Qingming Outing Season | How to have fun in the wild safely? Check out these emergency tips!

Audit expert: Luo Huachun

Editor-in-Chief of Cities and Disaster Reduction

The willows are swaying in the spring , and it is Qingming Festival again

Qingming Festival, also known as the Outing Festival, is a time of bright sunshine, budding grass and flowers, and a vibrant scene in nature. People go outings, enjoy flowers in the mountains, and go on picnics to feel the vitality brought by spring. Although outdoor adventures are full of fun, risks are everywhere. Make full preparations in advance, learn and master the knowledge of outdoor adventures, explore more natural mysteries, and make adventures safer.

How to tell the direction

When we are lost in the wild, for example, on a deserted trail with no people or roads, and have no access to navigation, positioning, or trails, how do we determine the direction?

01

Harnessing the Sun

In winter, the sunrise is south-east and the sunset is west-south; in summer, the sunrise is north-east and the sunset is northwest-west; around the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the sun rises due east and sets due west.

Source: Internet

02

Using the stars

Aim for the North Star. In the dark night, we first look for the spoon-shaped Big Dipper. If we extend the distance between the two stars on the handle of the spoon by five times, we can find the North Star on this straight line. The direction of the North Star is due north.

Source: Internet

03

Using terrain features to determine direction

Large, isolated trees usually have dense branches and leaves and smooth bark on the south side, and sparse branches and rough bark on the north side. The northern edge of a clearing in a forest has denser grass. The annual rings of a stump section are generally larger in the south and smaller in the north.

Source: Internet

Basic survival skills

When you are traveling in the wild and exploring the mysteries of nature, danger may be approaching quietly, and wilderness survival skills are particularly important.

01

Build a Fire

At least two fire sources should be prepared for outdoor activities, one that you can carry with you and the other that you can put in your outdoor adventure equipment. When making a fire, you should save fuel and only let the end of the large wood touch the flame. Push it in a little when you need to add fuel. It should be noted that when making a fire, do not ignite the surrounding area, and make sure the fire is completely extinguished when leaving.

Source: Internet

02

Water and food

No matter where you go hiking or exploring, you must bring enough food and water to better cope with emergencies. The human body needs to replenish water in time, but the water in the wild cannot be drunk directly. It needs to be purified before drinking. The best way to purify water is to boil it.

Source: Internet

03

Annunciator

Fire, flashlights, brightly colored markings, flags, mirrors, and whistles can all signal the outside world. At night, you can use an emergency flashlight; during the day, you can create smoke to attract attention. In open areas, you can use rocks, wood, or colored cloth to form an SOS distress signal.

Source: Internet

Wilderness first aid knowledge

Wilderness adventures are full of uncertainties. Once someone is injured, the situation may worsen if it is not handled scientifically and promptly. This is where wilderness first aid knowledge comes in handy.

01

Skin damage and bleeding

Wipe the wound with a clean wet tissue or water, disinfect it with iodine or alcohol in time, apply anti-inflammatory ointment, and then bandage it.

02

Sprains, dislocations, fractures

If there is a wound with exposed bones, you can wrap the wound with hard and thick objects to reduce the chance of the wound being infected by the outside world. Once a limb is fractured, the fractured part needs to be fixed. A broken foot can be fixed to another foot, and a broken hand can be fixed to the chest, a hard wooden board, etc.

Source: Internet

03

Being stabbed by a sharp object

If you are stabbed by a nail, wooden thorn, stone or other sharp object, squeeze the wound hard to squeeze out a small amount of blood and expel bacteria to prevent infection. If wooden thorns, bamboo thorns or other foreign objects are trapped under the skin, you can apply ice to make the skin feel slightly numb, then use a sterilized needle to gently pry open the skin, and then use sterilized tweezers to remove the foreign object. If you are stabbed by glass fragments or a nail is broken in the wound, do not treat it yourself, but go to the hospital immediately for treatment.

Source: Internet

It should be noted that if the injury is serious and you are unable to handle it yourself, you should terminate the outdoor adventure in time, seek medical attention immediately, or call emergency hotlines such as 120 and wait for rescue.

Accompanied by the gentle spring breeze, take advantage of the Qingming holiday to get close to nature and feel nature. While pursuing freedom and excitement, we must take safety as the premise, not blindly explore, make adequate preparations, master skills and then set off!