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There are few things Hollywood loves more than a good survival scene. The timeless clash of man versus nature has led to some of the most memorable movie moments—and biggest box-office grosses—of all time. Think Predator or Cast Away. But that doesn’t mean that Hollywood always offers good survival advice; in fact, it’s generally the opposite. Trying to follow the example of Sylvester Stallone or Alec Baldwin could get you killed.
Would fire scare a snake away? Could two untrained men kill a 1,800-pound bear? Could a Port-A-Potty be turned into a sail? To fact-check these questions, and seven of Hollywood’s other most dubious survival claims over the past few decades, I reached out to Tony Nester, an outdoor survival expert who has instructed actors like Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) and Josh Brolin (Jonah Hex) on a wide range of survival techniques. Here, a look at some of Hollywood’s oddest, most entertaining—and occasionally even accurate—survival techniques:
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980): Hide From the Cold Inside an Animal Carcass
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Scare Off Snakes With Fire
- Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985): Cauterize a Wound
- Predator (1987): Camouflage Yourself in Mud
- Lord of the Flies (1990): Light a Signal Fire
- The Edge (1997): Kill a Bear
- Cast Away (2000): Assemble a Port-A-Potty Raft
- True Grit (2010): Suck Out Snake Venom
- The Grey (2012): Take on a Wolf Pack
- The Hunger Games (2012): Care for a Stab Wound
