Survival in the forest. How to survive in the forest: useful tips just in case Survive in the forest due to modern technology

1. Clothing should be of two types: more insulated for parking, less insulated for transitions.
At the moment of transitions with a backpack you do not feel a frost. On the contrary, you are warm and even hot. Sometimes, I even want to take off my hat. In no case should you do this, because. The main reason why people die in the winter in the forest is hypothermia. And by removing the hat, you increase the heat dissipation.
2. Don't waste your energy. Once in the parking lot, you do not need to chop thick logs for firewood with an ax, it is better to slip them deeper into the fire as they burn. If on the way there are hills, ravines, mountains, ridges, and other uneven terrain, then you should not climb through them to get to the other side, if it is possible to bypass the obstacle. When making cover, try not to make unnecessary movements. Make it so that you don't have to redo it.
3. When moving, having found a wide path, do not go to narrow paths, even if it seems to you that they will shorten your path.
4. Having lost your way, follow your tracks back and analyze your path. Do not try to move only forward, trying to find a path that will lead you to people. It is possible that your “forward” is throwing you deeper and deeper back.
5. You won’t last long on a berry-mushroom diet. Humans need protein for energy. He can get it from meat. Build loops and traps from what is available. Try to catch any game. When surviving, do not disdain even voles.
6. Berries. In case of poisoning, the chances of surviving in the forest in the winter are negligible. The body devotes a huge amount of energy to fighting poison instead of focusing on keeping warm. And if dehydration of the body can be compensated by melted snow, then it will be much more difficult to get heat. Conclusion: you can only eat berries that you know.
7. Shelters: a screen (reflector) will save you from wind and rain, but not from a blizzard. Therefore, in winter, with the wind, you need to build shelters like a plague. As a last resort, you need to put four screens in a square. Thus, you can live in it for several days. Firewood must be harvested with a large margin, so as not to be left in the cold without heat at night.
A reflector with a node is also suitable, but only in calm weather.
8. To get on the path, look for animal tracks. Most of them walk exclusively on trails.
9. In case of severe fatigue or drowsiness attack, in no case sit on the snow. Most likely you will sit down for the last time in your life. Even if you are very tired, then go to the moral and strong-willed or build a shelter and burn a fire, but do not rest in the cold.
10. You can not drink cold water or eat snow. Angina is provided - this is one, the body temperature drops - this is two.
11. When spending the night near the node, it is necessary to turn around more often so that the body warms evenly. Don't let your back get cold. you can injure your kidneys.
12. Have extra gloves and socks with you. At the moment of building a shelter, willy-nilly, you dig in the snow. Accordingly, the gloves get wet. No matter how hard you try, in the cold, even over a fire, it will be very problematic to dry your gloves. Wet feet in the cold is almost a guaranteed cold, so don't be too lazy to bring an extra pair of socks to every firefighter.
13. The best fire in winter is a three-log node. It has better heat dissipation than two-log fires and burns longer than any other types of fires. To harvest logs, it is not necessary to have an ax, as many people think. It is enough to knock down a dozen pieces of not very high dead wood on the ground. You can do this with your hands, your weight, or you can make a lever with an additional branch sandwiched between a dry and healthy tree. It is also not necessary to cut logs - they can be palmed off about the extent of combustion. Fallen trees can also be used.
14. Get to the parking lot when there will be another two hours before sunset. You need this time to build a shelter and bring firewood for the night. I had episodes when I had to wander about at night in the forest in search of firewood. Frankly, this is not the most pleasant thing to do at night in the forest. When spending the night without tents and sleeping bags, for each sleeper there should be two non-sleepers who monitor the breathing of the resting comrade, and also follow each other. At the first sign of freezing, a person must be stirred up, made to move, then warmed by a fire with hot tea. It is not recommended to drink tea with hawthorn in such cases, because. he calms. When a lot of tea is drunk, the whole group can easily fall asleep. It is better to use viburnum and cranberries for these purposes.
15. NEVER go solo overnight winter hikes. NEVER go on winter hikes alone without equipment.

We all think that nothing can happen to us. That our train will never derail, the car will not stop in the middle of the road with a broken tire, and the mushroom picking will end successfully and the path will lead straight to the house. Usually, in 99.9% of cases, this is exactly what happens. However, every thousandth is still unlucky. If you think about it all the time, it’s easier to sit at home and not stick your nose out the door, saying goodbye to hiking and traveling.

