Plan.

Once you’ve assessed the situation, come up with a few possible plans—then choose one and act on it. If you believe you know the way out and you have time before dark to reach your destination, proceed carefully and mark your route with stacked rocks, sticks stuck in the ground, or strips of brightly-colored cloth. If you do not feel confident in a route or if nightfall is approaching, it’s better to stay where you are. Being lost in the daylight is confusing enough. Trying to find your way in the dark only exacerbates the problem.

Another way to remember the above is with the common hiking acronym: S.T.O.P. which stands for Stop, Think, Observe, and Plan.

Prepare to spend the night.

If you decide to stay put, you’ll need to construct some type of shelter. Make a to-do list to help organize your thoughts and keep you focused with specific tasks, such as collecting firewood, finding water, bedding, or insulation materials, or setting up signals, such as brightly-colored cloth easily seen from above, or gathering leaves and green boughs to place on the fire for smoke. You can construct a shelter quickly and easily using fallen boughs (confers work better than broadleaf trees) or any boughs that sweep to the ground. Lash together branches with cord, shoelaces, backpack webbing, bandannas, etc. You can also weave together the branches to provide additional protection. You can also use natural depressions in the ground and the spreading roots at the base of trees as temporary shelter. Make sure to cover depressions with small logs and branches; just be certain it isn’t susceptible to water seepage. Bolster root shelters by adding small logs and branches to the other sides. Ideally, you want the roots to be on the side facing the wind.

Call for help.

Always carry a whistle while hiking or backpacking. If you get lost, the sound of a whistle carries much farther and is more easily located than the human voice. Three short blasts is a sign of distress.

While these tips are helpful if you’re already lost, there are some things you can do to prepare before setting out that will make life a little easier if you get lost.

Always tell someone where you’re going and how long you plan to be away.

Study the area you plan to explore prior to setting out. Orient yourself with any major landmarks, such as railroad tracks, roads, etc

Invest in quality hiking socks and avoid wearing cotton, which absorbs moisture instead of deflecting it.

Prepare for rain by carrying durable rain gear.

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