How to Survive Any Situation
100+ expert-vetted survival skills across 10 critical life categories Step-by-step. Illustrated. Available offline for when you need it most.
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THE REAL QUESTION: ARE YOU READY?
Most people think they're prepared. Most people aren't.
Your emergency kit has expired granola bars. Your CPR certification lapsed years ago. You've never actually thought through what you'd do if a bear charged you on a hiking trail. That's normal. But we don't live in normal times.
🐻 A bear charges you on the trail. What do you do?
Stand your ground or run? Make noise or play dead? The answer depends on the bear species, and getting it wrong can be fatal.
🩸 Someone near you is bleeding severely. What next?
The right first-aid response before 911 arrives can be the difference between life and death. Do you know it?
🌪 A tornado watch turns into a warning. Are you ready?
Do you know the difference? Do you have a shelter plan? Where's the safest room in your home?
✈ The pilot of your small plane collapses. Can you land it?
It sounds outlandish — until it isn't. Knowing the right steps can save every life on board.
🏙 Your city loses power for a week. What's your plan?
No ATMs. No cell service. Perishables gone by tomorrow. Do you know what to do, and in what order?
🫀 A baby in your care is choking. Do you know exactly what to do?
The Heimlich maneuver works differently on infants. It's one of those things you need to know before you need it.
WHAT'S INSIDE
Everything you need, organized for when it actually matters.
The wikiHow Survival Guide spans 10 essential categories, from wilderness fundamentals to extreme scenarios you hope never happen. Every skill is broken into clear, illustrated, numbered steps.
- Escape from a Bear
- Survive a Shark Attack
- Avoid a Rattlesnake Attack
- Survive an Encounter with a Crocodile or Alligator
- Handle a Dog Attack
- Do CPR on an Adult
- Do CPR on a Baby
- Perform the Heimlich Maneuver
- Perform the Heimlich on Yourself
- Help a Choking Victim
- Escape a Sinking Car
- Escape a Burning Building
- Signal for Rescue
- Survive Being Trapped
- Escape from Handcuffs
- Land an Airplane in an Emergency
- Survive a Plane Crash
- Survive a Nuclear Attack
- Survive a School or Workplace Shooting
- Survive a Hostage Situation
- Stop Bleeding
- Treat a Burn
- Recognize a Heart Attack
- Treat Hypothermia & Frostbite
- Treat a Snake Bite
- React to a Gas Leak
- Survive a House Fire
- Handle a Power Outage
- Respond to a Burst Pipe
- Use a Fire Extinguisher
- Prepare for a Hurricane
- React During an Earthquake
- Survive a Tornado
- Survive a Tsunami
- Survive a Flood
- Be Street Smart
- Avoid Being Mugged
- Take a Punch
- Win a Street Fight
- Fight off Multiple Opponents
- Change a Tire
- Handle Brake Failure
- Survive a Tire Blowout
- Jump Start a Car
- Escape from the Trunk of a Car
- Build a Fire
- Find True North Without a Compass
- Purify Water
- Survive an Avalanche
- Survive in the Woods
EXPERT AUTHORITY
Written and reviewed by real experts.
Every article in this guide was developed with input from subject matter experts, including board-certified physicians, certified self-defense instructors, wilderness specialists, and internationally recognized humanitarian organizations. This isn't crowdsourced advice. It's the same expert-reviewed content trusted by billions of wikiHow readers worldwide.
THE WIKIHOW DIFFERENCE
Clear. Illustrated.
Actually useful.
wikiHow has been helping people do difficult things since 2005. Every article in this guide follows the same battle-tested formula: expert input, numbered step-by-step structure, and clear illustrations.
INSIDE THE GUIDE
The same format you already trust.
Every article in the Survival Guide is drawn directly from wikiHow's expert-reviewed content. It's in the same clear, illustrated format used by hundreds of millions of people every month.
The entire guide is in-depth and expert-reviewed. The illustrations are original. And the steps are specific enough to actually use in a moment of crisis.
FIRST AID & EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE
How to Stop Bleeding
Medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS, Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
- Apply firm, direct pressure. Use a clean cloth or bandage. Press hard and don't lift it. Even if it soaks through, add more material on top.
- Elevate the wound above the heart if possible. This slows blood flow to the area and reduces bleeding speed significantly.
- Call emergency services. For severe bleeding, call 911 immediately while continuing to apply pressure.
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Don't find out you weren't prepared during an actual emergency.
For less than a coffee, you get step-by-step guidance for 100+ survival scenarios — offline-ready, expert-reviewed, and illustrated for moments when every second counts.