Although, in order to safely get out of such a mess, in fact, you need quite a bit: take a map of the area, a spare wheel and a repair kit with you when you go on a trip, matches and a knife when you go mushrooming. The rules for not getting lost are very simple. Surviving lost is also easy - so much so that even girls from high school, lagging behind the group, are able to spend several days in the forest and safely wait until they are found by rescuers.

Our ancestors looked with surprise at people who could not survive in the forest - a place that fed people from time immemorial. But today, the vast majority of tourists who find themselves in extreme conditions can die of hunger, passing by a richly laid table of forest dishes. In fact, the most nutritious and simple protein food is right under every traveler's feet. And to capture her, you don’t need a gun or a knife at all. A shovel or, at worst, a digging stick is enough. Because that protein-rich food is earthworms.

A creeping fount of protein and vitamins

In order to survive, you have to eat them. It is enough to dig up guest worms and place them for several hours in running water so that digested earth comes out of them. It is almost impossible to look at such food, but it is quite real. They even have a taste - far from refined, but still. It is even better to boil the rinsed and soaked worms - in this form it is much more pleasant to eat them.

Green and bouncy

The next forest-meat dish is a frequent guest in restaurants, especially French ones. Of course, our frogs are far from being as large as those served in France, but they can be eaten, because they taste almost like chicken, and are quite common in the forest. And it's easy to catch them. The main thing is to remove the skin and put the paws on the sticks to fry. You can eat raw, but a person is more accustomed to hot and cooked food.

Mice are harder to get, but still possible. Observations on polar wolves and subsequent experiments on humans, described by Farley Mowat, showed that a person who eats field mice whole, along with the insides, receives a complete set of substances necessary for life and may not even suffer from beriberi.

With the meat menu sorted out. The second essential food for humans is bread. Of course, a tourist can come across an abandoned, but sown field or pick up a piece of land thrown by a magpie, but in fact, bread in the forest can be obtained much easier. Especially if you meet a river or lake.

White lily flower. She is a water lily

Large white lotus-like flowers, rounded leaves - this is what a water lily or white lily looks like. Now there are not so many of them left on Russian reservoirs, but when it comes to human life, you don’t have to choose. Water lily rhizome is 49% starch, 8% protein, and about 20% sugar. Of course, before you gnaw it, you will have to dry it, grind it into flour and soak it in running water to remove tannins. But then, after drying, this flour can be used for baking bread or dough strips wound on sticks over a fire, or simply to whiten her soup-chatter for satiety.

By the way, similar flour can be made from acorns and even dandelion roots, an eternal weed and a thunderstorm of summer cottages. True, they will also have to be dried first, then soaked twice, and only then, dried again, ground into flour or cereal to create porridge, but when you are hungry, you don’t have to be particularly picky.

The same Rogoz

Suitable for flour and the rhizome of cattail - the very one from which the children make spears, calling it reeds. Moreover, its root can no longer be soaked, just cut into pieces, dry, grind and bake-cook as much as you want. And if you fry pieces of roots, you can also make a coffee drink from them. Not Arabica, of course, but invigorating on a hike, but what more could you want from reeds? You can also pick up young shoots, boil them and serve them to frog legs - the taste of the shoots resembles asparagus. Far away, of course. But the menu for the forest "French" restaurant is almost ready.

Icelandic lichen

Icelandic lichen, which is found in central Russia in pine forests, is also edible. And not just for deer. It contains 44% soluble starch lechenin and about 3% sugar. In order for a person to eat it, it is necessary to deprive the lichen of bitter substances. Therefore, Icelandic moss is soaked with soda or potash for a day. For those who are not accustomed to carrying soda on an industrial scale, it can be advised to pour Icelandic moss with ash infusion. Approximately 2 tablespoons of ash per liter of water, add another two liters of water and you can soak one hundred grams of Icelandic moss. After a day, the moss should be washed and soaked for another day in plain water. And then either dry, grind and add to other flour, or boil it into jelly and pour aspic from the mined meat or jelly from wild berries. In addition, cunning Swedes distill alcohol from Icelandic lichen. So the forest is not only ready to feed and shelter any lost tourist, but also to give a skillful opportunity to have fun and warm up from the inside.

