u/frogman2ncd

Saw a post today about "have you ever had someone dissapear from your life and what happened" kind of post and it made me think about something I've done most of my life since the Aaron Ralston (might have the name mixed up but dude who cut off his arm) incident. An easy way to let people know how to find you whether backpacking, camping, or hunting.

Communication is KEY! I put all of this information out via text and on a notecard that goes on the dashboard of my car.

1. My name (with phone number and home address on back)
2. What I'm wearing and what clothes I have with me (including color of my backpack, tent, jacket, etc)
3. WherebI plan to be, or might go on foot and how far I could realistically travel in a given time period given the terrain (ex. Likely to not travel more than 2-4 miles per hour in given terrain)
4. What time I expect to return with a backstop of time where I might be late but things could have gone wrong (ex. Due back at 1500, with a hard return time of nightfall or 2100)
5. Who to notify first in case I am missing (my wife or parent with contact info on back of card)
6. Who is most likely to come assist in searching for me (usually someone who knows the area, knows where I'd go, or is closest to come help with contact info on back of card)
7. Who else needs to know so they can help organize additional resources (with name and info on back of card) The other important key here is to stick to what you have written down and if lost, STOP! TAKE A BREATH, AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND BE FOUND RELATIVELY SAFELY.

You are singlehandedly your own best chance at getting found. Don't make it harder for a search party to find you and protect yourself as much as possible.

If you have any other advice, include them in the comments and if you have any personal experiences that you believe are worth mentioning, please let others know so that maybe we have fewer people becoming just a statistic or another missing person.

Edit** not too proud to admit that I'm a white dude with very little concern about letting random people know who I am and where I am. In addition I generally go to very rural areas where people aren't likely to break in. I also drive old POS vehicles and I don't leave valuables in them. Don't do things you're not comfortable with, and you definitely don't have to do exactly what my advice is to a letter. Be safe, have a plan, and let someone know where you are. YMMV

Saw a post today about "have you ever had someone dissapear from your life and what happened" kind of post and it made me think about something I've done most of my life since the Aaron Ralston (might have the name mixed up but dude who cut off his arm) incident. An easy way to let people know how to find you whether backpacking, camping, or hunting.

Communication is KEY! I put all of this information out via text and on a notecard that goes on the dashboard of my car.

1. My name (with phone number and home address on back)
2. What I'm wearing and what clothes I have with me (including color of my backpack, tent, jacket, etc)
3. WherebI plan to be, or might go on foot and how far I could realistically travel in a given time period given the terrain (ex. Likely to not travel more than 2-4 miles per hour in given terrain)
4. What time I expect to return with a backstop of time where I might be late but things could have gone wrong (ex. Due back at 1500, with a hard return time of nightfall or 2100)
5. Who to notify first in case I am missing (my wife or parent with contact info on back of card)
6. Who is most likely to come assist in searching for me (usually someone who knows the area, knows where I'd go, or is closest to come help with contact info on back of card)
7. Who else needs to know so they can help organize additional resources (with name and info on back of card) The other important key here is to stick to what you have written down and if lost, STOP! TAKE A BREATH, AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND BE FOUND RELATIVELY SAFELY.

You are singlehandedly your own best chance at getting found. Don't make it harder for a search party to find you and protect yourself as much as possible.

If you have any other advice, include them in the comments and if you have any personal experiences that you believe are worth mentioning, please let others know so that maybe we have fewer people becoming just a statistic or another missing person.

Edit** not too proud to admit that I'm a white dude with very little concern about letting random people know who I am and where I am. In addition I generally go to very rural areas where people aren't likely to break in. I also drive old POS vehicles and I don't leave valuables in them. Don't do things you're not comfortable with, and you definitely don't have to do exactly what my advice is to a letter. Be safe, have a plan, and let someone know where you are. YMMV

Saw a post today about "have you ever had someone dissapear from your life and what happened" kind of post and it made me think about something I've done most of my life since the Aaron Ralston (might have the name mixed up but dude who cut off his arm) incident. An easy way to let people know how to find you whether backpacking, camping, or hunting.

Communication is KEY! I put all of this information out via text and on a notecard that goes on the dashboard of my car.

