Unless you are not planning to come back any time soon. In that case, leave a general itinerary, including a rough plan saying what you are doing and why you are out there. And ALWAYS carry a topo map and compass. Then make it a habit to mark your location every time you stop for a break, lunch or to relieve yourself. If you do that, you will always know approximately how far you are from where you should be. (Yes, you can use your GPS to find your location on the map. It's not cheating.)
And who to contact if you don't come back. Also provide this person with a map of the area you will be in. And check the weather before you go out, so you can dress right. And when and if you get lost SIT down! Before you get lost even more. I used to teach survival back in the early 80's to boy scouts. Long before GPS and Cell phones. That's my two cents worth..
GPS is a joke where I live. Nothing works except the sun and stars. As a kid we rode horses out toward Mt. St. Helens. What we learned to do at a very young age was look back every so often because the trail doesn't look the same at all going the other direction. We would note odd trees, rocks, berries we ate, Y's in the trail and creeks we crossed. I also learned to tell the time of day by always knowing north and the shadows on the ground, and at night by the stars and the dew point of the morning. I still practice these things almost 50 years later and I have yet to be lost. Best advice I ever got was take a second to pay attention and make a mental note. It only takes a second and it has always worked. Good luck and happy trails!
The cool thing about way point markers is that if you need to travel even farther, you set up a second one where you can still see the first one...then walk from that one and set up a third one. As long as you can see one marker from the distance of the next one, you can walk as far as you need to, then just gather them all back up as you follow them back to your first one. Like a trail of bread crumbs. Also good for when you're exploring and want to make sure you can still find camp.
Very funny reply about talk politics possibly true! Seriously though , very good advice. I have been lost when younger, misplaced, very good video very good advice.
I know it sounds stupid but one of these can make where you went so much easier to find. An arrow or spots on trees or small rocks on the ground. If you spray a tree find one on the ground . not on live trees if possible. Only for emergency use. Dont leave arrows and dots all over the forest.
Just thought of this, but I wonder if it would help to turn around and take a photo w your phone. At some point I would think you may have some landmarkers that you could match up?? Not saying it's full-proof, just saying.
Another good video and one that reminds me of a story from back in the mid 70s when there was an article in our local newspaper (Thunder Bay, ONT.) which went along these lines: A middle aged couple were out harvesting berries in the forest (and we're talking dense herb and shrub layers here). They drove along a forest track and parked up their car, each taking a basket off on either side of the track. After about 30 minutes the wife called out to her husband - no reply. She called again - nothing. She sounded the horn of their car - still nothing. By now it was starting to get dark - (we're talking mid-Fall) so she tied a scarf to a bush (your waypoint marker) and drove straight to the town police. By the time they got back to the spot it was too dark to search so they scheduled a restart at first light. Next morning they put up a plane and prepared to start bush whacking but the pilot could see a thin pencil of smoke breaking through the canopy - it was the husband and he was nearly a MILE away from the track. His story: once they'd parked up he'd seen some decent berries growing not too far from the car so headed over to them. Then he saw some better ones over there, and even better ones over . . . Before he knew it he was completely disoriented. He DID hear the car horn some time later but couldn't figure out in which direction. His best guess was a wrong one and he wandered deeper and deeper into the bush before he eventually sat down in the lee of some rocks, (your pause for reflection and admitting he was lost), had a think and decided to stay put (your staying calm) and set a small fire before it got too dark (getting comfortable). Fortunately he was wearing a thick Makinaw shirt and wasn't too uncomfortable and actually got some sleep knowing his wife would have gone for help. He was a bit sheepish when they brought him out and I remember one classic line he made to reporters: "I got hungry and had to eat all the berries so I guess no pie for me tonight unless it's humble pie!" No GPSr or Google maps in those days but he had the next best thing - a wife full of common sense!
On a family camping trip I got lost in the woods at the age of twelve and well remember the sheer terror of it to this day. I knew I was east of a small stream that served as an outlet for the pond we were camped near and headed in that direction. Coming to the stream I headed up it and found the pond. At my next scout meeting I announced my intention to earn my orienting merit badge. One of the best and most useful outdoor skills I ever learned.
I map out features like this ahead of time. Then I try to stay conscious of where I am in relation to that feature. Long straight features work best, like long ridge streams rivers creeks etc. Generally the road you came in on goes for a very long distance along a straight line. So say you know you are east of that road. No matter where you go, if you get lost, just head east and you will eventually come to that road again. Once there, you just have to try and figure out what side of your car you are on. Worse comes to worst, you can walk for a day in one direction, and then walk for two days back in the other direction, and you should be able to find the car.
Had this happen to me in a sudden heavy snowfall. I was sure I was close to the truck but I just couldn't find it. Stopped, calmed myself, took a drink of water, and then thought about the panic button on my truck key. Pushed it and the horn honked and lights flashed about 100 feet away.
I once lost my way - in a parking garage! After a very unpleasant half-hour or more, I finally found my car - but I didn't think of the panic button until much later. "What I shoulda done was...."
A couple years back an elk hunter familiar with the area got caught in a snow storm. About 3 days later they found him less than 100 ft from his truck sitting by a tree froze to death. Snow is no joke. I so wish he had had a way to make a fire. My dad and 3 of his buddies broke down in a snowstorm way out. My brother knew generally where they went so he took an old truck out looking for them. Because none of them smoked no one ever thought about keeping a lighter. They had just a few matches but no dry tender. My brother found them but they were really cold. Ever since then I stashed bic lighters in his rigs all the time and told him they are in there in obvious places. I keep them in mine also in multiple. I am not too proud to use a lighter to survive. I would be having a bonfire if I was lost.
Thanks sir for the video. Although not everyone likes to go outdoors. But I suggest whoever wants to, beside your good info, I suggest reading Hunter’s Education Manual. There’s a specific section regarding first aid and survival that has some useful info. Make a list of what to take with you include fire/knife/saw/rope/compass/tarp/ pills/water and food as a very basic items. Make your list specific to your area. North means dealing with cold and snow. South heat, snake bites and thirst. unfortunately I read a lot of negative comments not helping at all.
I've been there... Early morning hunt and the trek was flawless. On the return..I was greeted with a rock wall 40 ft high, which I did not come down. Might mention that I was walking back in dense fog. Took a bit to get my bearings, and several hours later I was able to get back to the truck. Learned some serious lessons that day. One thing I do ALWAYS..let someone know where I'll be, and when I should be back. I now Always carry a compass, knife, fire starter, and a means for shelter. Though after watching your videos...I will modify my pack a bit. Thanks
Great advice! I went for a 45 minute hike in the woods in central Texas at dusk on a 5,000 acre ranch. 10 hours later I got back and only by pure luck, I came across a dirt road in the moonlight and followed it for miles until I figured out where I was and I had been going the wrong way. That was a mistake I will Never forget. The place was known for many rattlesnakes and that didn’t help. Thanks for sharing your knowledge..it could save someone’s life! 👍👍 God Bless
Me and dad were mushroom hunting, dad got lost and confused so he dad what the man said. He sat down on log and start yelling for me. So I found dad and went back to the truck. Dad said he knows to stay put not to wonder around. Good advice.
@@marcusmarcus7258 Suppose instead of you, an over-weight, recently-divorced bear heard him....... oooops Dad! is this your leg bone? where are you? and someone from far distance said...... burp.............
Went through Cold Weather Winter Survival on the Ross Ice Shelf at McMurdo Station, Antarctica...Number one in your survival is shelter. Get out of the weather and save your energy. Also, staying calm is the key... Thank you for a fantastic video... Chuck in Michigan U.S. Navy Retired
Thank you so much for touching on this topic. I am a land surveyor in upstate NY and am in the back woods often. So many people take for granted how they think they would handle this situation if lost. I know from experience that even surveyors misplace themselves and navigating the emotional stress of finding yourself lost is daunting. The panic and disorientation is what gets most people in trouble beyond being able to help themselves calm down and solve the problem. Thanks again for the great content!
I carry orange construction caution road safety flagging tape. This way you have many markers in a small package. Pull one or two strips and tie them to a tree limb, like leaving bread crumbs. You can shoot azimuths from them and go further when trying to figure out where you are, then back azimuths to go back to where you were until you find your way out.
Done close to 3000 miles hiking, and I loved that you did this on a bushcraft channel. I agree, I never see this. But it's really good advice. I've gotten lost a few times and have always been able to figure out where I went wrong. Usually right after I stopped looking around and just relaxed for a few minutes. Apps like All Trails or Map My Hike are great apps. You can download an area you are going to, and then even if you don't have cell reception your gps will still work with the maps letting you know where you are. Anyhow, great video! Happy Trails, - Too Clean
I like topo maps for just this reason. Learn to recognize terrain features on the ground as they translate to the map. This has helped me out on numerous occasions. Batteries die, devices break, a paper map in a plastic bag in a cargo pocket and a good compass can save the day.
Old great uncle Pat told us kids back in the early 70s that if you get lost find a stump, sit down and give yourself time to think. Thank you for confirming his wisdom and that memory.
Before I go into the woods, I download an app that is meant for finding your car in a parking lot. Most of these apps will pull maps (data), but the map is not necessary for the app to work. When I am at a trail head or at my vehicle, I turn on GPS, open the app, mark where I want to be able to get back to. I then shut off the app and GPS and often put the phone in airplane mode (turn off all the radios). When you are far from cell towers your phone will eat a lot more battery trying to communicate with these distant towers. SO, but going into Airplane mode or turning off the phone, you will have plenty of battery left in your phone. IF you get lost, simply turn on your phone, take out of airplane mode, turn on GPS, and open the app. The app will tell you how far you are from your initial setting and it will either tell you what direction, or with just a bit if walking, you see the distance decrease., check your compass for the direction you need to go. IF you have a long distance, now that you know the general direction, turn your phone off again to conserve battery and walk what you think is about half the distance. Remember to check your compass as you progress.. Repeat locating with the app until you arrive back. I hunt, so I also use this technique in reverse.. I mark where my tree stand is in the woods.. Then early in the morning, in the dark, I can find my trees and no problem. Hope it helps!
Good explanation about shutting down GPS and airplane mode. People forget that they will not be paying attention and they are needlessly using battery that they don't need to use. Also if there is moss on one side of the trees, that is the north direction (in the northern hemisphere). When we use to wear watches w hands on them you can look up the trick w the hour hand pointed in the sun's direction w the watch laying horizontal, half way (or bisecting the distance) between the hour hand and 12 o'clock on the dial is south.
There is a famous report of someone asking Daniel Boone if he ever got lost in the wilderness and he answered that no, he had never been lost...however...he did say that several times he had been bewildered for a few days. (I am from Kentucky and supposedly, this is a true story.) This is really good information you give here. I especially like the waypoint markers idea. A person could use a series of them to travel in one direction, always within site of that last marker. If that was the wrong way, then return to their base point picking up each marker as they go and set out on a new heading. Repeat until something looks familiar to them. This is the kind of information that saves lives. Very well done Sir.
