Outdoors
Lost in the woods! Now what?
O.K. You’re lost. Now what?
-T-O-P!
If you don’t know where you are or which way to go, STAY PUT. People will start looking for you as soon as someone realizes you’re missing. Meanwhile, it’s time to use your No. 1 survival tool — your brain. Follow the STOP signs.
Stay calm. You can’t use your brain well if you’re in a panic. Breathe slowly and deeply. Drink some water, eat a little something.
Think. How did you get here? Get out your map and see what you can figure out.
Observe. Look for your footprints. What about landmarks? Find the clues and maybe you can solve the mystery of where you are.
Plan. If you’re pretty sure of the way back, move carefully. But what if you’re wrong? Mark your trail as you move — piles of stones, broken branches. That way you can always come back to where you were.
GET NOTICED
Help searchers find you. The universal distress call always comes in threes: Three shouts, three blasts on a whistle. Start calling. Make a smoky fire in the daytime (toss grass or green leaves on the flames) or a bright fire at night. Spread extra clothing or any bright gear in the open to catch the eye of a rescue pilot. Make yourself comfortable. Pitch a tent if you have one, or make a shelter out of the wind. Use the gear you have to help you stay warm and dry. How long can you last? Without water, for several days. Without food, for several weeks.
BRIGHT IDEA
On a clear day, the flash of a signal mirror can be seen up to 100 miles away. Any mirror will do. To aim it, hold the mirror with one hand and extend the other hand in front of you. Tilt the mirror until its reflected light fills your empty palm. Make a V with your illuminated fingers, then sight through the V toward an aircraft. The lid of a tin can, a piece of foil or anything shiny can also work.
Read 29 comments about “Lost in the woods! Now what?”
May 17th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Learned a neat trick recently with an acorn cap. If you are lost in the woods and don’t have a whistle, look for an oak tree. You can use an acorn cap to make a very loud whistle. You have to hold it a certain way (put the knuckles of your thumbs together to form a V and hold the acorn cap–hollow area toward thumbs–between thumbs and index fingers so only a small portion of the acorn is above the V formed by the thumbs. Then blow over the cap. Takes some practice but it makes a great, not to mention LOUD, whistle.
May 17th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
once i got lost in woods. we got lost hunting, and the only food was to shoot a partridge. Eventualy we found the trail again
May 16th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
kk, ive gotten lost before, but i was only 7, i went biking when my parents told me to go no farther than the next 2 blocks, i didnt listen. i came to a dirt trail and folowed it for about 5 minuts leaving my bike at the begining of the trail. then i just wonderd off into the woods, pretty much just trying to find a new place, after about 8 min. i found out i had completely lost the trail and a big branch fell off a tree and i got really scarde but i was really small, so i ran as fast as i could to get away from the tree that the branch fell from, i had comletly no idea where i was. i ran farther and farther untill i was out of the woods, and i found myself in a place i had never been beforel. okay, so i was super scarde because i didnt know where i was, so i went into a convenyent store and i said i was lost, they let me use a phone and i turnd out i had ended up 3 miles from my house, my dad came and picked me up and sence then, ive been super carful about myself getting lost. and luckely i got my bike back : )
but that was 6 years ago but i was super scarde, at least i new what to do.
im a girl,
rosie
May 16th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Oh yeah, 3-Drakel, try being lost in the mall with a bunch of people, and you’re thinking that some people are you’re mom and dad.
May 14th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
good tips
May 14th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
helpful.nice.important.
May 13th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
I`ve been lost in a desert before! It was freaky!
May 12th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
I pack a CD to signal. When flashing, just flash at the plane three times (the universal distress call). Also, tumbleweeds are great for smoke.
May 12th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Those are some good tips!