How toavoidgetting lost outdoors?Generally speaking, getting lost while participating in outdoor activities is mainly due to not being able to determine your own location, including natural or other surroundings—this is what is commonly referred to as a lack of sense of direction. It results from a lack of observational skills and a systematic understanding of leaving and returning to a predetermined base (such as trails, roads, rivers, power lines, streams, or lakes), as well as a lack of outdoor knowledge. When venturing out, people often only keep a specific point (like a tent, hunter’s cabin, hut, boat, car, etc.) in mind, which is often the main reason for getting lost.
In the wild, unless you choose a fixed target as a guide, you will likely get lost because winding paths, dense forests, and long distances can obscure your destination. Therefore, you must constantly observe the surrounding terrain to determine direction. Before leaving your tent, car, log bridge, boat, or other objects, carefully observe the surrounding terrain and take in as much of the area as possible, identifying various fixed guide points such as mountain peaks, cliffs, temples, or large trees.
Before setting off, be sure to have a clear memory of the prominent landmarks around your campsite so that you can use them as guides when returning.
When preparing to leave a road, stream, trail, river, mountain peak, or temple, always remember which side you left from and use these as your basic route. Remember how many streams you passed on the way there and back, how many mountain peaks you encountered, and how many forks in the path. Sketch out a map of the route you’ve taken.
If you find yourself in an unfamiliar area and are having trouble finding your way back to your camp, do not panic. Sit down, relax, take some deep breaths, have a cigarette, chew some gum, and carefully recall the houses, streams, or other geographical features you passed to retrace your steps. Sit quietly for a few minutes.
When you find it difficult to determine your bearings, in most cases you haven’t gone very far and will not be completely lost. Do not continue blindly forward, wandering aimlessly through the forest, which will only worsen your situation or even take you completely outside the search area. If you have a map, first check the legend to see what each symbol represents, and try to locate your approximate position on the map. Look around for geographical features that match the map. Based on the scale on the map, use a small ruler to estimate the distance to your target. If you don’t have paper or a pen, you can roughly estimate distance with your fingers—typically, an adult’s index finger from tip to first joint is about 2.5 cm.
Rotate the map so that the symbols on it align with the actual geographical features in the same direction, then choose a direction according to the map to head toward a road or inhabited area. Check the map to see if there are any obstacles along the way, such as cliffs or wide rivers. If there are, find an alternate route to go around them.
If you don’t have a map, observe your surroundings. If you see a road or something that is likely to connect to one—such as a house or power lines—head toward it. Roads will definitely be used by people, and power and telephone lines are regularly patrolled, so you won’t have to wait long before meeting someone who can help you find the right way. If you can roughly infer your location from the surrounding geographical features, move toward the nearest road, trail, railway, or river. Remember: targets that are perpendicular to your direction of travel, such as roads or rivers, are your best bet, because even if you stray slightly from your intended path, you’ll still be able to find your way. As you move forward, pay attention to the scenery beside the path to estimate how far you’ve gone.
If you get lost in the rain, don’t panic. Find shelter and wait for the rain to stop. If you don’t have rain gear or enough food and equipment, do not stay put—leave quickly (getting sick in the wilderness is very dangerous).
Before setting off, carefully examine the map for any dangerous areas. For example, closely spaced contour lines indicate steep cliffs, which you should avoid. The direction of a stream shows the way downhill, but don’t walk too close to the stream, as water erosion in mountainous areas creates very steep banks. Instead, follow the sound of the water downstream. As you go downhill, look for farmhouses or other shelters; trails often have places you can hide. Absolutely do not approach valleys with short green, tufted grass—they may be marshes.
At night in the wild, try not to walk if possible. If you must move, use moonlight to observe your surroundings and try to head toward a road or farmhouse. If you’re in pitch-dark mountains and can’t see your surroundings, do not continue walking—find shelter as soon as possible, such as the leeward side of a wall or rock.
Getting lost in snowy terrain is very dangerous because the white light reflected by snow can blend with the color of the sky, making the terrain indistinct; the horizon, elevation, depth, and shadows all disappear. Mountaineers and explorers call this phenomenon “whiteout.”
In this case, it’s best to stop and wait for the whiteout to clear. If a storm comes while you’re waiting, dig a pit in a snowdrift or enlarge a snow hollow near tree roots and take shelter in it. Wear as many layers of clothing as possible. If your outermost layer has buttons or a zipper, fasten them first, then pull the garment over your upper body. Cross your arms inside your clothes, tuck your hands under your armpits to stay warm.
If you must continue moving, use a map and compass to find your direction. As you walk, throw snowballs ahead and observe where they land and how they roll to detect the slope’s direction. If a snowball disappears without a trace, there may be a cliff ahead.
Getting lost in thick fog is quite terrifying—even the most experienced can dread heavy fog. When traveling in fog, you must constantly use your map and align it with your compass to determine direction before moving forward.
Based on the direction indicated by your compass, choose an easily identifiable target to head toward, such as a rock, tree, or fern leaf. Walk toward the target, then use your compass to find another target ahead. Repeat this method until you emerge from the fog.
In short, if you get lost in the wild, you must return to your original starting point to reconfirm your direction. If you’re in the mountains, even if you’ve already descended to the valley bottom and are very tired, you must grit your teeth and climb back up. Don’t be lazy or take chances trying other routes—that could cost you dearly. If you can no longer find your original starting point, try to find a stream and follow it downstream. In most cases, a stream will eventually lead you out. If you encounter a waterfall, find a way to go around it and continue along the stream. If there are no streams in the mountains, you should still try to climb to a higher ridge. Determine the general direction and position using the sun or distant landmarks (such as villages, reservoirs, or roads), then choose a suitably distant and identifiable ridge in that direction and head toward it.
If you’re traveling in the mountains with a group, you can split into two or more teams. One group stays at the original mountaintop while the others descend and head toward a chosen ridge. Those descending should frequently look back and ask the people staying at the mountaintop for feedback on their direction. If they deviate, those at the top should use voice or gestures to correct them. Once the descending group reaches another ridge, they can then guide the people remaining at the mountaintop to descend. By using this “relay guidance” method to advance alternately, you won’t end up going in circles in the valley. If you’re hiking alone, the only thing to do is determine your direction and descend, constantly keeping your eyes on the ridge you originally chose as your goal. Absolutely remember: stay calm, think things through, and you will definitely get out of the mountains and escape danger.
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