We lived in a small town in Germany for a couple of years when I was in high school. I decided to take walk down a dirt road leaving town to see were it went. No cell phone (not really a thing in ‘87) No gear. No water. No food. Just a kid out walking. About an hour later I decided that if I cut across “this way” it should take me back into town. Umm. Not exactly. About an hour later I determined that I was not where I thought I should be. Not lost you see. Just not where I thought I should be. Lol. I turned around to go back and realized nothing looked familiar. I took a couple of minutes to look at the cloudy ski through thick canopy and try to judge where the sun was going to be setting in about three hour. Not much luck there. Best I could do was get a basic ideal of northern and southern directions. I knew I was north of were I started. The road/trail I was on was generally west and that there was a paved road that lead into town from the NW to my East. Best guess, I picked a SE direction figuring I’d find the road or town. 45 minutes or an hour later I found the road just as it was turning East. Had I been 100ft west I would have missed it and been in the woods much longer. I followed the road and it winded back into town about 45 minutes later. Street lights were already on by the time I got back home. Many lessons learned that day and sense then. Thanks for the video and great tip.
Never Hike further then you can hike back out if you're only day hiking. Pay attention to the time of day because you don't want to try and shortcut your way out as that is a recipe for getting lost.
Absolutely, only ever take short cuts in well known terrain and stable fine weather. Every cross country route takes at least 150% of the estimated time the first time it's traveled. And that's without potential navigation mistakes.
I saw a story about a solo hiker who got lost on a toilet break and died before being found. The experts said it would be much harder to find the trail when crossing at right angles to it, so now I'm going to start tying bright clothing to a tree on the path before leaving it
I really enjoyed this video. Back in 2015 my hiking partners were ahead of me and got off trail. I was unsure if I was off or they were off. (For about 30 min.) I got to a major river crossing- checked my map. I was quite confident I was on the trail, and did exactly as you said. Just sat there. My hiking partners showed up 30-40 minutes later. My points: 1.There's lots of ways to get off trail or separated from a group. 2. I was waiting by this river. No chance of anyone hearing me call out. I could not hear my team calling me either. So it's interesting how terrain can change the sound.
The old Boy Scout manual from the early 60’s, said the same thing. As soon as you realize that you’re lost, stop and sit and relax. Then once you’re calm, start to think it through. They even had a picture a a scout sitting on a log. Anyone remember that?
Got lost trail riding alone once. Just lost trail and couldn't relocate. Just gave my horse her head because I knew she just wants to get back to trailer where she can rest and eat. Worked perfect.
Ideally, always sling a bag over your shoulder with survival equipment and food for 3 days. Never take it off. Also extra water if it will be difficult to find.
Unless you know the area surrounding your walk. A compass will only give you direction. You can use several other methods to find bearing,ie shadow stick,stars,wind,moss on tres,sunrise/set.
My advice would be to carry a compass and some sort of map even if it’s one that you hand drew of the area before you went in. That way you can find your way back out.
Plug 14 I just got a new job. Lol. One that allows me the time to build bombproof and still bring in some cash. But seriously, I can’t think of any job that would compete with just being outdoors next to a campfire. 👍.
BOMBPROOF BUSHCRAFT Congratulations on your new job. You have a point not much beats being outside next to a campfire. But I guess I’m lucky I absolutely love my job. Long hours crap pay but I couldn’t and wouldn’t change it for the world. Nursing for me was a calling not just a job, so I think myself lucky I do something I love.
Plug 14 I was going to school for nursing. Quit about 2 years into it when I got sick of paying for classes like literature and philosophy and other nonsense filled classes. The science classes were awesome, and I loved the human body and how it works. Also, my bedside manner...probably would’ve gotten me in hot water. Lol. Thank you for the job you do (I know hours suck, but I thought the pay was good?)!!
BOMBPROOF BUSHCRAFT must admit I had to take on extra work as the bursary just didn’t cover everything. The pay is ok the higher up the scale you go, but the NHS have never been great at paying.
Another great video! When I was in the boyscouts we were taught a simple acronym for this situation. STOP S - Stop moving. Sit down and relax. T - Think. How far have you moved? in what direction? Where was the last know position? O - Observe. get your map and compass out. (yes you should bring an analog map with you). or open up google maps or something similar. What does the surroundings look like? P - Plan. What is the general situation? Anyone hurt? dehydrated? hungry? cold? too hot? sunburn? Can you get back to where you were going? or do you have to turn back to the starting location? Do you have to stay in place and call for help? :)
One more thing is when you admit you are lost and after you calm down,.... be positive and don't get down on yourself. I remember being lost with my dad in the "DAKS" one time. It was pretty dire as we didn't have any viable water to drink. It was real easy to be uneasy and get hysterical about getting yourself lost. Lots of mistakes were made to get us to that point. We had to be positive that the situation was not that bad and know we were going to get out of there. Eventually everything worked out mainly because we were positive we were getting out of a bad situation. We had nothing else.
4:50 Additional point: actually, you *don't* need cellular coverage for GPS to work. And the internet is only needed by apps which use online maps. So, always have an app with offline maps. Plus paper map, plus compass, but most people will ignore this anyway.
When my kids were young we'd go camping quite often. When the kids decided to explore the woods I gave them simple instruction. First look for a marker. Something tall like a dead tree or a high hill . Second I told them if they do get lost just stop walking. They could be getting farther from camp and it will take me longer to find them. They've all grown up loving the outdoors. I feel like a success as a dad because of that.
Good steps to remember....I have been turned around a time or two but I ALWAYS take a compass reading at my vehicle. I have the compass set where the pointer red is in and White out. I may be off a bit on the white out but only by a 100 yards or so from my vehicle. I do this even on a quick day or hour hike.....you can get turned around quick where I live in the N.W. I would recommend a course of basic hiking skills.....Many Community colleges offer them.
Years ago I almost got lost in Central Florida but they built a new neighborhood around me. Now I can't find a forest. I feel more lost than I did back then.
Good video. I like the tip about the brightly colored waypoint marker. I would've liked to see a bigger cleared area between the fire and those dry leaves at 6:15. When I was 11 years old at Boy Scout Camp Ten Mile River in New Jersey for 2 weeks I was on a navigational exercise in deep woods and through my own error became lost. The Boy Scout rule of thumb was that once you decide you're lost just stay put and let them find you. There was a big vertical rock ledge so I built a lean-to type shelter against it and then collected firewood. After about 2 hours I started hearing my name being called in the distance and I shouted back. After a few minutes my friend who was the senior Scout Leader found me. So awful that such a great organization that did so much good was taken down by a mixture of parasites. I learned so many great life hacks in the Boy Scouts.
Interesting fact: Small children who get get lost are more likely to be found safe than adults. Why? Because when the realize they're lost they stop moving and find shelter. Adults keep wandering and get further away from searchers.
I live in BC and worked for decades as a timber cruiser... constantly in the woods. A lot of the time by myself for days on end and nobody knew where we were except the helicopter that should pick us up in X days, weather permitting. I would add one more tip for green horns if you're out there and nobody knows where you are. Go downhill! Follow a stream... they all go downhill and eventually they'll cross a road somewhere, especially in continental US. And roads in the mountains will always go downhill, especially logging roads, and will come out to a bigger road etc etc. It constantly amazes me that every single year people die in the bush on the mountains just outside Vancouver when you can see the lights of the city. BELOW. But no they try to go uphill to find the ski lift which they left, usually in deep snow, which finishes them off real fast. You can quite easily move downhill in deep snow though and it invariably gets shallower the further down you go. And yes there are some rough terrain and cliffs... you don't have to go straight down, just let the terrain dictate, go sideways if necessary but just keep nibbling away elevation.
I live on the west Cascades in Wa. I know exactly what you mean. I love these forests and so many people tremble at the sight. Walking in ferns taller than myself is a favored past time. I can't imagine living anywhere else on earth. I am never lost.
Good video, and you're right no one talks about this. I would add one thing, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
This happened to me once on the central Oregon high plateau, known as "Oregon's outback", and there's a good reason why it is called that, because it is so remote and arid. A buddy and I were on our way back from a week-long camping trip, and decided to stop and explore the area for a bit. We were looking for a volcanic crater in the area that was marked on the map, a detailed road atlas, and appeared to be close to the main road. We went off a bit on some dirt roads near where we thought it was. I parked the car and we decided to just step out and follow this road for no more than 100 feet or so. No crater in sight. So we decided to go off the road again just for a hundred feet or so towards this low ridge, and still no crater in sight. So we decided to call it good and head back to the car. But somewhere on the way back, we realized we were lost. We could not find the car because it was parked in a bit of a depression, even though the car must have only been a few hundred feet away. The area has no water, and is basically a dry ponderosa pine woodland with dry, sandy soil that more or less looks the same in every direction, except you could see a high ridge in the distance, but that was the only major landmark. It was also a Sunday, so anybody who may have been there for the weekend had left. Not only that, but since we were just planning to step out of the car for a few minutes and head back, we left everything in the car -- water bottles, food, lighter, warm clothing, etc. We were basically wearing shorts and a t-shirt in an area at 4500 feet elevation where the temperatures plummet at night, even in the summer. No water anywhere, no food, no way to build a fire, and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. And only a few hours of daylight left in the late afternoon. It was very scary. Luckily, I had a compass on my key chain, and I had a mental picture of the road atlas map of the area, and I knew the main road was close by. Since we only had a few hours of daylight left, instead of staying put, we decided to walk in an expanding spiral expecting to eventually run into a road. We found some power lines and a maintenance road that had not been driven on in a long time. One challenge with this area is that even if you get to a relatively high point, it's just rolling country so you never really get up enough to get a bird's-eye view of the area, so you only see as far as the next small ridge. So we worked with the compass and my memory of the map, and chose a direction to walk on the maintenance road. Fortunately, it led to a bigger dirt road that had some recent tire tracks, so we followed the tire tracks. After following that road for a while, we saw the traffic on the main road, and this road roughly paralleled the main road. We just kept our eye on that road and bushwhacked our way directly there, and even then it was hard to know if we were walking in a straight line. But within a couple of hundred feet, we reached the main road and hitch hiked back to the car, which by now was at least a couple of miles away. We were lucky that time, but if things had turned out differently, it could have turned out way worse. I was terrified of having to spend a night in that area in shorts and a t-shirt with no water anywhere, and no way to start a fire. Later, we realized that we probably could have hit the "panic" button on the car's key, and that may have set the car horn off and helped us locate the car since the point where we first knew we were lost was not far from the car. But the important thing is, we made it back OK. Moral of the story is, even if you're stepping out of your car in the wilderness for a few hundred feet, be sure to bring warm clothes, a lighter and some water with you, because you could get lost even a very short distance from your car. Thanks for the advice, and I will incorporate these principles the next time I'm out in the wilderness.
mushroomsteve I am way to worried about leaving my truck by a road to get too far away from it. I always know where my truck is and can almost constantly see it unless I hide it and go for a walk. I can look back and find a landmark anywhere there is a bush or rock. If I don't see one I will make one. Lost is so not my thing. Sorry that happened to you guys.
