Always tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back.

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.

Smart SOB. “#1. Admit you don’t know where you’re at”. That alone is the difference maker. That’s what keeps you alive

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.

Daniel Boone said "he was never lost. But he has been bewildered for 3 days".

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.

Celebrate you have finally succeeded, keep low profile so no one finds you

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

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'll admit it - I've been lost. Several times.... *Several times* And EVERY. SINGLE. TIME... It was in a City.

If you get lost in the woods start talking politics someone is bound to find you and start arguing

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.

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!

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.

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.

Liked the way point marker, never heard of it before.. nice thanks.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

“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

One word ... "Compass" and the knowledge to use it.

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!

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.

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

Yes, when the emotion of fear is in operation, intelligence shuts down.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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!

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.!"

Thank God that I finally was able to get to a location where I could actually get lost in the woods.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

Leave a plan with someone not with you. And time expected back. So they can recognize you are missing earlier.

I stopped & visualized where I was the last time I knew where I was. I learned to not let my mind wander when navigating.

Such great advice. The waypoint marker is genius.

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.

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? :)

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.

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 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.

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..

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.

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.

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 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.

AS kids we got lost in the woods on the coast of Maine. We finally came to a small cove with a house on the other side. We shouted across and asked the man where we were, He answered "you're in Maine!".. then he gave us a ride home.

You’re a good teacher Dan

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.

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.

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.

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

"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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

for better, for worse, always take a compas with you! nice vid! ;-)

You survived 51 days in Patagonia so I’m not alone in saying you can probably claim outdoor expert.

I'll never forget the time I got lost in the mountains of Colorado and also my mind jumping to the consequences of not making it to work the next day. The anxiety of not knowing if I would make it to work the next day completely threw me off. Panic sets in and I start racing down the mountain. Well turns out I went down the right mountain, but continued up and over a different mountain. By the time I was spit of the the woods I had to hoof it and hitch hike back to my car a solid 20 miles away. NOW I pack a gps unit with extra batteries, a battery back up for cell phone, maps of the areas I'm visiting or hiking through, and of course a beautiful compass which I love and adore now. Oh, and en emergency kit for fire, shelter, signaling (whistle, foil, etc) glow sticks. I'll be damned if I ever get lost and lose my cool again.

Great presentation! Nice clear audio. Short and sweet. No yelling. Thanks a lot.

Cool, the way point idea rocks.

Easiest way to get 'unlost' is to simply start talking politics. In no time at all, there will be someone come along to disagree with you and they can help you find your way.

As someone who frequently travels on foot or by dog team into extremely remote regions, I always tell people learn what part of the sky the sun is in at any given time so you can keep a basic idea of N,S,E,W. When possible, pay attention to rivers, streams, hills/mountains and where they are relative to you. If there are roads, power lines, etc where you are traveling, pay attention to them. All roads go somewhere. Pay attention to the weather AT ALL TIMES. If you have the luxury of a cell phone, don't be afraid to use it in whatever manner gets you to safety. Author of Alone Across The Arctic and Togo and Leonhard.

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.

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?

Been both, lost & came across people who where. Prefer the latter. Their reactions are priceless lol !! BTW, nice wool shirt.

Dan, you’re such a good friend to all of us. Thank you for your smart helpful tips and preventing so many of us from making dreadful mistakes in the outdoors.

Stopping and calming down will help you figure out where you went wrong in life.

Awesome 🙂👍🏻 Now tell us how to do this in a large city😂 that’s some real panic right there. Being lost in Chicago

One simple acronym - STOP Sit Think Observe Plan

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

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.

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

this happens to the best of us

I've never been lost. There have, however, been times when I explored a lot more countryside than I intended to

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 got lost in the deep woods once. Wish I was still there tbh.

The 1st thing to when you get lost is say "C'mon Man". This has been tested repeatedly at the highest level of our government.

Dan, thanks. excellent video. Sent it to both my grand-kids

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.

Run around in a circle screaming for help, knowing all hope is lost... Let the despair set in as fast as possible. Pro tip ^

I was lost on a hike. It was strangely magical mixed with fear. Imagining a world where I was totally alone. Stressing I was going to walk into a troop of baboons or meet up with a leopard. I noticed how my body temperature seemed so high and how thirsty I was. When your hiking to a destination you go full out, then the destination "disappears "....you realise how much energy you've used and how limited your recourses are. I

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.

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

I was in Seattle and was lost. I admitted I was lost when I realized I wasn’t in the USA. I was in La La Land. I then sat down to got my thoughts together. Sat on a needle and got Hep C. Set up markers and grabbed my phone, only to have it stolen by a druggy, many of them in Stinky Seattle. I then realized I was going to be there for a while and started a fire. Pitched a tent, got some water, and now I’m one of the many zombies that are trapped in Seattle. Thank you nut job voters and the politicians elected to destroy the city.

Everybody knows this, except when you're in the woods and get lost :-)

Carrying a small FRS / GMRS radio is a good idea. The range is from .5 to 2 miles in a wooded area. If you were lost and a plane or chopper was looking for you and they also had a radio, the range could be 10-20 miles from the air to ground. *my educated guess. Someone back at home or the campsite would need to know that you are carrying a radio and what channel you will be on. ( there is only 22 and the radios can scan)

I took a wrong turn while driving in the backwoods of NH. Definitely fight or flight response. No cell service. I finally figured that where I wanted to be was to my east. Happy to say that the sun was setting.👍 I got home at about 10:30 that night but I Got Home.