Signaling for Help

Sometimes (perhaps more often than not) in a survival situation you will want to signal for help. You want others find you and rescuers to come to your aid. There are several ways to signal for help, and if you are going to venture into the wilderness you should be sure to have some type of emergency signal available.

In cases where you believe that there will be an air search, find an open area and lay out ground to air signals. Ground to air signals are simple geometric figures intended for use by personnel with a downed aircraft to signal other aircraft as to their condition and needs.

These signals can be laid out with any material that contrasts with the surrounding ground cover.

VS17/GVX Signal Panel Markers are designed to be highly visible from the air, and can be used to mark your location. The orange side of the panel is easiest to see from the air. Flashing (opening and closing the panel rapidly) is easier to spot than the static panel. The signal panel can also be tied to a long stick and waved like a flag to attract attention.

  

A Cyalume ChemLight tied to a cord and swung in a circle makes a visible signal at night.

A signal mirror is an essential item that allows you to signal for help whenever the sun is up.

Search and rescue won’t always have access to aircraft, and even when aircraft are available to aid in the search, rescuers will have to make their way to you over ground in many cases. A signal whistle helps rescuers locate you, and can be heard at a distance of a few hundred meters, or perhaps even a couple of kilometers depending on terrain. I personally like the Fox Sonik Blast whistle, but any loud whistle will serve the same purpose.

The military surplus 26.5mm Flare Pistol is a good signal device, although perhaps a bit bulky for carrying on a day hike. Still with daytime smoke, and nighttime flare signals, the flare pistol is something worth considering.

It is interesting to note that inserts / adapters can be purchased for the 26.5mm Flare Pistol to allow it to fire .22LR, .38 Special, and 410 shotgun shells. Neither the flare pistol nor the adapters are by themselves considered firearms, so they can often be shipped right to your door.  There is also a 12-gauge adapter for the 26.5mm flare pistol, but this is intended for use with 12-gauge flares. 12-gauge shotgun shells cannot be safely fired using these adapters.

If the flare pistol is too large and bulky to carry with you, you can always opt for smaller pen flares. These flares are much smaller than the 26.5mm flares, and thus produce a smaller signal, but they can still be useful to attract the attention of rescuers. Many different types of flares are available from companies like Orion Signals.

Although designed as a roadside emergency signal, emergency disc lights are small and light enough to be included as a signal in most packs. Visible at night for several kilometers, and lasting several hours on a single set of batteries these lights can continue to signal for help throughout the night while you get some rest.

You can also set up a fire to be used as a signal. During the day, you want a fire that produces a lot of smoke, and at night you want a large bright flame that can be seen from a distance. Survival Russia has a good YouTube video on how to build a signal fire.

If you find that you must signal for help, using more than one type of signal improves your chances of being found. Sweeping the horizon with your signal mirror throughout the day, using your whistle to attract the attention of rescuers in the area, having a signal fire prepared, and having ground to air signals laid out during the day all work to make your location more visible to others.  Of course, no signal is of any value if nobody sees or hears it. Therefore, if you are going into a remote or wilderness area, make sure that you let someone know where you plan to be, and when  they should expect your return. If you have not returned or made contact be a specific time, a search and rescue team should be sent out to find you.