognize them till they went after me yelling. I had to run my ass off. They were in a car so I ran into this small alley. They got out of their car and starting running after me making all these strange war cry's and shouting in Spanish. After chasing me for 5 minutes they gave up when I climbed over a large brick wall and went from a roof to another alley.

I changed my clothing. Bought a hat and a bag to walk with.
I later buried the gun at the beach under a rock, it must be still there lol.

We finally went home after being searched by the police, because they were waiting for me when I sneaked into the touring bus that was about to take me home. Remember this all played out 1 hour before departing home...pretty stressy for a 17 year old on his first vacation away from home alone.


Don't buy guns.





[edit on 3-9-2009 by Solidus Green eye]

I got lost in a department store when I was about 5.

I thought I should stay in one place so someone could find me.

They found me at the chocolate counter.



Survival instinct starts early.

[edit on 3/9/2009 by nerbot]

reply to post by Stanton Dowd


I spent 70 months on the street in Arizona, Californa and Oregon. Am I allowed to name names, give addresses an phone numbers? I can tell you stories all true. Everything is past the statute of limitations.

2nd line ... Longtime LURKER ... fifth post ...

Why you shouldn't travel unarmed

- Someone I know very well went through a bit of an ordeal a few years back. I will relay their story and simply refer to that person as "mike".

Late one night in a large city Mike had gone to see his new
girlfriend. Things didn't go well so he left and headed towards
home which was a few hundred miles away. This being before the
age of cellphones Mike decided to call his gf from a payphone in
the parking lot of a store which was closed for the night.

After a brief call Mike decided to take a leak behind the dumpster
before hitting the road for the long drive. As he turned around to
get back in his truck there were 2 men standing in his path. One
of the men began to raise his hand when he heard a sudden bang.
Stunned by the shot Mike fell backwards. He thought he was going
to die right there but remembered he had slipped his 1911 .45 into
his waistband. He could hear the 2 men arguing about what had
just happened, one of them exclaiming that the "#$% went off in
my hand". The other man was saying that they should go and forget
the damn money. Reacting instinctively Mike pulled his weapon and
fired on the man to the left. Before he could turn his gun to face the
2nd attacker, Mike heard another shot go off, this one louder. His leg
felt like it was on fire but he managed to get a shot off into the center
mass of the 2nd man, Both men were now down with .45 wounds and
Mike stood up painfully while alerting his attackers to drop their
guns. The 2nd man responded while the 1st attacker did not move
at all. Picking up both his assailants guns Mike slipped into his truck and
drove a safe distance away before assessing the situation. As he
examined the guns he had been shot with he realized the first shot
had come from a .22 pistol. No doubt it had accidentally misfired as
the assailant pulled it from his jacket. His leg hurt far more than his
chest but thought from the location it might be the more serious of
his wounds. It wasn't. The .22 bullet had peirced his jacket, gone through his skin and bounced back through again after striking a rib. The second
wound was from a 9mm JHP that had struck his shinbone and lodged
in hist calf. Mike was fortunate to have EMT training and he extricated the
2nd bullet himself. Mike couldn't legally own a firearm but was
determined to not spend a day in jail for shooting anyone in self-defense.
Mike cleaned his wounds thoroughly and due to being self-employed
never had to miss work or check in to a hospital for treatment. Mike
never found out the fate of his assailants and never care to knew. To this
day he still carries his .45.

Addendum - Mike has always kept his pistol loaded with black talon rounds and credits that with probably saving his life. He's got 3 bullet holes to show and a story for trusted friends.

i've been lost in the forest for more than an hour (maybe 2)
and kept going in circles and it was horrible put i kept my cool.
i just kept looking for landmarks i remember or of coarse a way out of it.
had alot of bushes with/and thorns making it hard to see where the exit was.
my last resort was going to the edge of the bushes where the river was but i'm not a good swimmer.

I kind of asked to get lost since i like wandering around.

[edit on 3-9-2009 by platipus]

reply to post by Asktheanimals


I like your signature.