Of the other green edible plants that are commonly overlooked, burdock is worth mentioning. Its roots are best collected in early spring or late autumn, but in summer they are quite capable of feeding a tourist. They can be eaten raw, boiled and even better baked. Completely replaces potatoes, carrots or celery. And if you boil peeled and chopped burdock roots with sorrel or sorrel, you can get an excellent sweet and sour jam.

The familiar and seemingly useless woodlouse plant can also be eaten - in salads, soups or even mashed potatoes. They do the same with sour, snytka and "hare cabbage". And young people will completely replace Brussels sprouts in forest green soups or baked as a side dish.

The forest table is not as familiar as our ordinary one, but much richer than ordinary tourists imagine. When you have canned food and cereals with you, you can neglect it, but you still need to know about it. And only then, in an extreme situation, decide whether it is worth dying of hunger next to such delicious dishes.

WikiHow is a wiki, which means that many of our articles are written by multiple authors. When creating this article, 50 people worked on editing and improving it, including anonymously.

Surviving in temperate conditions is easy if you know how. In the forest, you can die from a number of different factors. However, only knowledge and expansion of knowledge will help to make the forest a second home and a new reality. With a simple knife, you can make your own tools and your own concepts of survival. Note: Before taking into account the information provided in the article, understand that temperature prioritizes in the wild. If the thermometer scale at night indicates below +4 C, then set the fire as the main task. However, if the temperature during the day rises above +32 C, move and work at night, and go to bed during the day, in a sheltered place.

Steps

Find water. In order, you are lost in moderate conditions in the early morning, not knowing the location is the worst. It's not a problem. You don't know where you are, but you know where to go - downhill. This is because water is located strictly according to the laws of gravity, and you need water because without it you will not survive for more than three days. Move to the lowest point you can find.

Make friends with trees. On the way downhill, examine three different trees.

• White birch. Look for a white wood that has a paper-like material coming off of it. This tree is important and is called the white birch. The inner part of the bark is edible, while the outer part can be used as a waterproof container (if intact). Also, a fact not known to many: if you make a hole in a tree, you can get a spicy sweet juice similar to maple. Some other useful properties:
  • Soup can be cooked in the bark, as it will not burn, having been saturated with liquid.
  • Birch bark can be used as temporary rope.
• Birch bark, a white, papery layer, is an excellent kindling for a fire.
  • A good staff can be carved from white birch.
  • Birch bark was used by the natives in the construction of boats.

1. Basswood. The second tree you should know. This tree is very easy to recognize. Its bark is grey, occasionally veined, and the large, heart-shaped leaves are suitable for making shoes. Do not confuse with maple, as its foliage has three branches. Linden is important, it will be the source of ropes, traps, belts and, most of all, your backpack. You will notice it near the water, this tree is more thirsty than you and can be a source of water if you are not squeamish about sucking the moisture out of the tree.

   Maple. The third and last tree you should know. It will be your staff and protection. It is a very strong tree with clean greyish bark. Now imagine the Canadian flag is a maple leaf. If you do not know what the flag of Canada looks like, then I advise you to pick up a book and find out before you get into the forest.

   Cut off the lime bark. If there is no water then move down the hill or mountain, the stream/river will definitely run at its/her base. There, a lesson on trees will do you a good service.

   • Find a lime. As stated above, they like water and high banks.
   • Using a knife, cut a horizontal strip around the entire circumference of the trunk. Remove one at the roots, and the second - about a meter above the first.
   • Now cut a vertical line from the top line to the bottom.
   • Where the two lines form a T, dip your thumbs into the bark.
   • Now carefully peel the bark off the white wood. You should end up with a foldable rectangle.
   • Cut this rectangle into as many thin strips as possible (ideally, they should be about 0.5 cm wide).
   • Now unfold these strips with a damp, shiny layer towards you. You will need this layer for the rope.
   • Carefully remove the green outer bark from this thin layer of wood. You will notice that the bark itself will be much thicker than the material you need.
   • Roll the strips into rings so that each of them is about 8 cm in diameter.
   • Wrap about three-quarters of the rope around the bark.
   • Place this wide coil of rope on your belt so that it does not get in your way.
   • From the remaining quarter of the rope, make shoulder straps, a belt and, most importantly, a biceps strap to reach for the knife to the shoulder.
   • All green waste must be collected and stored.
   • After the work done, you will most likely want to drink. Luckily, all you have to do is go down the hill and drink your hard-earned water.

