SPOKANE, Wash.—Getting lost in the wilderness could happen to anyone. It is a nightmare situation to be stuck in the woods alone just waiting to be rescued.
Wilderness survival experts shared their “do's and don’ts” with KREM 2.
The “do's”:
-Always tell at least two people where you are going and when you expect to return.
- Shelter, air and water are more important than food. You can last three to four weeks without food, but only about three hours without shelter, three days without water, and three minutes without air.
- Stay calm and treat any injuries you have first.
- Stay in place until you are 100 percent sure you know where to go
- If you have to eat, remember that most bugs, animals and fish are much safer to eat than many unfamiliar plants.
The "don'ts"
- Don't eat any plant you cannot safely identify. It may be poisonous or it could even kill you.
-Don't take chances with mushrooms. Not only can they be dangerous but they do not offer much nutritional value.
- Don't make camp or build shelters understanding dead trees. The trees could fall and crush you.
- Don't ignore where you are walking. If you do not pay attention to where you put your hands and feet a spider or snake could bite you.
Travis Johnson from the Northwest Survival School shared his best advice.
“The best thing to do is just gather your nerves first. Don't let the fear take control, you take control of the fear, and then use it to your advantage, as your driving factor. It could be your family, whatever you're trying to get back to, your driving focus, focus point. And that's what's going to help you in the long run, is to stay positive,” said Johnson.