@@justme-dm7sb That is a very smart practice, and one that I generally follow. That particular time, however, I really thought I was at least within sight of that last road we had walked off of, but it petered out not far from where we left it the first time. I kept seeing areas of sand that looked like road, but just turned out to be piles of sand. It was a very disorienting area.
I remember being a little kid and panicking on a well established trail in a big forest. I got turned backwards and started running up and down not sure where to go, thinking I would be lost forever. My family wasn't outdoorsy at all and all I needed to know was to sit down and calmly collect myself. I was 1/2 mile for safety and some kids came down the trail a half an hour later confused to see me crying "lost". So dumb in retrospect but it changed the entire way I am raising my son.
Same. My parents taught me squat beyond super basics that probably land somewhere just above breathing. They are not bad people, but in retrospect it truly boggles my mind that that's how they rolled. I ended up learning *SO* many normal things in life the hard way. Very unnecessarily, IMO. I remember wandering off and getting lost in stores and even the Bronx Zoo once as a little kid *(amongst people!)* and still not knowing what to do. I know that panic. I almost over-teach now, probably, as a result. With that I am finding my oldest resistant to it all being 'too cool for school'. It's intensely annoying. 😑 Damned if you do... Either way, I still say my piece about it and let him know it's totally his choice to not learn (when the attitude surfaces) and good luck to him figuring getting himself out of a jam in the future when/if one happens. Until he turns 18 and I am not legally responsible anymore he's going to be subject to the free-of-charge mom survival and life skills training seminars. I don't care. 😁 I imagine he's already planning on getting his 1st apartment STAT.
@@OOPSY23759 it's an instinct. It must come from way, way back in our evolutionary history because shutting our thinking down isn't exactly helpful. I imagine that for our very distant ancestors, even if blindly struggling onward meant likely death, that was preferable to certain death. We need to chill out first and take stock second.
Great subject matter. For consideration? If you are near dark or storm coming, stop and make fire and best shelter you can. My reasoning is it keeps you close to your path before you got off track. It should make finding you easier. Have food and drink if it is with you. And keep calm. Self examination of our failures or mistakes can be hard to do. Maybe have your meltdown...then regroup and prepare for a night out.keep your head. Dont go bear grylls running and jumping and acting a fool. One broken foot or leg and you are finished.
I use way points for many kilometers when I'm out in the woods. I watch my surroundings and remember something that looks funny or strange every now and then. I always find back, did this when I was a kid too and my whole class got lost in the woods without the teacher. Nobody trusted me since I was the small silent kid, so I went back alone when I saw my "way point" and got to the teacher for help. I basically saved 20 lives that day hahaha
Great advice. I've been turned around and used those methods to get reoriented. Mainly, though, I carry a compass in the woods. It's gotten me back to the truck in a white out blizzard. It's unsettling when all your waypoints and landmarks disappear in a fog of driving snow. If you do get turned around just keep your head and you'll be fine. Trust the Lord, your experience and your compass.
When I was 9 I got lost in woods at a Girl Scout camp while on a scavenger hunt. I was concentrating on finding the items and didn’t see how far away I was. I had lost my bearing and every direction looked the same. I tried to stay calm and I was able to find a trail back in about 10 minutes but I remember how scary it was. I can only imagine what it would feel like really not be able to find your way.
@@burstfireno1617 it's pretty easy to get lost in Europe, especially the forested or tundra parts of Scandinavia, Finland and mountainous parts of Scotland
@@SonsOfLorgar I've biked across Norway, and once drove 26 000 km east, west, east across U.S.A. In my opinion, Norway is a lot more evenly populated. Even across the highlands, there are public cabins, tracks and settlements with roots back into the iron age, however. In the western half of USA, barring the coast, it's an abyss. When you glance into that void, the void also glances back into you.
I think this is one good reason that you shouldn’t be so overconfident that you go hiking without some survival EDC stuff or, at least, a survival tin. Having that stuff with you will calm you and give you some piece of mind even if you don’t use it. A calm, peaceful mind thinks much better than a panicking mind.
Years ago somewhere in British Columbia, a couple of guys on snowmobiles were skinning a deer. They had all their emergency gear on the machines, close by but out of sight. It was snowing and covering their tracks. They headed back in the wrong direction and ended up dead from hypothermia. There is some stuff we should always have on our person.
Low oxygen made me confused in Rocky mountains one time but finally found where I set down my back pack and built a good fire. Next morning found my way back to the road. Never forget that experience.😊
I was a kid with my dad in the woods. I was bewildered and asked him if he knew where we were. He said that when you get lost just close your eyes and visualize the truck then walk toward it.. So several times in my life when I was a bit bewildered I would stop and think about where the truck was.. It works because it makes you slow down, relax and think about where you have been..
“If you find yourself lost in the woods, fu*k it, build a house. I used to be lost, but now i live here. I have severely improved my predicament!” Mitch Hedberg
Tip #1 is probably the best one for those of us who are very comfortable being alone in wilderness areas. My pride and denying that I'm lost are probably the largest hurdles for me to overcome.
I had a similar situation years ago. Lost my trail marker on the Sam Houston trail heading west. Took a break to snack and put two sticks in the ground next to each other and watched the sun hit and stretch. Got my bearings and continued west. Did have food, water and shelter just in case. Then I heard a vehicle in the distance kept going in the westerly direction and came out onto the dirt road and the trail marker about 50 feet away. I didn't panic just did a couple of the things that you mentioned in this video and I still use those techniques to this day.
About the cell service, Google maps lets you download maps for offline use. If there's an area that you visit regularly, download the map of that area ahead of time. Then your phone's gps will still work to show you where you are.
There's also lots of map apps available that are explicitly designed to work offline. Download the maps of your local area, and that way you've always got something you can refer to, service or not. Offline maps for me have been the difference between "completely lost in a foreign country where I don't speak the language" and "oops I missed my exit."
Don't we all know and teach S.T.O.P? Meaning stop, think, observe/orientate, plan. Still a good video. I always bring a whistle, an orange reflective vest (like road workers use), compass and (digital)map. I also study the area on the computer beforehand so I know what direction roads and rivers are that will lead to civilization. This reduces any feeling of stress when temporarily dislocated. Many people walk a trail but never look back so they did not see that crossroads walking in but see it when trying to backtrack.
All very good. Not a fan of digital as batteries die. There are several Web sites you can order topographical maps at any size and scale. They fold up and don't need batteries and are only a few dollars. A compass is just carried. Never leave home without it.
I remember going hunting in the woods by myself, after 20 minutes in unfamiliar territory, I said. im lost.. panicked and began rapidly moving thru the woods. I got even more lost with every step. 3 times I ended up back in the same place… the woods can be tricky to navigate.. now I take mental pictures every few seconds and take fewer turns.
Years ago I got my amateur radio license, (ham radio) my small hand held transceiver is always with me in the woods. Many mountain tops have repeaters on them (it’s like a cell phone tower) here in New England and I’m sure everywhere.
I've actually had that happen to me when I was like 17 before I started driving a vehicle snowstorm, came in and changed the whole landscape on me. That was my first time hunting in that area. I spent the whole night out underneath the link to that I built and then on top of that had a fire going in front of me next day for a department. And m came in and found me. I made them leave though until they come back with a cup of hot coffee. Then I got up and walked out with them. It was an experience and it was a wake up call and it was a self teaching situation. And I'm glad I had the knowledge of watching different survival shows and stuff. Thank you guys for what you guys do I learn something new every day
When I was younger I stepped down from my deer stand to pre, walked 20 yards into the woods and was seriously lost. Found an old logging road and followed it. Ran across an old man and asked him "does this logging road take me to the main gravel road?" He asked, "why boy, you lost?" Rather sarcastically. I said "nope, just wondering if you know where I'm at" He called me a snot nosed smart ass and didn't belong in the woods alone..........so I killed him, and THEN I was alone. Aahhhhhhhhh good times. (Mostly a true story)
Always have a magnetic compass and always know where the road network is in relation to your hiking path. If you get lost follow the compass bearing to the road.
I was once lost in the mountains and followed my pre-plan. Six: Walk downhill, Seven: Look and listen for running water. After a few minutes, I found a spring no wider than a pencil pouring from a rock. In just a few more minutes, the stream was about four feet wide. The stream reached the creek only about twenty yards from my campsite.
For me this is one of the most practical videos I’ve seen on a real short term survival scenario. Thanks for taking the time to make this and for sharing it.
very great and to the point tips. I agree, that in this day and age rarely anyone goes without a phone into the woods, if not for anything else so they can take pictures and post on social media :) so Yes, this is a tool we must utilize as best we can, but not be solely dependent on it.
Thank you! That is the best advice I have heard on you tube. This is so real. I got turned around once, and, every tree looks the same and you mind starts to spiral. Great advice.
According to Paul Harvey, "if you're lost, take out a deck of cards and start playing solitary. Within 5 minutes, someone will come up and tell you, put that red 5 on the black 6.!"
Happened to me. I was 20 years old, first time I went hunting. Was in upper state Vermont near the Canadian border. There was five of us that took off from camp in five different directions at dawn. Don’t know why we did this but hey, first time hunting. Walk around all morning and afternoon. Not a single deer. So I said better start heading back. Not sure what time that was. I started walking in the direction where I thought was camp but nope, wrong way. Started crisscrosseding, nope. Long story short, I did exactly what this video said. I said to myself I didn’t know where I was, didn’t panic, sat down on a log and lite up a smoke. Thinking of what to do next, assessed the citation. Thought I might have to dig a hole and bed down with a bunch of leaves. Maybe make a little fire. Never once thinking anything bad that could happen to me. Well, while I was thinking about this, I heard a dog barking faintly in the distance. Then he stopped. I took my my 30/30 and fired off a couple rounds and started walking towards the dogs barking. The dog stops barking again. Shot off two more rounds until the dog starts barking. Well I did this until I got to the dog that was caged near a house near a dirt road. Walked that dirt road until I got to a paved road and figured out where I was. Turns out I was over 5 miles from camp. It was almost dark. The guys at my camp were just going to call the police. Then one of the guys told me about a hunter who got lost last year. True story. Keep in mind there was no such things as GPS or cell phones. It was the early 70’s. The guys called me Dirty Harry cause my sidearm was a S&W 44 Magnum. Not too bad for a city boy. 🙂
"Fight or Flight" is actually 3 things, not 2, because it's Freeze, Fight, Flight. We always overlook the Freeze aspect of high-adrenaline situations. Freezing in place is 100% valid as a reaction to a bad situation, whether you're being attacked, or you're suddenly aware that you're lost, whatever. We haven't focused much on the Freeze aspect, so most have forgotten to TRAIN for it. Stopping to think about your situation is part of the whole Freeze portion of Freeze, Fight, Flight, and when you train yourself to stop-and-think, to analyze what is going on, you can often figure out what the safest or best next step will be. Sometimes, it's staying put right where you are. Sometimes it's climbing a hillside or a tree to try to see farther. Sometimes it's following downhill slopes to get to a waterway. Sometimes it's choosing to run away from a danger, or confronting it, or whatever...but freezing in place, aka stop moving so you can start thinking, is always a valid choice. That's why it's #2 on this list of things to do, and if you're not in immediate danger of being burned by a forest fire, buried by an avalanche, or beaten by a wild beast...take the time to stop and think.
