The reason for the title of this post is - it was the title of an article I just read in a well known US hunting magazine. Sounded like a good article, so I opened up the magazine and read it.
It sure wasn't what I was expecting. All of the advice was geared toward things to do so Search and Rescue could find you. Not that this isn't important. It might save your life.
There were several predictible things. Let someone know where you are going and when you'll return. Make a big SOS in a clearing. Make three campfires or smudges. Wave bright cloth. Use mirrors.
There were also some high tech things. Something called a PLB (personal locator beacon) topped the list. Cell phones were in there too (etc. etc.)
There are times when you need help from others. There are even times I would have liked help from others - and it wasn't there. I've been lost overnight while deer hunting - in the rain. I've fallen through the ice while snowshoeing - once I was completely immersed. I've been out in low temps and capsized my canoe in wilderness areas. I've been lost in arid mountain areas with water running low.
Point is, no one was ever available to "find" me in these situations, and my first thought was, "What can I do to deal with this situation?"
I'd enjoy hearing accounts of how people on this forum have taken responsiblity for their own survival - doesn't have to be dramatic - or how you prepare to deal with possible survival situations. I get a little tired of people who don't have the initiative to take care of themselves (God knows I deal with enough of them every day).
Of course the first advice I would give is, "Don't panic." The second is, "Believe in yourself." The third is, "Make a plan and do one thing at a time."
PG
It sure wasn't what I was expecting. All of the advice was geared toward things to do so Search and Rescue could find you. Not that this isn't important. It might save your life.
There were several predictible things. Let someone know where you are going and when you'll return. Make a big SOS in a clearing. Make three campfires or smudges. Wave bright cloth. Use mirrors.
There were also some high tech things. Something called a PLB (personal locator beacon) topped the list. Cell phones were in there too (etc. etc.)
There are times when you need help from others. There are even times I would have liked help from others - and it wasn't there. I've been lost overnight while deer hunting - in the rain. I've fallen through the ice while snowshoeing - once I was completely immersed. I've been out in low temps and capsized my canoe in wilderness areas. I've been lost in arid mountain areas with water running low.
Point is, no one was ever available to "find" me in these situations, and my first thought was, "What can I do to deal with this situation?"
I'd enjoy hearing accounts of how people on this forum have taken responsiblity for their own survival - doesn't have to be dramatic - or how you prepare to deal with possible survival situations. I get a little tired of people who don't have the initiative to take care of themselves (God knows I deal with enough of them every day).
Of course the first advice I would give is, "Don't panic." The second is, "Believe in yourself." The third is, "Make a plan and do one thing at a time."
PG