Getting lost can be scary and confusing. Panicking and not knowing what to do can make a bad situation much worse very quickly. Tips on how to prevent getting lost and the key phrase to remember if you do.

1. “I have never been lost.
But I was bewildered for
three days once.” Daniel
Boone

2. The best way to deal with getting lost is to
not get lost in the first place. While I’ve
done a lot of land navigation, both day and
night, and spent considerable time
working off of maps during training and on
deployments, there have been times when
I’ve gotten ‘confused’.
My experience is that once I got lost, it
could easily escalate into something
worse, unless I follow some guidelines.

3. As with all aspects of preparation
and survival there are numerous
variables. We should be properly
prepared before any trip with the
correct supplies to keep from getting
lost such as GPS with applicable
map tiles loaded, paper map
backups (including in your car), a
compass, signal mirror, whistle,
signal panel and more.

4. Know how to us a map and compass.
Remember, a compass can’t tell you
which way to go if you don’t have an
idea where you are. Your local REI
store runs courses on basic land
navigation. There is no substitute for
actually getting out there and actually
doing it.
I have another free slideshow on maps
and also one on GPS.

5. A big key when off-road is to know what is
your ‘safe’ direction with what I call a
‘guard rail’. That’s the direction where you
will eventually hit a known line, whether a
road, rail-line, river, etcetera (the guard rail)
which will let you know where you are.
Then you also need to know whether to turn
left or right on that limit to get to safety

6. Have enough food and water for whatever
activity you plan, plus extra.
Always have a paper map and compass.
You can lose your GPS/phone or the battery
might die.

7. Short Cuts Are Rarely Ever Short and Can
Be Deadly

8. Let someone know where you’re going.
What your plan is. When you expect to be
back. An important key is to tell them after
what time, without hearing from you, they
should notify help. I do this even if just
heading out for a bike ride or run. I use
Road ID when I go for hikes/bikes/runs
where there is cell phone coverage. I check
in with my SPOTX satellite messenger
when going on longer or overnight trips. If I
change plans for any reason, I update my
contacts for both.

9. At a trailhead it pays to leave a note inside
your car/truck window, facing out, with
information on what your plans on. When
you expect to be back. I’ve checked trucks
and cars at trailheads and most are
unmarked. I know there might be a fear that
someone would break in to the car, but
weigh that against not making it back?

10. Fill out wilderness permits and check in at
Ranger Stations. Make yourself noticeable.
A couple was left behind on a scuba trip
because they kept to themselves, didn’t
interact with others and no one missed them
on the trip back.

11. What To Do If You Get Lost

12. Should you stay or should you go?
For most situations, it’s best to stay in
place. If you are injured, don’t exacerbate
your injury by moving. Search and Rescue
will start at the last known place you were
or where they think you are. Moving could
take you out of the likeliest search area. If
you’re lost and don’t have a plan, you will
get further lost.

13. LOOK BEHIND YOU WHEN
TRAVELING SO YOU KNOW
THE ROUTE BACK

14. Search and Rescue is usually free. The
reason for that is often these teams are made
up of volunteers. More importantly, they
don’t want people to hesitate to call. When
in doubt, Call 911 because most teams work
through the local sheriff’s office.
Remember, a text has a better chance
getting through than voice if your signal is
shaky. Conserve your phone’s battery as
much as possible. If you make contact, set
up a time to check in so you can turn the
phone off in between.

15. The key rule to follow is STOP:
STOP
THINK
OBSERVE
PLAN

16. STOP: As soon as you suspect you are lost
immediately STOP. Many people panic and
while in that panic make the situation
worse. Panic is your greatest threat.

17. THINK: How did you get here? What
landmarks do you remember? Which way
did you turn if you left an established trail?
What direction? Do not move until you
have a specific reason.

18. OBSERVE: Which direction is north? Do
you have boundaries such as a river,
mountain range, road, etcetera that you
know for certain are in a certain direction?
If you are on a trail or road stay on it. Roads
and trails are built to take advantage of the
easiest route. While you might think taking
a “shortcut” cross-country might save time
and distance, it won’t.

19. As a last resort, follow drainage downhill.
Streams run into rivers and there is usually
civilization along rivers. However,
depending on terrain, this might not be
possible. Also, try not to get wet, especially
if the temperature will drop, as hypothermia
is deadly.
Can you follow your own trail back to the
last known spot? Footprints? Broken
branches?

20. PLAN: Before moving make sure you have
a plan. Think the plan through. Are there
other options?
If you are not confident in your plan, stay in
place.
Don’t move at night.

21. Don’t move at night. When we were
heading toward the Grand Canyon, my wife
said she thought people probably fell into it.
When we got there, I saw she was right.
Anyone who has been on patrol at night can
tell stories of the cat eyes on the back of the
cap of the patrol member right in front
disappearing as they fell off a ledge or cliff.

22. Signal for help: Cell phone. Satellite
messenger. Mirror or anything reflective.
The universal distress signal comes in
threes: three blasts on a whistle. Make a
smoky fire. Green leaves and grass help.
Rubber makes black smoke. Flame at night
is a signal. A VS-17 panel or bright clothing
can be used to signal. To aim a mirror, hold
it in the palm of your hand. Extend the other
hand with two fingers forming a V in the
direction you want to signal. Angle the
mirror so that the reflected light passes
through the V.

23. If you must self-rescue:
Rest when you feel tired. Don’t push it too
hard so that you become exhausted.
You can’t hike and easily digest food at the
same time. Eat and then rest.
Stay hydrated.
Mark your trail as you move, so at the very
least, if need be, you can get back to where
you started.

24. WHAT TO TEACH CHILDREN TO DO
IF THEY GET LOST:
Make sure your child knows both parent’s
full name, phone number and address.
Memorizing key phone numbers is a skill
all of us need to practice.
Have your child practice calling your
phone.

25. WHAT TO TEACH CHILDREN TO DO
IF THEY GET LOST:
Teach your child how to ask for help. While
we emphasize ‘never talk to strangers’ tell
them who it is best to ask: police, a mother
with a child, a store salesperson with a
name tag, a security guard.Tell them not to
go looking for you if they become detached.
It is best they stay in place and you find
them.

26. More Free Information
I constantly update free, downloadable
slideshows like this on my web site for
preparation and survival and other
topics.
FREE SLIDESHOWS
Also, I conduct Area Study workshops
for those interested in properly
preparing for their specific
circumstances.

27. AMAZON
This book walks you through your personal situation,
your home, and your Area of Operations.

28. AMAZON

29. AMAZON

31. New York Times bestselling author, is a graduate of West
Point and former Green Beret. He’s had over 80 books
published, including the #1 bestselling series Green Berets,
Time Patrol, Area 51, and Atlantis. He’s sold over 5 million
books. He was born in the Bronx and has traveled the world.
He’s lived on an island off the east coast, an island off the
west coast, in the Rocky Mountains, the Smoky Mountains
and other places, including time in East Asia studying martial
arts.
He was an instructor and course developer/writer for years
at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School which trains
Green Berets and also runs the SERE school:
Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.
www.bobmayer.com