Lost outdoors¶

Getting lost is common, and most people are found safe. This page gives you a simple method to follow, so you stay calm, stay findable, and stay warm.

Do this now¶

1. Stop. Sit down and take a few slow breaths.
2. Think. Remember where you last knew your location, and how long ago.
3. Observe. Look around for trails, landmarks, and shelter. Check your phone for signal and battery.
4. If you have signal, call your local emergency number (911 in the United States and Canada, 112 across the European Union, 999 in the United Kingdom) and share your location.
5. Plan. In most cases, the best plan is to stay where you are and signal for help.
6. Put on warm or protective layers before you get cold or hot.

Stop, think, observe, plan¶

This method is often called STOP. It exists because fear makes people walk in circles and get further from the trail.

• Stop. Do not keep walking. Panic leads to bad choices.
• Think. Where did you last see a trail, a sign, or a landmark? Who knows where you are?
• Observe. What do you have: water, food, clothing, a light, a whistle, a phone? What is the weather doing, and how long is the daylight?
• Plan. Decide on a plan and stick to it.

Stay put¶

Search teams look first along your planned route and at your last known point. If you move, you may become harder to find. Park services advise staying where you are, unless there is an immediate danger, like a flood, rockfall, or fire.

Stay put if:

• someone knows your plan and expects you back
• you are hurt or tired
• it is getting dark or the weather is changing
• you have no clear idea where to go

You may move a short way if you can see a clear route back, such as a trail you can retrace, a road, or a building. Mark your path as you go and keep the way back in sight. If you move, leave a note or a marker where you were.

... warning "Do not follow a stream or cut across rough ground" Water and cliffs hide hazards, and moving in the dark causes falls. If you are in a flood channel, a canyon, or on a slope that could slide, get to higher, safer ground first.

Signal for help¶

Make yourself easy to find.

• Whistle. Blow three blasts, pause, and repeat. Three of anything is a widely used distress signal. A whistle carries farther than your voice and saves energy.
• Phone. Text if you have a weak signal, since texts often get through when calls do not. Turn on low power mode, and turn the phone off between checks to save the battery.
• Light. At night, flash a flashlight or phone light in groups of three.
• Bright colors. Spread bright clothing or gear in an open area. Mirrors and shiny objects can flash toward aircraft.
• Open ground. If you hear a search aircraft, move to an open area, and wave.

Shelter¶

Your main job is to stay at a safe body temperature.

• In the cold, put on dry layers, a hat, and gloves. Get out of the wind and off the ground. Sit on a pack, branches, or leaves. See hypothermia and frostbite.
• In the heat, rest in shade, limit effort, and sip water. See heat illness.
• In the rain, use a poncho, tarp, or foliage to stay dry.
• Pick a spot that is flat, dry, and not under dead branches or at the bottom of a gully.

Water and food¶

Water matters first. Drink regularly, in small amounts, and do not wait until you are very thirsty. Do not drink water from a source you cannot treat unless you have no other choice, because it can make you ill. If you can, boil it, filter it, or treat it. You can survive days without food, so do not take risks to find any.

If you are with others¶

Stay together. Keep children close, and keep them warm. Choose a calm adult to take charge. If one person is missing, do not split up to look for them in the dark. Call for help and wait at the last known point.

Tell someone before you go¶

The best protection is a plan that someone else knows.

• Tell a trusted person where you are going, the route, and when you will be back
• Tell them what to do if you are late, including who to call
• Check the weather and daylight hours
• Carry a map, a whistle, a flashlight, water, food, a rain layer, and a first aid kit
• Charge your phone, and carry a power bank
• Stay on marked trails
• Turn back early if the weather turns or you feel unsure

Related guides¶

• Hypothermia and frostbite
• Heat illness
• Emergency kit
• Family plan
• Emergency numbers