Helicopters are been extensively used as a rescue and emergency too for the ill, seriously injured or for even those who are trapped on a mountain peak, the sea or ship. Although, it is an effective and quicker means to survival and treatment, certain precautions have to be taken by those seeking helicopter rescues.

Safety Tips for Helicopter Rescue
Here’s what you need to take care of if one or another member is being rescued by a helicopter:

• Clear space and assemble everyone: When a helicopter seeks to land it will always look for an open site. If you spot one, start clearing the debris, etc to give options and make room for landing. Assemble everyone towards the windward side of the site because the helicopter will fly into the wind. Stand at least 165 feet away from the site of landing.
• Signal: Sometimes it maybe difficult for the helicopter crew to locate you. So signal them by waving out with a bright color cloth or flashlight. Hang on to whatever such as your baggage or clothing till they land or lift you up from the site. Cover your face if you are stranded on a beach because the helicopter can swirl up sand while landing.
• Follow instructions once crew lands: Once the crew lands, await the signal of the pilot and do not approach the helicopter unless told. Follow the direction pointed out by the pilot which is usually from the front and right hand side of the pilot so that he can see you throughout.

Adhering to the above should see you through a safe lift. Do not rush towards the helicopter when it arrives overhead and stand a distance till instructions are given by the pilot and/or crew.

Getting lost in the desert can be frustrating and dangerous as the road would seem endless. All you can find around is heat, dry sand and dry plants. The road you are stuck on can be an endless road with no water, no food and no fuel. You need to fend for yourself till you get some help from a passing vehicle or till you find and reach the next town.

Surviving Tips for Desert
Here’s what you need to do before you get any help and are stranded with your vehicle in a desert:

• Drink plenty of water and ensure you have enough before you start out
• Carry easy to carry edibles because you may have to walk miles to reach the nearest gas station and/or town
• Wearing appropriate clothing would help – long sleeves and trousers, sun protecting fabrics, something wooly, a wind blocker, sunglasses and a hat
• You can also face a dust storm so carry a dust mask, bandana, and gas mask
• Being stranded at night can help because it can help preserve your energy while you walk to the nearest destination for help (a headlight and taillight on your clothing can save you from traffic)
• It can get very cold at night in the deserts so carry a warm sleeping bag to protect yourself
• Carry equipments to protect yourself from harmful and dangerous animals

It is always safe to use the vehicle for shelter. However, if you need water or fuel do not expect people to help on the highway. Instead, walk to the nearest gas station or town for help.

A sea voyage can be exciting but what if you lose sight of land and are lost in the sea. This is when your survival kit would come handy to find yourself to the nearest land. First of all, ensure that you have enough resources to survive when lost at sea. For example, a raft, medication, dry suit, fish net, string or rope, drinking water, edibles and radio transmitters.

What to Do if Lost At Sea?
You need to follow the procedures below to keep yourself protected from harsh weathers and find yourself to safety:

• Try moving above the decks if you are not there
• Collect survival equipments – food, water, floatation devices
• Try boarding the life boat or raft either by swimming towards it or directly from the ship
• You need to take medicines because the jerky movements of the raft can make you seasick
• Cover the raft to protect yourself from harsh weather
• Signal for help or try calling on your radio transmitter (mention the details about your vessel)

Catch sea fish to eat if you have run out of food supplies. Drain sea water to drink (collect water in a large vessel, then place a small one over it, cover with a plastic wrap and put a heavy object in the middle of the plastic; evaporation will cause water to collect naturally on the plastic leaving the salt behind).

Outdoor activities such as trekking, hiking, etc can cause you a great a deal of challenges. Sometimes, the needs are unexpected for which you would have necessary equipments and gadgets all packed for an emergency situation.

Packing for Cold Trips
Incase you are treading higher altitudes or lost and marooned in snow, be sure to carry the following with you:

• Insulators such as blankets, jackets, sweaters, etc
• Carry enough water (never feed on snow which can take away all your energy and heat from the body which you would need at that time)
• If you are lost in the snow, take off the layers of clothing to prevent perspiration because perspiration causes excessive and quicker cooling when dry
• If you have been stranded from an airplane crash, tear off the aluminum sheet from below the seats of tables and make a funnel to make water from the ice and drink

Packing for Hot Trips
For treading hot places and/or having lost your way there, you would need the following:

• Carry electrically power backed fans and plenty of water
• Jackets, sweaters can be necessary because even hot places can be very chilly on nights
• You may need a machete or a knife but in case you are travelling by flight it maybe a problem
• Grab an aluminum sheet from the table if you experience a crash (can be used to collect water)

You can be stranded and hungry if you don’t the track well and if you haven’t packed well for your trip. Surviving on wild berries and plants won’t suffice and isn’t safe because you don’t know what it constitutes and what effects they can have on eating. The only option at hand is to hunt, cook or eat raw depending on the time and resources you have at hand.

What to Eat in the Wild?
You could go days without food and a groaning stomach. In order to feed yourself, here’s what you need to do:

• You need to have a stick or knife to defend yourself
• Cooking can take several hours so you could consider something raw
• You need to know when and to what extent things need to be cooked to kill the bacteria and germs
• Salt water fish is considered a healthy option for eating raw (if near a beach hunt for fish because the salt water helps in killing bacteria

Remember that cold temperatures (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) can also stop further bacteria reproduction. Food poisoning could be a dangerous outcome in case you are stranded and have no food to eat. Watch out and keep your bag pack filled with essential foods and water to avoid being stranded and hungry in the wild.

