(Photo: Ultimate Survival Technologies) 
 
 Would you know what to do if you stumbled off a hiking trail or found yourself without clean water? 
 
 Many people who find themselves in survival situations often make fatal errors before they even leave their homes, according to survival expert Creek Stewart. 
 
 "One of the most important survival skills anyone can do, is something you do before you go out," Stewart said. "Tell at least three people where you are going and when to expect you back. I can't tell you how often survival circumstances are worsened because no one knows people are missing." 
 
 Stewart, is the host of the new Weather Channel show SOS: How to Survive, which takes viewers through real stories of people struggling to survive, and what they could have done differently. 
 
 Stewart notes that while it's human nature to want to "self-rescue" or continue walking to try to find help, people have the best chance of survival if they stay put and wait for help to come to them. 
 
 "When you realize you are lost or in a survival scenario, stay put and deal with immediate survival priorities — fire, shelter, water and wait for rescue." 
 
 When it comes to an anticipating a survival situation, people should plan on having three items with them when they go into the wilderness, he said. (Note: This could change depending on region and season) 
 
 1. Something to start a fire 
 
 Stewart said people can purchase an inexpensive fire starting tool, which can be carried in a backpack or pant pocket. He said another trick is bringing something that will help get the fire started. 
 
 "You can use cotton balls covered in petroleum jelly as a fire starter," he said. "They are water resistant and will start a fire with just a spark." 
 
 2. A water filtration device 
 
 Whether it's a canteen that can be used to boil water, or a water filtration device, you should always be prepared to purify water. 
 
 Stewart recommends a $20 Lifestraw, which "can be struck into the nastiest, muddiest pool of water you can find and you suck the water out like a straw." 
 
 Sounds gross, right? It could save your life, he said. 
 
 "I always say: you stake your life on your water source," he said. "If you are in a bad situation and drink, you take the risk of drinking wild water that has microbiological organisms that can quickly kill you." 
 
 3. A tarp or way to protect yourself from weather 
 
 Stewart said the third item varies, but he would recommend a tarp, or something that can be used to build a shelter. 
 
 He notes that while many people might think they should bring food in lieu of an item like a water purifying device, they're making a huge mistake. 
 
 "Everyone gets really worked up about food, but the human body is designed to last a long time without food. It's on the bottom of the list when it comes to survival priorities," he said. 
 
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 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2xsaLA6 ||||| SOS: How to Survive 
 
 "SOS: How to Survive" presents gripping true stories of people who suddenly find themselves in a life and death battle with the elements. Survival expert Creek Stewart and his team show viewers innovative skills that teach us how to make it out alive. "SOS: How to Survive" premieres Sunday, August 20 at 8 p.m. ET on The Weather Channel. ||||| Ask Me Anything: Creek Stewart, TV Survival Guru 
 
 When not hosting his show Fat Guys in the Woods (where he teaches MacGyver tricks to couch potatoes), Creek Stewart runs Willow Haven Outdoor, a survivalist school in Anderson, and chooses tools to include in the Apocabox, a subscription service. He’s currently filming the second season of his Weather Channel reality show. 
 
 Why pick on fat guys? 
 
 The name is a little outrageous. When I heard it, my gut reaction was, “Oh, great, another train-wreck survival show.” But it’s the opposite of that. It’s about guys who are at a point in their lives where they want to make a positive change. 
 
 You’ve been called the “Fabio of the forest.” Does your long hair serve a survival purpose? 
 
 I do use it to insulate my neck. If you can control the temperature of your neck in cold weather, you can pretty much control the temperature of your whole body. 
 
 What would be in a Snowpocabox? 
 
 A Mylar survival blanket, a metal canteen for gathering and boiling water, a disposable Bic lighter, and cotton balls and petroleum jelly for tinder. 
 
 Is it really not okay to eat the yellow snow? 
 
 It really isn’t. There’s a survival myth that you can drink your pee. But your pee is high in sodium, which will make you dehydrate faster. 
 
 Your slogan is “Remember, it’s not if, but when.” Do you really believe that? 
 
 I do. I got into this not because of aliens or zombies, but because of real disasters that happen on a regular basis.
– Survival expert Creek Stewart has been called "Fabio of the forest," a nickname that he seemed unbothered by in a 2015 interview with Indianapolis Monthly. "I do use [my hair] to insulate my neck. If you can control the temperature of your neck in cold weather, you can pretty much control the temperature of your whole body." It's one of a litany of survival tips Stewart has—tips he shares on his latest Weather Channel show, SOS: How to Survive, in which he explores actual survival stories and explains what people could have done differently. In interviews with USA Today and Outdoor Living, he gives advice on what you should do from the outset to give yourself the best shot at survival should something go wrong in an outdoors situation. We round up 5 tips: Speak up: "So many of the stories we studied" had this mistake "in common," Stewart says: Tell at least three people where you're headed and your return ETA so the fact that you're missing is noticed quickly. Be fire-ready: "Everyone must regulate core body temperature, stay hydrated, and eventually eat food in order to survive. Fire can help facilitate all three of those." Purchase a cheap fire-starting tool and pack what he calls the best tinder: petroleum jelly-covered cotton balls. Realize the importance of water: "I always say: you stake your life on your water source," and realize that you can survive far longer without food than water. His pick: a $20 Lifestraw, which provides drinkable water even when stuck in "the nastiest, muddiest" water. Carry shelter: In the form of a tarp and 50 feet of paracord. Dress smartly: Consider temps during the day and night when getting dressed, as well as the weather the area you're heading into can experience.