Travel is exhilarating and exciting, but adventures abroad don’t always come risk free. From what to do if you’re caught in an avalanche to how to survive a bear attack, we bring you the survival tips that could just save your life on holiday.

According to the World Health Organisation, road traffic collisions are the most common cause of death among travellers. Poor roads, lax law enforcement and dodgy driving are all to blame, so minimise your risk by buckling up, even if it’s not legally required. If you’re renting a car, give its tyres, brakes and lights a thorough check and always learn the rules of the road. 

If you get lost in the wild when hiking, extreme weather and cold can be your most dangerous enemy. To keep warm overnight, dig away earth where your hips will rest, then use leaves and twigs to make a thick ‘mattress’. Plant a stick where year head and toes will rest, then balance a longer branch across the top and cover the sides with foliage, ensuring the leaves point down so the water runs off.

On a road trip? Knowing how to deal with a tyre blow out could save your life. In his book How to Stay Alive (Bantam Press), Bear Grylls says: “Avoid your natural instinct to hit the brake. Grip the wheel with both hands and correct any swerve. Keep your foot on the accelerator and if you feel you’re losing control, accelerate slightly until you regain control. Put your hazards on and ease off the pedal to bring speed down.”

If your hotel is ablaze, remember the smoke will kill you long before the fire. Bear says: “Keep low to the floor and put fabric, ideally wet, over your mouth and close your eyes. If you can’t see, follow the wall using the backs of your hands – it will eventually lead to a window or exit. Don’t use lifts, go for the stairs.”

We often hear stories of climbers or walkers being rescued after suffering from hypothermia, so it pays to know what to look out for. Bear says the warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, lip pallor, slow movement, confusion and quietness.

Hypothermia can be fatal, so act quickly. Bear says: “Remove any wet clothes and replace with dry ones. Get the casualty into a sleeping bag and, if possible, get into the sleeping bag with them. Shared body heat is good. Get hot, sweet drinks inside the casualty and place hot water bottles or heat packs against the armpits, upper abdomen, neck or groin. Encourage the casualty to urinate – the body uses heat energy keeping urine warm inside the bladder."

Bear says a non-lubricated condom is an essential part of any survival kit. “I take these mainly for carrying water. A condom takes up almost no space but can hold up to two litres of water. Since they’re waterproof, they’re also good for keeping tinder dry. And you can use them as an improvised rubber glove if you’re treating a wound and want to guard against infection.”

 

A simple snow shelter has saved many an explorer’s life. If you get stranded off piste and you think you’ll be stuck overnight, dig a three-foot-long tunnel straight into a slope. Next, continue to dig upwards, then create a sleeping platform, with a hollowed out dome for your roof. Try not to break a sweat, because it can lead to hypothermia. If the sleeping area is higher than your entrance, it forms a heat trap.

According to America’s National Park Service, every year several hikers become ill, are injured or pass away whilst trekking unprepared in the Grand Canyon. In summer, rangers help people struck by heat exhaustion on a daily basis, so protect yourself by not hiking between 10am and 4pm, when temperatures can reach a scorching 41°C. When you see water, dampen your clothes to keep cool and drink plenty of fluids. 

A hiker can lose a litre of water an hour through sweating. If you get too dehydrated you’re at risk of heat exhaustion, which can lead to potentially fatal heat stroke. America's National Park Service warns hikers to watch for the symptom, which include nausea, vomiting, headaches and cramps – if you notice any of these, drink water containing electrolytes, rest in a shady spot for at least 30 minutes and eat plenty of fatty, sugary foods. Cool down the body with water. 

Foraging can help you survive if you’re lost and out of supplies but, if you eat something toxic you'll find yourself in even deeper trouble. If you’re not sure whether a berry is safe to eat, try rubbing it on the inside of your wrist. Leave it for 12 hours and, if it hasn’t provoked a skin reaction, try rubbing it on the inside of your lip. If after another 12 hours there’s no reaction, eat a small quantity. If you’ve had no dodgy side effects after four hours, it should be safe to consume. Read more about foraging here on our sister site loveFOOD.

If you realise you’re about to get swept away in a snow avalanche, there are a couple of tricks to increase your chances of making it out alive. Victims often smother because powder gets stuck in their mouth and nose, so try to keep them clear by either pulling your goggles over your mouth or burrowing your head down inside your ski jacket. When you eventually stop moving, work out which way is up by spitting – your saliva will follow gravity. Then, ‘swim’ to try to reach the surface.

With their towering sides and rushing rivers, slot canyons make for an amazing hiking or kayak adventure. But be mindful of the danger of flash floods, which can be unpredictable. If the weather worsens, you notice the rushing water suddenly turn muddy, river levels rise or debris begins to appear, climb to higher ground without delay. It could save your life.

If all goes to plan, a pocket knife will enable you to open a beer or bottle of wine. If things go wrong, it’ll mean you can hack down branches to build a shelter, cut up food and even spear fish.

