Getting lost?

[pianoman9701]

Get a map and a compass and learn how to use them. Study the area online before going so when you're there, you'll know what you're looking at. Get a better GPS. Good ones have no trouble locking up in thick cover. But if it craps the bed, you still have the compass and know how to use it.

[MLHSN]

With the topography we have here in central Washington, I've never found a compass all that useful.  My go to tool is an altimeter.  The best way, IMO, to navigate is by terrain association.  Get use to looking at contour lines and not just trail lines.  Keep track of creeks and drainages you cross.

With our topography, trusting solely in a compass can get you into trouble.  Looking at the map, you can see potential areas to avoid for example: cliff bands, deep brush, etc. that you might have to bypass on the way home.

[NRA4LIFE]

I seen mention of magnetic declination only a few times in this thread.  The problem here in WA is it is not only a couple degrees, it is as much as 16 or 17 degrees or better.  The error there in a 5 mile hike is going to be about 1.5 miles.  Know how to use that compass if that's your only nav. source.

[rover758]

 

Good point NRA.  In my job I deal with declination daily and it's a pain .... The actual declination for Seattle is 16 degrees 9 minutes and 50 seconds East declination with an anual rate of change of 10.8' West each year.  So, what's accurate for this year won't be accurate next year.  NOAA publishes the official declination for each site.  If you don't know the actual lat/long's for your area you can search by country and state.  There's also some very good info there on isogonic lines and the flucutation of earth's magnetic poles ... which some experts say are going to flop over the next 2000 years.  Up is down and down is up.

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/declination.shtml
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag-web/#declination

[AKBowman]

Use the mountains and land features as reference points, always be looking at landscape features. By doing that flat land is the only place I've ever had any problem.

Funny you say that, in the mountains I am fine. Just yesterday I went into a flat area that I have been into probably 50 times but went in a totally different way trying to come in the backside where there is a big thick draw. Well I came to what I thought was the draw and crossed it into what I thought was going to lead me to the clear cut. 100 yards into the reprod patch swimming through salal as high as my head I realized I looped way to the left and crossed a side draw into the back side of here reprod patch instead of crossing the main draw into the clear cut.

It can definitely happen, you just have to take time and think logically. My gps sucks in the timber too but I don't use a compass. I should.

[pianoman9701]

Use the mountains and land features as reference points, always be looking at landscape features. By doing that flat land is the only place I've ever had any problem.

I Know you have a lot more experience than I in the woods, Dale. But, especially for a novice unfamiliar with his surroundings, this would be a problem at night or during the day with fog or low clouds. Under those conditions, a compass is the only reliable tool if your GPS is out for whatever reason. I still say get a compass and map, and know how to use them.

[Sunbkpk]

My dad got himself lost with his compass once. Thick fog had set in so he pulled out his compass to get his bearing back to the road. Hit a major stream that he should not have and it was flowing the wrong way. Sat down to figure it out and set down his compass and it rotated over 90 degrees. Found out he was wearing a steel watch band that was magnetic and affected the compass when it was in his hand. He got a funny story and a long walk out of it.

The most important tool is your common sense. Keep calm and think it through. I have been temporarily disoriented but quickly recovered. Never really lost.

I carry a map, compass and GPS. Seldom need them but always use them to be practiced. Gets me there faster and gets me back to a spot next time.

[Eli346]

 All the tips so far have been spot on. I've also gotten into the habit of watching my back trail quite a bit; not only for animals which happens alot when they're being sneaky, but also just to get some waypoints and landmarks in my head.

[Seahawk12]

Never rely on GPS.
Buy the relevant maps.
Buy a good compass.
Learn to navigate with them.
Always, always, pack emergency gear in case you have to stay a night or two in the forest. If you ever do get yourself lost, the number one piece of advice I could give would be to stay calm. Sit down and think things out. Pull out your map and compass.


When I first started to hunt back in the early '90s I got myself lost a time or two. Once, I had to spend a night in the woods because of a heavy snow storm that wiped out visibility. I survived it and became a better outdoorsman do to the experiences. Before heading out to do any kind of hunting or scouting or even camping, I take a good long time studying topo maps of the areas I will be going. With  that info and the maps and compass it is near impossible to be truly lost. Perhaps, on occasion I still get temporarily turned around slightly while tracking something, but never to a point that a quick look at a map for reference can't remedy.

