Can You Pass This Wilderness Survival Quiz?

By: John Miller
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Pass This Wilderness Survival Quiz?
Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

Ah, the call of the wild and the great outdoors.  When it comes to bonding with nature and bringing out the survival spirit, nothing beats a night, or two, or more in the great outdoors.

Camping -- real camping -- not the wimpy kind with giant tin cans known as RVs -- will make you feel at one with the land in no time at all.  But let's face it, there are some pretty precarious situations, not to mention critters, small and not so small, that can put a cramp in your camping style ... or kill you.

In this quiz, we want to test your survival skills to make sure that when you venture out into the wilderness, you won't be eaten alive (yes, that can happen.)

Do you know the difference between surviving an attack by a black bear versus an attack by a brown bear?  If you're out in the wilderness and night is about to fall, what's the first thing you should do?  What happens if you get thirsty and there's no water in sight?

These are all basic questions that anyone seeking an adventure in the wilderness should know.  This quiz will test your wilderness-readiness so that you're prepared for whatever the great outdoors throws at you.  Before you sit by the campfire, take this quiz and see how likely you are to return from your adventure.

During an emergency situation, how should you shape your thinking about the challenges ahead of you?
be defeatist
have a positive attitude
Cry a little or a lot, it doesn't matter.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It sounds a little stupid, but simply buoying your own spirits with a can-do, positive attitude will literally skew the actual events that transpire. You might still get eaten by a mountain lion, but hey, at least you won't have to live through another episode of "The Bachelorette!"

Advertisement

In the wilderness, how can you make water safe to drink?
add crushed dandelions
boil it
urinate in it
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wilderness water is not always safe to drink. Boil it for a few minutes to kill pathogens that might otherwise kill you.

Advertisement

If a grizzly bear attacks you, what should you do?
play dead
Visualize yourself as a slab of juicy bacon.
Deploy a grenade launcher.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Grizzy bears rarely attack, but if they do you can play dead. In many cases, the bears will leave you alone once they no longer perceive you as a threat. And never, ever watch "The Revenant" before any outdoors excursion in bear country.

Advertisement

The so-called "lens method" is good for what purpose?
killing small fish
starting a fire
cleaning your filthy toenails
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you have any kind of magnifying lens on your person, such as binoculars or even a piece of broken glass, you can use the lens method to focus sunlight and start a fire. And if you can't start a fire, you can at least scald a few helpless insects.

Advertisement

What's one important step you should take before you go on any wilderness adventure?
Charge your iPad.
Tell someone where you are going.
Waterproof your tent.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's one of the most important -- and overlooked -- tenets of outdoors survival: tell someone where you are going. Otherwise, potential rescuers won't know where to find you.

Advertisement

If you have to gather your own food in the wilderness, what approach should you use?
Eat spiders and nothing but spiders. Their many eyes are extremely nutritious.
Think small.
Go after big game for easy meals.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Big game takes a lot of time and energy. Think plants, small animals, and even bugs -- they can keep you alive for long stretches, if necessary.

Advertisement

If you're in the wilderness and have a cell phone, but no signal, how can you improve your chances of finding a way to call for help?
Bang the phone (gently) on a rock a few times to improve the antenna's capabilities.
Submerge your phone in water.
Climb a hill.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rocks, trees, and other objects block cell phone signals. But if you can climb to the top of tall hill, you'll improve your odds of picking up a signal. If you're lucky enough to get a data signal, you can also hop online and shop for a new big-screen TV, because if you do survive this ordeal, you'll never go outside again.

Advertisement

During cold weather, what often kills unprepared people?
migrating killer salmon
hyopthermia
cancer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Not surprisingly, hypothermia (when your body core temperature drops too low) is a major killer of people in cold weather. To prevent hypothermia, you have to stay dry.

Advertisement

What's one tool you should always have during a wilderness expedition?
screwdriver
knife
fishing hook
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A knife is primal. A knife is your best friend. Knives are useful for hunting, defense, and countless tasks that are otherwise much more difficult. Always carry a knife in the wilderness. Butter knives work best.

Advertisement

What should you do if a black bear attacks?
Grab his paws and dance with him as a distraction.
fight back
Hug him as a sign of peace.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"If it's brown, lay down. If it's black, fight back." Black bears often keep attacking until they're sure your dead -- fight back with rocks, sticks, your bare hands, whatever it takes.

Advertisement

If you encounter a dangerous wild animal, what's generally the best course of action?
Turn and run as fast as you can.
Face the animal and slowly back away.
Lay on the ground and whimper. Flick boogers at the animal to confuse it.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In very, very general terms, if you encounter a potentially aggressive wild animal, you should face the animal and slowly back away. Don't open and eat a Snickers bar during this process.

Advertisement

If you're forced to choose between one of the following water sources, which one should you pick?
stagnant water
flowing water
water from an old mining facility
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even if you can boil it, sometimes stagnant water is not really all that healthy. Choose flowing water if you can.

Advertisement

Mosquitoes are pests, but they're often a good sign that there's _____ nearby.
a pack of angry wolves
water
a McDonald's
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mosquitoes and flies are really annoying. The good news is that they don't stray far from water, meaning you'll probably have as least some sort of moisture close to your site.

