There’s much to love about the outdoors. It allows us to get fit, spend quality time with our friends and family, and reconnect, in some small way, with our primal instincts. Yet while it’s tempting to throw ourselves into the outdoors, it’s just a truism that nature and the wild is an unforgiving, potentially dangerous place to find yourself lost. So what can you do if you do take a wrong turn, and find yourself off the beaten path, and don’t know which way to go? Below, we take a look at some useful tips that can tide you over until rescue comes.
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Stay Calm
If you’ve ever found yourself in an unfamiliar landscape when you were expecting it to be familiar, then you’ll know that it’s just about one of the scariest moments you can experience. It’s easy to a sense of panic to set in and to fear for the worst. While this is a logical reaction, it isn’t the most logical of actions. When we’re panicked, we’re more likely to take a wrong step and find ourselves in even deeper trouble than before. Stay calm, think things through, and then make your next move.
Find Water
You’ll hopefully have some water with you, but if you don’t – and eventually, even if you do – then you’ll want to make finding a water source a top priority. Look for streams or pools of water, and then boil the water to make sure it’s safe to drink. It’s not always easy to find a source of water, of course. In which case, construct something to catch rainwater; even if it only gives you a cup of water, you’ll be thankful for it when you need it.
How to Eat
The good thing about nature is that it’s usually a good place for food, if you know what you’re looking for. Before setting off, take a look at what berries and plants are safe to eat. If you hunt with a weapon, then check out this great review and add a scope to your toolkit; it’ll make capturing larger animals much more straightforward. Also, don’t discount bugs and other creepy crawlies; they’re an excellent source of protein. And when you’re in a precarious position, you don’t have the option of turning down a good source of energy because you don’t like the food looks.
Build a Shelter
Whether it’s sunny or rainy, you’ll want to fashion some sort of shelter for yourself. It’ll keep you cool when the sun is shining, dry when it’s raining, and offer a level of protection at night. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated. Just a few big branches held up with large posts counts as a structure.
Look For Rescue
While you should be focusing most of your energy on surviving, remember to devote some time to get yourself out there. Light fires, leave stone messages, keep an eye out for human presence, and follow the river path; they can only lead to towns.
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