Ever wondered what to do in a situation that you are stuck, abandoned, or lost in the wilderness? Well read through this short guide/article and there will be information that could save your life one day if you were ever in a situation like this.
First of all, when you come to know and realize that you are lost you need to stay where you are and sit down and be CCS (calm, cool, and smooth) DO NOT PANIC! By doing this you are preventing many harmful things, which could be: continuing to get further away from civilization and into the unknown, confusing yourself, hyperventilation, and even going into shock.
The average timing to be rescued is 72 hours (3 days), so in that case if possible find an area near you that is a well known, open, or a larger landscape feature, for example: a pond, lake, river, or even a stream. By doing this it enables rescuers to find you easier, because it is in a more well known area and is more open to the view in the air.
Build a Fire
One of the biggest key factors in surviving in the wilderness is building a fire. (Be sure to always carry water-proof matches or a lighter with you when hiking, camping, or even having a picnic for the day. Because then you are prepared for having to survive in the wilderness.) First, you need to gather dry brush, twigs, larger sticks, and logs. You need to gather enough to last a while. So if your fire is dying, you have the "feedings" prepared to put in the fire to keep it going. When you make your fire, put the dry brush under the twigs in the pit, and then light it and start to get a small fire. Then you can slowly add larger sticks and logs as it increases. Fire is very important for many different reasons. Some of those reasons are: to cook food, to boil nearby water that you may find (it kills all bacteria and germs that may reside in the water), and even to keep away bugs and dangerous animals.
Shelter
Shelters are also important to have when lost overnight. One of the easiest shelters to build (even by experience) is a lean-to. This is a shelter consisted of two trees 6-8 feet apart, some large sticks, and some leaves. First, you put one large stump, log, or stick across from tree to tree. Then, you lay all the large sticks diagonally from the log to the ground, and try to dig the sticks into the ground to prevent movement. Do this procedure on both sides and then cover with leaves as needed. Make sure this is 6 ft. (minimum) away from the fire.
For example, let's say that you are stranded in the wilderness east to the St. Francis River in Missouri. You are south, almost to the border, your best bet is to find or build your shelter near the east side of the river and make a fire to stay dry and warm (you can also throw in green leaves and plants to create smoke (a signal fire), which is very helpful from the view in the air). If you are in site of the river, then continue to check for Canoes, Kayaks, and Rafts because they are continuously flowing year-round down the St Francis river, and if you do see one of these Canoes, Kayaks, or Rafts, you can flag them down and try to get help, information, and a ride back to civilization.