Great Tips 👍 .. thanks. Yep .. 'Waypoint Marker' is the way to go. One could even extend the range (and corresponding search Circumference) from the 'Base Camp' by using addition markers (just being careful of course). Lots of options in this regard. Naturally, having a Map and Compass also goes a long way (and using it .. good practice too) in trying to find one's way to safety. I read once .. many years back, an article on 'being lost' in the wild .. to this effect: "You are never 'lost' as you know exactly where you are at that point in time. It may just be not where you would like to (or should) be at that moment." 😁. Take care ..
That said, bringing a roll of brightly coloured fabric, plastic warning ribbon (police line ribbon style but bright unicolour or warning stripes) Or even chemical snap-lights with a longer duration than you intend to hike and start marking waypoints as soon as you leave a publically maintained trail is not a bad idea. When I and my spouse go out in the woods to find mushrooms, we always wear brightly colored trafic vests, two meals each, a medium sized first aid kit, and at least a litre and a half of water in steel bottles. Especially as the mushroom season overlaps with the deer, moose and boar hunting season.
Most people tend to walk in circles wasting energy and time. Follow the flow of water if there are creeks in the area. Creeks lead to a stream then to a river. Civilization is always near water. I mark my trail by cutting bark or breaking branches. If you drove into the woods with a truck then hit the horn button on your key fob . Being in the woods or jungle is like being underwater. It is a totally different environment. Carry a map and compass.
This happened once when I was 14 YO (1970) in a forest way out in the middle of New York. It was summer so there were plenty of leaves on the trees. I saw a cut through the woods where power lines ran through and I knew it ran East-west so I walked out with no problem at all.
Stopping to think about what you should do in a calm way is the most important. I read once that the Hudson Bay company’s survival kit had a tea bag as the first survival item with instructions to make a cup of hot tea. By the time you made your tea you have a fire, your at least partially protected from the elements, you have water and you have had some time to calm down and consider what your next move should be.
The time to look at your map, is when you know where you are. Then when you are lost, you have some idea of a last known location. You brought a map right?
So I learned forestry working in Swedish Lappland, the last years of the 80's. If you get lost there, you have a real chance to mever be found before you are dead. Therefore we had to learn what to do when you get lost, or something bad happen. 1 thing we were told to do: stop hand put on a kettle with coffee (or tea if that is your thing). Be it a wood burning fire or the old Trangia, the sitting down with some hot drink and a small fire will give you some pause and a possibillity to calm down. Dont mowe from that place before you have a plan.
Here's a couple of things: Get out a pack of cards and start playing *patience*. Two minutes into the game someone will tell you that the red queen will go on the black king... Stay where you are. Build a cabin. Live there. The tax authorities will knock on your door within weeks...
I have a small sling bag with a small kit for food, water, shelter, some tools and first aid and a cooking container. Everything is bright blaze orange that can be to attract attention. I call it my Get Lost Bag.
@Thomasyou need to know the grid system...and the major streets and what number of block they represent...like Halsted is 800 W and Irving Park is 4000 N.. Addison 3600 N. .from the lake to the city limits it's easy... But whatever works for you bro!!!If you like your system..go with it!. Stay safe and be careful!..we have the thugs mugging people on the streets... coyotes looking for food..lol...
Ive been lost in thick woods. I line up 3 trees walk to the second tree and then line up another third tree and keep going like this. Its always got me out. It pays if you can see the sun. That gives you your orientation if you don’ t have a compass.
I've grown up, and still live in Southeastern Kentucky, in the Daniel Boon National Forest area. We all grew up as kids playing, hiking, hunting and camping in the woods. We used to get lost all the time, but we always somehow found our way back home. My dad always taught me, if I ever got really really lost, to be creative and do everything I can think of to leave behind sings of my presence and travel through an area. He showed me to break tree and bush limbs ever so often and leve it hanging and pointing in the direction I'm traveling. Also to drag my feet ever so often to mess up the leaves down to the dirt to leave signs and footprints. He also said that dogs can track you better, if you take a sweaty, dirty peace of clothing off, tie it to a string or fishing line, or whatever you may have and drag it behind you on the ground, and to constantly touch trees, bushes, downed logs and everything you can to leave behind as much scent as possible. Also if you find piles of rocks, stack them into an arrow shape, pointing in the direction your going. Also, if you find a rock pile, or large boulder, you can take a smaller rock and scratch out messages on it about yourself, the fact that your lost, and an arrow showing the direction your traveling. He also taught me the more common sense stuff like, following streams or logging roads down hill, certain ways to tell if your traveling north, south, east, or west by the time of the year, compared to the location of the sun and a few others. I'm no survival expert by any means, but I think I would do ok if I got lost pretty much anywhere. In my personal opinion, the best rule for never getting lost hiking, is to never travel beyond sight of the trail... for any reason what so ever, especially if you don't know the area
Watching this after getting lost age 13 with a friend and my little brother for 4 hours it was really scary since at the 3rd hour ish the light started going luckily a nice lady let us borrow her phone so we could call our parents
All excellent points and I see no good reason for some of sarcastic comments I saw. The only thing missing was to call for help (hopefully with a loud whistle). You might be pleasantly surprised to discover that you are less alone tgan you think. Most people get lost surprisingly close to the beaten path. That's also why the bright marker works wonders in the vast majoirty of cases.
When in panic or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. LoL. Great information. When are you going to do the make a queen size wool blanket. Have a great new year. Jerry M
Thank you I think your spot on. Not enough people talk about getting lost. Sure you can watch survival man, but until it happens to you. You'll be glad you were prepared.
Walk downhill, then follow water courses. You'll reach humanity soon enough. The vast majority of towns and cities were built on rivers and the coast before the industrial revolution allowed us to use other modes of transport.
Good Advice. I have been bushwalking for 47 years and had more than my fair share of times being "geographically embarrassed". My rule is - make yourself a cup of tea. Not because you are in dire need of a the refreshment of a hot beverage but because it forces you to stop. It moves your attention away from the fact that you might be lost as concentration is required prepare a good cup of tea. You need to sit, unpack, assemble your stove, heat water, find your cup make the tea ect. Then drinking the tea allows you time to think and formulate a strategy to become unlost. All this suppresses panic and stops you from digging yourself into a deeper hole.
Always tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back.
I think this is a mistake many people make, how can you be reported missing if knowone knows your gone!!!?
Unless you are not planning to come back any time soon. In that case, leave a general itinerary, including a rough plan saying what you are doing and why you are out there. And ALWAYS carry a topo map and compass. Then make it a habit to mark your location every time you stop for a break, lunch or to relieve yourself. If you do that, you will always know approximately how far you are from where you should be. (Yes, you can use your GPS to find your location on the map. It's not cheating.)
And who to contact if you don't come back. Also provide this person with a map of the area you will be in. And check the weather before you go out, so you can dress right. And when and if you get lost SIT down! Before you get lost even more. I used to teach survival back in the early 80's to boy scouts. Long before GPS and Cell phones. That's my two cents worth..
Yes!!
Great Advice!
GPS is a joke where I live. Nothing works except the sun and stars. As a kid we rode horses out toward Mt. St. Helens. What we learned to do at a very young age was look back every so often because the trail doesn't look the same at all going the other direction. We would note odd trees, rocks, berries we ate, Y's in the trail and creeks we crossed. I also learned to tell the time of day by always knowing north and the shadows on the ground, and at night by the stars and the dew point of the morning. I still practice these things almost 50 years later and I have yet to be lost. Best advice I ever got was take a second to pay attention and make a mental note. It only takes a second and it has always worked. Good luck and happy trails!
@Bert Clayton
Maybe they weren't wells, maybe they were outhouse holes?
Always walk toward the flowing molten lava.
@@robertstack2144
LMAO! There is none.
@@justme-dm7sb didn't he say Mt St Helens?
@Wesley Sandel
If you get some kind of eco friendly yarn the birds will eventually use it to build nests with if you never get back to pick it up.
The cool thing about way point markers is that if you need to travel even farther, you set up a second one where you can still see the first one...then walk from that one and set up a third one. As long as you can see one marker from the distance of the next one, you can walk as far as you need to, then just gather them all back up as you follow them back to your first one. Like a trail of bread crumbs. Also good for when you're exploring and want to make sure you can still find camp.
If you get lost in the woods start talking politics someone is bound to find you and start arguing
Very funny reply about talk politics possibly true! Seriously though , very good advice. I have been lost when younger, misplaced, very good video very good advice.
Great line I'll use that one.
Eric Rosbottom
Poli.. many
Tics...Blood sucking insects
Or listen for “OK, boomer.” and start walking in the other direction.
Love it mate 😂
I always stop and look behind me periodicly as I walk on or off trail. That way I know what to look for when I walk it back.
Same here. You can't possibly remember every detail, but as long as it looks familiar somehow, you're probably on the right track.
Because of this method I have never been lost.
A spray can of flourescent orange could leave a trail.paint a spot at eye level on a tree etc . just dont do any graffiti.
I know it sounds stupid but one of these can make where you went so much easier to find. An arrow or spots on trees or small rocks on the ground. If you spray a tree find one on the ground . not on live trees if possible. Only for emergency use. Dont leave arrows and dots all over the forest.
Just thought of this, but I wonder if it would help to turn around and take a photo w your phone. At some point I would think you may have some landmarkers that you could match up??
Not saying it's full-proof, just saying.
Smart SOB. “#1. Admit you don’t know where you’re at”.
That alone is the difference maker. That’s what keeps you alive
This is where it helps to be a woman. The last man to admit he made a mistake was George Armstrong Custer.
@@paranoiawilldestroyya3238 or a man with a functioning brain lol
Yep
@@paranoiawilldestroyya3238 that's not very nice
Another good video and one that reminds me of a story from back in the mid 70s when there was an article in our local newspaper (Thunder Bay, ONT.) which went along these lines:
A middle aged couple were out harvesting berries in the forest (and we're talking dense herb and shrub layers here). They drove along a forest track and parked up their car, each taking a basket off on either side of the track. After about 30 minutes the wife called out to her husband - no reply. She called again - nothing. She sounded the horn of their car - still nothing.
