You should never go camping or hiking in any unknown area without telling a family member or friend where you will be and how long you expect to be gone. Never allow yourself to think it could never happen to you. By alerting friends and family, should you get lost, they will know where to send help if it is needed.
Anytime you go into the woods, pay close attention to the landscape. Take note of unique plants and trees, they can be key to finding your way out. You can also mark your trail as you go along, breaking off plants, or tree branches to help guide your path.
If you do find yourself lost in the woods, the first bit of advice is don't panic. Your best bet of being found is to stay put. Most often, attempts of finding your way back only leads to frustration and confusion.
If you know there is a road or town close by, determine what direction it is in and start walking toward it. To help you get your bearing, look to the sun. The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. Look for moss on trees; it only grows on the north side. If nightfall is approaching, find shelter and start a fire.
No trip into the woods, or any unknown wilderness area, should ever be made without some basic equipment. A small backpack will hold all you need. After packing your backpack, leave it in your vehicle when not being worn.
In your backpack, you should have the following items with you.
A compass
A Mylar blanket
A knife (survival knives are nice as they have many additional items in the handle)
A small handbook to wild foods (available in most bookstores)
A flashlight
A book of strike anywhere matches or a disposable lighter
A package of water purification tablets
A water bottle
Your first concern when lost in the woods is to find water. Look for a stream, a river or a spring. This is where you will set up camp.
Your second concern is shelter. This needs to be close to your water source, but not on the edge of the water. Shelter can be a cave, a hollowed out tree, or building a basic lean-to out of sticks and branches.
Once you have shelter concerns out of the way, start a fire immediately. Clear an area of at least three feet in diameter. Build your fire out of dry twigs and limbs to get it started. Use pine cones or dry leaves to help the burning process. The smoke from your fire will lead rescuers to you and provide heat and light. Adding green leaves to the fire, once it is established will increase the smoke.
Your next step is to forage for food. The woods are full of edible foods. Mushrooms such as morels and chicken of the woods are common and provide many essential vitamins. Look also for ferns, poke, and other greens. This is where good wild foods guidebooks come in handy.
Should you find yourself lost in the woods and not have any available supplies, these steps should still be followed. Getting a fire started will be the hardest part, but by following, the Boy Scout method of quickly rubbing two sticks together it is possible to get a fire built.
The bottom line, if you find yourself lost in the woods, is to keep a clear head, take care of your immediate needs, and think all decisions through. When you do find your way out, or the rescuers find you, you can look back at this time as an adventure not as a bad memory.
