Does the thought of being buried alive in an avalanche terrify you? Or scared of drowning in your own home?
Luckily, the human instinct to survive has prompted some innovative survival solutions. From high-rise escape chutes to personal smoke hoods, these inventions aren’t just crazy – they are essential.
Tsunami Pods
Can’t get to higher ground? The company Tsunami Pods makes these floatable balls big enough for two people. Just climb inside, strap yourself in, and brace yourself for a bumpy ride. There’s even a personal location beacon so you can be found and a rescue tether for helicopters to ride you to safety.
Escape Cushions
Firefighters worldwide are now equipped with these giant safety cushions, which can be inflated in just over a minute and help you survive falls from 190 feet. The question is whether your brain would really let you jump from 20 floors!
High-Rise Fire Escape Chute
If jumping out a window onto a giant inflatable cushion isn’t your cup of tea, maybe you’d prefer sliding to safety instead. This company makes “escape chutes” for high-rise buildings. It kind of looks fun!
Evacuation Parachute Pack
Here’s another crazy invention for surviving a fire in a high-rise building. The parachute deploys in about 15 seconds. Now, let’s just hope the building manager thought to get enough for everyone!
Roof Hatches
A hurricane or flash flood hits. The water is rising rapidly. You head upstairs, but it’s still rising. You head into your attic…only to have the water follow you up there too! With a roof hatch like the one below made by Bilco, you don’t have to worry about getting trapped and drowning. The hatches open onto the roof so you can escape.
Avalanche Backpacks
Love winter sports but don’t want to die buried in a pile of snow? Avalanche backpacks contain giant pillows that inflate in seconds. The idea is that the biggest object always comes to the surface during an avalanche. Let’s hope you don’t actually have to test this theory!
Window Breaker and Seatbelt Cutter
These little devices are super cheap but could be what saves your life if you get stuck in your vehicle after a car accident. Just make sure you keep it somewhere accessible. Check out our guide to the best window breakers.
Personal Smoke Hood
With the threat of wildfires increasing, it makes sense that people would stock up on smoke hoods like the iEvac. These hoods are equipped with filters to keep out smoke, fumes, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and other harmful gases.
Hazmat Suit
Live near a nuclear power plant? In the event of a meltdown where you have to evacuate, a gas mask alone won’t help you. You’d need a full hazmat suit to keep radioactive particles off of you while getting out of dodge! Unfortunately, like with gas masks and filters, real hazmat suits are not cheap!
Rapid Deploy Raft
This raft by Unchartered Supply Co packs down to about the size of a loaf of bread and weighs less than 3 lbs. But, if flooding hits, you can inflate in less than 60 seconds. For anyone who lives in flood-prone areas, this quick deployment could mean the difference between life and death.
