What to do if you get lost in the woods

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

I couldn't sit down and write this article. But once my wife and I got lost in the forest, in which we have been walking for six years, and after that I wrote an article. I will tell you how to prepare for a trip to the forest and, of course, what you need to know and how to behave in order to get out of the forest if you get lost.

I will not talk about orienteering by the stars and moss in the trees. The article contains only tips that can be remembered and actions that can be performed immediately before going into the forest. It should be borne in mind that if the forest has a depth of 2 kilometers, then you can already get lost in it.

Preparing for a trip to the forest

No one plans to get lost in advance. But getting ready for various force majeure events is a wise decision.

clothing

The choice of clothing should be taken very seriously.

It can be very hot in the forest during the day, but it will definitely be cold at night. In addition, dew will appear in the morning. Therefore, you will either get wet and freeze, or stay dry and warm if you take care of warm and waterproof clothing in advance. And yes, don't forget about mosquitoes.

The color of the clothes is also important. The one who is lost must be visible from as far as possible. If, in clothes that blend with the colors of the forest, you lose yourself and lose consciousness, then the rescuers will pass two meters away and will not notice. An easy way out is a bright orange travel vest with reflectors. It will be easier to spot you both from the air and at night. In addition, it is not necessary to wear it all the time - you will wear it if you realize that you are lost.

Required items

Everything is standard here: water, a lighter and two boxes of matches, a flashlight, a knife. EMERCOM employees advise to take a whistle. This is explained by the fact that a person who screams for a long time loses his voice, and it is much easier to blow a whistle, moreover, it sometimes turns out even louder.

If you have an old push-button telephone lying around, be sure to take it with you. If the battery is still alive, such a phone will hold a charge much longer than modern smartphones.

Install an offline map and compass on your smartphone. Once, while jogging in the woods, after listening to an audiobook, I turned on the wrong path. I realized this when I was already running into a dead end. The forest is small, and I knew in which direction to move. Only after 30 minutes, I admitted to myself that I was lost, and looked at the running app on my smartphone, which tracked, among other things, the route.

It turned out I was walking in a circle. This is how I learned that the most difficult thing in the forest is to keep a straight course. Therefore, even an ordinary compass will greatly help you in a difficult situation.

Most importantly, don't forget to charge all devices before your hike. If you have a power bank, bring that too.

What to do if you get lost in the woods

1. Don't panic

It will be easy for some, it will be difficult for others, but it is imperative to cope with panic. In such situations, it only makes matters worse.

Breathe deeper and slower. Do a dozen squats to reduce your adrenaline levels. Focus not on your feelings, but on your surroundings. In addition to helping you calm down, you may see or hear something familiar.

2. Call the rescuers

As soon as you realize that you are lost, call the Ministry of Emergencies. Better not to call anyone else. The news will begin to spread among acquaintances, and everyone will want to call, draining your phone's battery.

Better yet, turn off your phone and turn it on at regular intervals. This way you can stay connected while conserving battery power.

3. Move

If there was no command to stand still, move. Find a path, stream or river and walk along until you come across signs of civilization (track, railroad track, settlement). In this case, you will be able to navigate what to do next.

It is useful to know that rescuers sometimes use a siren to find lost people. It sounds for several hours with short breaks. In any case, stop periodically and listen carefully so as not to miss the sounds of human activity, such as the noise of a chainsaw or cars.

4. Precautions in the forest

It is better not to eat or drink anything in the forest, except what you took with you. Even a seemingly clean spring can "reward" you with dysentery or typhus. Stretch your personal supply of water as much as possible, and without food you will not die in a couple of days. It's still better than being exhausted from an infection.

Make sure you have an overnight stay in advance. Build an impromptu shelter of foliage and branches. Play it safe and periodically warm up with physical activity. Yes, you may not get enough sleep, but you definitely will not get numb overnight.

Be sure to find a stick that is ⅔ of your height. Do not part with her until the most saving moment, to which, by the way, she will help you live.

What to do if other people are lost in the forest

If someone has gone into the forest and is absent for two to three hours longer than expected, feel free to call the Emergencies Ministry. Perhaps the missing person will appear the next moment after the call, but in this case, excessive vigilance is better than the Russian "maybe".

Never go in search without rescuers. You have reported the missing, and who will report you?

This is a minimal set of guidelines. With all the ease of memorization and execution, it significantly increases the chances of survival if you get lost in the forest.

Be vigilant and “do not go, children, to walk to Africa” without a compass and a whistle.