Slipping off a ten storey building or a failing parachute are some associated risks of skydiving. Experts suggest there are still some chances of survival if one is able to influence the velocity, the duration of deceleration and the impact of forces on the body.

Survival Tips for Skydiving Mishaps
Some survival tips for skydiving mishaps are:

• Arch yourself out facing the ground and your head bending backwards as if to touch your legs with bent knees (you wouldn’t have much time to do this unless you are falling from an airplane)
• Observe the terrain below and judge the safe spots to fall to minimize injury (possible only if you are falling from a great height such as an airplane)
• Try to stir yourself towards the best and/or safest spot for landing (in case you are falling from an airplane it should take you 1-3 minutes before impact to do this)
• Bend your knees as it reduces impact 36-fold say findings
• Try relaxing your muscles before touching the ground because tenses muscle can directly impact vital organs of the body
• Land on your feet to reduce impact on body
• Land on the balls of your feet so that the lower part of your body is able to bear the impact
• Try rolling with your arms tucked under your legs and head bent towards your chest to distribute impact (do not roll after having bounced once)
• Cover your head with arms after having bounced once to ground to reduce second impact on your head
• Control the impact of bounce by landing on your feet (mortality is highest when the point of impact is the head and it decreases with the front part of the body, the back, the side and safest if the impact point are the legs)
• Get medical help on landing to treat the visible and invisible fractures and/or injuries

Crossing rivers can be exciting but way too dangerous because you do not know what lies beneath. Before taking the trip alone or in a group it is necessary to assess the possibilities and the challenges of crossing the river bed. For instance, look out for shallow braided sections, bridges, the deep and shallow points, etc. You would also need the right kind of attire – tough boots and short pants.

Cross River Safety
Some safe steps and tips for crossing a river are listed below:

• Use a long and strong pole about 5 to 6 feet and place it upstream
• Keep two points of contact while crossing a river
• Cross diagonally downstream
• Shuffle as you take one step at a time to assess the bed beneath your feet
• If in a group cross in a line with hands on the back of the person in front from both sides grabbing on the lower part of the shoulder strap
• Cross in groups of three
• Try entering the water so that you are parallel to the current
• The strongest person should face in the upstream position as the rest follow
• Try forming a triangle while entering the water, facing each other towards the inside with arms tied and the strongest person should be at the triangle point facing the downstream side of the triangle.
• Each person should take a step supported by the other two

Always release your waist and chest straps of your bag pack to cross rivers. In case, you loose footing, let go of your bag pack from the shoulders but hang onto to it while keeping your face above and facing upstream.

The Africanized honeybee is anything but sweet. Extremely dangerous and wild they were labeled the ‘Killer Bee’ after a magazine reported several deaths from the stings of the Africanized bee. It is a cousin of the domesticated run-of-the-mill honeybee which has inhabited the United States for years now. The killer bee is aggressive and can be easily angered by both humans and animals.

Escaping the Killer Bee
Follow the steps below if caught by a swarm of killer bees:

• If the killer bees are flying around or stinging you, do not freeze or strike blows. Instead run for safety cover.
• Try getting indoors as quickly as possible.
• In case you do not find shelter, run between high weeds and bushes to get cover from them.
• If at all a killer bee stings you, it will leave its stinger on you which you will have to remove.
• Gently remove the stinger from your skin with your nails but from the side.
• Do not pull or pinch the stinger which will increase the venom flow from the stinger into your body.
• Remove stinger quickly because allowing it stay on can cause venom to enter your body for up to ten whole minutes.
• Never jump into a water body because the killer bee waits for you to surface.

Bee stings from the killer bee are deathly and are caused only because the victim is not able to escape in time. Animal losses have also occurred due to the same reason that they had been tied when attacked by bees and hence could not take cover.

Trekking moist forests or a bush walk after rain can leave you covered with leeches. Leeches are dangerous, hard to kill and difficult to squash. However, you need them out of your skin as early as possible. Discover ways to kill and remove leeches from your body here below.

How to Kill a Leech?
You can kill a leech stuck to your skin by following the procedure below:

• Take a shower and try getting the leeches off your body
• Once off they may be stuck to your drain and are difficult to remove from there too
• Put some bleach over the drain and bathroom as most domestic shower cleaning agents and detergents contain bleach
• You will notice they die within a minute

To avoid leeches, do not brush against moist plant life or bush walk after the rains. Leech bites can also occur while fishing outdoors near swamps. So avoid marshy land for trekking or hiking. Many have also tried salt for removing leeches from their body and it helps a great deal.

A helmet can come handy in almost all kind of outdoor activity such as hiking, river rafting, and rock climbing, skateboarding, cycling or biking. Choosing the wrong helmet, either loose or tight can cause more injury to your head than you could imagine.

How to choose the right helmet?
Listed here are ways to choose the right helmet for yourself:

• Look for a store that sells more than just one or two varieties of helmet
• Choose one that fits you comfortably and not that which only looks cool
• Check whether the helmet fits you right and has straps to tighten or loosen it
• It is not about an expensive or cheap helmet but the right helmet so do not judge by the price
• Look for damage especially a broken strap
• Choose the helmet that would the activity you intend to go out for because the wrong type will not help in providing any protection or safety against injuries

Also, an expensive would not necessarily mean a good helmet or one meant for the right purpose. Protection, durability and suitability are the three things you need to consider while purchasing a helmet for outdoor activities.