Living Safely on Land and Water: How to Avoid Getting Lost
Many humans fear getting lost, whether on land or water. With today’s tracking and navigational equipment, getting lost is almost impossible; to actually get lost would make a situation almost hopeless, considering that nearly everything the twenty-first century can offer is already at your disposal.
There are tried and tested methods, however, that can make sure that you can survive any water or land ordeal. There are techniques, moreover, that you can employ to avoid getting lost.
Safety on Land
When on land, you can get lost in the middle of the desert, on a rocky mountain range, or in a forest. There are numerous dangers which you can encounter, including dehydration due to the heat, hypothermia due to the cold, or wild animals. If you know these dangers well, however, you can avoid them and find your way to safety.
Make sure that you pack a survival kit, along with a complete first aid kit and navigational equipment to guide you on your journey. Navigational equipment may include your map and compass; don’t rely on your memory to guide you through paths. If you are an experienced hiker or traveler, you will undoubtedly have a clearer mind than most, but it is best not to take chances.
Keep yourself warm and fully clothed, even in the desert. By exposing your skin to the sun, you are hastening the escape of water from your body; moisture is essential to keep you walking and healthy. If you must walk to safety, walk only during the cool hours of the day, such as at early morning or evening.
Drink plenty of water, and bring a lot of it. Many corpses have been found in the desert, nearly all of them with half-filled water canteens. There is no sense in rationing water: you need it to function and keep your energy up, so drink it and moisten your lips regularly. If you can, pack energy bars and candies with you so that you have a constant burst of sugar to keep you alert.
Safety on Water
You can get lost in the ocean due to a number of factors. Your plane may crash, you can be left behind during your scuba diving tour, you can accidentally be tossed overboard while on your cruise ship, or your ship may sink and you can find yourself out in the middle of a stormy, raging sea. If you are in a tropical area, you face the danger of dehydration due to lack of shade at midday. If you are near the Arctic or Antarctic, you are most in danger of dying due to hypothermia. In both cases, you are also exposed to the danger of sharks.
If you find yourself lost at sea, keep your energy up and don’t panic. Use as little of your energy as possible by drinking water and shielding yourself from the sun. Eat little food if you have no water available, or scavenge water from the eyes and spines of fish. Stay in your life raft and keep your extremities out of the water. Avoid throwing anything bloody overboard, such as bandages or cleaned fish. This can cause a feeding frenzy in the water and draw sharks to you.
How to Avoid Getting Lost
Even more important than surviving is avoiding getting lost in the first place. Plan your trip in detail: make sure that you know your route completely, and take note of important landmarks, including medical care stations and police headquarters. Make a detailed itinerary, and share this with friends and family at home, as well as those nearest your destination. Leave information on the exact date, time, and place of your departure, as well as the exact date, time, and place of your arrival.
If you make any changes in your itinerary during your trip, you must first find a way to contact your relatives or friends. This will allow them to better ask for any rescue missions should you be lost.
Consult only a complete map of the area that you will explore if you are traveling on land. A complete map should show you weather conditions during the time of your travel, humidity levels, relative elevation, and landmarks or places where you can find assistance. When you are on your trip, don’t deviate from any well-forged paths. Stay warm and drink lots of water.
Pack a survival kit, which should include first aid materials, tarpaulin in a bright color to house you and make you visible, and food and water. You may get lost during your trip, but if you are well prepared, you will find yourself safe and rescued in no time at all.
Article found in GPS and Navigation
