Whether your plane went down near a desert island, Castaway-style, your boat got lost during a three-hour tour, or you took a wrong turn trying to avoid a bear while hiking, it’s important to know how to signal for help. Along with finding drinkable water, edible food, building a fire and constructing a shelter, it’s you’ll need to signal for help when lost or stranded. Let’s take a look at a few of the best survival tips in terms of letting others know you’re lost:
Flashlight
If counting a flashlight among your resources, avoid using it for anything other than signaling. The standard SOS code is three short, three long, and three short signals of any kind. Use your flashlight to signal airplanes, boats….perform the code, wait a few seconds, then repeat for best results.
Mirror
Perhaps you don’t have a flashlight handy, but you do have a mirror of some sort. A mirror is another highly useful tool for signaling, as its flash can actually be seen for miles and miles. Try to find the direction the sun is streaming, then use the mirror to flash an oncoming pilot. Do your best not to blind the person, as watching a plane crash into the ocean or a nearby island isn’t going to help you.
Fire
Ah, fire. Not only will it keep you warm and let predators know to stay away, it easily works as a viable signal. Your best bet is to spend the day finding burnable materials, and placing them about 100 feet apart from one another–think triangle formation. Gather as much material as you can so the fires burn through the night, and light them at the beginning of the evening. Glass, such as that from eyeglasses, works well at starting fires if you don’t have matches available.
Spelling Out “SOS” in the Sand
Find yourself lost on a beach? Use fallen branches and any other viable material to spell out “SOS” in large letters in the sand. Make the letters as large as you possibly can. This works well as a signal that easily days for days and days, and you can even light the letters on fire at night for additional signaling help. Simply add more branches to the letters the next morning, though you’ll already have a nice, scorched signal.
Clothing
Lost in the woods? Rip off a piece of your clothing or other familiar material and tie it to tree branches near your makeshift camp. Make as many signals using pieces of cloth as you want or can to help rescuers find you.
“V” Shape
Another well-documented way to signal for help is to make a “V” shape with your arms. This is a universal signal of distress to planes flying low enough to see you.
Knowing how to signal for help is an essential survival skill not to be taken for granted! Use any of the above methods in case of emergency and up your chance of rescue significantly.
Have you used any of these methods when lost or stranded? Know of other options that work? Share your tips in the comments section!