Be prepared.
Buy a map.
Buy a compass.
Have fun!

[Soady]

Am I the only one to notice Tbob's groups are King County Search and Rescue? Really? If I am lost and he stumbles across me now two of us are lost!

[Houndhunter]

Maps and compass are ok, but I preload my phone with satellite imagery of the area I'm going too and run my garmin that has the topo maps. I also thoroughly study the area on satellite imagery and maps at home before I start hiking. I feel very blessed to have them compared to what my elders had back in the day. A compass is no longer needed IMO, and as stated before in some areas with magnetic rock they are no use.

I've been turned around a lot, and would be lost while night hunting with dogs if not for my garmin gps. Carry spare batteries, two gps units, learn the area with satellite imagery, and you will be fine.

As far as being able to survive a night, I always carry enough to keep me alive for a day or two if the worst should happen. Though thats not for a fear of being lost

[timberghost72]

Am I the only one to notice Tbob's groups are King County Search and Rescue? Really? If I am lost and he stumbles across me now two of us are lost!

Maybe it's a group he supports and would like to be a part of in some capacity to learn more about wilderness travel, rescue, navigation etc..

[Smokepole]

A good tool to have in mountainous country is an altimeter.  Many times I have used mine to find elevations and follow contours to given points on the map.  In the fog, I've been able to avoid cliffs and navigate safely using the altimeter, map and compass. 

A gps is a good convenience item, but I would not rely on it completely.   

[MLHSN]

A good tool to have in mountainous country is an altimeter.  Many times I have used mine to find elevations and follow contours to given points on the map.  In the fog, I've been able to avoid cliffs and navigate safely using the altimeter, map and compass. 

A gps is a good convenience item, but I would not rely on it completely.   

Very good advice in my opinion.  Know your altitude and track progress on a map.  A compass is really not as helpful in WA mountainous terrain.  Strait line tracks can steer you into cliff band and brush bands/drainages that are obvious from staring at maps.

Everyone should know how to use a map and compass.  But the compass alone just doesn't work were I go.  When you have to skirt above or under cliff bands, cross ridgelines at exact saddles, or avoid obvious brushy areas, terrain association is the way to navigate. 

[ctwiggs1]

Use the mountains and land features as reference points, always be looking at landscape features. By doing that flat land is the only place I've ever had any problem.

I Know you have a lot more experience than I in the woods, Dale. But, especially for a novice unfamiliar with his surroundings, this would be a problem at night or during the day with fog or low clouds. Under those conditions, a compass is the only reliable tool if your GPS is out for whatever reason. I still say get a compass and map, and know how to use them.

Know this list:
1) Terrain association
2) How to shoot a good bearing(both with compass and on map)
3) Your individual pace count (buy beads if you need them)

If you can do these things you'll have a lot easier time. 

I'm not sure which GPS you have, but when I researched this 5 years ago, I bought the Garmin 60CSX because it was known to perform well in Western WA.  It's never let me down. 

Also, I think the biggest thing that gets people in trouble (it got my buddy in trouble this elk season) is panic.  DONT PANIC.  Worst case, do this:  Look at your map for a constant, directional object (river, road, ridgeline, etc).  Look at the sun (rises in east, sets in west) or your compass.  Start walking.  As soon as you find your constant, directional object, you can start working on going where you need to go.

Let me give you an example:  I found myself a little out of sorts after descending a big ridgeline this year.  I thought I was in one place but after shooting bearings to other known points, I realized I wasn't there.  I hate walking around with a map and compass in my hand, so I walked generally west until I hit a creek that I knew about, then followed that creek until I hit a north/south creek.  I followed that creek north and came out about 200 yards from my camp.  This all took place over several miles and elevation gains/losses, but I had terrain to tell me where to go.

Worst case, you walk for awhile and maybe spend the night out there.  If you panic you're more likely to do something stupid which could results in injury/death.  If you have to, just sit down, eat a snickers bar and regain your cool before making decisions.

Curtis