By now it was starting to get dark - (we're talking mid-Fall) so she tied a scarf to a bush (your waypoint marker) and drove straight to the town police. By the time they got back to the spot it was too dark to search so they scheduled a restart at first light.
Next morning they put up a plane and prepared to start bush whacking but the pilot could see a thin pencil of smoke breaking through the canopy - it was the husband and he was nearly a MILE away from the track.
His story: once they'd parked up he'd seen some decent berries growing not too far from the car so headed over to them. Then he saw some better ones over there, and even better ones over . . . Before he knew it he was completely disoriented. He DID hear the car horn some time later but couldn't figure out in which direction. His best guess was a wrong one and he wandered deeper and deeper into the bush before he eventually sat down in the lee of some rocks, (your pause for reflection and admitting he was lost), had a think and decided to stay put (your staying calm) and set a small fire before it got too dark (getting comfortable). Fortunately he was wearing a thick Makinaw shirt and wasn't too uncomfortable and actually got some sleep knowing his wife would have gone for help.
He was a bit sheepish when they brought him out and I remember one classic line he made to reporters: "I got hungry and had to eat all the berries so I guess no pie for me tonight unless it's humble pie!"
No GPSr or Google maps in those days but he had the next best thing - a wife full of common sense!
Good story. Case in points, for sure. Thanks for sharing 😊
God Bless everyone!!!! Jesus Loves you all very much!!!!
On a family camping trip I got lost in the woods at the age of twelve and well remember the sheer terror of it to this day. I knew I was east of a small stream that served as an outlet for the pond we were camped near and headed in that direction. Coming to the stream I headed up it and found the pond. At my next scout meeting I announced my intention to earn my orienting merit badge. One of the best and most useful outdoor skills I ever learned.
I map out features like this ahead of time. Then I try to stay conscious of where I am in relation to that feature.
Long straight features work best, like long ridge streams rivers creeks etc.
Generally the road you came in on goes for a very long distance along a straight line. So say you know you are east of that road. No matter where you go, if you get lost, just head east and you will eventually come to that road again.
Once there, you just have to try and figure out what side of your car you are on. Worse comes to worst, you can walk for a day in one direction, and then walk for two days back in the other direction, and you should be able to find the car.
Had this happen to me in a sudden heavy snowfall. I was sure I was close to the truck but I just couldn't find it. Stopped, calmed myself, took a drink of water, and then thought about the panic button on my truck key. Pushed it and the horn honked and lights flashed about 100 feet away.
I once lost my way - in a parking garage! After a very unpleasant half-hour or more, I finally found my car - but I didn't think of the panic button until much later. "What I shoulda done was...."
A couple years back an elk hunter familiar with the area got caught in a snow storm. About 3 days later they found him less than 100 ft from his truck sitting by a tree froze to death. Snow is no joke. I so wish he had had a way to make a fire.
My dad and 3 of his buddies broke down in a snowstorm way out. My brother knew generally where they went so he took an old truck out looking for them. Because none of them smoked no one ever thought about keeping a lighter. They had just a few matches but no dry tender. My brother found them but they were really cold. Ever since then I stashed bic lighters in his rigs all the time and told him they are in there in obvious places. I keep them in mine also in multiple. I am not too proud to use a lighter to survive. I would be having a bonfire if I was lost.
just me Smart move! Also a few survival items just in case:)
Oh well, better luck next time.
Thanks sir for the video. Although not everyone likes to go outdoors. But I suggest whoever wants to, beside your good info, I suggest reading Hunter’s Education Manual. There’s a specific section regarding first aid and survival that has some useful info. Make a list of what to take with you include fire/knife/saw/rope/compass/tarp/ pills/water and food as a very basic items. Make your list specific to your area. North means dealing with cold and snow. South heat, snake bites and thirst. unfortunately I read a lot of negative comments not helping at all.
I've been there...
Early morning hunt and the trek was flawless. On the return..I was greeted with a rock wall 40 ft high, which I did not come down. Might mention that I was walking back in dense fog. Took a bit to get my bearings, and several hours later I was able to get back to the truck. Learned some serious lessons that day.
One thing I do ALWAYS..let someone know where I'll be, and when I should be back. I now Always carry a compass, knife, fire starter, and a means for shelter.
Though after watching your videos...I will modify my pack a bit.
Thanks
Great advice! I went for a 45 minute hike in the woods in central Texas at dusk on a 5,000 acre ranch. 10 hours later I got back and only by pure luck, I came across a dirt road in the moonlight and followed it for miles until I figured out where I was and I had been going the wrong way. That was a mistake I will Never forget. The place was known for many rattlesnakes and that didn’t help. Thanks for sharing your knowledge..it could save someone’s life! 👍👍 God Bless
Daniel Boone said "he was never lost. But he has been bewildered for 3 days".
Me and dad were mushroom hunting, dad got lost and confused so he dad what the man said. He sat down on log and start yelling for me. So I found dad and went back to the truck. Dad said he knows to stay put not to wonder around. Good advice.
but..but..but..but what about Big Foot???
@@marcusmarcus7258 Suppose instead of you, an over-weight, recently-divorced bear heard him....... oooops Dad! is this your leg bone? where are you? and someone from far distance said...... burp.............
Boone was probably always lost. He just never acted like it.
@@lisaduncan1239 if you see me running in the woods, keep up with me because Big Foot's chasing me.
Went through Cold Weather Winter Survival on the Ross Ice Shelf at McMurdo Station, Antarctica...Number one in your survival is shelter. Get out of the weather and save your energy. Also, staying calm is the key...
Thank you for a fantastic video...
Chuck in Michigan
U.S. Navy Retired
Thank you so much for touching on this topic. I am a land surveyor in upstate NY and am in the back woods often. So many people take for granted how they think they would handle this situation if lost. I know from experience that even surveyors misplace themselves and navigating the emotional stress of finding yourself lost is daunting. The panic and disorientation is what gets most people in trouble beyond being able to help themselves calm down and solve the problem. Thanks again for the great content!
Liked the way point marker, never heard of it before.. nice thanks.
I carry orange construction caution road safety flagging tape. This way you have many markers in a small package. Pull one or two strips and tie them to a tree limb, like leaving bread crumbs. You can shoot azimuths from them and go further when trying to figure out where you are, then back azimuths to go back to where you were until you find your way out.
The old marker was , look for unusual shapes as in trees and peaks , or ? Whatever stands out .
Done close to 3000 miles hiking, and I loved that you did this on a bushcraft channel. I agree, I never see this. But it's really good advice. I've gotten lost a few times and have always been able to figure out where I went wrong. Usually right after I stopped looking around and just relaxed for a few minutes. Apps like All Trails or Map My Hike are great apps. You can download an area you are going to, and then even if you don't have cell reception your gps will still work with the maps letting you know where you are. Anyhow, great video! Happy Trails, - Too Clean
I like topo maps for just this reason. Learn to recognize terrain features on the ground as they translate to the map. This has helped me out on numerous occasions. Batteries die, devices break, a paper map in a plastic bag in a cargo pocket and a good compass can save the day.
Old great uncle Pat told us kids back in the early 70s that if you get lost find a stump, sit down and give yourself time to think.
Thank you for confirming his wisdom and that memory.
Yeah but I'm betting the old Uncle Pat probably went out in the woods in y'all never saw him again😀😀😀😀😀😀teasin!
Before I go into the woods, I download an app that is meant for finding your car in a parking lot.
Most of these apps will pull maps (data), but the map is not necessary for the app to work.
When I am at a trail head or at my vehicle, I turn on GPS, open the app, mark where I want to be able to get back to. I then shut off the app and GPS and often put the phone in airplane mode (turn off all the radios). When you are far from cell towers your phone will eat a lot more battery trying to communicate with these distant towers. SO, but going into Airplane mode or turning off the phone, you will have plenty of battery left in your phone.
IF you get lost, simply turn on your phone, take out of airplane mode, turn on GPS, and open the app.
The app will tell you how far you are from your initial setting and it will either tell you what direction, or with just a bit if walking, you see the distance decrease., check your compass for the direction you need to go.
IF you have a long distance, now that you know the general direction, turn your phone off again to conserve battery and walk what you think is about half the distance. Remember to check your compass as you progress..
Repeat locating with the app until you arrive back.
I hunt, so I also use this technique in reverse..
I mark where my tree stand is in the woods..
Then early in the morning, in the dark, I can find my trees and no problem.
Hope it helps!
Fantastic idea! I would add a portable battery and cellphone charging cable to my wood trekking arsenal.
Great advice! You might have saved a life or two with that short piece. Much appreciated...
Sit down and relax you may HEAR the ROAD reflective thumb tack s are great tack both sides of the TREE
In the winter hand warmers help to keep the battery in the phone warm. A warm phone is a happy phone.
Good explanation about shutting down GPS and airplane mode. People forget that they will not be paying attention and they are needlessly using battery that they don't need to use.
Also if there is moss on one side of the trees, that is the north direction (in the northern hemisphere). When we use to wear watches w hands on them you can look up the trick w the hour hand pointed in the sun's direction w the watch laying horizontal, half way (or bisecting the distance) between the hour hand and 12 o'clock on the dial is south.
There is a famous report of someone asking Daniel Boone if he ever got lost in the wilderness and he answered that no, he had never been lost...however...he did say that several times he had been bewildered for a few days. (I am from Kentucky and supposedly, this is a true story.) This is really good information you give here. I especially like the waypoint markers idea. A person could use a series of them to travel in one direction, always within site of that last marker. If that was the wrong way, then return to their base point picking up each marker as they go and set out on a new heading. Repeat until something looks familiar to them. This is the kind of information that saves lives. Very well done Sir.
We lived in a small town in Germany for a couple of years when I was in high school. I decided to take walk down a dirt road leaving town to see were it went. No cell phone (not really a thing in ‘87) No gear. No water. No food. Just a kid out walking. About an hour later I decided that if I cut across “this way” it should take me back into town.
Umm. Not exactly. About an hour later I determined that I was not where I thought I should be. Not lost you see. Just not where I thought I should be. Lol. I turned around to go back and realized nothing looked familiar.
I took a couple of minutes to look at the cloudy ski through thick canopy and try to judge where the sun was going to be setting in about three hour. Not much luck there. Best I could do was get a basic ideal of northern and southern directions. I knew I was north of were I started. The road/trail I was on was generally west and that there was a paved road that lead into town from the NW to my East. Best guess, I picked a SE direction figuring I’d find the road or town. 45 minutes or an hour later I found the road just as it was turning East. Had I been 100ft west I would have missed it and been in the woods much longer. I followed the road and it winded back into town about 45 minutes later. Street lights were already on by the time I got back home.
Many lessons learned that day and sense then.
Thanks for the video and great tip.
Celebrate you have finally succeeded, keep low profile so no one finds you
yes!
Lol
👍👊🏼
YES!!
I love this comment so much. Speaks to my soul.
Never Hike further then you can hike back out if you're only day hiking. Pay attention to the time of day because you don't want to try and shortcut your way out as that is a recipe for getting lost.
