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- Chef Josh and wilderness survival expert Coyote Peterson tested 12 viral survival-food hacks to determine whether they worked, whether they were safe, and whether they could be trusted in a real emergency. The experiments covered fire-starting, improvised cooking equipment, food preparation, drinking water, and obtaining nutrients from wild plants.
- Doritos successfully worked as fire-starting material. Individual chips caught fire and continued burning, with the participants surprised by how effectively they supported flames. Both considered the method functional and relatively safe, giving it a positive rating.
- Burning an entire bag of Doritos was considered wasteful in a survival situation. Coyote said he probably would not sacrifice the whole bag to make a fire, even though the experiment worked.
- The reflective interior of a Doritos bag could serve as an emergency signaling device. Coyote suggested flashing its silver lining toward an aircraft or distant person to attract attention when stranded.
- An empty Doritos bag was also proposed as a multipurpose survival tool. Coyote suggested using it to hold water or wrap an injured hand to keep it dry and protect cuts from contamination. These additional uses were discussed rather than independently tested.
- Bread could be baked over an open fire using dough wrapped around a stick. Josh and Coyote mixed flour, water, salt, and baking powder inside a resealable plastic bag, kneaded the ingredients into dough, and wrapped the mixture around a stick positioned over the flames.
- Stick-baked bread took approximately 20–30 minutes and was successful. The finished bread was surprisingly soft and tasted good, although prolonged smoke exposure introduced some bitterness. The dough initially appeared insufficiently hydrated, suggesting that the water-to-flour balance mattered.
- Stick bread was judged more useful for camping than genuine wilderness survival. Both participants gave it a positive rating, but the method depended on already possessing flour, baking powder, salt, water, and a suitable bag.
- A whole chicken was cooked beneath an inverted metal bucket heated by burning logs and coals. The chicken was mounted on a stick, covered with the bucket, and heated by placing burning material around and above the metal enclosure.
- Coyote initially predicted that bucket-cooking would leave the chicken dangerously undercooked. He expected parts to burn while the interior remained raw, estimating that only roughly half might cook properly. Josh was more optimistic, suggesting that as much as 75% could cook, while acknowledging that partially cooked chicken would be unsafe to eat.
- Adding hot coals above the bucket appeared important for delivering heat downward. Coyote initially questioned whether heat from logs against the bucket would be sufficient, but believed the coals placed on top could substantially improve the cooking process.
- An empty soup can was converted into a makeshift stove, but the experiment received a negative rating. The idea involved cutting and reshaping the can, placing wood or charcoal inside, lighting the fuel, and using the resulting heat beneath a cooking pan.
- The improvised can stove introduced serious injury and fire risks. Coyote warned that cutting the metal could badly injure someone's hand. During testing, the stove produced excessive smoke, unpleasant smells, and uncontrolled flames; both concluded that its limited usefulness did not justify the risks.
- The can stove was considered unnecessary when an ordinary campfire was available. The participants acknowledged that heated metal and burning fuel could theoretically warm soup or help boil water, but the setup offered little practical advantage over placing a suitable cooking vessel directly over a fire.
- A disposable aluminum roasting pan, wire rack, and hot coals successfully formed a makeshift grill. The participants assembled the equipment to cook hamburger patties without a conventional barbecue grill.
- The makeshift grill cooked burgers effectively enough to produce browning and a good eating experience. Fat dripping from the meat intensified the flames, while the cooking surface produced a browned crust through the Maillard reaction. The participants added cheese and found the finished burgers juicy and flavorful.
- Excess flames were the main challenge during the improvised grilling experiment. Dripping burger fat briefly created more fire than desired, but the setup still delivered effective cooking heat.
- Other heat-resistant metal containers and suitable metal grates could potentially substitute for the improvised grill components. The participants reasoned that a container capable of holding hot coals, combined with a grate that prevented food from falling through, should perform similarly.
- The improvised grill worked and was judged safe, but received only a middling survival rating. Josh and Coyote considered it useful for an outdoor trip without a barbecue, but pointed out that someone stranded in the wilderness would be unlikely to possess all the necessary equipment, hamburger patties, and cheese.
