S.T.O.P. and Planning can Help You Survive any Outdoor Experience

The most gripping stories of human survival are the ones where somebody survives despite everything possible having gone wrong. What we do not hear as often is the majority of cases where people die because everything possible went wrong. Survival is not about what goes wrong most of the time however. It is about what was done right.

Doing what is right begins well before you start hiking at the trailhead. If you do everything right before you head to the great outdoors, you will probably never get into trouble. If you do get into trouble, having done everything right before you go will give you the best chance of surviving the experience, even if you do need to be rescued.

BEFORE YOU GO

Before you head to the woods, get prepared. Take steps that will both prevent problems and help if they crop up anyways. Try the following steps:

1. Know what the weather forecast is. Knowing the weather will help you prepare appropriately, and in some cases is enough to cancel a planned outing.

2. Let somebody know where you are going and when you will be back - do not forget to tell them what route you will be taking. If you are not back on time, this person will be responsible for reporting you as lost and for getting a search started. If they know where you were going and what route you were taking, it will help speed the search up significantly.

3. Take the right equipment. Bring with you the gear that you will need to do the activity correctly. You would not try chopping a tree down with a butter knife. Likewise, everything you do outdoors has the right gear. Bring it and know how to use it properly. There is not always a lot of gear to do it right either. For a short day hike, it could just be sunscreen, water, and good shoes.

4. Include some extras in your supplies, just in case. Climbing a rock face may need more protection than you expected. A hike may take longer than planned. Weather can force you to stay out an extra day. Bring extra food and drink - even if just a Nalgene bottle and an energy bar. Have clothes for worse weather than expected. If something goes wrong, you might as well be comfortable.