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(updated)
Ah, camping in the National Park. Warm days and cold nights. Birds chirping, chipmunks scampering, and a brook bubbling nearby. Peace and tranquility. A stark contrast to the chaos of your hectic work and kids' schedules. For the first time in months, you sit down to read a book. You glance over to your smiling spouse doing the same. You catch a glimpse of your two kids playing near the tent. Time slows down.
Sometime later, your daughter disturbs your serenity, "Colton's gone."
"What do you mean Colton's gone? Where is he hiding?"
Now, you see on her face and hear in her voice real concern, "He's gone."
Your son is missing. What should you do?
"What do you mean Colton's gone? Where is he hiding?"
Now, you see on her face and hear in her voice real concern, "He's gone."
Your son is missing. What should you do?
Hasty Search
Once you realize your child is missing, actively search, not become a missing person yourself.
Activate Search & Rescue
If you do not find your child quickly, get help. Search & Rescue (SAR) volunteers would rather be recalled knowing your child is found safe versus losing precious search time while you 'make sure' the child is actually missing.
Preparation
Before you and your family venture out, train and equip each family member to deal with becoming lost and spending an unexpected night alone in the wilderness. Basic training and equipment greatly increase the odds of surviving the ordeal.
Stop Moving. The moment you realize you're lost, find a safe spot1, and stop moving. This helps rescuers find you faster.
Build a Nest. Make a nest of boughs2, pine needles, leaves, or anything else to keep you directing off the ground. Sitting directly on the ground sucks the heat out of your body.3 A small foam pad works great.
Emergency Shelter (immediate action shelter4). Put on your whistle (see below), climb into your emergency shelter, and sit in your nest on a foam pad or your backpack.
Whistle. Once in your shelter, start blowing your whistle every 10 minutes or so. The sound of a whistle carries much further than your voice.
Water. Carry at least a quart; more if you are in an arid environment.
Food. A favorite candy bar or two will do two things for you: 1) help maintain a positive attitude, and 2) stoke your body's internal furnace generating heat from within.
Something from home. A small toy or stuffed animal can do wonders for maintaining a positive attitude.
Footnotes
1Choose a spot clear of potential falling objects from the environment (branches, trees, rocks, etc.)
2Boughs: It could be pine, spruce, fir, etc.
3Conduction: The transfer of heat through direct contact with an object. Heat flows from the warmer object to the cooler one. If you sit on the ground, heat conducts away from your body and into the ground.
4An immediate action shelter is a windproof, waterproof barrier that traps your body's heat. Choose a blue shelter to maximize your visibility to SAR.
Survival Gear
Whistle
Immediate Action Shelter (adults)
Immediate Action Shelter (children)
Survival Gear
Whistle
Immediate Action Shelter (adults)
Immediate Action Shelter (children)
