This article was co-authored by Britt Edelen. Britt Edelen comes to wikiHow after graduating in 2019 from Brown University, where he studied English and German literature and philosophy. While at Brown he contributed frequently to campus publications and worked in the university’s Writing Center. More recently, he has had several articles published in various journals devoted to literary criticism. At wikiHow, Britt supervises and collaborates with writers and editors to continue producing high-quality content and promote wikiHow’s mission of enabling everyone to learn anything. This article has been viewed 1,376,561 times.

X

Being lost in the woods is frightening, but you can improve your odds of staying safe by keeping calm and finding water, food, and shelter. Staying hydrated is key to survival, so locate a source of drinking water, such as a stream or river, rainwater that you can collect in a container or tarp, or snow that you can melt and drink. If you don’t have a tent, protect yourself from the elements by building a lean-to out of branches and leaves. You’ll also need food, so look for safe things to eat, such as edible wild berries, dandelion leaves, or even insect larvae. Just take care to avoid eating plants or mushrooms you don’t recognize, since some species are toxic. For more advice, including how to start a fire when you’re lost in the woods, keep reading!