Absolutely, only ever take short cuts in well known terrain and stable fine weather.
Every cross country route takes at least 150% of the estimated time the first time it's traveled. And that's without potential navigation mistakes.
Better to know how to get unlost. Because of you only plan on not getting lost (your advice) you are vulnerable.
I'll admit it - I've been lost.
Several times.... *Several times*
And EVERY. SINGLE. TIME...
It was in a City.
Yes. This! Put me in the woods and I can navigate but put me in the city, I can't find shit lol xD
how did the city folk react to you setting up a plow point in an alley and starting fires with your ferro rod and cardboard boxes?
It's all those damn one ways.
I don't know that I've been lost in a city, but I've sure as hell felt out of place!
@@opwards
😆🤣 good one!
I saw a story about a solo hiker who got lost on a toilet break and died before being found.
The experts said it would be much harder to find the trail when crossing at right angles to it, so now I'm going to start tying bright clothing to a tree on the path before leaving it
I really enjoyed this video. Back in 2015 my hiking partners were ahead of me and got off trail. I was unsure if I was off or they were off. (For about 30 min.) I got to a major river crossing- checked my map. I was quite confident I was on the trail, and did exactly as you said. Just sat there. My hiking partners showed up 30-40 minutes later. My points: 1.There's lots of ways to get off trail or separated from a group. 2. I was waiting by this river. No chance of anyone hearing me call out. I could not hear my team calling me either. So it's interesting how terrain can change the sound.
The old Boy Scout manual from the early 60’s, said the same thing. As soon as you realize that you’re lost, stop and sit and relax. Then once you’re calm, start to think it through. They even had a picture a a scout sitting on a log. Anyone remember that?
I have one of those.
people who get lost and die in the woods, generally die of bullheadedness. Being unable to admit they're lost.
Got lost trail riding alone once. Just lost trail and couldn't relocate. Just gave my horse her head because I knew she just wants to get back to trailer where she can rest and eat. Worked perfect.
You to , same here , never had a doubt his sense of direction or his love of grain !🐴
Yep. Horse most always know where HOME is..
What does giving her, her head, mean?
That's the way to solve a problem. Understand it. You were lost. The horse wasn't.
David let go of the reigns and let her go wherever she wants
Get two compasses, one military , the other moral, and plot your course with absolute seriousness.
One word ... "Compass" and the knowledge to use it.
Absolutely correct, and a reliable means to make a fire if needed over night.
Shawn Nac Take bearings as you’re walking. and mark the time in each direction on a notepad. Don’t lose the pad.
Ideally, always sling a bag over your shoulder with survival equipment and food for 3 days. Never take it off. Also extra water if it will be difficult to find.
Why would I want to have a compass? Kind of defeats the point of getting lost.
Unless you know the area surrounding your walk.
A compass will only give you direction.
You can use several other methods to find bearing,ie shadow stick,stars,wind,moss on tres,sunrise/set.
My advice would be to carry a compass and some sort of map even if it’s one that you hand drew of the area before you went in. That way you can find your way back out.
Inconvenient camping isn't a bad thing because a bad night in the woods is still better than a good day at work. Lol good vid Dan.
BOMBPROOF BUSHCRAFT do you think you should get a different job?
Plug 14 I just got a new job. Lol. One that allows me the time to build bombproof and still bring in some cash.
But seriously, I can’t think of any job that would compete with just being outdoors next to a campfire. 👍.
BOMBPROOF BUSHCRAFT Congratulations on your new job. You have a point not much beats being outside next to a campfire. But I guess I’m lucky I absolutely love my job. Long hours crap pay but I couldn’t and wouldn’t change it for the world. Nursing for me was a calling not just a job, so I think myself lucky I do something I love.
Plug 14 I was going to school for nursing. Quit about 2 years into it when I got sick of paying for classes like literature and philosophy and other nonsense filled classes. The science classes were awesome, and I loved the human body and how it works. Also, my bedside manner...probably would’ve gotten me in hot water. Lol. Thank you for the job you do (I know hours suck, but I thought the pay was good?)!!
BOMBPROOF BUSHCRAFT must admit I had to take on extra work as the bursary just didn’t cover everything. The pay is ok the higher up the scale you go, but the NHS have never been great at paying.
Another great video!
When I was in the boyscouts we were taught a simple acronym for this situation. STOP
S - Stop moving. Sit down and relax.
T - Think. How far have you moved? in what direction? Where was the last know position?
O - Observe. get your map and compass out. (yes you should bring an analog map with you). or open up google maps or something similar. What does the surroundings look like?
P - Plan. What is the general situation? Anyone hurt? dehydrated? hungry? cold? too hot? sunburn? Can you get back to where you were going? or do you have to turn back to the starting location? Do you have to stay in place and call for help?
:)
One more thing is when you admit you are lost and after you calm down,.... be positive and don't get down on yourself. I remember being lost with my dad in the "DAKS" one time. It was pretty dire as we didn't have any viable water to drink. It was real easy to be uneasy and get hysterical about getting yourself lost. Lots of mistakes were made to get us to that point. We had to be positive that the situation was not that bad and know we were going to get out of there. Eventually everything worked out mainly because we were positive we were getting out of a bad situation. We had nothing else.
4:50 Additional point: actually, you *don't* need cellular coverage for GPS to work. And the internet is only needed by apps which use online maps. So, always have an app with offline maps.
Plus paper map, plus compass, but most people will ignore this anyway.
When my kids were young we'd go camping quite often. When the kids decided to explore the woods I gave them simple instruction. First look for a marker. Something tall like a dead tree or a high hill . Second I told them if they do get lost just stop walking. They could be getting farther from camp and it will take me longer to find them. They've all grown up loving the outdoors. I feel like a success as a dad because of that.
Good steps to remember....I have been turned around a time or two but I ALWAYS take a compass reading at my vehicle. I have the compass set where the pointer red is in and White out. I may be off a bit on the white out but only by a 100 yards or so from my vehicle. I do this even on a quick day or hour hike.....you can get turned around quick where I live in the N.W. I would recommend a course of basic hiking skills.....Many Community colleges offer them.
Years ago I almost got lost in Central Florida but they built a new neighborhood around me. Now I can't find a forest. I feel more lost than I did back then.
Dude force those other humans out of your territory. Those animals are the biggest threat to your survival.
you do ot want to be camping in ocala
Good video. I like the tip about the brightly colored waypoint marker. I would've liked to see a bigger cleared area between the fire and those dry leaves at 6:15.
When I was 11 years old at Boy Scout Camp Ten Mile River in New Jersey for 2 weeks I was on a navigational exercise in deep woods and through my own error became lost. The Boy Scout rule of thumb was that once you decide you're lost just stay put and let them find you. There was a big vertical rock ledge so I built a lean-to type shelter against it and then collected firewood. After about 2 hours I started hearing my name being called in the distance and I shouted back. After a few minutes my friend who was the senior Scout Leader found me. So awful that such a great organization that did so much good was taken down by a mixture of parasites. I learned so many great life hacks in the Boy Scouts.
Interesting fact: Small children who get get lost are more likely to be found safe than adults. Why? Because when the realize they're lost they stop moving and find shelter. Adults keep wandering and get further away from searchers.
@Peter Miller unless it's someone old.
I live in BC and worked for decades as a timber cruiser... constantly in the woods. A lot of the time by myself for days on end and nobody knew where we were except the helicopter that should pick us up in X days, weather permitting. I would add one more tip for green horns if you're out there and nobody knows where you are. Go downhill! Follow a stream... they all go downhill and eventually they'll cross a road somewhere, especially in continental US. And roads in the mountains will always go downhill, especially logging roads, and will come out to a bigger road etc etc.
It constantly amazes me that every single year people die in the bush on the mountains just outside Vancouver when you can see the lights of the city. BELOW. But no they try to go uphill to find the ski lift which they left, usually in deep snow, which finishes them off real fast. You can quite easily move downhill in deep snow though and it invariably gets shallower the further down you go. And yes there are some rough terrain and cliffs... you don't have to go straight down, just let the terrain dictate, go sideways if necessary but just keep nibbling away elevation.
I live on the west Cascades in Wa. I know exactly what you mean. I love these forests and so many people tremble at the sight. Walking in ferns taller than myself is a favored past time. I can't imagine living anywhere else on earth. I am never lost.
Good video, and you're right no one talks about this. I would add one thing, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
This happened to me once on the central Oregon high plateau, known as "Oregon's outback", and there's a good reason why it is called that, because it is so remote and arid. A buddy and I were on our way back from a week-long camping trip, and decided to stop and explore the area for a bit. We were looking for a volcanic crater in the area that was marked on the map, a detailed road atlas, and appeared to be close to the main road. We went off a bit on some dirt roads near where we thought it was. I parked the car and we decided to just step out and follow this road for no more than 100 feet or so. No crater in sight. So we decided to go off the road again just for a hundred feet or so towards this low ridge, and still no crater in sight. So we decided to call it good and head back to the car. But somewhere on the way back, we realized we were lost. We could not find the car because it was parked in a bit of a depression, even though the car must have only been a few hundred feet away.
The area has no water, and is basically a dry ponderosa pine woodland with dry, sandy soil that more or less looks the same in every direction, except you could see a high ridge in the distance, but that was the only major landmark. It was also a Sunday, so anybody who may have been there for the weekend had left. Not only that, but since we were just planning to step out of the car for a few minutes and head back, we left everything in the car -- water bottles, food, lighter, warm clothing, etc. We were basically wearing shorts and a t-shirt in an area at 4500 feet elevation where the temperatures plummet at night, even in the summer. No water anywhere, no food, no way to build a fire, and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. And only a few hours of daylight left in the late afternoon. It was very scary.
Luckily, I had a compass on my key chain, and I had a mental picture of the road atlas map of the area, and I knew the main road was close by. Since we only had a few hours of daylight left, instead of staying put, we decided to walk in an expanding spiral expecting to eventually run into a road. We found some power lines and a maintenance road that had not been driven on in a long time. One challenge with this area is that even if you get to a relatively high point, it's just rolling country so you never really get up enough to get a bird's-eye view of the area, so you only see as far as the next small ridge. So we worked with the compass and my memory of the map, and chose a direction to walk on the maintenance road.
Fortunately, it led to a bigger dirt road that had some recent tire tracks, so we followed the tire tracks. After following that road for a while, we saw the traffic on the main road, and this road roughly paralleled the main road. We just kept our eye on that road and bushwhacked our way directly there, and even then it was hard to know if we were walking in a straight line. But within a couple of hundred feet, we reached the main road and hitch hiked back to the car, which by now was at least a couple of miles away.
We were lucky that time, but if things had turned out differently, it could have turned out way worse. I was terrified of having to spend a night in that area in shorts and a t-shirt with no water anywhere, and no way to start a fire. Later, we realized that we probably could have hit the "panic" button on the car's key, and that may have set the car horn off and helped us locate the car since the point where we first knew we were lost was not far from the car. But the important thing is, we made it back OK.
