~THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARE STRANDED OR LOST DIRECTION IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE~

1) In An Emergency

• Remain calm
• Assess your situation and gather further information of your surroundings
• Ensure that you are out of harm's way
• Attend to injuries and most importantly, try to stop any bleeding (by elevating the wound above the heart and applying pressure with a clean cloth) as this could cause you to go into shock
• Establish if your basic needs are met (heat,water,food) and identify what needs to be done next by asking yourself the following: "Do i have enough supply of drinking water and food, how can i get in touch with someone for help and do i need to build a shelter?"
• Make sleep and rest a priority if you're lost or stranded. Sleep deprivation can severely affect the ability to think rationally and survive in the wild

2) Shelter Building

• Widowmakers: Avoid building your shelter near dead trees or hazards that could fall on it
• Water: Stick close to a source of drinking water
• Wigglies: Stay well away from any spiders, snakes or ants as they could be venomous
• Weather: Pick a site that is protected from rain, sun and wind
• Wood: Don't underestimate how much firewood you need. Get five times the amount you think is needed and keep it burning through the night. Consider wind directions when measuring the distance between your shelter and fire.

3) Building A Fire

• Find a rocky or sandy area near your shelter to build the fire
• Search for smaller pieces of kindling such as twigs, dry bark, dry leaves or paper as well as larger pieces of dry wood. Place your kindling in a small pile resembling a tepee shape
• If you don't have matches, flint or a lighter, you can use a magnifying glass to focus the sun's rays on the kindling so it catches fire. Once the kindling is alight, slowly place the larger pieces of wood in the fire

4) Finding Your Way Out

• Do sign up for a navigation course that will teach you how to read maps and invest in a compass before you attempt any serious trekking or outdoor trip
• Don't walk in circles. Most people tend to do so when they're lost. We often unconsciously move to the right so keep check on yourself to ensure you're walking straight. A good strategy is to move in alternating directions (sometimes to the right and sometimes to the left) around obstacles in your path
• If you don't have a compass and are lost in the night, you can use the stars as a guide. Locate the pole star on the Big Dipper constellation and you will be facing north
• Try signalling for help if no one is around. The safest method is by creating a fire because smoke is easily spotted during the day and flames at night. A signal mirror is also a very effective method. When the sun is up, flash the mirror along the horizon regardless of whether a plane is in view