If you get lost or your vehicle breaks down in the Gobi Desert, a desert, or any remote area, stay right where you are — near your car. First, transmit your location, then shield yourself from the sun and retain body heat, conserve water, and absolutely do not wander off.

Before entering such remote zones, inform someone of your planned route, destination, return date, as well as your vehicle’s make, model, and license plate. 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, however, is simply sticking to the rule: stay put and never leave.

The National Park Service's Mojave Desert page contains three original sentences. One is "At least 1 gallons (approximately 3.8 liters) of water per person per day; hikers and bikers 2 gallons per person per day." Another is "Tell someone your route, destination, return date, vehicle type, and license plate number." There is also a sentence stating "Cell service is intermittent." Regarding Death Valley: "Do not hike in the valley floor or at low elevations when it is hot," and wilderness areas have "almost no cell service," with a recommendation to carry a satellite phone. The original text on the Mojave desert driving page states: "In an emergency, staying with your vehicle is the most important thing you can do." The page also notes that while such incidents are uncommon, people have indeed died from exposure to extreme heat or cold while walking back to the highway. The priority is divided into five steps. The first step is to report your safety and coordinates; send your location first before calling when there is a signal. The second step is to seek shade and maintain warmth; the vehicle is your largest source of shelter. The third step is water; stay still during the day and move only when it cools down at night. The fourth step is to avoid wandering aimlessly. The fifth step is signal. The Chongqing Municipal Emergency Management Bureau advises: three piles of fire arranged in a triangle is an internationally recognized distress signal. If you are close by, shout "three short, three long, then three short," repeating every 1 minutes. When the sun is out, use bright objects like mirrors or tin can lids to reflect light. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism reminds self-driving tourists to be cautious when entering uninhabited areas, try to travel in groups of multiple vehicles, and rent satellite phones if necessary.

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 ; 重庆市应急管理局 (2024). 应急科普>>在野外你需要了解的求救信号（长图）：「燃放三堆火焰是国际通行的求救信号，将火堆摆成三角形」「三声短三声长，再三声短；间隔1分钟之后再重复」. https://yjj.cq.gov.cn/yjkp/scshaq/202409/t20240918_13639172.html ; 文化和旅游部 (2018). 文化和旅游部提醒游客谨慎选择户外探险旅游：「谨慎前往无人区和人烟稀少区」「尽量多车同行，提前准备对讲机，必要时租用卫星电话」. https://www.mct.gov.cn/zxbs/cxts/201811/t20181127_836244.htm

Reason for Class C: these are all official tips, not research data. Water intake, reporting your status, signal coverage, staying near the vehicle, and distress signals are all verbatim from official sources. The circulating 'groups of three sounds' was not found in the official text, so it has been rewritten to the official 'three fires' and 'three short, three long, three short.' Do not hike to find your way during midday. Do not drink urine. Do not refrain from drinking water just to conserve it.