When You're Off the Trail: Wilderness Survival and Search and Rescue Insights

Developed in consultation with a former Massachusetts State Police SAR Administrator and NEWSAR Instructor.

Survival in the wild is 10% gear and 90% psychology. The moment you realize you are lost, the clock starts ticking—not on your life, but on your decision-making ability.

The Golden Rule: S.T.O.P.

• S - Sit Down: The moment you feel disoriented, STOP moving. Adrenaline will urge you to run. Fight it.
• T - Think: Assess your situation. How much daylight is left? What gear do you have?
• O - Observe: Look for shelter, water, and hazards.
• P - Plan: Make a plan before you take a single step.

The "Stay Put" Mandate

"One of the most important things about being lost in the wilderness is to stay in one place, be seen, and try to create attraction to you. Searchers will be out there looking for you. Stay put. You keep moving, they may miss you."

Search and Rescue (SAR) teams use statistical search areas. If you keep moving, you are a moving target. You might walk right out of the search grid. Unless you are in immediate danger (flood, fire, falling rock), staying put increases your chance of rescue exponentially.

The Rule of Threes

• 3 Minutes without Air
• 3 Hours without Shelter (in extreme weather)
• 3 Days without Water
• 3 Weeks without Food

Shelter is your #1 priority in most scenarios, even before water. Hypothermia kills faster than dehydration.

Signaling: Be Seen

• Contrast: Wear bright colors (orange/blue).
• Movement: Wave something when you hear aircraft.
• Sound: A whistle carries much farther than a yell and takes less energy. Blow 3 blasts (universal distress signal).
• Fire: Three fires in a triangle or line is a distress signal. Smoky fires for day, bright fires for night.

The Injured Hiker

If you are injured and cannot walk:

1. Stabilize: Stop the bleeding, splint the break.
2. Shelter in Place: Build a shelter around yourself if necessary.
3. Signal: Make yourself visible from the air and trail.
4. Hydrate: Ration your water, but drink when thirsty.

SAR Insight: Children

Children often hide from searchers because they are taught "stranger danger" or fear punishment for getting lost. Teach your children: "If you are lost, hug a tree and stay there. The people looking for you are friends."