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There are many events, both natural and man-made, that are possible. We all must become aware of these events and begin now to prepare our family for them. We have time now to prepare, but unfortunately, we may not have time after the event occurs. This article will discuss one of this events.

*Totally unexpected events such as families or groups becoming lost on hiking trips or other outings.

We all believe that becoming lost may happen to someone else but not us. We often are in denial that we could ever be a victim. In reality becoming lost while on an outing can happen to the best of us so planning ahead is vital to our survival while waiting to be rescued or finding our way back on our own.

We must try to imagine what would happen if our group or a single individual in our group wandered just a short distance from the intended route and became distracted by let's say, the beauty of our surroundings. We may all of a sudden be disorientated as to the direction from which we arrived at this location and/or which way to return. Most of us would then analyze the situation and choose a direction in which to hopefully return to our destination or vehicle, only to find out that we are now really lost.

If truly lost the correct action might be to stay where we are until our group or other rescuers locate us. Unfortunately, most of us will continue our search for the correct route. In which case we may be getting farther and farther away from where we want to be. If we insist on forging ahead these are some things we might want to consider.

First, if we are somewhat prepared we will have a backpack which will contain some essential survival items. Items that we all should carry, just in case. For example; a whistle to use to assist those who may be looking for us. A basic first aid kit, some way to start a fire for both warmth and to assist in our rescue, basic survival tools like a knife, some small amount of food rations, a container of water, a solar blanket, some rope, a roll of reflective tape, a compass or GPS device and a pencil and paper.

If we become lost it might be best to find the highest elevation in the area and build a responsible fire so that by placing leaves or other dry material on top of it, we will create smoke to alert those searching for us a visual that can be seen from long distances. Also as we leave the area where we became lost tie a small amount of reflective tape on the trees or branches of our route, this may aid in our rescue.

It is a good practice, when first arriving at our hiking site, to be aware of the direction of the major roads we travelled on to get to this site. Was it a North/South or East/West road, and when we parked which direction did we begin our hike. Being aware of these coordinates will greatly aid us in finding our way out. Instead of remaining in one location, if we continue to search for a road or our vehicle and if we do not have a compass or other directional device we should while moving forward, pick out an object on the horizon, a tree for example, and walk toward that location. When we reach that object pick out another object on the horizon in the same direction and walk towards it. This prevents us from travelling in a huge circle which may eventually bring us back to the same area we started out from.

In summary, many of us may become separated or lost at some point if we are hikers or site seeing adventures. Being prepared is our responsibility. Carrying the minimum amount of survival gear in our backpacks is being responsible. If lost or separated, don't panic, stay focused, keep dry, stay warm, use common sense, and make sure we have survival gear and other essential supplies in our backpacks.

Stay safe and enjoy the outdoors and all the adventures available to us.