Managing Editor
“I am on a solo day hike, but I got lost and it is now getting dark and cold. I have my backpack, a knife, one bottle of water and a Clif bar. HELP!”
We’re going to be roughing it tonight.
Stop right where you are, sit down, and assess your materials. Have a little bite of that Clif bar and a sip of water.
Hopefully someone knows that you went on this hike, and hopefully they contact the local authorities. Most of the actions you’re about to take are going to be based on the priorities of keeping you warm and making it easy for anyone who comes looking to find you.
Unless it’s a full moon, you lack a light source. If you can’t see the lights of the city or something else by which to orient yourself and start moving back toward the trail or road, it’s time to hunker down. Use the remaining sunlight to find a nice alcove where you can observe your surroundings.
Look for a curved hole in a wall or even a tiny little cave, something that you can put your back up against. This will help keep you warm by protecting you from wind and other weather conditions.
As you move to your alcove, break lots of sticks and leave heavy tracks. Make little arrows out of rocks and things that point to where you are.
Once you find a nice alcove in a rock wall, priority is going to be staying warm. I don’t know how industrious you are with that knife, but if you can pull some Boy Scout shenanigans with some sticks and brush, make a fire and keep it going.
If you’re not a Bear Grylls Jr., let’s start insulating. Use sticks, dirt and brush to make yourself a fort, or at least some little walls, anything to help keep heat in when it gets really cold in the middle of the night. Use that backpack too. Unzip it and stick some parts of your body in it however you can, which will help keep you warm.
Now it’s time to hunker down. The other reason we’re in this alcove is to minimize the angles of attack for predators. Keep your eyes away from the wall and watch your surroundings with that knife handy. Have some nibbles of that Clif bar and sip some water. Don’t chug it all down, you need to conserve that for morning.
You probably won’t sleep much, but resting will help you be ready for day two. When the sun rises, pack up your things and make another stick arrow in the direction you’re headed. You’re going to want to find something tall and get on top of it so you can survey the land and hopefully see something that you can orient yourself by.
As long as you find a good spot to keep warm until you can better navigate, this little excursion probably won’t turn out so bad. Just keep making little stick arrows.
ealinko@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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