Emergency Headings - The Antidote to Getting Lost

Never take for granted that you will know the way back to safety regardless of how obvious it may seem. Always take an emergency heading before leaving your vehicle or when bushwhacking off the main trail.
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[@greywindLOSP]

Simple, basic, no anxiety! Easy, ham sandwich, practical any where! ......ATB

[@leighrate]

One thing to add to that:
Always find North first. It's the easiest cardinal point to identify on a compass & the easiest to find with your compass needle. Before you step off the pavement take the time to look at a map and make a quiet note of all your lifelines & their directions relative to North. Do a quick sketch in your notebook. The page represents the area you are in. Think of it as being a box. One you are going to stay in. Top of the page is north. The distances don't need to be exact. If you become lost/disorientated STOP (Stop Think Orientate Plan)

[@BCNW1]

Yes, all the points you make are excellent. But to be clear, an emergency heading is not something reserved for times when planning a detailed hike with a map, compass, and notebook. Plenty of people get lost after leaving their vehicle to pick berries or look for wildlife, expecting to be able to find their way back after only walking a short distance. One woman near me who was apparently an experienced hiker was found dead of hypothermia within a relatively short distance of her tent and the trail. The assumption is that she left her tent during the night, got turned around, and walked in the wrong direction(s) until she froze to death. In other words, an emergency heading is something that is done on both a large and small scale, anytime your lifeline is out of sight. No compass? Take note of the time and position of the sun. Get your bearings before setting out. It's a good habit to engrain because as usual the one time you don't do it, Mr Murphy will show up and you know the rest. Hope that all makes sense. Thank you for the comment and for watching!