Before doing anything else (assuming you’ve removed yourself from
any immediate danger), you need to stop. Sit down, take a deep breath,
and calm yourself. Do not move until you have allowed yourself enough
time to assess your circumstances and formulate a plan. There may be no
return from a silly mistake. Do not give in to feelings of panicproducing
fear, guilt, and frustration. What’s done is done and cannot be undone.
Recognize that you are now in a survival situation and must keep your wits
about you if you are to make it back to safety.
Indeed, your brain is one of the most important tools you can rely
upon. Use it!
Relieve Fear Through Knowledge
BEGIN BY ASSESSING YOUR BODY FOR ANY INJURIES and deal with those as soon
as possible. Once you have taken care of yourself, assess your environment
and the specifics of your emergency.
Who knows where you were going?
Is anyone expecting you? If so, when?
Is it possible to walk out of your current location on your own, or will you need
to be rescued to get out?
Are you certain of the way out?
What do you have to keep you alive?To answer the last question, figure out what you have at hand that
will help you survive. This could be equipment that you carried with you—
such as a tent, a knife, and food—or aspects of your environment, such
as a cave or a lake. If it’s physically possible, lay out all your immediate
resources on a tarp or blanket or even the ground to get a good mental
picture of what you have available. Seeing it spread out may spark ideas as
to how items could work together or what you can make out of your sup
plies. In making these assessments, you’re providing yourself with one of
the most important tools in your survival kit: knowledge.
Armed with your increasing base of knowledge, you can begin to
make a plan to deal intelligently and systematically with your needs. The
(^42) | Survive!