2. Roll in the mud. When you quench your thirst, take another important step that will not make you feel sorry for yourself. When near water, be sure to cover yourself in a thin layer of blue clay or mud if clay cannot be found. This layer should cover most of the exposed skin. It will be your ONLY defense against horseflies, midges and other gnats. The best advice that can be given for mud baths is to enjoy it, because this step is extremely important and seriousness will not help either your motivation or the situation. Enjoy a small innocent child who is long gone.

   Make a fire. Now that the day is drawing to a close, it's best to build a fire. More often than not, it's best to gather plenty of dry firewood ahead of time, ranging in size from wood chips to small logs. For an extended list of campfire techniques, type "how to make a fire" into the wikiHow search. The firebow method works best with linden. Before starting the fire, clear a two-meter circle around the hearth. Choose a spot with no branches directly above the fire. Collect as many large stones as possible to form a kind of hearth that will not allow the fire to spread. Also, the stone circle will collect and direct heat to the center, which will allow the fire to burn better. One of the most important things to remember is that fire should be respected. Keep it within limits. Once you make a fire - keep the flame no higher than half a meter, this will save fuel. You won't want to go back to the forest for more firewood. Insects attack you. A layer of clay or mud will protect you from bites, but not from sound. On a psychological level, the mere fact that they can get into your eyes and ears will keep you focused when building a fire.

   Build a shelter. Under normal circumstances, shelter is not a necessity. However, if you need it or if you are afraid of rain, the main thing for a shelter is small size, dryness and lack of open ground. Never waste time building small huts or shelters larger than your body. This will be a waste of energy and resources, plus, heat is easier to store in a small space. Large layers of moss show themselves well, which cover a small wooden base. Birch bark is also a good roof covering. However, the best option remains to use a huge amount of softwood and fern. If you're quick, you can pick up enough for a 15cm layer that will both keep out the rain and keep you warm. Dry foliage also works great as a water repellant. If you're expecting rain, make a layer of leaves and whatever as thick as possible. (thickness 1 meter - almost waterproof). After spending two hours, you can sleep not only comfortably, but also dry and warm.

   Be on the lookout for fire. Going to sleep, be aware of the distance of the fire from you. Turning and turning, you can roll right on it, and there will be no one nearby who could save you from it. If you feel uneasy about a fire burning next to your "bedroom", then you can put it out, dig a hole under your shelter and bury the coals in it. Putting a layer of dirt on this spot will help you get a good night's sleep.

   Looking for breakfast. Waking up, know that insects fly out at dawn. Now it's time to pack up and move faster as the insects can get into your eyes. Also, movement trains your body to generate its own heat through effort. The only problem is that the motivation to move is usually lame. Your motivation should come from the realization that you set six traps yesterday, one of which could be your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Warm up as you move from one trap to another. You may be lucky.

   Tighten the strap. The most important thing now will be to prepare for two surprises.

   • The first is that you have absolutely nothing and you are extremely depressed. In such a case, simply go to the nearest birch, cut off a 10 cm triangle of bark. Bend one corner. You can eat the soft inside of the bark as it is very nutritious. Also, a small amount of juice will flow from under the triangle. Don't worry if it's a little. Surprisingly, a person can live on a daily ration equal to a spoonful of food for some time.
   • The second surprise may be prey, most often a rabbit or a small bird. There is a good rule for eating animals: don't eat anything that seems inedible. In other words, almost anything you cook is good...and by good I mean burnt.
   • Another food rule: don't eat where you sleep/don't sleep where you eat. The shreds and entrails will attract predators (i.e. bear). Throw bones, entrails, beaks, etc. away from cover.

3. Follow the water. Now that you know how to get food and water, it's important to know other uses for the river. Mankind arose not on the backs of people, but on the banks of rivers. To find people, just follow downstream. Remember, not all rivers lead to civilization, the stream can end up diving underground, to a depth of kilometers; in this case, you will waste a lot of energy. With the help of what has been said above, a person can live independently in the forest.

   • To kindle a fire, look for coniferous trees. The blisters on their bark can be flammable.
   • For energy, look for soy plants and sources of B vitamins, as well as sugary foods and fruits like berries. This will give you enough energy for an empty stomach. Be careful to make sure you eat the right plants, as many of them are poisonous.
   • For a source of antiseptic, look for bees. The gray wet substance they use inside the hive is one of the best antiseptics in the world.
   • Look for spiders for "dressing material". Their web can be embedded in abrasions and cuts to stop bleeding. The yarrow plant can also be used to stop bleeding. It has other uses as well.

