How can you avoid getting lost in the outdoors as much as possible?
"Getting lost during outdoor activities isn't terrifying in itself; what's truly frightening are the accidents that follow—such as falls, hypothermia, injuries, and starvation—due to improper handling. In fact, with the right response methods, these situations can be largely avoided. After getting lost, many people tend to panic and take reckless risks by venturing into places they would normally avoid or deem impassable, just to escape the predicament. That’s when safety incidents often occur.
After getting lost, the first and most important thing to do is to calm yourself down. Keep a clear head. Remember, few people can make rational decisions in panic—only increasing the danger. Since panic doesn’t solve problems, you must remind yourself to stay composed. Once you’ve calmed down, try to assess and recall your current location and the route you took to get there.
Here are some tips on finding your way that may help you.”
Take the main path, not the side ones
Choose the main trail to travel on
As the name suggests, this means choosing the main roads among various paths in mountainous areas.
There are two things to keep in mind:
First, in general mountain areas, if you stick to the main road, you will definitely find human habitation.The so-called main road does not necessarily mean highways or tractor roads—it could also be mountain trails or field ridges.
So, what qualifies as a major path in the countryside?
For example, on a mountain with many trails, if one is paved with bluestone slabs while the others are merely dirt tracks trodden out by foot, then the bluestone path is definitely the main road becauseonly major roads are worth the effort for locals to pave with stone slabs;
if all the paths look similar, we need to determine which one is frequently used,such as a path covered with footprints or animal tracks, or littered with plastic food wrappers or cigarette butts, while other paths show no signs of human or animal passage—then the muddy trail with footprints is likely the main road;
or, for instance, if among several paths, one has vegetation that hasn’t grown together, making the trail clearly visible, while other trails are almost overgrown with wild grass,then the path with less dense vegetation is certainly the main road.Following the main road will eventually lead you to human habitation—it’s just a matter of time.
Second, 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, you might take a few detours, but you’ll eventually reach your destination.
Stay low, not high
There are settlements in lower areas
A documentary aired on CCTV included a segment about several college students with no outdoor experience attempting to cross the Qinling Taibai Mountains. After getting lost, the team leader and his girlfriend, against everyone’s objections, insisted on climbing higher to gain a better view and find a way out. As a result, the group split—while the others descended the mountain and were rescued, the leader and his girlfriend suffered one fatality and one disappearance, paying a heavy price for their poor decision.
Generally speaking,most people living in mountainous regions reside halfway up the mountain or at the base, with very few living at the summit.If you want to find people and get help after getting lost, then heading downhill and moving toward lower ground is undoubtedly wise. Once you find a house, you won’t have to worry about food, water, or basic needs—what more is there to fear?
Travel where it's light, not where it's dark
Travel during the day, avoid traveling at night
"Light" refers to daytime, and "dark" refers to nighttime.
In other words,try not to travel at night if you're lost—on one hand, unfamiliar terrain makes nighttime travel much more prone to accidents.
On the other hand, walking at night makes it difficult to see surrounding landmarks, often causing you to become even more lost. Therefore, no matter what, once you’re lost and it’s getting dark, you must set up camp where you are to ensure your safety.
Prefer water routes over dry land
Water sustains life, and people settle near water
If you’re completely lost and there are no clear paths to follow, small streams or rivers are your best guide.
On one hand, having access to water helps sustain life, and on the other, mountain villagers often live near water sources.Even if there isn't a water source nearby, farmers often use thin rubber hoses to bring water down from the mountains. By following the direction of the stream and keeping an eye out for thin rubber tubes on the ground, your chances of finding habitation are quite high.
It must be clarified that "prefer water routes over dry land"does not mean you have to strictly walk along the water’s edge, nor does it require wading through water. It simply means moving in the general direction of the stream or river flow.Mountain streams often have very steep banks and are prone to disasters like flash floods in bad weather. Wading through them is extremely risky—never do it, absolutely never.
Choose flat ground over dangerous terrain
Don’t put yourself in perilous situations
When you’re lost, you’re often anxious and eager to find a quick way out of danger. As a result, many people take risky actions when encountering hazardous areas, leading to accidents. A significant number of injuries and fatalities among lost hikers are related to falls in dangerous terrain.So when encountering risky terrain while trying to find a way, try not to take unnecessary risks such as climbing or similar actions, unless you have absolutely no other choice.It’s better to take a longer, safer route and expend more energy than to put yourself in danger.
Watch out for hunger & thirst
Hunger can kill you, and so can thirst
1. Allocate food rationally
As the saying goes: “With food in hand, there’s no panic in heart.” Since you never know when you’ll be able to get out of trouble, it’s essential to rationally distribute and plan the food and water you have after calming down.Generally speaking, a person can survive 10 to 15 days without food but just with water, and in special circumstances even up to a month—for example, a few years ago, members of a Russian rafting team got into trouble in the high-altitude region of Hotan, Xinjiang, and ultimately survived 38 days with only water and no food.
But without water and only food, one would die within a few days. Therefore, water is more important than food.Fortunately, water sources can be found everywhere in the mountains. So, conserving your food and stored water for critical moments can be of great help when waiting for rescue. Even if things get worse and you run out of both water and food, there's no need to be overly afraid.
2. Lack of water is more likely to be fatal!
So “water” is extremely crucial in outdoor settings. When outdoors, in addition to bringing enough water for your own needs, you also need to strictly allocate your water intake—you can’t drink as much as you want or whenever you want like you do at home.
Besides drinking water, pears are also very effective in quenching thirst. Pears have high water content, help produce body fluids, relieve thirst, and clear lung heat. Biting into one refreshes your whole body. Carry a few in your backpack during outdoor activities. Don’t complain about the weight—they can quench 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,and there are three guidelines for judging outdoor water sources: look, smell, and taste.,Look to see if the upstream area and the water itself are clear, smell the surrounding area and the water to detect any odd odors, 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, don’t drink it in big gulps. Don’t fill your water container to the top,just take small sips to keep your throat and mouth from drying out, and try to find a source of pure water as soon as possible. As the saying goes, “customs vary every ten miles, habits differ every hundred”—this is what they mean by “not acclimatized.” Everyone’s gut microbiota has a certain level of adaptability. If your gut bacteria aren’t used to the food you eat, you may get diarrhea.
Lost, hungry, thirsty
These three are the “deadly killers” for outdoor enthusiasts!
No matter how much you know about “avoiding getting lost,”
it’s not as useful as knowing how to find your way once you are lost!
Walk where it’s wide, not where it’s narrow
Walk downhill, not uphill
Walk where it’s bright, not where it’s dark
Walk along water, not through dry land
Walk on flat ground, not where it’s dangerous
Remember these 25 golden words—they could save your life in a critical moment.
Be sure to keep this in mind.