I haven't worn a watch for 32 years.

reply to post by Stanton Dowd


In the late 80’s I was drinking in an Edinburgh pub in Stockbridge called shambles. The theme was a medieval village and it was a pretty amazing scene, like something out of lord of the rings.

Anyway a group of men were hassling the barmaid (she was very pretty) and being filthy to her, reaching over and groping her. Long story cut short is I came to her aid and I was attacked from behind. I beat the assailant around the bar and eventually other patrons broke up what was escalating into a pretty nasty brawl. Aching from a blow to the back of my head, I went to go for the man that had started it all off by hitting me from behind and this very tall man, a member of that group grabbed me, pushed me back and said “don’t be effing stupid, man”. I threw my hands up by way of indicating I was done. The group of men then left the bar. I carried on drinking and woke up the next morning with a bad hangover and a sore jaw.

Later on I got talking to a friend of mine who lived just across the street from the bar and he told me a story of something that happened while he was leaning out of his window puffing on a fag that very night.

A group of men had come stumbling and swearing out of “shambles” angry and swearing and to his horror they proceeded to pull out all manner of blades, machetes, daggers and even a meat cleaver. One of them, a tall dude was pulling them back from re-entering the pub and luckily for me they decided to listen to the tall man and they disappeared up the road, putting their implements of dismemberment away.

I went very pale, my knees went wobbly and I never went back to that bar again.

Just remembering how close I came makes my heart race.

I had an 8-dollar-a-week food budget at one point in the early 90s and was paying $100 a month to sleep on a sofa. All my worldly possessions were in a backpack under the sofa. I ate spaghetti (sauceless and butterless) 3 meals a day and treated myself to one $0.49 cent taco at taco bell every Friday night. In the days I did door-to-door sales (getting rejected 99 out of a 100 times and keeping an easy, warm smile makes you a better man, I don't care what line of work you are in...) before getting lucky enough to work on a refrigerator assembly line. Dating women in that condition? Ha! forget it! I spent most of my time in the public library reading the "great books" foir free. Every morning I'd jog down to the ocean and have a "natural bath," so no water fees. I couldn't afford transportaion so I walked to the refrigerator factory 2 hours each way (4-hour on-foot commute each day).

Does this count as "survival?" Because it certainly s***d a** as a way of life. Fortunately I've come so far since those days that I sometimes can barely believe its the same person.

Hurricane Andrew. Cutler Ridge, Florida. It was bad.

I had a rough childhood.

I was away from home for 2 weeks, with good reason. I'll leave it at that.
I lived in Fla. then.
I had learned some basics from the father of my mother's b.f.
We was a former marine and was about in his 40's back then.
HOO RAH!!
He was such a cool man. I miss him and his wife a lot.
I ate oranges, grapefruits, and this fruit that looks like a tiny pumpkin.
They grew everywhere, along with grasses that I knew were good to eat.
I also killed and rock baked lizards, and earthworms.
I drank creek water that screened with my shirt.
All I left with was a kitchen knife, a cup, and the clothes on my back.
When I was found, I wound up in the hospital, and it wasn't from exposure either.
Needless to say, I went on to live with my grandparents in NJ. from then on, and my mother and her b.f. both faced some jail time.
I was 8.






[edit on 9/3/2009 by reticledc]

reply to post by reticledc

We called those little pumpkin shaped fruits cherries. Mangoes and avocados were everywhere too by me.

reply to post by JJay55


You are right.

Surinam Cherry was formerly used as a hedge in many areas of southern Florida

source

For the longest time I never knew what those were.
Thanks.

[edit on 9/3/2009 by reticledc]

