First step: STOP
When you are lost, panic is the biggest danger. Use STOP.
- Stop: sit down, breathe slowly.
- Think: when did I last know where I was? Who knows my plan?
- Observe: weather, time of day, what I carry, what is nearby.
- Plan: usually stay put, make a shelter and signal. Move only if you are in danger or sure of the way.
Before any trip tell a trusted person your route and return time. That is the best survival tool.
Wild animals
Most wild animals fear people and want to be left alone. Danger comes when we surprise them, come close to their young or food, or feed them.
Rules for any large animal
- Keep far away. A common rule is at least 50 m (100 m for bears).
- Do not run. Many animals chase what runs.
- Stay calm, face the animal, speak in a steady voice, back away slowly.
- Never feed, touch or take photos from close.
- Make some noise on a trail so that animals hear you coming.
- Keep food in sealed bags, away from your sleeping place.
Snakes, insects and ticks
- Look where you step and put your hands. Wear closed shoes and long trousers in tall grass.
- If a snake is near, stand still, then step back slowly. Do not try to catch it.
- After a walk, check skin for ticks.
- For a bite or sting: keep the person calm and still, call 112 and get medical help quickly.
Orientation: finding direction
Orientation means knowing where you are and which way to go.
By the sun and a shadow
The sun rises roughly in the east and sets roughly in the west. At midday it stands highest and, in the northern half of the world, due south, so a stick's shadow is shortest and points north. (In the southern half it is the other way round.)
Shadow-stick method
- Push a straight stick upright into flat ground and mark the shadow tip.
- Wait 15 minutes and mark the new tip.
- A line through both marks runs east-west: the first mark is west, the second is east. North is to your left when you face east.
Other helps
- Compass: the red end of the needle points north. Keep it away from metal and phones.
- Night sky: in the northern half, the Pole Star shows north.
- Landmarks: rivers (they lead downhill to people), roads, power lines, hills. Moss and tree rings are not reliable.
- Map and phone: keep a paper map and a power bank.
Walking speed for planning: about 4 to 5 km per hour on flat ground, slower uphill and with a heavy bag.
Signals for help
The international distress signal is three of anything, repeated: three whistle blasts, three fires in a triangle, three flashes of a torch or mirror, three shouts.
Ways to be seen and heard
- Whistle: carries much farther than your voice and does not tire you.
- Mirror or shiny object: flashes can be seen for kilometres on a sunny day.
- Fire: three fires in a triangle; add green leaves for thick smoke by day. Keep it small and safe.
- Ground signal: a big X or SOS made of stones, branches or bright clothes on open ground, visible from the air.
- Phone: call 112 (works in India, the EU, Russia and many countries) even with weak signal; send your location. Save battery by lowering brightness.
Answer to a distress signal is often two signals. Stay put and keep signalling until help reaches you.
Autonomous survival: the rule of 3
"Autonomous" means you manage by yourself for some time. The rule of 3 tells what to do first.
- Air: about 3 minutes. Get out of smoke, water, snow or gas.
- Shelter (against cold, heat, wind, rain): about 3 hours in harsh weather. Use a tent, rocks, a tree hollow or a branch lean-to with leaves; insulate yourself from the cold ground.
- Water: about 3 days. Drink only treated water: boil 1 minute (3 minutes above 2000 m) or use a filter and tablets.
- Food: about 3 weeks. Do not eat unknown plants or mushrooms.
These are rough numbers, only for setting priorities. Children and sick people tire sooner.
Try it
- In the 3D use Animals and find the distance at which the ring turns green.
- In Sun & north slide the hour to noon and watch the shadow turn to north.
- At home, make a stick shadow at 10 am and 11 am and mark both tips. Which way is the line?
- Write a 5-line trip plan: route, return time, weather, what to carry, who knows.
Key formulas and definitions
- STOP = Stop, Think, Observe, Plan
- Rule of 3: 3 min air, 3 h shelter, 3 days water, 3 weeks food
- Distress signal = 3 whistles, 3 fires or 3 flashes
- Noon shadow points north (northern half of the world)
Worked examples
1. A deer-sized wild animal stands 15 m ahead and looks at you. What do you do?
15 m is too close. Stop, stay calm and do not run. Face the animal, speak calmly and back away slowly until you are more than 50 m away. Never feed it or take a close photo.
2. At 12 noon a stick's shadow is short and points to the top of your page where a rock stands. If you stand in India, which direction is the rock?
In the northern half of the world the noon sun is in the south, so the shadow points north. The rock is to the north.
3. You are lost in a cold forest with 2 litres of water and a few biscuits, and it will be dark in 3 hours. List your first three jobs.
1) STOP and stay calm. 2) Make shelter and keep warm (cold harms in hours). 3) Prepare signals (whistle, bright cloth, torch) and call 112 if there is signal. Water is next, food comes last.
Common mistakes
- Running away from an animal. Running can trigger a chase. Back away slowly instead.
- Walking on and on when lost. Usually staying near the last known place and signalling is safer.
- Believing moss always grows on the north side of a tree. It is not reliable.
- Using one fire or one whistle and expecting rescuers to know it is a call for help. Make three.