- Heating water in a paper cup over a fire partially worked but was rejected as a drinking-water method. The paper surrounding the water burned while the water itself heated considerably, demonstrating that the cup did not immediately burn away everywhere.
- The paper-cup experiment raised concerns about contamination. The water visibly changed color, and the participants suspected that chemicals from the cup's materials could have entered it. They rated the method negatively, and the experiment did not establish that the water had reached a safe drinking condition.
- An egg was used as part of an improvised cooking system powered by an oil-and-paper-towel flame. The participants carefully removed the top of an eggshell using a small pointed tool, constructed a support from sticks, and used oil-soaked paper as a makeshift burner.
- The eggshell cooking experiment demonstrated that a tiny improvised flame could heat and scramble an egg. Once the burner was lit properly, the egg began bubbling and cooking. Stirring helped produce a scrambled texture, although some egg stuck to the bottom and parts appeared unevenly cooked.
- The eggshell cooking experiment received mixed reactions and a middling rating. One participant initially found the result acceptable, while the other strongly disliked its taste. They considered the method technically workable but impractical, given its need for an egg, oil or animal fat, paper, and small tools.
- The participants questioned the usefulness of elaborate food hacks that require unlikely supplies. The eggshell experiment particularly illustrated the problem: someone supposedly struggling to survive would first need to possess several specialized or conveniently available materials.
- A rock heated inside a campfire successfully cooked a piece of meat. The participants heated a rock in the fire, placed a seasoned piece of meat described as wild boar on its surface, and turned it during cooking.
- Hot-rock cooking produced edible-looking meat without a strong browned crust. The meat sizzled but developed a gray appearance rather than the Maillard browning Josh preferred. Both participants nevertheless enjoyed its flavor and juiciness and gave the method a positive rating.
- The hot-rock method was considered useful because it required relatively little cooking equipment. Unlike the improvised grill, it depended mainly on an existing fire and a sufficiently heated rock. The experiment did not report an internal temperature measurement or establish that the particular meat would be safe under all cooking conditions.
- Crushed Pringles absorbed boiling water but failed to become convincing mashed potatoes. Josh explained that Pringles are made from processed, compressed potato material, making it plausible that adding water could restore a mashed-potato-like texture.
- The Pringles mixture became gluey, watery, and visually unappealing. Rather than turning into fluffy mashed potatoes, the heated mixture resembled scrambled eggs and retained little resemblance to ordinary mashed potatoes beyond its starchiness.
- Rehydrating Pringles reduced their flavor and wasted preparation time. The participants estimated that the resulting mixture tasted about 50% less flavorful than the original crisps. Although the starch absorbed water and the method was considered safe, both preferred eating the crisps dry and conserving the water.
- An improvised camp light using animal fat and steel wool failed to prove useful. The participants placed pork fat, described during the experiment as boar fat, inside a jar and constructed a weighted wick from steel wool wrapped around a rock.
- The moisture and condition of the animal fat interfered with the attempted camp light. The experiment did not produce a successful, dependable light source, and both participants gave it a negative rating. They concluded that the fat would be more useful for cooking than for an unreliable candle.
- Pine needles were steeped in hot water to make a wilderness tea. Coyote presented pine needles as a potential source of vitamin C and other benefits, explaining that substances from the needles could enter the water during steeping.
- Pine-needle tea could be prepared without specialized equipment. Although the experiment used a teapot, the participants said an ordinary cooking pot or another suitable vessel could be used to heat the water and steep the needles.
- The pine-needle tea experiment produced a mostly clear drink rather than the green beverage the participants expected. The needles changed from bright green toward brown as they steeped. The initial tea had an unimpressive smell and little recognizable pine flavor.
- Adding fresh pine needles after steeping noticeably improved the tea's aroma and perceived flavor. The participants found the additional needles made the drink more fragrant. They also suggested that honey could improve it, although they did not test that addition.
