SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/scout-lost-stop-first

The moment you think you might be lost, what should you do?

Stop immediately and get calm.

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  1. Stop immediately ✔
  2. Run toward the nearest slope
  3. Keep moving until dark

Why: Continuing blindly can make the problem larger. Scouting's STOP method begins by stopping, handling immediate danger, and calming down before choosing the next action.

Huh, didn't know that: The pamphlet suggests taking a deep breath and looking carefully at what is happening.

The dad joke
Why did the lost hiker pause? He needed a moment to get his bearings.
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References

Answer: Stop immediately. Continuing blindly can make the problem larger. Scouting's STOP method begins by stopping, handling immediate danger, and calming down before choosing the next action.

  1. Scouting America Wilderness Survival Pamphlet filestore.scouting.org/filestore/Merit_Badge_ReqandRes/Pamphlets/Wilderness%20Survival.pdf
    The moment you think you might be lost, stop immediately.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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Test yourself in the game

Outdoors & CampingIn the S-T-O-P plan for when you're lost, what does the O stand for?Outdoors & CampingYou're lost on a hiking trail. What do you do?Outdoors & CampingWhat does the Hug-a-Tree lesson teach a lost child to do?

That's stuff everyone should know.