[kindlekitten]

in addition to my SAR work, I teach a program called "Hug-A-Tree". the target audience is kids 5-10 years old, but much of the info is good for any of us. I will be brief;
for big groups of kids, ie; scout troops, class camping trip etc., I have them take a striding step across a piece of aluminum foil and then write their name on it and leave it on their sleeping bag. why? in campsites where there are a lot of people/kids around and many have the same type a shoe, knowing which track we are looking for can be crucial. always take a buddy. always tell someone where you are going, even if that means pointing to the big rock behind the picnic table. for grownups, this can be a quick text message, email, voicemail, whatever. even for a short walk, take a whistle and a large sized garbage bag. the garbage bag is for picking up trash... no seriously, a large bag can wad up into a pocket, and if one does become lost, putting a garbage bag over your head, after first tearing a hole in the corner to breathe, can be the difference between life and death from hypothermia. if you do believe you are lost, STOP! people manage to get themselves well and truly f*cked up by thinking; "just around the next tree, I will know where I am at!", if you hear helicopters, they are probably looking for you, so you need to make yourself BIG! this means finding the flattest open space in your area, laying down or your back, spreading out your legs and arms and getting as much of your light colored clothing visible. this is the ONE time (target audience is kids remember) that it is ok to talk to a stranger, if you are lost in the wilderness. if they know your name and say they are looking for you. and it is ok to stay right where you are and tell them that you want your Scout Leader, Teacher, Parent or whoever you were with when you got lost to come get you. I reiterate that this is the ONLY time EVER they can do two things that they are always told not to do; put a garbage bag over their head, AFTER tearing a breathing hole in it, and talking to a stranger that knows their name. then I talk about the tree that they are going to hug as that will be their best friend until they are found... they are going to sleep under the tree, stay by the tree and get to know the tree. I then talk about the scary noises that they might hear, owls, coyotes, wolves, etc (I used to have a recording). I also pull a kid out of the group, have them demonstrate tearing a hold in the bag, putting it on, and sitting still until I know they are good and hot, so they can tell everyone that it really worked. while they are hanging out in the bag, I then show them what it sounds like to have people screaming your name in the woods and emphasize that even though it sounds lie the people looking for them are mad, that they really aren't, it's just because they want to be heard. I also go over the international emergency signal and we talk about different things that can make loud noises.

this program was started by a couple whose son wandered off during a picnic. his body was found the next year about 6 feet off of the path where searchers were known to have looked. they figure he thought he was in trouble when everyone was yelling his name.

stupid unforeseen sh*t happens all of the time. it happens to really smart prepared people as well as to those who really should have been bleached out of the gene pool. SAR people have a goal, which is to work themselves out of a job. the only way to do that is through education