Moral of the story is, even if you're stepping out of your car in the wilderness for a few hundred feet, be sure to bring warm clothes, a lighter and some water with you, because you could get lost even a very short distance from your car. Thanks for the advice, and I will incorporate these principles the next time I'm out in the wilderness.
mushroomsteve
I am way to worried about leaving my truck by a road to get too far away from it. I always know where my truck is and can almost constantly see it unless I hide it and go for a walk. I can look back and find a landmark anywhere there is a bush or rock. If I don't see one I will make one. Lost is so not my thing. Sorry that happened to you guys.
@@justme-dm7sb That is a very smart practice, and one that I generally follow. That particular time, however, I really thought I was at least within sight of that last road we had walked off of, but it petered out not far from where we left it the first time. I kept seeing areas of sand that looked like road, but just turned out to be piles of sand. It was a very disorienting area.
@@mushroomsteve
Oh no.... another little twilight zone! Those are annoying. They always seem to go in some really bizarre circle.
I would've never thought about the panic button on my car key fob. Thanks for putting that out there.
I remember being a little kid and panicking on a well established trail in a big forest. I got turned backwards and started running up and down not sure where to go, thinking I would be lost forever. My family wasn't outdoorsy at all and all I needed to know was to sit down and calmly collect myself. I was 1/2 mile for safety and some kids came down the trail a half an hour later confused to see me crying "lost".
So dumb in retrospect but it changed the entire way I am raising my son.
Same. My parents taught me squat beyond super basics that probably land somewhere just above breathing. They are not bad people, but in retrospect it truly boggles my mind that that's how they rolled. I ended up learning *SO* many normal things in life the hard way. Very unnecessarily, IMO.
I remember wandering off and getting lost in stores and even the Bronx Zoo once as a little kid *(amongst people!)* and still not knowing what to do. I know that panic.
I almost over-teach now, probably, as a result. With that I am finding my oldest resistant to it all being 'too cool for school'. It's intensely annoying. 😑 Damned if you do...
Either way, I still say my piece about it and let him know it's totally his choice to not learn (when the attitude surfaces) and good luck to him figuring getting himself out of a jam in the future when/if one happens.
Until he turns 18 and I am not legally responsible anymore he's going to be subject to the free-of-charge mom survival and life skills training seminars. I don't care. 😁
I imagine he's already planning on getting his 1st apartment STAT.
same I get the same feeling when I'm turned around
@@OOPSY23759 it's an instinct. It must come from way, way back in our evolutionary history because shutting our thinking down isn't exactly helpful. I imagine that for our very distant ancestors, even if blindly struggling onward meant likely death, that was preferable to certain death.
We need to chill out first and take stock second.
Great presentation! Nice clear audio. Short and sweet. No yelling. Thanks a lot.
I stopped & visualized where I was the last time I knew where I was. I learned to not let my mind wander when navigating.
Great subject matter. For consideration? If you are near dark or storm coming, stop and make fire and best shelter you can. My reasoning is it keeps you close to your path before you got off track. It should make finding you easier. Have food and drink if it is with you. And keep calm. Self examination of our failures or mistakes can be hard to do. Maybe have your meltdown...then regroup and prepare for a night out.keep your head. Dont go bear grylls running and jumping and acting a fool. One broken foot or leg and you are finished.
I use way points for many kilometers when I'm out in the woods. I watch my surroundings and remember something that looks funny or strange every now and then. I always find back, did this when I was a kid too and my whole class got lost in the woods without the teacher. Nobody trusted me since I was the small silent kid, so I went back alone when I saw my "way point" and got to the teacher for help. I basically saved 20 lives that day hahaha
Good work. Looking backwards as you travel is quite effective when you are returning.
most importantly,did you get your honor?
Yes, when the emotion of fear is in operation, intelligence shuts down.
Which perfectly explains covid-19 and the election results.
Ask any idiot in a slasher move.
Great advice. I've been turned around and used those methods to get reoriented. Mainly, though, I carry a compass in the woods. It's gotten me back to the truck in a white out blizzard. It's unsettling when all your waypoints and landmarks disappear in a fog of driving snow. If you do get turned around just keep your head and you'll be fine. Trust the Lord, your experience and your compass.
When I was 9 I got lost in woods at a Girl Scout camp while on a scavenger hunt. I was concentrating on finding the items and didn’t see how far away I was. I had lost my bearing and every direction looked the same. I tried to stay calm and I was able to find a trail back in about 10 minutes but I remember how scary it was. I can only imagine what it would feel like really not be able to find your way.
Thank God that I finally was able to get to a location where I could actually get lost in the woods.
Specially i think its impossible to get lost-lost in Europe. If we dont count the Alpines
@@burstfireno1617 it's pretty easy to get lost in Europe, especially the forested or tundra parts of Scandinavia, Finland and mountainous parts of Scotland
Yeah, that's the hardest part. Where I live I could maybe get lost for 4 days, tops. Better than nothing, i suppose.
@@SonsOfLorgar try the black forest in Germany, lots of people go in and never come out....
@@SonsOfLorgar I've biked across Norway, and once drove 26 000 km east, west, east across U.S.A. In my opinion, Norway is a lot more evenly populated. Even across the highlands, there are public cabins, tracks and settlements with roots back into the iron age, however.
In the western half of USA, barring the coast, it's an abyss. When you glance into that void, the void also glances back into you.
I think this is one good reason that you shouldn’t be so overconfident that you go hiking without some survival EDC stuff or, at least, a survival tin. Having that stuff with you will calm you and give you some piece of mind even if you don’t use it. A calm, peaceful mind thinks much better than a panicking mind.
A panicking mind does not think at all. If you're lucky, conditioned reflex or your subconscious (or luck) might save your bacon.
Have you ever personally been in a survival situation where you needed survival EDC?
@@paranoiawilldestroyya3238 mmmm Bacon...
Years ago somewhere in British Columbia, a couple of guys on snowmobiles were skinning a deer. They had all their emergency gear on the machines, close by but out of sight. It was snowing and covering their tracks. They headed back in the wrong direction and ended up dead from hypothermia.
There is some stuff we should always have on our person.
Low oxygen made me confused in Rocky mountains one time but finally found where I set down my back pack and built a good fire. Next morning found my way back to the road. Never forget that experience.😊
I was a kid with my dad in the woods. I was bewildered and asked him if he knew where we were.
He said that when you get lost just close your eyes and visualize the truck then walk toward it..
So several times in my life when I was a bit bewildered I would stop and think about where the truck was..
It works because it makes you slow down, relax and think about where you have been..
“If you find yourself lost in the woods, fu*k it, build a house. I used to be lost, but now i live here. I have severely improved my predicament!”
Mitch Hedberg
trickhealey
I love it.... I already lived in a house in the woods so I had to learn to find my way home.
@@justme-dm7sb I know a family with the name of Woods they have a 24 year old daughter , I want to get lost in her .
Now THAT is seriously the funniest thing I've heard in awhile! L'nMFAO! Thanks for that!
Steve Janek it struck me as well. Mitch Hedberg had such a kind for these kinds of jokes. Also, it’s a rather practical albeit extreme solution.
I read that in his voice
Tip #1 is probably the best one for those of us who are very comfortable being alone in wilderness areas. My pride and denying that I'm lost are probably the largest hurdles for me to overcome.
Even the most experienced can get turned around. How to deal with it is just one of the skills.
You’re a good teacher Dan
I had a similar situation years ago. Lost my trail marker on the Sam Houston trail heading west. Took a break to snack and put two sticks in the ground next to each other and watched the sun hit and stretch. Got my bearings and continued west. Did have food, water and shelter just in case. Then I heard a vehicle in the distance kept going in the westerly direction and came out onto the dirt road and the trail marker about 50 feet away. I didn't panic just did a couple of the things that you mentioned in this video and I still use those techniques to this day.
About the cell service, Google maps lets you download maps for offline use. If there's an area that you visit regularly, download the map of that area ahead of time. Then your phone's gps will still work to show you where you are.
There's also lots of map apps available that are explicitly designed to work offline. Download the maps of your local area, and that way you've always got something you can refer to, service or not. Offline maps for me have been the difference between "completely lost in a foreign country where I don't speak the language" and "oops I missed my exit."
Did not know this. This is a good tip thanks
Don't we all know and teach S.T.O.P? Meaning stop, think, observe/orientate, plan. Still a good video.
I always bring a whistle, an orange reflective vest (like road workers use), compass and (digital)map.
I also study the area on the computer beforehand so I know what direction roads and rivers are that will lead to civilization. This reduces any feeling of stress when temporarily dislocated.
Many people walk a trail but never look back so they did not see that crossroads walking in but see it when trying to backtrack.
All very good. Not a fan of digital as batteries die. There are several Web sites you can order topographical maps at any size and scale. They fold up and don't need batteries and are only a few dollars. A compass is just carried. Never leave home without it.
@@hamm6035 Fully agree
I remember going hunting in the woods by myself, after 20 minutes in unfamiliar territory, I said. im lost.. panicked and began rapidly moving thru the woods. I got even more lost with every step. 3 times I ended up back in the same place… the woods can be tricky to navigate.. now I take mental pictures every few seconds and take fewer turns.
My problem is i would completely freak out with the thought of being lost, possibly dying out in the woods and never being found!
Years ago I got my amateur radio license, (ham radio) my small hand held transceiver is always with me in the woods. Many mountain tops have repeaters on them (it’s like a cell phone tower) here in New England and I’m sure everywhere.
I have my license too! kC3AGR
come on people give a thumbs up!! people work hard for these videos... the least you can do is show some respect and like there hard work
I've actually had that happen to me when I was like 17 before I started driving a vehicle snowstorm, came in and changed the whole landscape on me. That was my first time hunting in that area. I spent the whole night out underneath the link to that I built and then on top of that had a fire going in front of me next day for a department. And m came in and found me. I made them leave though until they come back with a cup of hot coffee. Then I got up and walked out with them. It was an experience and it was a wake up call and it was a self teaching situation. And I'm glad I had the knowledge of watching different survival shows and stuff. Thank you guys for what you guys do I learn something new every day
Leave a plan with someone not with you. And time expected back. So they can recognize you are missing earlier.
totally! admitting your mistakes is really important but not all of ppl can. Thank you Dan!!
Stay awesome!!!
When I was younger I stepped down from my deer stand to pre, walked 20 yards into the woods and was seriously lost. Found an old logging road and followed it. Ran across an old man and asked him "does this logging road take me to the main gravel road?"
He asked, "why boy, you lost?" Rather sarcastically.
I said "nope, just wondering if you know where I'm at"
He called me a snot nosed smart ass and didn't belong in the woods alone..........so I killed him, and THEN I was alone. Aahhhhhhhhh good times. (Mostly a true story)
Always have a magnetic compass and always know where the road network is in relation to your hiking path. If you get lost follow the compass bearing to the road.
