Learning to signal
for help in the wilderness is a critical survival skill next
to knowing how to make shelter, fire, and locate water. Like
many survival techniques, you should practice this important
skill before you actually have to use it.
Many people who are lost consider
only a single method of attracting attention such as a smoky
fire. There are dozens of different methods, though, that
can help draw attention to your whereabouts and the more you
can utilize the better your chances of rescue are. Remember
that to a searcher in a helicopter thousands of feet above,
you are just a speck amidst a landscape of rocks and trees.
Here
are some things to consider when signaling:
First,
get into an opening or on a hilltop rather standing in a cluster
of trees. Next, spread any items you can find in
a ten foot circle around you. This is passive signaling. First
look around and see what you have in your pockets, pack, or
vehicle such as bright-colored clothing, ponchos, trash, jewelry,
pop cans, etc... The idea is to increase your visibility so
use anything you can find. You can even hang items in the
trees. After this you can work on active signaling using devices
you have brought with you or improvised from your vehicle
or pack.
The
"Amazing Signal Mirror," perhaps the best method
for attracting attention to yourself is through the use of
a signal mirror. This is an excellent active signaling
device to use and its glare can be seen from 50-100 miles
depending on your location and weather conditions. It takes
only a short practice session in your backyard to acquaint
yourself with this amazing survival tool. You can even use
those free CD-roms you get in the mail from computer companies.
Remember with signaling an overhead
plane that you may only have 1-3 minutes that the plane is
in view so you need to have your signaling area and materials
setup in advance. When you spot the rescuers in the distance,
start using your signal mirror, smokey fire, or flashlight
(at night). One lady in a survival class I taught, who had
been stranded atop a mountain in the winter, used the flash
from her disposable camera (at night) to alert a rescue team
to her whereabouts!
Other
Methods
Aside from the signal mirror,
you will have to look around at your immediate environment
and improvise using rocks and logs. In an open field or clearing,
you can spell out in large letters (20' longer or more) the
words HELP or SOS. You can stomp these words in the snow as
well. Other items that can work are a cosmetic mirror, vehicle
mirror, aluminum foil, bottoms of tin cans, chrome hubcaps,
a whistle, car horn, and the shiny interior from a headlight
or large flashlight.
There are also commercial devices
such as flares, smoke canisters, and strobe lights available
at many outdoor gear shops that you can carry with you. I
tell my survival students to try to find at least five ways
of alerting rescuers to your location using the above methods
rather than relying on a single method. Make all of your resources
work for you.
Site
Editors Note: When considering this method use
extreme caution -- Be Careful! Remember, Tony is a professional.
If you think you may become lost and need to use this method
to be found, you should seriously consider whether you should
be in the forest in the first place. Please
Use Caution -- Be Careful!
Signal
Fires Using a fire to signal for help is the method that often
comes to mind with most people lost in the outdoors but it's
effectiveness is overrated. A signal fire can work
but they must be used with caution. If you decide to employ
this method, please consider the following: 1) It needs to
be a non-windy day to ensure that the billowing smoke will
rise upward and not be dispersed. 2) You need to exercise
caution in building a fire which means clearing the ground
around your firepit and making the fire in the open as opposed
to in a dense forest. 3) If your fire gets out of control
and starts a forest fire, you have not only endangered yourself
and the forest but also dozens, perhaps hundreds, of searchers
who may be walking in your direction. This very situation
occurred in Arizona in 2002 and the recklessness of a single
hiker decimated thousands of acres of wilderness. Carry
a signal mirror and other devices and rely on a smoky fire
only if the situation demands it or you have experience with
this method.
When any of us venture into the
outdoors, we have a responsibility to ourselves, to the forest,
and ultimately to the rescuers who may put their own lives
on the line trying to save us if we do become stranded.
Remember the time to prepare
for any excursion into the wilderness needs to begin not just
when you hit the trail but before you leave the front door
of your house. Leave a travel plan with someone, carry a small
survival kit, and most importantly, use that incredible survival
kit between your ears. Your life may depend on it!
About
the Author -- Tony Nester teaches courses in desert
survival and bushcraft through his company Ancient Pathways
based in Flagstaff, Arizona. He is the author of the book
Practical Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills ($10.95). He
is a contributing writer for the Walking Connection. He can
be seen on television stations such as The Travel Channel
and CNN. He can be reached at Apathways.com.
Copyright © 2003 The Walking
Connection. All rights reserved.