You’re far more likely to be hit by a car than killed by a grizzly, but if you’re hiking in bear country, it’s worth knowing how to minimise the chances of a confrontation. The first rule is to always have a canister of bear pepper spray on your belt. Try to travel in groups and as you hike, make plenty of noise, so you don’t take any bears by surprise – they’ll usually try to avoid human contact if they can.

If you come across a brown bear, stay still and talk to it in calm, low tones. Pick up little children and carefully move away sideways. Don't scream or sprint, because you’ll never out run Yogi. If the bear charges, aim your pepper spray above its head and give it a long spritz when it’s about 24 feet away. Forgotten your spray? Lie on your stomach, with your hands behind your neck, spread your legs and play dead. If it keeps attacking, hit it in the face with anything you can find.

If you encounter a black bear, the rules are different. Make yourself look as large as possible and create as much noise as you can, shouting at it or banging a stick on a pan. If it attacks, use anything you can find to fight back (rocks or sticks) and aim for the area around its eyes and nose. Of course, use pepper spray if you have it.

Nature has the power to unleash havoc, as we’ve seen from the recent devastating hurricanes across the Caribbean. If you ever find yourself in the path of the storm and it’s too late to evacuate your hotel, go to a room on the lowest floor, without windows and as close to the middle of the building as possible. A basement is ideal, or a bathroom. It’s thought the pipework in the walls helps strengthen the structure.

If you’re travelling to an undeveloped country or remote areas, always pack hypodermic needles in your first aid kit. That way, if you need urgent medical care you can be sure you’re treated with sterile equipment. Try Solotrekk’s Sterile Lite Travel Needle Kit.

If you’re heading into the wilderness for a backcountry experience, be sensible about where you set up camp. Don’t pitch your tent in low-lying valleys where you might be at risk of flash floods – the water can rise in minutes, or even seconds, creating serious danger. Avoid anywhere with bear tracks, and don’t camp under weak overhanging branches. If it blows a gale in the night you might meet a sticky end.

In 2015, 30 British tourists were tragically killed when a terrorist launched a gun attack at a Tunisian resort. Counter terrorism advice tells holidaymakers under attack to abandon belongings and run to safety, if there’s a danger-free route. If that isn’t an option, hide by barricading yourself in and switch your mobile to silent. When it’s safe, ring the emergency number to alert authorities.

If you get lost when hiking, use the sun to navigate. Adventurer Ash Dykes says: “Place a stick upright in the ground in an open, sunny spot, so you can see its shadow. Mark the tip of the shadow with a pebble, then wait 10-15 minutes, as it’ll move slightly. Mark the new position of the tip with a pebble. Draw a straight line from the old shadow mark to the new one. The first mark shows you where West is, and the second where East is. From there you can work out North and South."

Leeches might not kill, but they can be incredibly annoying if you’re trekking in a forest or jungle. When he walked the length of Madagascar, Ash made his own natural repellent by collecting tobacco leaves and drying them out round the fire. He then crushed them, mix them with the ash of the fire and rubbed this onto his skin.

Rapidly moving rip currents, which drag you out to sea, are one of the biggest causes of drowning, but they can be hard to spot. If you get caught in one, stay calm and float – don't try to swim against it, they can move at up to eight feet per second, and you'll quickly get exhausted. Instead, raise a hand and shout for help. If you can, swim parallel to the shore, across the current, until you’re released from its grip.

The World Health Organisation estimates that around 420,000 people die from eating contaminated food every year. Always drink bottled or sterilised water (unless you know the tap water is safe) and avoid raw veg and salads (they may be washed in dirty water), as well as meat that’s raw or undercooked. Ensure fruit has been washed in clean water or eat thick-skinned varieties that you’ve peeled. Don’t have ice in your drinks either, unless you know it’s been made with clean water. 

We’ve seen Bear Grylls subject horrified celebs to drinking their own urine, but this isn’t just a TV gimmick. The human body can only go three days without water and, given that urine is 95% water, drinking a cup of your pee could save your life.

In an emergency situation, panic can be your biggest enemy. It stops you making rational decisions and quickly spreads, creating chaos. Instead, focus on your breathing and take stock of the situation and surroundings. Think through your options and try to be positive.

If you're hiking in croc country, there are a couple of safety steps you can take. Adventurer Ash Dykes says: “If you need to cross water in croc country, try to follow the route locals take – they know where their territory is. If that’s not possible, head to a patch of white water, as crocs don’t tend to rest where there’s a strong current. As you walk, beat the water with a long stick, making yourself seem as big as possible.” 

It sounds obvious, but it’s amazing how often people forget to do this. Before you head off, tell a trusted friend or relative where you’re going, especially if it’s off the beaten track. If people know when you expect to be back, they’ll know when to raise the alarm if you don’t return. Those valuable hours could mean the difference between life and death.