   Warnings

   The Bears

   • The berries are common in the wild and are excellent food. However, avoid situations like the one described below. Bears are good connoisseurs of berries and often choose these sources of saturation. Most bears will retreat if confronted in the open. However, they may perceive you as a competitor and attempt to take the threat out of the game. The picture below shows a blueberry bush (A) and a relatively large bruise mark on the ground next to it (B). This is proof that a bear will sit next to such a bush to feed. Stay away from the bushes if you hear crackling.
   • The best experience of meeting a bear is to never meet one. Like most animals, they are naturally afraid of humans. Loud noises as you move (knocking metal, whistling, singing, tapping with sticks, etc.) will alert them to your approach and, in most cases, force them to retreat. Obviously, this behavior will not give results when hunting.

     It should be remembered that both grizzlies and polar bears are curious animals and will follow an unfamiliar sound. However, both grizzlies and polar bears most often live north of inhabited areas. 98% of the global grizzly population lives in Alaska.

   • Never approach a bear cub. Just believe that even if you do not see the bear, she is always close to the child. And she won't be happy for you. Seeing the bear cub, quickly and calmly get out.
   • If you have marijuana, don't let the smoke spread or set it on fire. Bears are attracted to smell. Only use it if you want to lure out the bear. The blood also attracts bears and other predators, so either burn the old bandages or bury them away from the shelter.

   Cougars

   • Cougars and other large felines are the exception to most of the rules. It's not worth pretending to be dead, you won't be able to escape. Also, even if you slowly move away, losing sight of the puma, it will definitely follow you, waiting for any opportunity to attack. It is best to act cruelly and decisively. They will come at you and dodge the blow - not an option in most cases. Be that as it may, there is a useful technique. Hold your left forearm in front of your neck and wait for a cougar bite. She will grab her forearm, trying to remove the obstacle preventing her from reaching the neck. As soon as the jaws close on your hand, quickly plunge your knife all the way into the skin under the cat's lower jaw. Due to a head injury, she may not release her grip, in which case, plunge the knife deeper, rotating and jerking it at the same time. If the cougar does not die, then most likely it will begin to rub its head against stones or trees. Run in a zigzag path away from the wounded animal. Wait about half an hour and come back to make sure the enemy is dead. Now you have food. Combine honey with cobwebs and apply to wounds. Check for bleeding occasionally, as blood can attract other predators.
4. Never burn a tick. More often than not, his insides will squirt into the open sore through which he fed from under your skin. If you do use this method, you will need to burn the skin within an inch radius around the infestation, otherwise you risk catching Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain fever. There are better, less painful ways to remove a tick.
5. Never pull out a tick, their anchor-like jaws will remain under the skin, which can cost you a fever or Lyme disease.
6. extraction method. Find a coniferous tree. Look for a tree with bubbles on the bark. Roll out the ball with a wood chip and squeeze the liquid resin out of it. Spread the resin over the mite. Crush more bubbles if needed. Now, after smearing the resin on your hand, find a very oily plant or tree. Ash will work great. Now you will see that the tick has raised itself a little. Apply as much oil as possible to the resin and wipe it off. The tick will take itself out, as it will not be able to breathe. After removing the tick, apply more oil to remove the resin. If all methods fail, apply peanut butter or animal fat to the bite, wait, and then wash your hands with water. The resin will come off easily. Also note that vitamin C made the skin softer.

Poison ivy

• Poison ivy is a small trefoil plant, usually found close to the ground. To ward off any possible attacker, the leaves contain the chemical urushiol, which, when combined with skin cells, creates a very persistent and uncomfortable rash that can last five to six weeks. If you have touched the leaves, the early stages will only show a simple rash. However, for severe reactions, expect blistering and oily discharge. Treatment methods and myths are presented below.
• Do not burn poison ivy: its smoke is highly toxic. Also, urushinol cannot be destroyed or dissolved by conventional methods.
• Never cut or attempt to remove blisters. The fluid they secrete is not infectious and will not spread the rash further under normal circumstances.
• Myth: Clothes won't protect you from poison ivy. Urushiol will seep through clothing in at least 15 minutes. If you know you've touched the ivy, don't touch the affected area as the urushiol will spread. Instead, remove your clothing with a thick cloth or bark on your arm and soak it in running water for at least an hour. After a while, the urushiol will wash off.
• Useful Method: By touching the ivy, you can wash off the urushiol with soap in less than seven minutes. Since the chemical is an oil, soap is needed to wash it off. In other words, water alone won't work. However, this method is extremely controversial, because soap can fix the chemical on itself and distribute it in the same way.
• Useful method: Immerse the body in water for a long period of time. Oil is lighter than water, so the chemical, obeying the laws of physics, can be washed off the body before it can bind to skin cells.
• Helpful Technique/Myth: Alcohol will not flush or dissolve urushiol on its own. However, it can loosen it, allowing you to wash off the substance with a sponge or cloth.

