by Curtis Carper

Created on: July 23, 2008   Last Updated: July 27, 2008

Being lost in the woods, even for a short period of time, can be a scary proposition. When I was a teenager I got turned around while scouting a new snowmobile trail and realized very shortly I had no idea which way would take me back to where I came from.

Survival can quickly depend on realizing your lost sooner rather then later. Thinking you know where your headed can take you further away from help in a short period of time. Before you make matters worse, its better to stop and assess your situation. With a little thought you can better determine which way to go, even if you were dumb enough to enter the woods unprepared.

Of course the wise hiker or hunter will always take with them a compass, water, high calorie nourishment, at the minimum a good Swiss Army knife, or hunting knife, and adequate clothing for the climate. Most important they will have a water proof method of creating fire, both for heat and signaling purposes.

Further you should have a pretty good understanding of the lay of the land. What roads are in the area and are they north or south of where you entered the woods. Are there any rivers or creeks and what way do they run. The more you know about the area before you head in will greatly increase your survivability if you do get lost.

My own lack of preparation and youthful inexperience had me walking further away from my intended course, not realizing I had about 50 miles of uncharted wilderness in front of me. Had I not been very lucky this could have been my last trip into the woods.

Simple things like the fact that moss grows on the North side of trees and rocks, the sun sets in the west and depending on the time of year, it's place in the sky, and time of day, all will help you determine if your headed north or south.

Moisture can be trapped from morning dew on plants to keep you hydrated, and pine branches make an excellent bed. Staying warm and dry should be your primary concern followed closely by finding a source of water.

Finding some sort of a clearing and creating a signal of some type such as using dead fall trees or branches to spell out Help. Even rocks can be used for this purpose. Anything that would be visible from the air.

Within about an hour of realizing I was indeed lost I heard a chain saw so very far off in the distance. Thinking the sound was coming from the wrong direction I decided that at least it was an indication of someone who knew where they were.

Though faint, I headed toward the sound hoping the they would keep the chain saw running long enough to find them. My luck held out and in about 15-20 minutes of stumbling through virgin forest I found the source of the noise. It was my partner who was working with me in our efforts to scout the new snowmobile trail.

Without realizing it I had returned to my original starting point and only then realized how lost and confused I had been for the past hour or so.

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