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About This Quiz
Being stranded in the wilderness may make for a good movie, but in reality, it's a harrowing experience. Staying alive may require you to build a shelter, start a fire and even eat bugs for nourishment. Can you survive this quiz?
What's the single most important thing you need to survive in the wild?
food
water
The human body needs a minimum of 2 quarts (1.9 liters) of water per day for good health. One day without water is cause for serious concern, and three days without water will lead to almost certain death.
warmth
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If you're looking for insects to eat, which ones should you avoid?
big ones
bright ones
Although most insects are edible, a good rule of thumb is to steer clear of brightly colored ones as well as those that are hairy or pungent.
ugly ones
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It's a good idea to build your shelter near what?
cliffs
dry river beds
a water source
Staying near a source of water is a good idea when building a shelter. You should avoid natural hazards like cliffs and dry river beds.
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Insect larvae contains a lot of protein. Where are the best places to find these insect eggs?
moist areas under rocks
Insect eggs can be found in moist areas under rocks and inside rotten tree logs or stumps.
attached to the insect
animal droppings
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Why should you try to avoid sleeping directly on the ground?
to avoid bugs
to eliminate the risk of contracting disease
to keep from losing body heat
Sleeping on the ground can lead to loss of body heat. You'll retain more warmth by piling grass or pine needles on the ground to sleep on.
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What type of food or beverages should you AVOID in cases of hypothermia?
hot chocolate
trail mix
caffeine
Warm sweet liquids such as hot chocolate will give the body energy to produce heat. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates such as trail mix can stimulate the metabolism. Caffeine is not good because it acutally draws body heat to the extremities and away from the core.
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Why should you melt snow or ice before drinking it?
to avoid cutting your mouth on sharp ice
to avoid brain freeze
to avoid dehydration
Eating frozen snow and ice will reduce your core body temperature and lead to dehydration.
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Which of these wild berries are safe when ripe and cooked, but can cause nausea when eaten off of the bush?
golden currants
elderberries
Elderberries (Sambucus canaensis) contain poisons like cyanogenic glycoside, which can cause nausea and vomiting.
raspberries
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How can you determine the distance of an oncoming storm?
by the time between flashes of lightning and claps of thunder
Count the number of seconds between flashes and claps and divide this number by five to estimate how many miles away an approaching storm is.
by the length of the lightning bolt
by the loudness of the thunder
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An insect diet can actually save your life by providing you with which of these much-needed bodily sources of energy?
protein
The majority of an insect’s body is pure protein. Insects actually hold more than three times the amount of protein (for their size) as beef.
carbohydrates
fat
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What do lush vegetation and swarming insects often indicate?
dead animals
water
Ample plant life, insects, bird flight paths and animal tracks can all point toward water sources.
fertile soil
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Which symptom determines if you are experiencing severe dehydration?
dry mouth
rapid heartbeat
vomiting and diarrhea
Dry mouth and a rapid heartbeat is a sign for moderate dehydration. Vomiting and diarrhea is a strong indication for severe dehydration.
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Using the simple snare, how should you measure the size of the noose?
double the size of the animal’s foot
the size of the animal’s head
one and half times the size of the animal’s head
When attempting to catch dinner using the simple snare, it is best to tie the noose at one and half times the size of your prey’s head.
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Which symptom below does NOT indicate hypothermia?
stiff joints
cough
When in extremely cold conditions, watch out for stiff joints, loss of bladder control, puffy face, mental confusion, shivering, slow pulse, loss of coordination, and slurred speech to indicate an onset of hypothermia. But not a cough.
loss of bladder control
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What feature of the snake is used to determine if the snake is venomous?
tail
eyes
Venomous snakes tend to have elliptical pupils, while non-venomous snakes have round pupils. This is not foolproof though, as the poisonous coral snake has round pupils. Not to mention you don't want to get that close to a snake to find out!
tongue
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Which insect is the most popular edible insect in the world?
ant
grasshopper
beetle
The beetle species are the most popular edible insect in the world. Placing these critters over a fire will make them a sizzling delight.
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If you're facing the sun at noon in the Northern Hemisphere, walking toward it will take you in what direction?
north
south
Walking directly toward the sun at noon takes you south; walking with the sun at your back takes you north. The opposite is true in the Southern Hemisphere.
east
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How do you know when the bright side of the moon is in the west?
When the moon is full.
When the moon rises before sunset.
When the moon rises before sunset, the bright side is in the west; if it rises after midnight, its eastern side is illuminated.
When the moon rises after midnight.
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Which of the following isn't a method used to start a fire without a match?
the soda can and chocolate method
the battery method
the animal dung method
A battery, a magnifying lens and even a soda can with chocolate can be used to produce a spark for a fire.
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Which of the following does not provide clues to help orient you toward true north?
moss
anthills
wind speed
While not precise directional guides, moss on trees and anthills can help you to figure out what direction you're facing. In the Northern Hemisphere, moss on the north side of trees will often be thicker because that side is shadier; ants often build their nests on the south or southeastern side of trees, where it's warmer.
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You Got:
/20
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