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Handout:

How Not to Get Lost

Things you can do to help ensure that you will not get lost:

1. Use the directions north, south, east, and west in your everyday life as a way to enhance your sense ofdirection.

2. Practice being aware of the world around you. Every once in a while, turn off the radio in the car orstop talking on the trail and observe where you are and where you are headed. Always watch where

you are going, and dont just follow the boots in front of you. Look around constantly.

3. Find a feature you can use as a reference point, and keep track of it! Look behind you and ahead ofyou to keep yourself walking in a straight line. If it helps, pretend you are seeing the world from an

eagles eye view. (Dont follow deer trails they fade in and out.)

4. Remember landmarks, and try to keep track of directions and distances travelled.5. Bring a map of the area that you are familiar with. (You should always study maps of an area before

you go to it.) Build a mental image of where you are going.

6. Bring a compass and know how to use it.How to walk a straight line in the woods:

A typical error when you are lost is a tendency to wander off what you may think is a straight line of travel,

sometimes even slowly circling back on yourself. (This is because most people have one dominant leg that is

stronger. For example, if your right leg is dominant you will tend to take longer steps with your left leg as your

right leg bears your weight; this curves your line of travel.)

To prevent this, note an object (tree, rock, terrain feature) that lies directly ahead of you in the direction you

wish to travel, then aim for it. When you reach it, sight another object directly ahead of you (along your line of

travel) and repeat the process. (You might need to look back to double-check youre keeping a straight line of

travel.) In areas of restricted distance visibility, you may have to repeat this quite often over short distances

to ensure that you are remaining on course.

Walking in Spokes:

If you are lost, the best thing to do is to hunker down in one place and wait for help to arrive. If you are lost

for an extended period of time, however, you will eventually find the need to venture away from your shelter

site (to look for food, water, supplies, etc). The trick is to do this without getting more lost, as in not being

able to find your shelter again.

Investigate the area around your shelter by exploring in a systematic way. Envision your camp as the center of

a wheel, and you are going to explore in spokes, or lines radiating away from your camp. Start by walking in a

straight line away from your site. Look behind you often so that you can develop a mental image of your

way back; this is important! When you reach a comfortable distance, walk back to your site. Repeat this

process choosing a different direction in which to explore. Once you are comfortable with the area

immediately surrounding your site, repeat the entire process; this time walking a little further along each

spoke.

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