Does anybody know of some online tips or a book with procedures for a limited backcountry search for a lost backpacker? This type of search would be while still on the backpacking trip before getting back to a trailhead to notify authorities. I've been on one trip where a person was lost, and I want to have a few guidelines to always follow to conduct a local search (within a mile or so). Thanks.

Disclaimer: I?m not a SAR professional or even a volunteer; the following is based on a bunch of books I read last year in order to teach a ?merit badge? to a group of our cadets. Please do not mistake it for an actual informed opinion (I love offering opinions on things I know nothing about <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

Check out www.nasar.org - but in general I wouldn't wait to notify the authorities if someone were lost. If you go searching on your own (because you don't want to "bother" those nice Search & Rescue people?) and you get lost yourself, then they have two searches to conduct - or perhaps none <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> In addition, a search organised by people who aren't properly trained may miss important clues, or obliterate them (it will certainly make the tracking dog's job tougher if a bunch of helpful Henry's have been traipsing through the area). Untrained searchers raised on the ?leave no trace? philosophy may unthinkingly pick up a candy wrapper that the subject has dropped without realising they?ve just destroyed a vital clue.

If you've already notified SAR, you're confident that you're adequately equipped to survive and not get lost, and time is of the essence (e.g. she's a non-smoker wearing a cotton halter top and cut-off blue jeans, and the rain is turning to wet snow) then I would stick to the paths. From what I've read on the subject, backpackers and day-trippers tend to stick to a path - at least at first. I'd look for forks in the path where they might have taken a wrong turn.

Don't forget about passive searching, either - build a signal fire and generate a nice column of smoke. Or go fly a kite, if you have one ? something bright and colourful, raised as high as you can get it. Not as effective in dense freezing rain, of course, but it won?t do any harm and might be very effective in good weather.

The National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) has more literature on this topic than you?ll likely ever want to read - most of it's not readily available from Amazon or B&N. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

In a word, don't. If a member of your party gets lost it reflects on the preparations and skill level of the group as a whole. This isn't a personal attack, just reality. The dynamics that got one lost can get would be rescuers lost too. The best bet is to stay together and get help. Of course, we have our whistle, PSK and know enough to stay put until found, don't we <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

If said backpacker is an office worker type, just put free donuts on the trail head and he/she will show up before the donuts dry out.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I agree with Chris. Don't undertake any search by yourself. Get help and stay where you can be available to the search crews when they arrive. They will have questions that only you can answer. If you are in the woods, they will have to work with limited information.

I did search and rescue in Maine for many years. There is a lot that you know, that you might not think important that IS important. Like does the lost person have any candy and if so, what type. We often look for food wrappers.

If there are many people in your party, you might have them do a "hasty" search. That means quickly check the obvious places. Walk the trails making noise and listening for a reply. But don't add to the problem by stomping off into the woods. If the probable area is small, station people at places where they can see long distances and just watch. Unless injured, most lost folks will eventually find a trail.

It is an almost overwhelming urge to dash into the woods and find a loved one. But in most circumstances you can do much more good by being available for the search crews.

Oh, and before you all leave on the trip, spend a bit of time talking about whistles. Be sure everyone has one. Probably the best single thing to help get found.

Thanks for all of the replys. I guess what I mean by search was what Nomad just mentioned as "hasty" search. Here is the story:

A trip of about 10 of us went on an overnight backpack, half of which were backpack leaders with up to 20 years experience in leading groups. After most of us went to sleep, two stayed up chatting. The weather was clear with temps reaching the upper 20's overnight. The next morning we noticed one person gone after visiting his tent to tell him what time we were breaking camp. This person was one of those that stayed up the night before. His sleeping bag was put up and his toilet paper was gone so we thought he may have gotten up early and gone to the bathroom. As time neared to break camp, we realized he wasn't coming back on his own. About 4 less experienced people went up and down the trail a half mile each way blowing whistles for about 30 minutes. Nothing. We stood around still thinking, and finally the leader with the most experience decided he would go look. He was headed down the trail, blew his storm whistle once or twice, and then in the distance we heard our friends yell for help. It gave me chills when I could clearly hear his yell. My heart sank, but at least I knew he wasn't that far away. Within a few more minutes we heard the leader searcher yell at us to start walking down the trail so two of us went down the same way until we saw them off the trail a bit. Finally, we all met up. Turns out, the person had gone to the bathroom before bed and got lost. He was out all night in 20 degree weather with no food and didn't get much sleep. I bought a storm whistle right after that trip.

I know each case can be different, but was wondering about minimal guidelines to use in case it ever happened again.

Yipes! It would be funny, if not a common mistake. I learned in arctic survival school that once bedded down to stay there. One student got lost and we were an hour finding him. I never did regain my body heat. later on excavations we devised a latrine system after yet another student went lost half the night. Designate a latrine area and deploy some chem lites from the camp to the latrine. Clean everything up before leaving.