If you get lost: STOP

1. S — Stop. As soon as you doubt where you are, stop. Sit down, drink water, breathe. Panic makes you walk fast and in the wrong direction.
2. T — Think. When was the last time you knew where you were? How much daylight is left? What do you have with you? Does anyone know where you are and what time you were supposed to be back?
3. O — Observe. Look for landmarks: hills, towers, the sun. Listen for traffic, water, voices, engines. Check your phone: signal, battery, GPS.
4. P — Plan. Decide: can you safely return by a route you recognize? If you're not sure, stay put.

Why you should stay in one place

• Search teams start at your last known point and along your planned route. If you move, you move away from the search.
• A stationary target is much easier to find than a moving one.
• Walking while lost uses up water and energy, and increases the risk of falls, heat stroke, or hypothermia.

What to do while you wait

• Choose a nearby clearing, visible from the air and from trails, but protected from sun, wind, and rising water.
• Protect yourself from the weather: shade in summer, shelter and insulation from the ground in cold (chapter 5).
• Ration your sweat, not your water: move little during the hot hours (chapter 3).
• Prepare signals now (whistle, mirror, bright colors, ground signals, material for fire and smoke) so you can use them as soon as you hear or see rescuers.
• Answer voices or whistles with three whistle blasts. Rescuers will also call you by name.
• If you truly must move (no water, immediate danger, no one knows where you are), leave a note and an arrow on the ground with the direction and time, and head downhill following a stream or road only if it is safe, marking your route.