11 Things People Have Actually Used To Survive In The Wild

Leeches, bats, you name it. When you’re up against the forces of nature, it comes down to what you’ve got. You get out what you put in, so pack your wits and Oberto Beef Jerky to fuel your survivor instincts.

1. Raw Frogs and Leeches

After getting lost near the Tanami Desert in Australia, Ricky Megee spent three months living in the Outback before he was discovered and rescued by farm workers. He survived on insects, raw leeches, and frogs, which he attempted to dry in the sun.

2. A 4'x4' Plastic Tub

When he was rescued by the Coast Guard, Ryan Harris had spent 26 hours floating in a plastic tub meant for fish. His fishing boat had capsized, and he was separated from his fishing companion by eight-foot waves. Miraculously, both survived.

3. A Log, a Cell Phone, and a Sheath Knife

Dan Conne and his family were foraging for mushrooms in southwest Oregon when they got lost. They spent nearly a week huddled in a hollow log before successfully flashing a signal to a helicopter with the blade of a sheath knife and the screen of a dead cell phone.

4. A Large Rock

A one-day fishing trip became a five-day struggle for survival after Mike Vilhauer lost his way while searching for bait near a lake in California. Vilhauer used a giant rock for shelter and rested there to regain strength. All he had eaten in five days was a single dandelion when he was spotted by helicopters.

5. Sharks and Blankets

Three fishermen were lost at sea for nine months after their engines failed off the coast of Mexico. They used blankets to protect themselves from the sun and ate small fish and birds for sustenance — as well as a shark that they caught with their bare hands. When they were found by a Taiwanese trawler, they were 5,000 miles from their starting point.

6. Bats

A sandstorm in the desert caused Mauro Prosperi, a competitor in Morocco's 1994 Marathon of the Sands, to lose his way in the Sahara. He survived by finding shelter in an abandoned mosque and drinking the blood of bats! After nine days, he was found by a nomadic family and taken to an Algerian military camp.

7. A Sleeping Bag

Doctors believe Peter Skyllberg went into a bear-like hibernation mode when he became trapped in his car in a snowdrift in Sweden. Skyllberg stayed in his car, wrapped in a sleeping bag, for two months before he was found!

8. An MP3 Player

Eric Lemarque unwittingly snowboarded into a remote area of the Sierra Nevadas in February of 2004. He spent seven days eating bark and used his MP3 player as a crude compass before he was rescued by a helicopter.

9. A Polystyrene Box and a Seagull

After a tropical storm wrecked his fishing boat, Raymundo Rodriguez Noyola managed to climb into a polystyrene box. He floated for eight days and survived by eating a lone seagull that landed on his box.

10. A Cheap Pocketknife

Aron Ralston was climbing a slot canyon in Utah when a boulder became dislodged and pinned his right arm. After being trapped for five days, Ralston used his multi-tool blade to amputate his right forearm. He then managed to rappel down the cliff and walk for several hours before encountering other hikers!

11. Beef Jerky

Beef jerky saved the day for two lost hikers in the Cascades. They ate jerky and dried mango for several days before they were rescued!

All images via ThinkStock

It takes real toughness to beat all the odds! Stay tough with protein packed Oberto all-natural beef jerky, the perfect snack for any adventure in the wild.