Positive Mental AttitudeIf the first step was skipped (or happened to backfire, which can happen) and you find yourself in a survival situation, the first and best thing is to have a positive mental attitude. Without it, you can lose your ability to think clearly and function properly and ultimately make poor decisions, such as eating that big mushroom or drinking your own urine. The point is: Your attitude will be the deciding factor in how your unplanned camping trip unfolds and can be the one aid that helps you survive. No, you aren't going to die out here. Yes, somebody will find you soon. With this positive mental outlook you can handle the crisis with the deadpan humor of Crocodile Dundee. Remember, folks have long endured ridiculously harsh conditions, all thanks to the great tool that is positive thinking. In this day and age, you could try to get lost and would probably be found in a matter of hours. Plus, camping is fun! Remember when you would pitch that tent out behind grandma's house? Well, this is kind of like that, except there were no hungry bears out there
First Aid
Next on the list of survival priorities is first aid, which can be defined as emergency medical treatment for somebody who is ill or injured, given before more medical attention can be obtained. Translation? There are no hospitals in the woods, so if you or a member of your party is hurt, you need to take care of it-pronto! Stop the bleeding, make a splint, do whatever is needed to stabilize the situation. Remember, you may be on your own for a while, so try to make the best of it and work with what you have (that positive mental attitude comes in handy here). Being properly trained in first aid-and having the necessary supplies to deal with a problem-can help things from making that perilous jump from bad to worse. Of course, if you're simply stranded as a result of an empty gas tank, this step can be happily skipped.
Too often lost people think finding food is the most important objective and erroneously place first aid much lower on the list of survival concerns. Well, sonny, you can't find food if you're bleeding to death, so take care of that before searching for a wild Big Mac.
Shelter
In almost any outdoor environment, protection from the elements is crucial. The sun is hot, rain is cold and we humans are especially picky when it comes to being comfortable. So the next logical step after patching up your wounds is to get yourself out of the elements. If you were in a dry, desert climate, this would entail making a cover to keep your heat as low as possible. Likewise, if you are finding yourself on the tail end of a cold fall day in the mountains, you need to think about what is going to get you through the night. Staying dry is number one; if there is any chance of rain, it's good to cover up. Find a high spot of ground that won't get flooded. Place yourself in a position that makes use of a natural backstop, such as a rock, tree or even your ATV. Here, you can set up a small lean-to using sticks, rocks and other items, such as your riding jacket or, if you are prepared enough, a small tarp or emergency blanket. Pay attention to the direction of the wind and do a good enough job so you won't need to get up in the middle of the night to rebuild your "house."