It can happen to anybody and it happened to myself already too. Your map blows away, you step on your compass, the battery of your GPS dies, or, more likely, you have been strolling along in a reverie or canyon and suddenly relize that nothing looks familiar. Your map does not seem to make any sense, and there is nothing in sight on which to take a compass bearing.
Before you do anything at all, STOP! Calm down! Take a few deep breath.
Trace your way backward in your mind. You have probably noticed more than you realize and can figure out where you went wrong, as long as you haven not allowed panic to interfere with your thinking. There is a common and deadly impulse to run when people find themselves in frightening situations. More than one wilderness tragedy has resulted when someone became disoriented and blindly rushed farther and farther away from camp, trail, car, or companions.
If your are suddenly overcome by doubts about your position and have been travelling along a trail, a ridge, a wash, a stream - or if you can follow your own tracks back the way you came - turn around and retrace your steps until you are sure of your whereabouts, then start out again. Resist the impulse to push ahead while hoping to pick up the trail or spot some familiar landmark. It is frustrating to waste time going back, but it is quicker than becoming more and more lost.
When to walk out - You should walk out only if one or more of the following are true:
When to stay put - In most cases your best bet is to saty where you are and signal for helpp. Search-and-rescue teams know what to look for, and good trackers can read the signs of your passing in a way that seems positively uncanny. Do not make their job more difficult by changing your location unless it is absolutely necessary. If you must move on, leave a note where you first realize you are lost. record the day and time you arrived, when you left, and in which direction you have gone. If you cannot find a scrap of paper, scratch a message on a piece of bark or leave or leave a piece of brightly colored fabric in the most visible spot you can find.
A series of three signals is a universal call of distress. Three whistle blasts or gunshots may work if anybody is near enugh to hear. Remember that wind and flowing water will usually drown out the sound of a human voice, so do not waste energy yelling. Three big piles of dark-colored brush or rocks on snow or sand, or three piles of light-colored rock or other light-colored material against a dark background, are good signals. A group of three fires is great as long as you can maintain control of them. Spread out any brightly colored gear, tents, tarps, clothing, and Mylar space balnkets that will be noticeable from the air. If you have the time, space, and energy, a giant SOS, or even a big X on the ground might attract attention.
A signal mirror is leightweight, easy to carry, and simple to use if you first practice aiming it. If your compass has a mirror, you can use that, too, but not as effectively. A true signaling mirror is shiny on both sides and has a hole in the middle. Hold it a couple of feet in front of you and point the hole toward your target. To signal distress, give three falshes by passing your hand between the mirror and your target three times.
If the only mirror you have is the one on your compass or a cosmetic mirror, it is worth using, though it is not as easy to aim. Hold the shiny side toward the target. Extend your other arm out full length toward the target, with your fingers pointing up, and sight the target right over the longest finger. Then turn the mirro to catch the sunlight so it refelcts a sunspot on your finger, and tilt it up just a bit so the spot point at the target.
Obviously, this will not work on a cloudy day.
Before you do anything at all, STOP! Calm down! Take a few deep breath.
Trace your way backward in your mind. You have probably noticed more than you realize and can figure out where you went wrong, as long as you haven not allowed panic to interfere with your thinking. There is a common and deadly impulse to run when people find themselves in frightening situations. More than one wilderness tragedy has resulted when someone became disoriented and blindly rushed farther and farther away from camp, trail, car, or companions.
If your are suddenly overcome by doubts about your position and have been travelling along a trail, a ridge, a wash, a stream - or if you can follow your own tracks back the way you came - turn around and retrace your steps until you are sure of your whereabouts, then start out again. Resist the impulse to push ahead while hoping to pick up the trail or spot some familiar landmark. It is frustrating to waste time going back, but it is quicker than becoming more and more lost.
If you are truly lost
If nothing works, if you have decided you are (well and truly) lost, not just temporarily off-route, you have a critical decision to make: to stay or to go. There are a few circumstances in which your best chance is to try to walk out.When to walk out - You should walk out only if one or more of the following are true:
- The area you are in is unsafe.
- Bad weather is approaching and you have to shelter.
- Nobody knows you are missing, so there is no chance of a serach being launched.
- You are someplace where a signal is not likely to be noticed.
When to stay put - In most cases your best bet is to saty where you are and signal for helpp. Search-and-rescue teams know what to look for, and good trackers can read the signs of your passing in a way that seems positively uncanny. Do not make their job more difficult by changing your location unless it is absolutely necessary. If you must move on, leave a note where you first realize you are lost. record the day and time you arrived, when you left, and in which direction you have gone. If you cannot find a scrap of paper, scratch a message on a piece of bark or leave or leave a piece of brightly colored fabric in the most visible spot you can find.
Signaling for Help
Find a hilltop or a clearing in woods. If you have the means and it is safe to do so, build a fire. During the day, use green wood, leaves, grass - anything damp enough to smolder and produce lots of smoke. At night use dry material to make a bright, clear flame, taking care to keep it under control.A series of three signals is a universal call of distress. Three whistle blasts or gunshots may work if anybody is near enugh to hear. Remember that wind and flowing water will usually drown out the sound of a human voice, so do not waste energy yelling. Three big piles of dark-colored brush or rocks on snow or sand, or three piles of light-colored rock or other light-colored material against a dark background, are good signals. A group of three fires is great as long as you can maintain control of them. Spread out any brightly colored gear, tents, tarps, clothing, and Mylar space balnkets that will be noticeable from the air. If you have the time, space, and energy, a giant SOS, or even a big X on the ground might attract attention.
A signal mirror is leightweight, easy to carry, and simple to use if you first practice aiming it. If your compass has a mirror, you can use that, too, but not as effectively. A true signaling mirror is shiny on both sides and has a hole in the middle. Hold it a couple of feet in front of you and point the hole toward your target. To signal distress, give three falshes by passing your hand between the mirror and your target three times.
If the only mirror you have is the one on your compass or a cosmetic mirror, it is worth using, though it is not as easy to aim. Hold the shiny side toward the target. Extend your other arm out full length toward the target, with your fingers pointing up, and sight the target right over the longest finger. Then turn the mirro to catch the sunlight so it refelcts a sunspot on your finger, and tilt it up just a bit so the spot point at the target.
Obviously, this will not work on a cloudy day.