1. My name (with phone number and home address on back)
2. What I'm wearing and what clothes I have with me (including color of my backpack, tent, jacket, etc)
3. WherebI plan to be, or might go on foot and how far I could realistically travel in a given time period given the terrain (ex. Likely to not travel more than 2-4 miles per hour in given terrain)
4. What time I expect to return with a backstop of time where I might be late but things could have gone wrong (ex. Due back at 1500, with a hard return time of nightfall or 2100)
5. Who to notify first in case I am missing (my wife or parent with contact info on back of card)
6. Who is most likely to come assist in searching for me (usually someone who knows the area, knows where I'd go, or is closest to come help with contact info on back of card)
7. Who else needs to know so they can help organize additional resources (with name and info on back of card) The other important key here is to stick to what you have written down and if lost, STOP! TAKE A BREATH, AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND BE FOUND RELATIVELY SAFELY.

You are singlehandedly your own best chance at getting found. Don't make it harder for a search party to find you and protect yourself as much as possible.

If you have any other advice, include them in the comments and if you have any personal experiences that you believe are worth mentioning, please let others know so that maybe we have fewer people becoming just a statistic or another missing person.

Edit** not too proud to admit that I'm a white dude with very little concern about letting random people know who I am and where I am. In addition I generally go to very rural areas where people aren't likely to break in. I also drive old POS vehicles and I don't leave valuables in them. Don't do things you're not comfortable with, and you definitely don't have to do exactly what my advice is to a letter. Be safe, have a plan, and let someone know where you are. YMMV

Saw a post today about "have you ever had someone dissapear from your life and what happened" kind of post and it made me think about something I've done most of my life since the Aaron Ralston (might have the name mixed up but dude who cut off his arm) incident. An easy way to let people know how to find you whether backpacking, camping, or hunting.

Communication is KEY! I put all of this information out via text and on a notecard that goes on the dashboard of my car.

1. My name (with phone number and home address on back)
2. What I'm wearing and what clothes I have with me (including color of my backpack, tent, jacket, etc)
3. WherebI plan to be, or might go on foot and how far I could realistically travel in a given time period given the terrain (ex. Likely to not travel more than 2-4 miles per hour in given terrain)
4. What time I expect to return with a backstop of time where I might be late but things could have gone wrong (ex. Due back at 1500, with a hard return time of nightfall or 2100)
5. Who to notify first in case I am missing (my wife or parent with contact info on back of card)
6. Who is most likely to come assist in searching for me (usually someone who knows the area, knows where I'd go, or is closest to come help with contact info on back of card)
7. Who else needs to know so they can help organize additional resources (with name and info on back of card) The other important key here is to stick to what you have written down and if lost, STOP! TAKE A BREATH, AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND BE FOUND RELATIVELY SAFELY.

You are singlehandedly your own best chance at getting found. Don't make it harder for a search party to find you and protect yourself as much as possible.

If you have any other advice, include them in the comments and if you have any personal experiences that you believe are worth mentioning, please let others know so that maybe we have fewer people becoming just a statistic or another missing person.

Edit** not too proud to admit that I'm a white dude with very little concern about letting random people know who I am and where I am. In addition I generally go to very rural areas where people aren't likely to break in. I also drive old POS vehicles and I don't leave valuables in them. Don't do things you're not comfortable with, and you definitely don't have to do exactly what my advice is to a letter. Be safe, have a plan, and let someone know where you are. YMMV

Saw a post today about "have you ever had someone dissapear from your life and what happened" kind of post and it made me think about something I've done most of my life since the Aaron Ralston (might have the name mixed up but dude who cut off his arm) incident. An easy way to let people know how to find you whether backpacking, camping, or hunting.

Communication is KEY! I put all of this information out via text and on a notecard that goes on the dashboard of my car.

1. My name (with phone number and home address on back)
2. What I'm wearing and what clothes I have with me (including color of my backpack, tent, jacket, etc)
3. WherebI plan to be, or might go on foot and how far I could realistically travel in a given time period given the terrain (ex. Likely to not travel more than 2-4 miles per hour in given terrain)
4. What time I expect to return with a backstop of time where I might be late but things could have gone wrong (ex. Due back at 1500, with a hard return time of nightfall or 2100)
5. Who to notify first in case I am missing (my wife or parent with contact info on back of card)
6. Who is most likely to come assist in searching for me (usually someone who knows the area, knows where I'd go, or is closest to come help with contact info on back of card)
7. Who else needs to know so they can help organize additional resources (with name and info on back of card) The other important key here is to stick to what you have written down and if lost, STOP! TAKE A BREATH, AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND BE FOUND RELATIVELY SAFELY.

You are singlehandedly your own best chance at getting found. Don't make it harder for a search party to find you and protect yourself as much as possible.

If you have any other advice, include them in the comments and if you have any personal experiences that you believe are worth mentioning, please let others know so that maybe we have fewer people becoming just a statistic or another missing person.