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Hi, my name is Masha. My mother has been going to the forest near our dacha since childhood, she knows it inside and out. But last year she got lost. Fortunately, she wandered for only half an hour, and then she was able to get out onto the road. But my mother told me how much she managed to get scared. And I was even more frightened when I imagined that she could not get out and that her grandchildren could go with her.

With the beginning of the mushroom season, cases of missing people in the natural environment are sharply increasing. The Lisa Alert Search and Rescue Squad affectionately calls them lost. Most often they are older people, but anyone can go astray.

website I talked to Lisa Alert specialists and found out what to do before entering the forest and what to do if you get lost.

1. Stop immediately

Panic is your main enemy. You can start frantically rushing through the forest in search of a path and get even more lost. Once you realize that you are lost, stop.Don't take a single step. It's better to just accept the idea that you can stay here for quite some time until they find you.

Try to calm down. One of the easiest ways for survival instructors to come to your senses is to visualize your fear, imagine it and sort of take a step back, look from the side. Don't fight it, don't analyze it. Soon you will notice that you can act.

2. Call to report what happened, and then take care of your phone's battery

The Lisa Alert team recently saved from the forest a young girl Christina. She got lost and was very cold. The guys barely managed to save her, and the search dog warmed the girl until the evacuation arrived. The chairman of the detachment noted that it is very important not to talk on the phone for a long time (even with the services before they arrive at the place) and not to put the phone down.

remember, that charging your phone can save your life. Don't call everyone at once. Call 112 or directly to the Lisa Alert squad. Briefly inform what you can and wait for help without talking to anyone else. You can turn off the phone (if the battery is already low) by agreeing on the number 112 about the time of the next contact. Remember number 112 or the inscription "SOS / Emergency call" always work and on all phones, regardless of the presence of a signal and the balance on the account.

3. Make some noise

Experts strongly advise to give all the mushroom pickers you know a whistle. However, if you do not have a whistle, you can shout "Ay!", and then be sure to knock on wood with a stick. The source of the knock is easier to identify, because it does not create the same echo as a human voice.

Start yelling and banging as early as possible if you were walking with a group. This way you will be found faster. In addition, it will allow you to scare away wild animals that may be nearby.

Look around carefully. If you can clearly see the road, take it. Here you will be easier to find. But remember that you do not need to run and look for her everywhere. Leave your seat only if you can clearly see the road or train tracks right in front of you.

5. Have a snack

Make it a rule to take with you to the forest a bottle of water and a chocolate or energy bar. Do not eat all at once - you do not know how long you will have to stay here.

You can go without food for up to several days. With water, things are more complicated. You can take water and boil it for at least 5 minutes if you have a tin cup with you. It is also effective to use special tablets for water disinfection. You can stock up on them ahead of time.

If help does not come for a very long time, you can eat plants you know. Of the edible leaves, clover can be found, rhizomes can be eaten from cattail and reeds. You can look for forest raspberries, blackberries. But remember that some plants and berries can cause allergies and gastrointestinal problems, so use them only as a last resort.

6. Wear bright clothes

Why are lost mushroom pickers so hard to find? They love to dress in discreet clothes. Being inconspicuous so as not to reveal the mushroom place to others is valuable, but in a camouflage suit they will look for you for a very long time.

Try to bring at least one bright piece of clothing. And clothing with reflective elements greatly speeds up the night search. A signal vest can be bought at any gas station for a penny, a child can buy a funny reflective sticker (and stick it right away).

