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Tldr; land navigation skills can save your life, and it is something that is very easy to prepare for. All you need to start from scratch is a good topographical map (which you can get at some place like www.mytopo.com), a lensatic compass, and some instructional materials which you can get online or at your local surplus store. Know where you are and what lies ahead at all times, it will prevent you from getting lost in the first place.
I was watching Survivorman today and Les brought up a good point. When most people get lost, they keep moving and they try to find what they are looking for which ends up making them more lost. Not only does moving away from your last known position put you in danger, but freaking out and wasting valuable time, energy, and resources is the last thing you need to do if you think you are lost. I've done this before and chances are that you have too. You can easily solve this problem by learning some basic land navigation skills and keeping a few simple tools with you when you are on any long journey away from familiar areas. They don't even weigh much or cost much so there is no excuse not to keep these things with you.
I personally like to use the U.S. Military's methods because they are all contained in a handy little book called FM 21-26. You'll also need a good topographical map and a lensatic compass. The map can be found online or in various other places, and this specific type of compass can be found at your local surplus store or on ebay. I like to keep the field manual with me as reference material just in case. It is easy to practice too, just get a map of an area and have a friend drive you there blindfolded. He or she can stop the car and you have to find your position. When you've correctly found it, the two of you can drive to another location and do it again until you feel comfortable with your skills.
On my recent hiking trip, I admit that I got lost twice. Instead of freaking out though, I opened up my compass and map to try to orient myself. I'm no expert in land navigation, but using the methods in that field manual I was able to find a vantage point, align the map perfectly to the terrain, and find my position within 10 meters. From there I was able to happily continue on my way as if nothing had happened. Some hikers didn't even bring maps, and fewer still brought maps and compasses of high enough quality to orient themselves with any degree of accuracy. Don't be that guy! If you ever need to bug out or if you just get lost on a hunting trip, then it is absolutely essential for you to be able to know where you are and where you are going.
One more tip before I get off my soapbox. I got lost because I was trusting the trail markers instead of my own navigation. When I started navigating first and anticipating what was ahead, I didn't have any problems. Always know where you are and what lies ahead. That way you will know when something isn't right and you'll catch yourself before you get far off of your intended path. That's the end of my rant, stay safe out there.
Edit: those of you who have military experience probably already know this stuff, but a refresher and some reference material never hurts.
I was watching Survivorman today and Les brought up a good point. When most people get lost, they keep moving and they try to find what they are looking for which ends up making them more lost. Not only does moving away from your last known position put you in danger, but freaking out and wasting valuable time, energy, and resources is the last thing you need to do if you think you are lost. I've done this before and chances are that you have too. You can easily solve this problem by learning some basic land navigation skills and keeping a few simple tools with you when you are on any long journey away from familiar areas. They don't even weigh much or cost much so there is no excuse not to keep these things with you.
I personally like to use the U.S. Military's methods because they are all contained in a handy little book called FM 21-26. You'll also need a good topographical map and a lensatic compass. The map can be found online or in various other places, and this specific type of compass can be found at your local surplus store or on ebay. I like to keep the field manual with me as reference material just in case. It is easy to practice too, just get a map of an area and have a friend drive you there blindfolded. He or she can stop the car and you have to find your position. When you've correctly found it, the two of you can drive to another location and do it again until you feel comfortable with your skills.
On my recent hiking trip, I admit that I got lost twice. Instead of freaking out though, I opened up my compass and map to try to orient myself. I'm no expert in land navigation, but using the methods in that field manual I was able to find a vantage point, align the map perfectly to the terrain, and find my position within 10 meters. From there I was able to happily continue on my way as if nothing had happened. Some hikers didn't even bring maps, and fewer still brought maps and compasses of high enough quality to orient themselves with any degree of accuracy. Don't be that guy! If you ever need to bug out or if you just get lost on a hunting trip, then it is absolutely essential for you to be able to know where you are and where you are going.
One more tip before I get off my soapbox. I got lost because I was trusting the trail markers instead of my own navigation. When I started navigating first and anticipating what was ahead, I didn't have any problems. Always know where you are and what lies ahead. That way you will know when something isn't right and you'll catch yourself before you get far off of your intended path. That's the end of my rant, stay safe out there.
Edit: those of you who have military experience probably already know this stuff, but a refresher and some reference material never hurts.
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