WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND YOURSELF STRANDED OUTDOORS

Every survival situation is different. There are many different scenarios  that you could find yourself in. From a day hike that went wrong to a snowmobile break down on a trail, or even the worst  case scenario a medical emergency while out in the woods.

Here's just a few tips to keep in mind:

• Stay calm- If you start panicking your body will go into a survival mode, in which adrenaline will kick in and that could lead to hasty decision making.
• Orientate yourself- Try to get a sense of where your at. Take a moment to sit down and listen to your surroundings for vehicles, running water, barn animals, and even human voices. Look for terrain features like hill tops, ridges, valleys, saddles, depressions, draws, spurs, and cliffs. If you have a map and and a compass available orientate yourself to the map and determine a magnetic azimuth to the nearest road, river, terrain feature, or man made object like a cell tower or fire tower.
• Stay put- If your on a road with a vehicle, known trail, logging road, or a well used river. If your not on or near one of these places your going to have to move to an area where you will be more likely to be found. For instance wide open areas, hill top, or a tower.
• Signal- If you want to be found its all about giving away your position and movement. If your moving to another location on your way mark your movement by breaking tree twigs and limbs, if there's snow on the ground every 5-10 meters draw an arrow towards the direction your traveling to let rescuers know where you're moving to. Keep using verbal communication, yell for help.Once you get to a good area where you feel like your most likely to be noticed start building a signal fire.
• Start preparing to spend the night- It might take a day or so to be rescued so your going to have to switch into a survival mode. First you should have a fire started, by making a fire it will mark your area for rescuers to find you, it will keep you warm, and for psychological means it will keep you calm and make you feel safe.Next your going to have to make yourself some kind of shelter to protect yourself from the outside elements. This could be naturally made by a rock formation, down trees, or small cave. You might find yourself having to build a shelter, there are different types you can build depending on the resources you have available. You could build a lean-to, tepee, hootch, or a snow shelter. Be sure that your shelter is water resistant and has insulation on the roof and floor. Make sure that you don't over exert yourself your going to have to conserve as much energy as possible.
• Reconnaissance- Once you have a fire and shelter established you're going to have to do a recon of your area looking for water and possible food sources. While out looking for resources to use make sure you're making as many visible markings as possible for rescue'res to find.
• Be prepared to signal rescue'res- Keep some green foliage near your fire so you can make thick smoke for rescue'res to see, also have something shiny or colorful ready to use.
• Make a plan- If it's been at least two days and there's no sign of rescue'res your going to have to start making another plan to move to another location.

I hope these basic tips could help you, if you find yourself in a situation where you get disorientated and need to be rescued. Just remember anything can happen out in the outdoors so be prepared.

In the next upcoming blogs look for:

• Packing for a hiking or exploring trip
• Land Navigation
• How to build a fire
• How to build a shelter
• Ways to filter water
• How to make snares and traps

BE SAFE MY FRIENDS!