(3) - Priorities
Let's assume that you are alone on Dartmoor. It's getting towards the end of the day, maybe you're lost, or your target destination is too far away to make it safely. Naturally, you have briefed someone beforehand about where you are, where you are going, and what time you expect to report in - haven't you? What are the basic needs?
 It sounds obvious, but it's well worth making sure you understand the priorities. The first tip to surviving in a hostile situation is remain calm. Think about the survival stresses you may feel, they are:
- Fear and anxiety
- Pain, illness or injury
- Cold and/or heat
- Thirst, hunger, fatigue
- Sleep deprivation
- Boredom
- Loneliness and isolation
Once you recognise you may have or feel any or all of the above, half the battle is won. Plan everything and leave nothing to chance.
First, find somewhere to camp out for the night. Trees are a great source or firewood, shelter and food (squirrels live in them and birds perch on them!). If you are caught in a thunderstorm stay away from tall trees! Choose a camping area on the edge of the tree line as this will afford you some protection plus you can still see the area around you. If you have a tent, put this up first. Get everything into the dry, sit down and plan your next move.
Getting out of the cold wind is vital, especially if the air temperature is dropping dramatically or it is snowing. The wind chill factor should be borne in mind whenever the temperature approaches or drops below freezing or you are wet. A wind chill factor table can be found at the end of these notes which demonstrates the effect of wind on your core temperature.
The priorities are listed above and it's always a good idea to get all the gear you are carrying out in front of you -
- To familiarise yourself with what you have available.
- Make sure everything works.
- Everything that needs to be dry, is dry.
- It gives you something to do till the rain stops!
(4) - Water
 You can live for many days without food, but not very long without water, about 3 days is average before things start to go seriously wrong, so conserve what you have. If you have only one or two bottles of water, consider a rain trap outside the tent which can simply be hole dug into the ground and lined with your marker sheet. Rain water is normally perfectly okay to drink - don't forget to top up your bottle!
There are many other ways of obtaining water, and we will cover these on another occasion. However, there are golden rules about the intake of fluids -
 NEVER, EVER DRINK ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
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- Salt water (sea water)
- Alcohol (it's not true that drinking brandy warms you up!)
- Ice or snow
- Urine
- Stagnant water
- Water collected from a source that is un-boiled and/or un-purified unless there is no other option.
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(5) - What's Next?
 A fire has one of the best moral boosting effects you can think of. Not only can you cook you rations on it, ward of nosy animals, and keep you warm, but it is one of the best ways of being seen, day or night. During the day have plenty of green vegetation to hand as this turns smoke from the fire into a dense grey plume which can be seen for miles. Make sure it isn't too wet!
Keep the fire close to your tent, but not too close - be aware that your tent is probably made of nylon and burns easily. Watch out for sparks especially from damp wood.
If you don't have a tent there are many ways to form a shelter. Your marker sheet can be made into shelter quickly and easily. The more elaborate the shelter, the longer it's going to take you to make, plus additional skills may be needed to put it all together.
If you anticipate staying out just one night, or it's getting late (and dark), a quick shelter made from a groundsheet, poncho or marker sheet will suffice.
If you have the time (and skills), one of the best shelters to make is the open lean-to shelter. This not only provides a shelter from the elements, but ensure that you can see all around you (and possible rescuers approaching) whilst still staying warm, dry and safe.
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