Dont think this counts as survival, but here goes...
me and freind in 1994, we were 19, he was 20. He had just gotten a cheap room for rent, not far from me. The guy who owned the 2 stopry place, had his own garbage disposal buiosness..he was cited many times form the city for bringing garbage cotnainers home,s till on his truck, parking it in his prperty. Joey , was his name. One night, i was mid january.. VERY cold out. Thier were 3 others living thier, and a baby. Joey, that night, turned off thier electrical and heat! So they made calls to joey WTF is goin an man. THey had enough, went downstairs and turned heat and electrical back on. Joey, showed up, and turned it off. Tug of war betweeen one guy and joey, turning the electricla on and off. Joey, pushes the guy away, grabs ahold of the elctrical fuse box, puts his foot on the wall, and literally hand yanked it out of the wall, and threw it on the ground with an attitude.
Joey goes into basement, and his friend was thier. His friend, a run down looking auto mechanic had a .38 revolver on him. I was at top of stairs. Everyone was going off on joey, syaing 'jesus christ joey, we pay yuor rent and theirs a baby upstairs yuo moron, and yuor turning the heat of yuo sick basitid". They all started to close in on joey, in an angry ciircle.Joey, grabs a toaster, and starts swinging it side to side, to back ieveryone off. MY friend, was close to the mechnic guy, and went to make a move. Mechanic guy, took the .38, grabed my frined arouond his neck, holding him tight, na dheld the .38 up to his head. I ran down the stairs, to try an dhelp my friend get loose, knock the gun outta his hand somehow. He pointed the gun at me, and i stopped, realizing another move i coul be shot, god forbid a headshot.
My frind used his elbow nad broke loose of the mechanics grip. Joey and the mechanic walk past us, upstairs and outside, at which this time, the police showed up. I dont know what happened to joey or the mechnic, but another dude thier was being questioned..apparemtyl ths guy "steve" had a human skull as decoration in his rent room. The cops came out, and said to him "wanna explain this" holding the skull in thier hands. Steve, just answers with a cheezy smile, oh officer i can explain that...my uncle is an archiologist and he bought taht back fro me form mexico.
I saw tehm put the skull in the back of the car, but dont remeber what happened to steve, that night. Me and another friend left, as we had little to do with what was going on, and didnt wanna risk spedning most of the night dowtown having to answer for soemting in a sens, we had nothing to do with with, so we left.
ON another note..when i was 15, my freind(same freind) were hanging out downtown at his uncles tow buisness, after midnight, july 1990. we were 15. Mechanic thier was on coc aine, and had been drinking. He pulled out a revovler gun, pointed it at me, and says to my frined, say i wont do it, dare me dare me, say i wont do it, with a cheezy smile and tongue hanging out. I put my arms over my haed and ducked behind a think wood wall, leading to the stairs outside. Mechanic, did this for 2 or 3 minutes. He runs past me, i froze and stood outta fear, outside and squeezed of 5 or 6 shots at the cutys sand buidings near the dump. they look like giant domes, but thier filled with sand, for when winter is around. HE shot them a good 5 orr 6 times. cops came around, but nothing happened...his uncle has contracts with the cuty, so the cops arnt goig to make so much a stink about it.

city** not cuty..my bad.
Dashen i wanted to saym, that one hell of a story man!! damn! when i was a kid, like 10 or 11, thier was this dog in my neighborhood. One day it came up to me and started bitting me, trying to pull me down. mostly on my hand,. i got nervous and ran, the dog chsed me 2 blocks. I was able to climb up a tree. the dog eventually left after like 30 mintes ro so never saw it again!
But damn man! i can only imagine what its like, walking into a situation like that.

reply to post by reticledc


yep, that's them. They have a very distinct flavor. Also calamandos, those tiny little oranges that are so sour... we ate those alot. When I was a kid in Florida I didn't appreciate all the food that was hanging outside on trees. Coconuts, leechies, bananas (those little sweet ones), grapefruit, mulberries... and alligator tail. The place sure has changed, especially after Andrew and the economic turn. I still miss the Everglades and Keys.

reply to post by JJay55

I used to wander around the woods, and walk along a crystal clear creek.
The water was only waist deep but it flowed. I Used to love to swim down it for a bit and walk back.
I would hang out on trees that fell over it.
I miss there sometimes too.

Some great stories so far!

What I think is really interesting is that the majority of them are urban survival stories.

Most surivalists can talk the head off a donkey about woodlore or buschcraft so it's interesting that most of what we're hearing is urban.

And a lot of it is involving escape and evasion.

Maybe as survivalists we should learn more about urban survival escape and evasion - should be just as important as bushcraft by the sounds of it!

Anyway back to the stories...