7. You can only approach water bodies if you are confident in your abilities.

About 8 out of 10 children who die in the natural environment, numb in water bodies. Therefore, explain to the child that it is possible to approach any open water only in the presence of an adult. If a child gets lost alone, the rules for him are exactly the same: stay where you are and never go near water. Even if you're dying of thirst. Even if it seems that there are people on the other side.

An adult can go down to the reservoir extremely carefully and only if he is confident in his abilities.

8. Report even the shortest walk and arrange a follow-up call

Vladimir Sergeevich went for mushrooms early in the morning, and an application for his search was received only 2 days later. He went to the familiar forest, but fell and could not get up. Stayed like this for 3 nights. On the 4th day I saw a helicopter, gathered my last strength and went to meet it.

Most of the lost were completely confident, knew the places well and went for a walk for only a couple of hours. "Leave the water in the car", "You won't need this jacket" - all these phrases can lead to tragic consequences. Therefore, going on any hike in the forest, it is better to play it safe.

Always tell your loved ones where and for how long you are going to go, even if you just want to run through the forest!

And at the end of the article we will talk about the most necessary things that should always be with you in the forest. remember, that These items should be with every participant of the walk.. Will a whistle and a chocolate bar help you personally if they are in your husband / wife's backpack? Put everything you need in your child's backpack too.

9. Take a compass with you and even at the entrance to the forest determine the cardinal points

The most dangerous thing in the forest is freezing. In summer, by 18:00, and in winter, by 15:00, you should start preparing for the night. Harvesting firewood will take a lot of time, and walking through the forest in the dark will no longer work. Make a fire, dry your clothes, if it gets wet, warm up. To do this, you must have a lighter or flint with you. Ordinary matches can get wet. It is also good to have a raincoat or a large garbage bag with you: they will protect you from rain and create additional warmth.

Sleep best during daylight hours, and at night carefully listen to the call of the search engines. In no case should you lie down on the ground: collect branches, deadwood, connect fallen logs and sleep on them.

When you have been in the forest for a long time and still have not lit a fire, try join thumb and little finger. If you cannot do this without effort, this is an alarming symptom that means the onset of hypothermia. We urgently need to warm up in any way possible.

Checklist: before a walk in the forest

• Necessarily announce your plans. Agree on a contact time / return time. If you live alone, find someone who knows exactly where you've gone and when to start worrying.
• put on bright clothes, better with reflective elements. It is especially important to give such a set to your elderly relatives if they like to go for mushrooms. It is doubly important if these are grandparents who take their children with them. In addition, it is advisable to take raincoat or large trash bag.
• Take a fully charged phone with you. Report that you are lost, and then strictly control the charge of the phone, communicating only with those who are directly looking for you (in most cases it will be “Lisa Alert”). It's good to have an extra external battery with you.
• Take along a bottle of water, a chocolate or energy bar, a compass, a whistle, lighters. This little kit is compact and can save your life. If you regularly take any medicines Be sure to take them with you to the forest.
• Children need to be taught that they must not come near bodies of water, no matter how much they are afraid and no matter how much they want to drink.

Getting lost in the forest is always scary. If you get lost while walking, your car stalled in the middle of nowhere, or there was another trouble, then surviving in the forest is difficult, but real. You will need drinking water, food, shelter for the night, and a fire to cook and keep warm. If you managed to satisfy your basic needs and survive, then you should signal for help and wait for help.

Steps

Part 1

How to find drinking water

Look for sources of fresh water. The first thing you need to survive in the forest is drinking water. Look for signs of potable water nearby, such as green-leaved plants or lowlands where water can collect, as well as signs of wildlife, such as animal tracks. They may indicate that there is a stream, tributary, or pond nearby. Drinking water is essential for survival, but remember that not all sources are safe and it is always advisable to purify drinking water before use.

• If there are mountains nearby, then water may collect at the foot of the rocks.
• The presence of insects like mosquitoes and flies usually indicates that there is water nearby.
• Water from oxygenated sources (large waterfalls and fast currents) is generally safer than slow moving or stagnant water.
• Freshwater springs and springs are usually the safest, although such water can also be contaminated with minerals or bacteria.
• Remember that all untreated water should be considered hazardous. Even perfectly clear water can harbor diseases and be dangerous.

1. Collect rain water . Rainwater is one of the most accessible and safe sources of moisture in the forest. When it starts to rain, place whatever container you have in an open area. If a tarpaulin or other protective cape is available, it should be placed at least 1 meter above the ground, tying the corners to the trees and placing a small stone in the center to create a recess.

