How can you avoid getting lost in the outdoors as much as possible?
"Getting lost during outdoor activities isn’t scary in itself — what’s truly frightening are the accidents that follow, such as falls, hypothermia, injuries, and starvation, often caused by improper handling after getting lost. In fact, with the right approach, these situations can largely be avoided. After getting lost, many people panic and take reckless risks, venturing into places they wouldn’t normally dare to go just to escape the predicament. That’s when safety accidents usually happen.
The most important thing to do after getting lost is to calm yourself down. Remember, few people can make the right decisions in a panic, and it only increases the danger. Since panicking won’t solve anything, remind yourself to stay calm. Once you’ve calmed down, analyze and recall your current location and the route you took to get there.
Here are some practical tips on finding your way that might help you.”
Choose the main path over the small one
Stick to the main trail
As the name suggests, this means choosing the main trails among various paths in mountainous areas.
There are two things to keep in mind:
First, in general, as long as you stick to the main roads in the mountains, you will eventually find signs of habitation.The so-called main road doesn’t necessarily refer to highways or tractor paths — it could also be mountain trails or field ridges.
So, what qualifies as a major rural path?
For example, if there are many trails on a mountain and one of them is paved with bluestone slabs while the others are just dirt paths trodden out by foot, then the bluestone path is definitely the main one becauseonly major paths are worth the effort for locals to pave with stone slabs;
if all the paths look similar, you need to determine which one is more frequently used— for instance, if one path has plenty of footprints or animal tracks, or litter such as plastic food wrappers or cigarette butts, while other paths show no signs of human or animal activity, then the muddy path with footprints is likely the main one;
or, if among several paths, one has vegetation that doesn’t grow densely together and the trail is clearly visible, whereas other smaller paths are almost overgrown with wild grass,then the path with less dense vegetation is definitely the main one.Following the main path will eventually lead you to habitation — it’s only a matter of time.
Also, in rural mountainous areas, you don’t have to stick rigidly to one specific path. As long as you’re generally heading in the right direction, even if you take a few detours, you’ll eventually reach your destination.
Choose lower ground over higher ground
There are settlements in lower areas
A documentary aired on CCTV included a segment about a group of college students with no outdoor experience attempting to cross the Qinling Taibai Mountains. After getting lost, the team leader and his girlfriend insisted on climbing higher despite opposition from others, hoping to gain a better view and find a way out. As a result, the group split up. The others headed downhill and were rescued, while the team leader and his girlfriend tragically paid the ultimate price — one died and the other went missing — due to their poor decision.
Generally speaking,most homes in mountainous regions are located halfway up the mountain or at the base, with very few situated at the summit.If you want to find help after getting lost, heading downhill or toward lower ground is undoubtedly wise. Once you find people, you won’t have to worry about food, water, or facilities—what more is there to fear?
Walk in the light, not in the dark
Travel during the day, avoid night travel
"Light" refers to daytime, and "dark" refers to nighttime.
In other words,try not to walk at night if you get lost.On one hand, unfamiliar terrain makes nighttime travel more prone to accidents.
On the other hand, walking at night makes it harder to see surrounding landmarks, often causing you to get even more lost. So no matter what, once you’re lost and it’s getting dark, you must set up camp where you are to stay safe.
Walk along water, not dry land
Water sustains life, and people live near water
If you’re completely lost without any path to follow, small streams or rivers can be your best guide.
On one hand, having access to water can effectively sustain life. On the other hand, mountain residents often live near water sources.Even if there’s no water source nearby, farmers often use thin rubber hoses to pipe water down from the mountains. By following the flow of the stream and keeping an eye out for thin rubber tubes on the ground, your chances of finding people are much higher.
It must be clarified that "walking along water, not dry land"does not mean you have to strictly stick to the riverbank, nor does it require you to wade through water. It simply means moving in the general direction of the stream or river flow.Mountain streams often have very steep banks, and flash floods or similar disasters can easily occur under bad weather conditions. Wading through water is extremely risky—absolutely avoid it if possible.
Walk on flat ground, not dangerous terrain
Don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation
When lost, people often panic and hope to find shortcuts to quickly escape danger. As a result, many take risky actions when encountering hazardous areas, which can lead to accidents. A significant number of injuries or fatalities among lost travelers are related to falls in dangerous terrain.Therefore, when encountering risky terrain while searching for a way out, try not to take risks like climbing or similar actions unless absolutely necessary and there are no other options.It’s better to take a longer, safer route and expend more energy than to put yourself in danger.
Pay attention to hunger & thirst
Starvation and dehydration can both be deadly
1. Ration Food Properly
As the saying goes: "With food in hand, one’s heart is not anxious." Since you never know when you’ll be rescued, once you’ve calmed down, it’s essential to ration the food and water you have with you.Under normal circumstances, a person can survive 10 to 15 days without food but with water, and in extreme cases, even up to a month—for example, a few years ago, Russian rafting team members stranded in the high-altitude region of Hotan, Xinjiang, survived for 38 days by drinking only water and eating nothing.
But without water—even with food—you’d die within just a few days. Therefore, water is more crucial than food.Fortunately, water sources can often be found in mountainous areas. So, saving your food and stored water for critical moments can greatly help while waiting for rescue. Even if the situation worsens and you run out of both water and food, there’s no need to panic too much.
2. Lack of Water Is More Likely to Be Fatal
Therefore, “water” is extremely important in outdoor settings. When you’re outdoors, besides carrying enough water for your needs, you must also strictly ration how much you drink. You can’t just drink as much or whenever you want like at home.
Besides drinking water, pears are also very effective at relieving thirst. Pears have high water content and can promote saliva production, clear lung heat, and refresh your whole body with just one bite. Bring a few in your backpack during outdoor activities. Don’t complain about the weight—they can quench your thirst, replenish sugar, and even stave off hunger when it really matters.
And if the water you brought has run out, how can you determine whether wild water sources are clean and safe? Here are three criteria.
There are many online articles about finding water sources in the wild,but there are three basic guidelines for evaluating wild water: look, smell, and taste.,Look at whether the upstream area and the water itself are clear; smell whether there’s any unusual odor around the source or in the water; and taste a little on your tongue to check for bitterness, fishiness, saltiness, or other off-flavors.
If none of the above issues are present, you still shouldn’t drink it in big gulps. Don’t fill your water container to the brim.Take just small sips to keep your throat and mouth from drying out.Then try to find a source of purified water as soon as possible. “A mile away, customs differ; ten miles away, habits change.” The phrase “not acclimated to the local environment” refers to this. Everyone’s gut microbiota has certain adaptive capacities. If yours can’t adjust to the food or water you’ve consumed, you may get diarrhea.
Getting lost, hungry, and thirsty
These three are known as the “deadly trio” for outdoor adventurers.
No matter how much you know about “avoiding getting lost,”
it’s not as useful as knowing what to do to find your way once you are lost.
Walk on main paths, not small ones
Walk downhill, not uphill
Walk where it’s bright, not dark
Walk near water, not dry land
Walk on flat terrain, not risky paths
Remember these 25 golden words—they could save your life in a critical moment.
Be sure to keep this in mind at all times!