Plan for The Worst Before You Leave
Before you need to signal for help, one of the best ways to be sure you are found is by taking the time to plan to be found. Following are some essential survival tips. When you travel, leave an itinerary of your trip with a responsible, trusted person at home. Include times that you anticipate being at specific places. Write down where you are going, your route, and when you are due.
If your itinerary changes, let your contact person know right away. List any possible alterations to your route. Have set meeting places should your party become separated. This will enable emergency personnel to locate your party if you're lost.
It’s also helpful to include entries about the physical condition of the group members, medicines, tents, clothes, water and contact information for immediate family and physicians.
Daniel Boone once stated, “I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.”
If you find yourself "confused" and in need of rescue there are a variety of ways to let your rescuers know your location.
You can utilize a variety of materials to signal for help including fire, smoke, flashlights, brightly colored clothing, reflective mirrors, whistles, or electronic devices. The ability to calm yourself will enable you to creatively consider ways to alert rescuers to your location. Knowing how to accurately assess your options can save your life.
At the moment you realize you are lost, create a marker to designate your spot. In order to easily identify your position, create a pile of rocks, brush, or break some twigs. This will become your point of origin. If you decide to try and make your way out, this is where you will return for another try if your first attempts fail. Additionally, this is the spot where you’ll wait for emergency personnel to find you.
If you decide to leave your point of origin, write a short letter and place it at the marking. Announce your plans and your travel direction. As you move along your path, mark your way with piles of rocks, broken sticks or some other sign at even intervals. This will help rescuers find you.
Discover exactly how to signal for help and many more ideas from Survival Scoop.