Choosing the site

FM 21-76 sums up the criteria in the word BLISS: Blend (it blends in if you do not want to be seen; if you want to be rescued, do the opposite), Low silhouette, Irregular shape, Small, and Secluded location. In a civil emergency you normally want to be found, so prioritize safety and visibility to rescuers (see chapter 8).

Look for

• Flat, dry ground, big enough to lie down.
• Natural protection from the wind (a large rock, a cluster of bushes, a mound).
• Materials nearby (branches, dry leaves) and water at a reasonable distance, but not right next to it.
• In cold: morning sun to warm you at dawn. In heat: shade all day and a breeze.
• A spot where you can signal and be seen.

Avoid

• Gully bottoms, dry channels, and low stream banks: flash floods arrive in minutes and at night (see chapter 10).
• Dead trees or broken branches hanging ("widowmakers").
• Under power lines, next to anthills (fire ants), hives, and nests.
• Exposed hilltops and isolated trees during thunderstorms.
• Bases of slopes at risk of rockfall.
• Hollows where cold air collects at night (valley bottoms).