I was once lost in the mountains and followed my pre-plan. Six: Walk downhill, Seven: Look and listen for running water. After a few minutes, I found a spring no wider than a pencil pouring from a rock. In just a few more minutes, the stream was about four feet wide. The stream reached the creek only about twenty yards from my campsite.
For me this is one of the most practical videos I’ve seen on a real short term survival scenario. Thanks for taking the time to make this and for sharing it.
very great and to the point tips. I agree, that in this day and age rarely anyone goes without a phone into the woods, if not for anything else so they can take pictures and post on social media :) so Yes, this is a tool we must utilize as best we can, but not be solely dependent on it.
Thank you! That is the best advice I have heard on you tube. This is so real. I got turned around once, and, every tree looks the same and you mind starts to spiral. Great advice.
According to Paul Harvey, "if you're lost, take out a deck of cards and start playing solitary. Within 5 minutes, someone will come up and tell you, put that red 5 on the black 6.!"
Lol
@Dale Hemme Amen. Of course it's true Did you ever know Paul Harvey to say anything that didn't turn out to be a right?
Happened to me. I was 20 years old, first time I went hunting. Was in upper state Vermont near the Canadian border. There was five of us that took off from camp in five different directions at dawn. Don’t know why we did this but hey, first time hunting. Walk around all morning and afternoon. Not a single deer. So I said better start heading back. Not sure what time that was. I started walking in the direction where I thought was camp but nope, wrong way. Started crisscrosseding, nope. Long story short, I did exactly what this video said. I said to myself I didn’t know where I was, didn’t panic, sat down on a log and lite up a smoke. Thinking of what to do next, assessed the citation. Thought I might have to dig a hole and bed down with a bunch of leaves. Maybe make a little fire. Never once thinking anything bad that could happen to me. Well, while I was thinking about this, I heard a dog barking faintly in the distance. Then he stopped. I took my my 30/30 and fired off a couple rounds and started walking towards the dogs barking. The dog stops barking again. Shot off two more rounds until the dog starts barking. Well I did this until I got to the dog that was caged near a house near a dirt road. Walked that dirt road until I got to a paved road and figured out where I was. Turns out I was over 5 miles from camp. It was almost dark. The guys at my camp were just going to call the police. Then one of the guys told me about a hunter who got lost last year. True story.
Keep in mind there was no such things as GPS or cell phones. It was the early 70’s.
The guys called me Dirty Harry cause my sidearm was a S&W 44 Magnum.
Not too bad for a city boy. 🙂
"Fight or Flight" is actually 3 things, not 2, because it's Freeze, Fight, Flight. We always overlook the Freeze aspect of high-adrenaline situations. Freezing in place is 100% valid as a reaction to a bad situation, whether you're being attacked, or you're suddenly aware that you're lost, whatever. We haven't focused much on the Freeze aspect, so most have forgotten to TRAIN for it. Stopping to think about your situation is part of the whole Freeze portion of Freeze, Fight, Flight, and when you train yourself to stop-and-think, to analyze what is going on, you can often figure out what the safest or best next step will be.
Sometimes, it's staying put right where you are. Sometimes it's climbing a hillside or a tree to try to see farther. Sometimes it's following downhill slopes to get to a waterway. Sometimes it's choosing to run away from a danger, or confronting it, or whatever...but freezing in place, aka stop moving so you can start thinking, is always a valid choice. That's why it's #2 on this list of things to do, and if you're not in immediate danger of being burned by a forest fire, buried by an avalanche, or beaten by a wild beast...take the time to stop and think.
Wow, a genuine case of common sense. Clear and precise. Love you man. Great video.
Cool, the way point idea rocks.
Dan, thanks. excellent video. Sent it to both my grand-kids
Been both, lost & came across people who where. Prefer the latter. Their reactions are priceless lol !! BTW, nice wool shirt.
Great Tips 👍 .. thanks.
Yep .. 'Waypoint Marker' is the way to go. One could even extend the range (and corresponding search Circumference) from the 'Base Camp' by using addition markers (just being careful of course). Lots of options in this regard.
Naturally, having a Map and Compass also goes a long way (and using it .. good practice too) in trying to find one's way to safety.
I read once .. many years back, an article on 'being lost' in the wild .. to this effect: "You are never 'lost' as you know exactly where you are at that point in time. It may just be not where you would like to (or should) be at that moment." 😁.
Take care ..
That said, bringing a roll of brightly coloured fabric, plastic warning ribbon (police line ribbon style but bright unicolour or warning stripes)
Or even chemical snap-lights with a longer duration than you intend to hike and start marking waypoints as soon as you leave a publically maintained trail is not a bad idea.
When I and my spouse go out in the woods to find mushrooms, we always wear brightly colored trafic vests, two meals each, a medium sized first aid kit, and at least a litre and a half of water in steel bottles.
Especially as the mushroom season overlaps with the deer, moose and boar hunting season.
@@SonsOfLorgar Wise choices 👍.
Most people tend to walk in circles wasting energy and time. Follow the flow of water if there are creeks in the area. Creeks lead to a stream then to a river. Civilization is always near water. I mark my trail by cutting bark or breaking branches. If you drove into the woods with a truck then hit the horn button on your key fob . Being in the woods or jungle is like being underwater. It is a totally different environment. Carry a map and compass.
This happened once when I was 14 YO (1970) in a forest way out in the middle of New York. It was summer so there were plenty of leaves on the trees. I saw a cut through the woods where power lines ran through and I knew it ran East-west so I walked out with no problem at all.
for better, for worse, always take a compas with you! nice vid! ;-)
Stopping to think about what you should do in a calm way is the most important. I read once that the Hudson Bay company’s survival kit had a tea bag as the first survival item with instructions to make a cup of hot tea. By the time you made your tea you have a fire, your at least partially protected from the elements, you have water and you have had some time to calm down and consider what your next move should be.
The time to look at your map, is when you know where you are. Then when you are lost, you have some idea of a last known location. You brought a map right?
So I learned forestry working in Swedish Lappland, the last years of the 80's. If you get lost there, you have a real chance to mever be found before you are dead. Therefore we had to learn what to do when you get lost, or something bad happen.
1 thing we were told to do: stop hand put on a kettle with coffee (or tea if that is your thing). Be it a wood burning fire or the old Trangia, the sitting down with some hot drink and a small fire will give you some pause and a possibillity to calm down. Dont mowe from that place before you have a plan.
Here's a couple of things:
Get out a pack of cards and start playing *patience*. Two minutes into the game someone will tell you that the red queen will go on the black king...
Stay where you are. Build a cabin. Live there. The tax authorities will knock on your door within weeks...
I have a small sling bag with a small kit for food, water, shelter, some tools and first aid and a cooking container. Everything is bright blaze orange that can be to attract attention. I call it my Get Lost Bag.
Awesome 🙂👍🏻 Now tell us how to do this in a large city😂 that’s some real panic right there. Being lost in Chicago
spider Outdoors
Much scarier than being lost in the woods.
Thomas
🤣🤣
@Thomas if you do get mugged, how do you know if it's North South or West side?
It's impossible to get lost in Chicago...there are stores, gas stations, bus stops... Starbucks....you see cop cars. ..and its an easy grid system..
@Thomasyou need to know the grid system...and the major streets and what number of block they represent...like Halsted is 800 W and Irving Park is 4000 N.. Addison 3600 N. .from the lake to the city limits it's easy... But whatever works for you bro!!!If you like your system..go with it!.
Stay safe and be careful!..we have the thugs mugging people on the streets... coyotes looking for food..lol...
Ive been lost in thick woods. I line up 3 trees walk to the second tree and then line up another third tree and keep going like this. Its always got me out. It pays if you can see the sun. That gives you your orientation if you don’ t have a compass.
You survived 51 days in Patagonia so I’m not alone in saying you can probably claim outdoor expert.
I've grown up, and still live in Southeastern Kentucky, in the Daniel Boon National Forest area. We all grew up as kids playing, hiking, hunting and camping in the woods. We used to get lost all the time, but we always somehow found our way back home. My dad always taught me, if I ever got really really lost, to be creative and do everything I can think of to leave behind sings of my presence and travel through an area. He showed me to break tree and bush limbs ever so often and leve it hanging and pointing in the direction I'm traveling. Also to drag my feet ever so often to mess up the leaves down to the dirt to leave signs and footprints. He also said that dogs can track you better, if you take a sweaty, dirty peace of clothing off, tie it to a string or fishing line, or whatever you may have and drag it behind you on the ground, and to constantly touch trees, bushes, downed logs and everything you can to leave behind as much scent as possible. Also if you find piles of rocks, stack them into an arrow shape, pointing in the direction your going. Also, if you find a rock pile, or large boulder, you can take a smaller rock and scratch out messages on it about yourself, the fact that your lost, and an arrow showing the direction your traveling. He also taught me the more common sense stuff like, following streams or logging roads down hill, certain ways to tell if your traveling north, south, east, or west by the time of the year, compared to the location of the sun and a few others. I'm no survival expert by any means, but I think I would do ok if I got lost pretty much anywhere. In my personal opinion, the best rule for never getting lost hiking, is to never travel beyond sight of the trail... for any reason what so ever, especially if you don't know the area
Watching this after getting lost age 13 with a friend and my little brother for 4 hours it was really scary since at the 3rd hour ish the light started going luckily a nice lady let us borrow her phone so we could call our parents
Look for the helpers or a Mom/lady is always good for kids to know. I think even the littlest of talking kids can understand that.
All excellent points and I see no good reason for some of sarcastic comments I saw. The only thing missing was to call for help (hopefully with a loud whistle). You might be pleasantly surprised to discover that you are less alone tgan you think. Most people get lost surprisingly close to the beaten path. That's also why the bright marker works wonders in the vast majoirty of cases.
ConstantinDV Great idea about the whistle! I always carry one. Got mine at REI and you can hear it with winds, storms, etc.
When in panic or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. LoL. Great information. When are you going to do the make a queen size wool blanket. Have a great new year. Jerry M
Thank you I think your spot on. Not enough people talk about getting lost. Sure you can watch survival man, but until it happens to you. You'll be glad you were prepared.
Walk downhill, then follow water courses. You'll reach humanity soon enough.
The vast majority of towns and cities were built on rivers and the coast before the industrial revolution allowed us to use other modes of transport.
Good Advice. I have been bushwalking for 47 years and had more than my fair share of times being "geographically embarrassed". My rule is - make yourself a cup of tea. Not because you are in dire need of a the refreshment of a hot beverage but because it forces you to stop. It moves your attention away from the fact that you might be lost as concentration is required prepare a good cup of tea. You need to sit, unpack, assemble your stove, heat water, find your cup make the tea ect. Then drinking the tea allows you time to think and formulate a strategy to become unlost. All this suppresses panic and stops you from digging yourself into a deeper hole.