Surviving in the Wilderness

Okay, maybe you're not hiking through the Northern woods in the winter, but would you know what to do if you were in a small plane crash or your car went off the road in Death Valley or on your way to Quebec?

From Popular Mechanics, Outdoors Survival Strategies along with case studies from some of the 50,000 wilderness search and rescue 

missions each year in the United States.  Now, I'm not a regular reader of the magazine, so a tip of the hat to Instapundit who shares my interest in disaster preparedness, but not my interest in Heloise.

Here are 8 practical tips to stay alive for three days so rescuers can find you.

1. Leave a detailed plan with someone on the home front.  When you don't arrive, rescuers will know where to start looking.
2. Bring the right clothes.
3. Stay found by carrying and using a map so you can always where you are.
4. Remain in one place if you are in trouble.  Think of your car is your survival ark, giving you shelter from the wind and the rain
5. Stay warm.  It's the rule of 3s.  You can live for 3 minutes without oxygen, 3 hours without heat, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food.
6. Signal for help in the most obnoxious way possible.  Blow your car horn.  Make a giant  X so that you are visible from the air.  Hang clothing from branches or lay out anything colorful so that it's visible from the air.  What catches the eyes of rescuers are contrast and movement.
7. Build a fire.  Keeps you warm and signals where you are.
8. Find water if necessary.  Don't ration the water you have.  Better to stay hydrated.  Drink found water even if you think it's impure if you have to.  Who cares about an intestinal bug if the water can save your life?

Finally, determine you will survive and live.  Most of survival is psychological.  Don't ask why this happened to you, a fruitless, useless question just about anytime.  Ask instead, What is the best things I can do in this situation.

Gear
If you're smart, you already have a first aid kit,  a flashlight, a few bottles of water and some fruit and nut bars in your car just in case.  Any of these inexpensive additions may save your life if you're lost in the wilderness.

Trash bags, large ones.  Good for staying warm.  Crawl right in.
Duct tape.  Did you know it prevents blisters and can splint broken bones. 
Whistle
Dental Floss  It's so strong, you can repair a backpack or tie together branches.
Waterproof match cases.  Two of them.  One with matches, the other with  Vaseline-soaked cotton balls.  Who knew they were such excellent fire starters?
Condoms.  Excellent for carrying a gallon of water.
CD.  If you don't have a signal mirror, you can use a CD to signal aircraft.  Just line up the aircraft in the hole and flash, ideally in a series of 3.

If survival is mainly psychological, so is preparedness.  Preparedness is the determination to be your best strong and courageous self whatever happens.  So read the tips again and may you remember them when you need them most for both know-how and will.