If lost or stranded in the Gobi Desert, a desert, or any remote area, stay put next to your vehicle. First, transmit your location, then shield yourself from the sun and retain body heat, conserve water, and avoid wandering off.

27. If lost or stranded in the Gobi Desert, a desert, or any remote area, stay put next to your vehicle. First, transmit your location, then shield yourself from the sun and retain body heat, conserve water, and avoid wandering off.

Cost: Before venturing into such areas, inform someone of your planned route, destination, return date, vehicle type, and license plate number. You’ll need at least 4 liters of water per person per day. Satellite communicators or BeiDou short-message devices cost thousands of yuan; rental fees range from several hundred yuan per use. The real challenge is simply remembering to stay put and not wander away.

In plain terms: Stay right where you are, preferably next to your vehicle — it serves as the best shelter from the sun. The proper sequence is: if you have a signal, send your location first and then make a call; next, shield yourself from the sun and retain body heat; then conserve water by staying motionless during the day and only moving after nightfall when it cools down; avoid wandering off; finally, use reflective surfaces, smoke, or three fire piles to signal for help. Be sure to share your route, destination, return date, vehicle type, and license plate details with someone before you depart.

Benefit: The National Park Service’s Mojave Desert page lists three key statements: “Each person needs at least 1 gallon (roughly 3.8 liters) of water daily; hikers and cyclists require 2 gallons per day.” “Tell someone about your planned route, destination, return date, vehicle type, and license plate number.” “Cell service is intermittent.” Death Valley’s guidance advises: “Avoid hiking in the valley floor or at low elevations during peak heat,” while other wilderness areas note “virtually no cell coverage” and recommend bringing a satellite phone. The Mojave driving guide explicitly states: “In an emergency, staying next to your vehicle is the single most important action you can take.” It also notes that such incidents are rare, yet some people still perish from heat exposure or cold after attempting to walk back to a road. These recommendations are organized into five priority steps: first, transmit a status update and coordinates; second, shield yourself from the sun and retain body heat; third, conserve water by staying still during daylight and moving only after nightfall; fourth, avoid wandering off; fifth, attempt to signal for help. The Chongqing Emergency Management Bureau adds that three fire piles arranged in a triangle constitute an internationally recognized distress signal; if rescuers are nearby, shout “three short bursts, three long bursts, then three short bursts” and repeat every minute. On sunny days, reflective objects such as mirrors or tin cans can also be used to attract attention. Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism cautions independent drivers against venturing into remote zones; it advises traveling in groups and renting a satellite phone if necessary.

Evidence grade: C

Sources: US National Park Service. Mojave National Preserve Safety. <https://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/safety.htm>; US National Park Service. Death Valley Safety. <https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/safety.htm>; US National Park Service. Desert Driving Safety. <https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/desertdrivingsafety.htm>; Chongqing Emergency Management Bureau (2024). Emergency Science >> What you need to know about distress signals in the wild (long picture): "Set three piles of flames is an internationally accepted distress signal. Arrange the fires in a triangle." "Three short beeps, three long beeps, and three short beeps; repeat after an interval of 1 minute." <https://yjj.cq.gov.cn/yjkp/scshaq/202409/t20240918_13639172.html>; Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2018). The Ministry of Culture and Tourism reminds tourists to choose outdoor adventure tourism carefully: "Be careful when going to uninhabited areas and sparsely populated areas" and "try to travel with as many vehicles as possible, prepare walkie-talkies in advance, and rent satellite phones if necessary." <https://www.mct.gov.cn/zxbs/cxts/201811/t20181127_836244.htm>

Notes: This C rating reflects that these recommendations stem from official guidelines rather than empirical research data. The recommended water intake levels, mandatory reporting procedures, known signal coverage patterns, the directive to remain near one’s vehicle, and the prescribed distress signals all originate directly from official sources. The commonly cited “three short bursts, three long bursts, then three short bursts” phrase could not be verified in any official documentation; consequently, it has been replaced with the officially endorsed method of deploying three fire piles and repeating the three-short-three-long-three-short pattern. Additionally, it is vital to avoid hiking in search of help during midday heat, never drink urine, and under no circumstances withhold water intake merely to conserve supplies.