Wilderness Survival Guide

When you set out on a backpacking trip or even a simple day hike in the wilderness, you should prepare for the worst. If the weather changes, or you are injured or lose your way, you could find yourself spending the night--or several days--doing your best to survive until you are rescued or reach safety. Taking care of the basics will help you survive in the wilderness.

Location

It is easy to become disoriented in an unfamiliar setting. If you lose your way in the wilderness, remember the acronym STOP: Slow down, Think clearly, Observe your surroundings and Plan the next step. Don't succumb to panic, which can cloud your thinking. "Backpacker Magazine" suggests looking for recognizable landmarks around you. If you don't spot any, try to reach higher ground where you can get a broader view of your location. If you believe people will be or are searching for you, it's best to make camp and stay put in a safe location. However, if no one knows your whereabouts, you'll have to rescue yourself. Follow streams downhill. If you find a trail, follow it to a road. Leave clues as you walk, such as arrows made of twigs or the letters "S-O-S" spelled out with stones or sticks. If searchers do come after you, these clues will help them locate you more quickly.

Shelter and Warmth

You'll need shelter at night to protect you from cold and rain. Use branches or a tarp to rig a shelter, or dig into a creek bank. Wrapping yourself in a plastic garbage bag can keep you dryer and help hold in warmth. Carry fire-starting materials with you, such as a lighter and cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. A fire can cook food, provide warmth and bolster your spirits while also serving as a signal to searchers.

Food and Water

Always take extra food with you when you set out in the wilderness, even if it's only some beef jerky or energy bars. Take extra water and a water filter. Ninety percent of the untreated water in North America is contaminated with Giardia, a protozoa that causes stomach upset and diarrhea. If you become desperate, drink unfiltered water. Water is more important to your survival than food. "Scientific American" reports you can live up to a week without water, under comfortable conditions--although heat and stress could lead you to perish from thirst much sooner. In the desert, cactus can provide water. When adventurer Merritt Myers was lost in the desert in Big Bend National Park in the spring of 2010, he survived by hacking over cactus and sucking on the moist pulp inside.

Signaling

Help searchers find you by signaling. Carry a mirror and a whistle in your pack. The sound of the whistle will carry farther than your voice, according to "Backpacker Magazine." Use the mirror to flash signals at planes or helicopters overhead, directing sunlight toward the plane. Arrange brightly colored clothing on the ground to form an X marking your location. This flash of color may be spotted from planes. "Backpacker Magazine" suggests building a smoky fire during the day and a blazing fire at night to help lead searchers to you.

Safety

Protect yourself from accidents and danger such as lightning. Stay off tall peaks in the mountains in the afternoon, when thunderstorms are most likely to strike. Think ahead as you climb a steep slope--don't go up unless you're sure you can get down safely. Watch where you step on the trail--one wrong move and you could twist an ankle or even break your leg, which could make a bad situation worse. Carry a first aid kit and practice basic first aid such as splinting a broken limb. Keep cuts and scrapes clean to prevent infection.