Survival Tips

Before you leave on a snowmobile trip, inform friends and/or local police of your travel plans and time of return. If an emergency situation occurs while on your trip, follow these steps:

Stay calm.
Think and decide on a plan of action. Stay together. Conserve your energy and warmth.

Check food.
Use your emergency rations.

Melt clean snow.
Quench your thirst. You can survive several days on water alone.

Make shelter.
Use your snowmobile, snow, evergreen boughs or birch bark, which are waterproof.

Build a fire.
Use ice to reflect the sun’s rays. Use engine fuel and spark, flashlight batteries and steel wool. Keep fire from wind; reflect it into the shelter.

Signal.
Use fire, smoke, whistle, flares, snowmobile and parts, or signs in the snow. Using the signals below, tramp them 100 ft long into the snow, and cast shadows with evergreen boughs. The signal will be visible from a plane.

National distress signals

I    Require doctor-serious injury
II   Require medical supplies
X   Unable to proceed
O   Need map and compass
F   Need food and water
V   Need direction to proceed
LL  All well

These are basic survival techniques. You may wish to research specific cold weather survival methods.