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Outdoor Safety: Getting Lost
- Pay close attention to your surroundings and landmarks, and relate this to your location on a map.
- Stay calm if you get lost. Panic is your greatest enemy. Try to remember how you got to your present location.
- Trust your map and compass, and do not walk aimlessly. If you are on a trail, don't leave it.
- Stay put if it is nightfall, if you are injured, or if you are near exhaustion.
- As a last resort, follow a drainage or stream. Head in the direction that makes the most sense - downhill if you were hiking up a hill, or uphill if you were hiking down into a canyon. This can be hard going but will often lead to a trail or road.
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