Lost!
Have you ever been lost? Not necessarily in the wilderness, maybe as a young child who wandered away from mom or dad in a big department store. Can you remember it? Do you remember how scared your were?
Oh, that was a long time ago and you don't think you could get lost now. Don't you believe it!! It could happen to you. As recently as this past August, a twelve year old Scout was lost from his troop. It is now November and they still have not found him.
Okay, it could happen to you, now, what do you do to insure that you are found?
The first thing you do is "Be Prepared". Your survival kit is part of being prepared for being lost and like your survival kit, you hope you never have to use that preparation. I hope you never get lost also, but if you do I hope and pray that you will be prepared and that will enable you to survive until we can find you.
Consider the following points:
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Never hike without a buddy. You are a Scout and should be familiar and comfortable with the "buddy system. |
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Never hike without a plan. If you are on a Scout outing make sure your Scoutmaster, SPL and Patrol Leader know the details of your hike. If you are hiking with friends, make sure other friends, relatives or local authority know your plans and route. Sign in on trailhead registers and stick to your planned route. Note any changes on trailhead registers. |
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Always carry your small survival kit on your immediate person when you are in the backcountry. Make sure your survival kit meets Troop 204 minimums. Every time you go on an outing, you should consider what your survival kit contains. Think about what you MIGHT need in the area you are going into and add it to your kit. You should carry this in a pants pocket or other container FIRMLY ATTACHED TO YOUR BODY! |
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Stay Calm. Panic can kill. Sit down and stay put until
the fear, anger and/or frustration has left your system. DO NOT
convince yourself if you walk for another hour or two you may figure
out where you are. Remember
S.T.O.P. |
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HUG A TREE and stay put. Do not wander around. Try to be close to a clearing to aid aerial searchers in locating your position. |
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Stay warm and dry. Keeping warm should be your number one priority. Watch for hypothermia and don't think that because it is summer it won't happen. Hypothermia can happen almost anywhere. If you build a fire, make sure it is a SAFE fire. Trust me, a forest fire will only add to your problems. If you do build a fire, try to keep it going. The smoke will aid searchers in the daytime and the glow will help at night. |
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Stay well hydrated. Don't ration your water unless absolutely necessary. If you drink water from rivers, lakes or streams, USE YOUR WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS AND FIRE!!! |
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Seek shelter. This will aid you in staying comfortable and helps prevent dehydration. Stay out of direct sun if possible during the heat of the day. Keep out of the rain and wind. |
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Don't ration your food. Eat when you are hungry to keep your system in balance. Learn about what plants and berries are edible BEFORE YOUR TRIP. |
Being lost can be a very traumatic experience. Being prepared can make the difference between being part of an inconvenience or being a statistic in a disaster.
Follow these links for some more reading on this on the web:
http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Features/Backcountry/lost.htm
http://www.islandnet.com/sarbc/litw3.html
http://www.ussartf.org/child_survival_.htm
http://www.adventuresportsonline.com/survival.htm
http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/psychsurvival.asp
Attitude!!
Be prepared to survive. Which would you prefer? The searcher who finds you saying, "It was real sad, he was in terrible shape, there was nothing I could do". Or would you prefer, "You wouldn't believe this guy, he had a survival camp set up, fire, water, markers, everything. When I found him, he was taking a nap!"