   • Do not leave water in a container or tarp for a long time, otherwise bacteria will grow in stagnant water.
   • If possible, try to treat any collected water.

2. Collect morning dew with a cloth. Use a washcloth, handkerchief, T-shirt, sock, or any absorbent garment like cotton to catch the morning dew. Find a clearing or meadow with tall grass and place the cloth on the grass. Move the cloth over the grass and saturate with moisture, then wring out the water into a container.

   • The maximum amount of dew can be collected before sunrise.
   • Do not collect dew from poisonous plants. Grass will be the safest option.

3. Advice: If you found only one tree, then rest the other end of the branch on the ground, but in this case the hut will turn out smaller.

   Lean vertical branches against the support beam to form the frame of the hut. Collect branches of suitable length that can be leaned against the support beam of your hut. They will be stiffeners. Place the vertical branches as close to each other as possible.

   • Use dry or recently broken branches, not wet or rotten ones.

4. Cover the branches with brushwood and leaves to form an insulating layer. When the frame is complete, make a layer of insulation from small leafy twigs, shrubs, and large leaves to retain heat and provide protection from wind and rain. Arrange leaves and brushwood in decreasing order of size to form a thick layer.

   • Seal the insulating layer until all cracks and holes are sealed. The thicker the layer, the warmer it will be in the hut.
   • If you have a tarp, lay it over the frame of your hut.

5. Place a bedding of leaves inside the hut. Find a soft material like leaves or pine needles and lay the floor in your hut to keep you comfortable and comfortable. Make sure there are no insects or spiders.

Part 3

How to find food

Gather edible wild berries. If you find a bush with berries that you managed to recognize, then do not lose the opportunity to eat. Never eat berries that you cannot identify with certainty, as many of them can be poisonous. To be safe, use only berries you know like blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries.

• Avoid white berries, as they are almost always poisonous to humans.

Collect edible mushrooms in the forest if you are good at mushrooms. Mushrooms can hide in dark and damp corners of the forest, as well as in dying trees, but be very careful, as poisonous mushrooms can cause severe deterioration of health and even death. If you're not sure if a mushroom is definitely edible, throw it away!

• Morels have a spongy hat that resembles a honeycomb. They are usually found under trees.
• Chanterelles have a bright yellow-orange color and grow near coniferous and deciduous trees.
• Oyster mushrooms grow in groups and resemble oysters or scallops in shape. They can be found on dying deciduous trees.
• Mushrooms will not provide you with many calories or protein - the effort you put into finding mushrooms may take more energy than eating edible varieties will bring. It's almost always better to look for other wild foods.
• If you are not an experienced mushroom picker, then it is better not to pick mushrooms. The chance of making a mistake and being poisoned usually outweighs the potential benefit.

Mine edible wild plants. There are many wild plants in the forest that are edible, but it is important to make sure that the plants are not poisonous. Look for dandelion leaves, green oxalis and starburst leaves, and delicate young flowers of primrose and wild violets. In case of doubt, it is better not to eat the plant.

• Wash all edible plants before use.

Make a rope or wire trap. The noose is a safe and fairly easy way to catch small game like rabbits and squirrels. Take a wire or rope about a meter long, make a loop at one end and tie a slipknot. Pass the opposite end through the slipknot to make a big circle. Hang the circle of your noose over the forest path.

• Make a bar above the ground with a branch to hang the trap.
• Set up as many traps as possible and check them every 24 hours.

Advice: As a place to trap, use small paths trodden by animals.

No need to hunt large animals. If you are trying to survive in the forest, then you should always take care of your health. Deer or boar have nutritious meat, but they can injure you if hunted without firearms to humanely kill animals. Even if you manage to kill a deer or a wild boar, there is usually no way to store a lot of meat. Small game and insects will become a safer source of food and provide you with enough nutrients.

• Infection will quickly get into small wounds and they will begin to pose a danger to life.

Part 4

How to make a fire

1. Find fine, dry fuse material. Look for dry grass, leaves, bark, pine needles, and other small combustible materials. Such fuse material should be highly flammable and provide a flame large enough to start a fire.

   • If you find trash or paper, then use such material as a fuse.

2. Collect brushwood and small branches for kindling. You need a material that ignites easily when the fuse is ignited. Find dry sticks, twigs and tree bark.

   • You can also break large branches into small pieces.