Fire, shelter, direction, signals Practise these on a calm day close to home, so they're familiar when the weather turns.
Pick and prepare a fire site Choose a dry spot out of the wind, near your shelter and near fuel.
Clear brush and scrape the soil in a circle at least 1 metre across A low wall of logs or rocks throws heat your way and cuts down sparks Never use wet or porous rocks, which can explode when heated On snow, build a dry base from green logs laid in crossed layers Lay a fire that lights Gather tinder, kindling and fuel before you strike anything, all as dry as you can find.
Tepee: a cone of kindling over tinder, which burns well even with wet wood Lean-to: tinder under a green stick pushed in at 30 degrees, pointing into the wind Pyramid: crossed layers of logs with a starter fire on top that burns down through the night Always light from the upwind side Pitch a tarp or poncho lean‑to You need two trees 2 to 3 metres apart, 2 to 3 metres of cord and three stakes about 30 cm long.
Set the back of the shelter into the wind Tie the cords about waist high on the trees Tie a short drip stick to each cord so rain doesn't run down into the shelter Stake the low edge to the ground through the grommets Build a debris hut With no gear at all, FM 21-76 rates this one of the best shelters for warmth.
Rest a long ridgepole on a tripod or a tree at about waist height Lean sticks along both sides, then lay brush across them as a lattice Pile dry leaves, grass or needles at least 1 metre thick on top Put 30 cm of the same inside, and keep a heap by the door to pull in after you Find north with a stick The shadow-tip method works anywhere on earth, on any day the sun casts a shadow.
Push a 1-metre stick into level ground and mark the tip of its shadow Wait 10 to 15 minutes and mark the new tip The first mark is west and the second is east Stand with the first mark on your left and you're facing north Signal for help Rescuers need to see or hear you, so get to the highest open point nearby.
At night: three fires in a triangle about 25 metres apart, the international distress signal By day: a mirror or anything shiny, aimed toward the sound of an aircraft A whistle carries further than a voice, and has been heard up to 1.6 km away Practise aiming a signal mirror before you ever need it Get off the hill when you hear thunder If you can hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
Head for a substantial building or a metal-topped vehicle with the windows up Get off hills and ridges, and away from ponds and lakes Never shelter under a lone tree or a rock overhang, and don't lie flat Keep clear of barbed wire fences, power lines and windmills Safety There is no safe place outside in a thunderstorm The National Weather Service rule is simple to remember: when thunder roars, go indoors. Stay in safe shelter at least 30 minutes after the last thunder you hear.
