CASPER, Wyo. — Recently a hunter from Casper survived in the Wyoming woods for two weeks after he got lost on a hunting trip in the Bighorns.

Any time you go into the wilderness — no matter how long you plan on staying — there’s a chance that you may be out there for the night, or longer.

For his friends and family, it’s a miracle that Travis McMahan survived his two-week stint in the backwoods. But from what he’s said to officials and to the Star-Tribune, he’s alive today also because he kept his wits about him and made several good decisions.

For anyone venturing into the woods, there are basic rules to keep in mind, said John Gookin, the National Outdoor Leadership School curriculum and research manager. But the most important thing is to keep your head.

“Stay calm, stay cool, enjoy the evening, enjoy the stars,” Gookin said. “Do what you can to stay calm because it expends less energy.”

Prep work

Before you set out, be ready for the worst, Gookin said. He brings a day pack on any trip out of camp, no matter how short.

Gookin spends a lot of time in the woods, so his pack is always ready to go. Here’s what’s in there now:

• Light waterproof jacket and nylon wind pants: These are great for cutting the wind and helping to keep other layers dry. They also don’t take up much room.
• Spare socks: Nothing is worse than wet feet. In a pinch, they double as mittens.
• Thin ski mask: It’s more efficient to bring items that cover exposed skin than extra insulation, Gookin said. Protecting your face and hands does more than adding another shirt or sweater.
• Gloves: Most of the time, a thin pair is all you need, Gookin said. When it gets super cold, he packs a thick pair of mittens, or gloves with a shell for when it’s snowy.
• Lighters: The electric kind. They hold up well when they get wet and are easier to use than matches or flint.
• Map, or mapping GPS.
• Seasonal hat: In the summer, this means something to keep the sun off his neck. For the fall, a baseball cap because it’s lighter. In the winter, a thick wool hat.
• LED headlamp: Headlamps are easier to use than a flashlight, and the LED models last longer and are lighter.
• Always, always water.
• Maybe food: Gookin packs it more as a luxury. Often this means a soda pop because “it’s basically a can of sugar water and it’s collapsible.”

Food is the last thing Gookin packs because it’s the least essential. You can survive for a few weeks without food, he said. But without water, in a few days “you quickly risk losing your most important survival tool: your mind.”

Making camp

If you’re forced to spend a night in the wilderness, here are Gookin’s tips for staying alive. Once you’ve established a good camp, stay put. During the day, look for signs of civilization or searchers, but it’s best to return to the same base camp, Gookin said.

• Put on as many layers as you can without sweating because it will cause you to lose moisture and get your insulation wet.
• Take a cool-down walk after heavy hiking so your body heat cooks off moisture before you stop.
• Stop moving well before dark. This way, you have time to find the best place to camp and aren’t trying to orient yourself in the dark.
• The best campsite is out of the wind and has overhead cover to trap heat. Bedding down under a tree is good idea. Having water nearby is a bonus.
• Nap when you can. Try to nap before it’s cold at night. Though the idea of being up when it’s dark out may not seem appealing, you’re more likely to sleep when you’re warmer, Gookin said.
• Keep yourself comfortable. Relax. Stress clouds judgment and after a few days of heavy stress, your white blood cell count drops and you’re more prone to infection.

Fire

If you can build a fire, it will help make you comfortable and signal for help.

Fire-starting techniques vary, and most of them work. The important thing is that you’ve had some practice, Gookin said.

In an e-mail, Gookin gave this description of how he starts a fire.

“It’s easy to light a fire, but you have to get good at it in advance. A lot of people have books that lead you through how to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. If you haven’t done it before, the book might be really helpful because you could burn the pages.

“Fire building is like painting a room — the most important work is the prep work. I gather a bunch of wood in various sizes and then I build either a teepee or a log cabin. The structure is to help air get mixed with the fuel. A common mistake is to light the little stuff before you have enough gathered to heat the next-size wood.”

Signaling

Once you have a base camp established, make yourself easier to find.

Gookin has spent a lot of time in search planes trying to spot lost hikers. Bright colors are easier to see than dull ones, but from an airplane they’re still hard to spot, he said. Reflecting light and large geometric shapes stand out. Big straight lines are a really good way to get searchers’ attention, he said.

A signal mirror is an easy-to-carry and sure-fire way to increase the odds of being spotted.

Gookin was in the backwoods with some people who had a big Air Force-issue signaling mat — the kind used to mark helicopter landing sites in the wilderness. As a test of how well it worked, Gookin hiked to a distant ridge and set up the mat.

When the others turned around and tried to spot him, it took about 30 seconds of scanning the tree line.

Then he put the mat away, hiked to another spot and took out his signaling mirror. This time, when the others turned and started glassing the ridge, they immediately called into the walkie-talkie, “Cut that crap out! You’re blinding us.”

Using a signal mirror isn’t hard, but it takes some practice, Gookin said. And like building a fire, you don’t want to be learning it under stress.

• Extend your arm and hold up two fingers.
• Put the mirror to one of your eyes, and reflect light at your finger tips.
• Use your fingers to sight and direct the light at the plane or search party.

In the plane, searchers can see glinting light from 10 miles away, geometric shapes and vehicles from a mile or two away, Gookin said. They see people and colors only when they’re right on top of them.

“Some people are big on whistles, but in the big country, a whistle is kind of a joke,” Gookin said.

The smell of smoke from fires carries a long way, and will help show searchers on the ground where you might be.

Gookin also recommends that if you’re camping near a trail, but not on the trail because it wasn’t the best place to camp, leave a marker of some kind for anyone who might hike by.

Safety tech

There’s one other great way to increase your chances of being found, Gookin said: Carry a satellite phone.

Barring a very possible technological failure, it’s the only guaranteed way to let people know you need help and to ensure that you can help them find you.

Buying a satellite phone is expensive, but there are several retailers who rent them out.

A satellite phone has one huge advantage over the cheaper GPS signaling devices. “You can order pizza on a satellite phone. Having the ability to talk to people is a whole lot better than just sending out a beep,” Gookin said.

Sheriff’s offices do not treat GPS locator signals like 911 calls, Gookin said. Because there’s no way to tell what’s wrong or why the person pushed the button, search teams do not immediately respond to every call from the devices.

If you’re going to use one, talk with family and friends before you leave. Let them know in exactly what circumstances you’ll push the button and what to do if they get the signal.

The most important thing to keep in mind with a GPS locator, satellite phone or any other safety device, is that they do not make you more safe unless you’re just as careful as you were without it, Gookin said.

Gookin cited studies that showed that when anti-lock brakes were first introduced, people who had them installed in their car were more likely to get in an accident because they drove more recklessly. The same thing has been shown to happen with guardrails and other highway safety equipment, Gookin said. According to the studies, once people realize the new addition isn’t a silver bullet, accidents come back down.

For people going into the woods, be cautious, no matter what safety equipment you’re using.

Contact Samuel J. Baldwin at samuel.baldwin@trib.com or 307-266-0524.

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