SHAH ALAM, June 27 — Hikers lost in the jungle should leave “breadcrumbs” like arrows using sticks, food wrappers, or campfires to help rescuers find them, said Forestry Mountain Guides’ Association chairman Mohamad Azuan Abdullah.
He added that this could narrow the search radius and help rescuers track victims, saying the easiest way is to break twigs off trees and arrange them into arrows on the ground to show their direction of movement.
“If truly desperate, hikers could also use food wrappers or other belongings to make location markers.
“Small clues like these may seem trivial, but they could help search-and-rescue teams trace victims’ paths,” he said on Media Selangor’s Bicara Semasa segment on June 10.
Azuan advised lost hikers not to walk aimlessly as this would only expand rescuers’ search radius and complicate operations.
Besides leaving clues, he said campfires could also be used to send emergency signals to rescue teams, especially if a hiker has to spend the night in the jungle.
Azuan also recommended that hikers include lighters in their emergency kits.
“Lighters … are used to light campfires during emergencies, which could be a clue for rescue teams that there is an individual who needs help in the area,” he said.
Garbage bags most important survival tool
Azuan said plastic bags are among the most important survival tools for hikers, as they are light, easy to store, and have plenty of uses in emergency situations in the jungle.
“Garbage bags can be used to trap body heat in the cold and lower the risk of hypothermia if someone needs to spend the night in the jungle.
“They could also be made into temporary shelter during rain or in emergencies, that’s why I always remind hikers not to leave garbage bags (out of their kits),” he explained.
Azuan said many hikers focus on bigger equipment like bags, shoes, and special gear, when simple tools like plastic bags could save them.