Advertisement

If you're unable to trek for help, how should you instead bring help to you?
frantic sign language
Morse code
smoke signal
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fires are good for warmth, cooking … and smoke signals. Billowing smoke will often attract the attention of forest officials and passersby.

Advertisement

If you're concerned about predators (humans or animals), what should you do?
Arm yourself.
Scream at the top of your lungs to make them think you are three people instead of one.
Cover yourself in gopher blood to frighten them.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Don't have a gun? Sharpen a stick. Or carry a hefty rock. If you're in immediate danger from another creature, you need some sort of weapon for protection.

Advertisement

If you dislocate your knee on a wilderness hike, and you're far, far from help, what should you do?
Complain to the National Forest Service about unsafe conditions.
Jam it back into the socket.
Scream in pain. Quite a lot.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It sounds a bit gruesome, but you really can pop your dislocated knee back into place. Straighten your leg as far as possible to (hopefully) snap it back into the proper position. But let's be honest, you're not really going to do this and you'll probably die.

Advertisement

If you suddenly find yourself in a dangerous wilderness situation, what's the first thing you should do?
Climb a high hill and frantically wave your arms.
Assess the situation.
Pray for a (relatively) painless death.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Don't panic, you'll only make things worse. Take a deep breath, assess the situation, and don't smear bacon grease on your body, because bears will find you and eat you alive.

Advertisement

In addition to protecting you from rain, you can also use a cheap rain poncho to _____.
capture a cute bear cub
build a shelter
parachute from a cliff to safety
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Those 99-cent rain ponchos are a godsend in a survival situation. You can use them to make a small shelter, capture rainwater, and for many other creative purposes, too.

Advertisement

If you must sleep on the ground in cold weather, what should you do?
Don’t sleep, the bears are watching.
Lay on a frozen lake to deter predators.
Insulate yourself from the ground.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cold ground will suck the life right out of you, so put boughs of branches or grasses under your body before you crash. Doing so will give you a better chance of survival. Until the wolves find you, of course.

Advertisement

If you know you're going to be stuck in one location for at least a night, what should you do?
Open your Bible and begin reading.
Find or build shelter.
Call for pizza.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You need shelter for the night. You can hunker down in a cave, or construct a simple lean-to using tree limbs and boughs.

Advertisement

What lightweight, cheap tool makes it easy for you to signal for help in an emergency?
magnets
whistle
paper airplane
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Emergency whistles have been a staple of survival kits for generations. Three blasts in a row mean you need help. Zero blasts means you're dead.

Advertisement

About how long can the human body survive without water?
eight hours
three days
a week, give or take a day
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you're in dire straits, you need water. In decent weather, you can manage about three days without water. After that, try to remember if you signed your will before you headed out on this dumb, stupid, awful hike.

Advertisement

What's one way to obtain drinking water in a desperate situation?
Put a clear plastic bag over a leafy plant.
Put a clear plastic bag over a pile of rocks.
Put a clear plastic bag over your head.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Plants emit water vapor throughout the day. Place a clear plastic bag over a leafy plant and firmly close tie it off. Hours later, you'll see drops of water that might save your life.

Advertisement

Where should you NEVER set up a temporary campsite?
in a car
in a dry river bed
in a cave
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you need short-term emergency lodgings, don't use an old river bed. In many areas, these bed are prone to flash flooding that can start with rain showers falling far from your immediate location.

Advertisement

Hand sanitizer is great for which survival purpose?
starting a fire
halting bleeding
creating a shelter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a great fire starter. Put it on dry kindling to jump start your fire -- just remember that foam or non-alcohol sanitizers don’t work for this purpose.

Advertisement

True or false? Hypothermia still a risk when the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Just because 50 degrees feels comfortable doesn't mean hypothermia can't strike. Throw in a bit of rain and some wind and your body core temperature can drop in a hurry.

Advertisement

If you're lost, you can use the North Star to find north. The North Star is part of which constellation?
Orion
Little Dipper
the northern lights
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The North Star has saved many a lost soul in human history, guiding them to safety at night. This famous star is part of the Little Dipper.

Advertisement

True or false? If you cut yourself, should you immediately apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding?
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tourniquets are a measure of last resort to stop bleeding. Clean the wound and apply pressure first. If that doesn't work, well, you didn’t need that arm, anyway.

Advertisement

How many rescue mirrors should you carry?
just one
two
at least six, because you'll break five
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In North America, the sun is always to the south … so to signal a rescue plane in the north, you need a second mirror to redirect the sun's rays. Plus, you'll be able to double-check your makeup before that cute forest ranger shows up.

Advertisement

What should you do if a rattlesnake bites you?
Tie a tourniquet above the bite to stop the venom from spreading.
Clean the wound and go to a hospital.
Bite it back and devour it in revenge.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Don't panic. In many cases, rattlesnakes don't even inject venom. Clean the wound and calmly head to a medical facility as soon as possible. Only a very few people die from rattlesnake bites, and in those cases, those people generally refuse medical treatment.

Advertisement

You Got:
/30
shutterstock