Domain

Explanation

Wilderness?

• Places of dense foliage, remoteness, desolation & danger
• These are often forests, jungles, nature reserves, national parks and vast geographical landscapes where people hike & sometimes get lost

Lost?

• Being put or gradually succumbing to unfamiliar circumstances like environment, weather, people & emotions
• Physically lost when 1) lost track of original route such that back-tracking is forgotten, 2) no reference to familiar settings possible due to lack of equipment (compass & maps), skills (navigation, environmental bonds) or experience (familiarity)
• The feeling of getting & being lost is the result of the disparity between the actual world (through the senses) and the mental model (relative perception - I think)

Lost in the woods?

• Dense vegetation - its density, humility, remoteness & darkness can be overbearing, even to the experts
• As attested by the participants of Eco-challenge - the world's toughest expedition race
• People who are lost in the wilderness often suffer woods shock (an emotional equivalent of the first aid condition - shock) - a complete loss of spatial orientation
• Can you tell the landscape of the vicinity? The highs (hills, cliffs, slopes)? The lows (valleys, holes, tunnels)?
• Can you visualize the form of the land? The vegetation (types, shape, color, texture, density, formation, even tastes)? The sounds (animals, trees, water, the weather)? The nature (sun, moon, stars, clouds, faraway mountains or ridges)?
• Can you feel the land (type of soil, sands, rocks, color, mixture, strength / softness, dampness)? Do you recognize anything (the dangling roots, the birds' nests, the fruits, flowers, any objects)?

Analysis of lost person behaviour

• A 1976 book by the late William G. Syrotuck
• Studied the behaviour of lost people in the wilderness of which 11% were fatalities
• 3/4 of the fatalities occur within the first 48 hours (reminds me of the TV show of the same name)
• Kenneth Hill of St. Mary's University
• Being lost, especially the feeling of it, is due to faculty mental model that is different from the sensed - relative & wrong orientation
• He identified 5 critical stages in the development of lost behaviour

1. Denial of disorientation - I can still find my way (death: denial)
2. Admit lost & panics - I'm afraid I'm really lost (death: anger)
3. Calm down & plans strategy - settle down & think (death: bargaining)
4. Deteriorate mentally & physically - I'm getting weaker & hopeless (death: depression)
5. Resign to your plight - I'm finished (death: acceptance)

Implications of the lost mentality

• These 5 stages can occur chronologically, simultaneously or cyclically
• But in general, these stages would always occur & can be identified
• Once identified & aware, remedy can be administered
• Note that the mentality of being lost (I feel lost) and actually being lost (This person is lost) are different - the former internal, the latter external
• A person is truly lost when both internal & external situations are lost
• For each stage of lost, a remedy can be sought:

1. Denial: stop wherever you are & whatever you are doing, calm down & back-track (if you recognize or have left markers - torn leaves, bark markings, shoe prints, water)
2. Panic: would panic help? Calm down, sing/hymn, promote your inner instincts, don't suppress anything
3. Planning: this works if there are not too many uncertainties which is of course rare when being lost; so stop planning & start observing - use STOP: stop, think, observe & plan
4. Deterioration: settle down comfortably, treat any wounds, seek shelter & protection, drink & eat if possible (those lost are rarely starved to death)
5. Resignation: will yourself firm & flexible, breathe calmly, go into active-passiveness & survival by surrender (Debbie Kiley, 1982)

Survival tips

• 7 pointers have been put forward for survival robustness:

1. Positive mental attitude - think of the more unfortunate (Eric Weihenmayer scaled Everest summit in 2001)
2. First aid: treat any injuries sustained & protect yourself
3. Shelter: tent + sleeping bag + sheets + cord, outdoor makeshift shelter, site
4. Fire: make a small, dry clearing (beware of rhinos which rush to step out fires), waterproof matches, lighters
5. Signaling: whistle (std. 3 blows - remember Rose in Titanic), fire with damp leaves for heavy smoke (like starting a forest fire), mirror (long distance visibility), site
6. Water: drink water & don't sweat (means calm down), find clean streams, ponds, rock pockets, damp leaves, dews & fruits (use cleansing tablets)
7. Food: bring food for 3 days, fish + gear, insects (like slug, worms) < 6 legs for proteins & fat, site

Surviving

• Studies clearly indicate that kids (<6 years) are the most robust in survival
• They think less
• They make themselves feel & stay comfortable - drink when thirsty, eat when hungry, hide when frightened, curl when cold, sleep when tired
• They maintain their basic instincts - the animal bond with the wilderness environment (remember the jungle books)
• Avoid the do-nothing sickness - burabura, persists in doing nothing
• During the journey (before lost), stop frequently & periodically to observe & bond with the surrounding sights, smells & sounds along the way
• Follow the Australian Aborigines - songlines, sing/hymn rthymically (they never need compass & maps, do they?)
• Never venture beyond your safety boundary - unless with contingencies
• Note that prevention is forever better than cure