Tips For When You Are Lost
The most important thing to remember when hiking out in the wild is to be prepared. The essentials needed before starting out are extra clothing and food, sunglasses, knife or multipurpose tool, fire starter, matches, first-aid kit, flashlight with extra batteries and bulbs, a map, a compass and a whistle. Anyone with these provisions will go a long way to surviving their foray into the wilderness, especially if they become lost.
To help prevent or aid in the possibility you do get lost, follow these tips. While hiking, take careful note of the direction you’re traveling, of prominent landmarks and approximate distances you have walked in the wilderness. Frequently ask yourself if you could find your way back under conditions of low clouds, rain or snow. Take careful compass bearings on the next day’s proposed route before retiring. Inform all your party of the planned route, campsite, and general direction of travel in the event you become separated, but try to stay together as much as possible.
If you become lost, don’t panic; stop and plan carefully. Don’t plunge onward and get even more lost. Have something to eat while you rest a bit. Stay together with your group and don’t get separated. Do not have one person go for help unless someone is injured. Mark the area and take short forays in all directions to try and find the trail, always coming back to the marked area if you do not find the trail.
If you become separated from your group, stay where you are or move a short distance to the point where you were last in contact with the group. If alone, climb high to look for familiar landmarks. If you find no familiar landmarks or rivers, stay in one place and remain in the open. Bright signals or objects placed in sequence of three are widely recognized as distress signs. Use signal mirrors or whistles to attract the attention of any passersby or nearby individuals. Three blasts on the whistle is also a recognized distress signal. You can also shout for help, but a whistle can last longer then your voice.
Prepare for the night early and conserve your strength for the cold and dark hours. Find the tightest area where you will be shielded from the elements such as under trees or overhanging rocks. Build a fire for warmth and in hopes that a rescuer might see the flames or smoke. Your best hope is to stay put and let them find you rather then wander around becoming more lost. More people have died trying to find their own way out instead of just staying put and letting the rescuers find them.
