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Commonwealth Search and Rescue Parents Page |
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RULES Travel plans Always tell someone where you are going. If there is no one around leave a note in your home, trailer, tent or car. Make sure your note includes date, time of departure, number of people in your party, direction of travel and estimated time of return. Equipment Make sure all your equipment is in good working order and that you know how to use it. If in doubt about what your need, consult a local outfitter or recreational organization. It pays to invest in good equipment. Clothing Wear clothes and footwear appropriate for the terrain and weather conditions you expect to encounter. Always wear or carry headgear (a neckerchief can serve as both a hat and as a sling or a bandage). If you run into bad weather you will need to conserve body heat and more heat is lost through your head than any other part of your body. Remember: weather and temperatures can change with frightening speed. Footprinting 'Footprint' members of your group before they set out on a wilderness trip. Place a sheet of tinfoil on a piece of soft material such as a towel. Have everyone put on shoes and step on the tinfoil and then mark each set of footprints with the individual's name. Make sure you repeat the procedure for each change of footwear. This way, if someone becomes lost, searchers will be able to distinguish his or her tracks from others in the search area. This will give searchers a clue to the person's direction of travel. Garbage bags Garbage bags are compact, easily carried and can protect both adults and children from the effects of hypothermia. Cut a hole for the face in the bottom of the bag. The bag will help you to conserve body heat and stay dry in cool or wet weather. Orange or yellow bags are usually best. They can help searchers see you better if you are lost in dense brush. Make sure everyone knows how to wear the bag. Buddy system If possible, never go camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or berry picking alone. Adults and children are far safer when they have a partner. Set boundaries Make sure children are familiar with the camping area. Show them where and how far they can go. Do the same for swimming areas.
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TOOLS Whistle Everyone in your group should carry a whistle. (Pin a whistle to a child's shirt or hang it around the neck.) Make sure everyone knows that three blasts on a whistle or three shouts are recognized as a distress call. Don't Panic Fear is your worst enemy. It is impossible to think logically if you panic. Fear is a natural reaction but you must control it. Accept the reality of your situation and then concentrate on how to better your position. Doing something positive will help increase your confidence and confidence is important to survival. Avoid fatigue Slow down. Exertion uses up calories and creates perspiration which wastes body fluids. Both increase your susceptibility to hypothermia. Stay where you are Unless you can meet all the following conditions, don't try and walk to safety:
Shelter A variety of shelters can be fashioned using materials found in the woods and using natural formations such as caves or fallen trees. Learn how to use tree branches to provide shelter and warmth. Wilderness survival books will give more information on emergency shelters. (Remember to conserve your energy and don't exhaust yourself by building an elaborate shelter.) Water Water is more important to your survival than food. You can survive for several weeks without food but only a matter of days without water. Dehydration will increase your susceptibility to fatigue and hypothermia. Your most reliable sources of water are lakes and streams. Most plants also contain drinkable water. In the winter, snow and ice can be melted for drinking water, but don't melt them in your mouth as they will lower your body temperature and contribute to hypothermia. Survival/first aid kits Kits can be pocket-size or larger depending on the needs of each individual or situation. (St. John Ambulance has designed a convenient belt-type first-aid kit for the individual hiker, hunter, and camper.) Below is a list of suggested items that could be included in a basic survival/first-aid kit:
Survival Tips for ChildrenStay in one place Teach children that a tree can be a friend. Tell them if they ever get lost to select a tree (or some other object) near a clearing and stay there. If they are frightened, they can hug and talk to the tree. This will help prevent panic and keep the child in one place, increasing chances of discovery. Noises Tell children to yell at noises that scare them. If it is an animal, they will frighten it away. This will also help searchers find them. Look big A child can attract the attention of a search plane passing overhead by lying down in a clearing wearing a brightly colored garbage bag or jacket. No punishment Reassure children that no one will be angry with them if they get lost. There have been cases where children have hidden from searchers because they were afraid of being punished. |