- Pine-needle tea received a positive rating for taste, practicality, and psychological comfort. Coyote emphasized that wilderness survival involves maintaining confidence and morale, not merely acquiring calories. Both participants found the tea reasonably enjoyable and considered it useful for relaxation; the experiment did not establish which pine species are safe to consume.
- The bucket-cooked chicken was finally examined after approximately 45 minutes. Its upper portion appeared better cooked than its sides and lower sections. The breast meat was tender, juicy, and appeared thoroughly cooked when sampled.
- The chicken had not cooked evenly throughout. Examination of other portions revealed pink areas, some bloody-looking material, and sections the participants acknowledged needed additional cooking. The test therefore demonstrated successful heating but not completely safe, uniform cooking.
- The participants proposed finishing undercooked chicken pieces directly over the remaining coals. Coyote suggested that the bucket method could provide an initial cooking stage, after which cutting the bird apart would expose undercooked portions for additional heating.
- Both participants ultimately gave the bucket-cooking method a positive rating despite discovering undercooked sections. They described it as technically successful and mostly safe, with Coyote becoming more convinced after seeing the finished bird. Their rating was more favorable than their initial expectations, but the result did not establish that the entire chicken was safe to eat.
- An additional 10 minutes of bucket-cooking was suggested as a possible solution to the undercooked chicken. The participants estimated that roughly 55 minutes might have produced a better result, but they did not test that additional period or verify the chicken's internal temperature.
- Direct cooking over an open fire remained attractive because it offered greater visibility and control. Coyote observed that cooking a wild bird openly would let someone inspect and adjust the food more easily than cooking it beneath a closed bucket.
- Prickly pear fruit was presented as a potential source of food and moisture in desert survival. Coyote explained that the fruit contains nutrients and moisture but has numerous tiny spines that can irritate the mouth if someone bites directly into it.
- A sock was used to crush prickly pear fruit and extract its juice while retaining much of the solid material. Coyote placed the fruit inside a sock, and the participants crushed and squeezed it so that juice collected toward the bottom and could be consumed.
- The prickly pear juice tasted sweet and was well received. Both participants enjoyed the result, although Josh noticed a slightly salty flavor that prompted jokes about the sock's cleanliness.
- The prickly pear test used fruit obtained from a store rather than gathered in the wilderness. The experiment therefore demonstrated the squeezing and extraction technique without testing how to locate, identify, or safely harvest wild prickly pears.
- Coyote rated the sock-based prickly pear extraction method as one of the most realistic survival hacks tested. He reasoned that most stranded people would already be wearing socks, making the method more accessible than hacks requiring specialized ingredients or cooking equipment.
- The cleanliness of the sock and hands remained unresolved in the prickly pear experiment. Although the participants called the method safe and practical, they also raised the issue of washing their hands afterward. The test did not establish whether the sock was clean enough for preparing food or drinking juice.
- The experiments repeatedly separated technical success from genuine survival usefulness. Some methods worked but depended on having prepared ingredients or specialized equipment, while others transformed edible food into a less useful form. Access to supplies, preparation time, and preservation of existing food mattered alongside whether a hack functioned.
- Food and fire safety were central limitations across the experiments. Sharp metal made the soup-can stove hazardous, uncontrolled flames complicated grilling, burning cup materials raised contamination concerns, and the bucket-cooked chicken retained undercooked portions. A working technique was not necessarily a safe or reliable one.
- The strongest practical results came from relatively simple techniques. Burning a small number of corn chips, cooking bread on a stick when ingredients were available, using heated rock as a cooking surface, and extracting prickly pear juice all demonstrated some functional value. More elaborate transformations, particularly Pringles mashed potatoes, the can stove, and the animal-fat lamp, offered little convincing advantage.
- Coyote emphasized morale as a genuine consideration in survival. He connected pleasant food and drink, especially pine-needle tea and prickly pear juice, with maintaining confidence during a difficult situation. His argument was that survival involves sustaining a person's willingness to continue as well as meeting immediate physical needs.