Self Rescue: When Staying Put to Survive Isn’t an Option

Stay or go? A fundamental precept of urban and wilderness survival is that during or after an emergency and/or survival situation, you should stay put so rescuers can find you. But what happens if that isn’t a possibility? What if a tornado or hurricane just happened, the emergency personnel are overwhelmed or non-existent, and you know there is no possibility of rescue? Or suppose an accident occurs in a remote wilderness area with no potential for a rescue? What do you do in a situation where you have to rescue yourself? How do you tell the difference? How do you make the decision to stay or go?
In this article, we look at the mental and physical processes of self-rescue.