Getting lost stories?

[caddisguy]

I haven't been truly lost (well maybe, depending on ones definition of lost) but I have lost my bearings, been disoriented, etc. Today was a good example. About a month ago, I found a great intersection of trails and the remains of an old rusted out tree stand. It was only about 400M into 1KM of timber between two FSR's (one goat trail and one "main road")

Fast forward to today, decided to hang a cam there. Thought it would be a quick in and out and decided just to take a spare empty backpack with just the trailcam stuff. Left my main pack in the jeep. Thought about taking my compass from my other pack but nah. Won't need it right?

Well, we aborted the mission when we couldn't find the old tree stand. Tried walking out and we ended up facing what we knew was the wrong road (with about 150M of the thickest nastiest crap Region 2 has to offer) and a creek in between meaning we were completely turned around. No way we're walking through there right? Lets just keep our back to it and get to the road just south of there. It's only around 1km right? Well, we tried... 3 times and ended up getting turned around each time. Cloudy, foggy, no good view of sun or mountains most of the time. Moss on the north side of trees right? Just walk between trees to keep in a straight line right? Lol good luck with that!!! After ending up facing 150M away from what we knew was the main road for the 3rd time, we ended up just plowing our way through what would have made a field of devils club seem pleasant with a creek half way through to our destination.

Good times. If we were in a larger area with the same terrain and less mountains, I could see how one could actually get very lost. Got me to wondering if anyone here is has been turned around real good and had to spend a night or longer? Crappy situation but sure makes for good stories later.

Lesson learned, take the dang compass every time.

[Sofa King]

gps, it's 2015.
absolutely no need for anyone to ever, EVER getting lost or even turned around these days.
I still just shake my head at all the idiots needing rescued from the trails in Vancouver, and they are on damn trails ffs.

[Big Lew]

I've been disoriented several times but always worked my way back
to my starting place. Usually because of unexpected changing terrain
or thick cloud or snow. I carry a compass 99% of the time though even
if it's just a miniature one on my key chain or belt. On the other hand,
several friends and relatives that have gone with me have become very
lost when heading off on their own. Fortunately I've been able to find all
of them but it's an awful feeling when someone doesn't show up within a
reasonable time. You don't know how long to wait at your meet-up spot
before starting a search in case they're injured. If there's a vehicle at the
meet-up spot, honk the horn 2 times twice (not 3) every few minutes, find
a solid dead tree and drum on it with a stout limb, or if you can whistle very
loud, give a couple every few minutes. If you're solo, sit down and try to
visualize how you got there, try to re-trace your steps (marking them as you go)
or listen intensely for any familiar sounds. If you still have no idea on which
direction to go, build a good sized fire and stay put. The last thing you want
to do is let panic take hold of you and start running. Many people have perished
because they panicked, began running, and died from hypothermia. I almost
lost a brother in law because of just that. He was in great shape, got lost, panicked
and began running while firing his rifle every now and then. Other hunters heard
him but couldn't catch up to him. Fortunately one group knew he was headed to
the only road separating him from vast devil's club swamps and were able to race
around and grab him in time. That road was grown over with grass and brush enough
that he likely would have crossed it without realizing it was there.

[caddisguy]

gps, it's 2015.
absolutely no need for anyone to ever, EVER getting lost or even turned around these days.
I still just shake my head at all the idiots needing rescued from the trails in Vancouver, and they are on damn trails ffs.

I have an older GPS, but to get a reading, it needs a decent view of the sky. Are the new ones a little better at getting a signal in thick crap? I'm pretty sure if I brought it, it wouldn't have helped. Electronics fail and batteries die too. I don't think having a GPS is ever and excuse to leave the compass behind.

Lol the grouse grind was rated the "most dangerous trail in north america" by some magazine, I forget which. Their conclusion was based on the number of "incidents" but "most dangerous trail" was the headline nonetheless... kind of misleading.

[zippermouth]

ive never been lost, just a little confused...

[gcreek]

Never been lost. Was slightly bewildered for a few days once though............

[caddisguy]

Never been lost. Was slightly bewildered for a few days once though............

Lol that is the way I like to look at it

[warnniklz]

Can't say I've been lost. Was breaking trail for a seismic crew one winter. Was givin'r like the Deaner. The trails are marked every so many yards. But I forgot whether the big numbers ran east to west or west to east. When you got sled teacks running in a tight grid, it can get a little confusing. It was an overcast day, so I couldn't get a good bearing on the sun


Also been fogged in a couple times. But tge joy of being on a mountain and knowing a road is down there, you just gotta walk down the hill and avoid walking down creeks.

[Z71]

Was cruising down a FSR when a 3-4 point darted into the Christmas trees 50 yards up the road...threw the truck in park grabbed the rifle and ran in where I was hoping to cut his tracks up a ways...went in a few hundred yards, no dice on the tracks, marched around in there for a good hour or so before finally hitting the road a few clicks away from the truck...panic just starting to creep in as darkness fell.

[tigrr]

Walked out the rocks to an island once. Walked around the island 3 times looking for the trail off the island. Seen the same stump for the third time is not a good feeling.

[270ruger]

As soon as I step out to pursue I mark a way point and take off(always carry compass as backup though.)

[Elkchaser]

Sorry to hijack the thread... Don't like looking for lost hunters with SAR so adding my 2 cents. In teaching survival and core courses I like folks to consider themselves "directionally challenged", and never "lost". You always know your in Canada, bc, a certain valley, or near a certain feature of some sort. Directionally challenged has a less ominous ring to it, although as serious once nighttime arrives. It's all about managing what's happening in your noggin though. If ill equipped to travel in dark, time to set up for the night and sort out options - stay put, use sun, mtns, creeks etc. As an instructor I beg students to develop a working knowledge of using a compass beyond my introduction. My GPS is nice, my compass is essential. Last thing I'd add is folks should sometimes just stay the night in the bush with daypack once in awhile - sending a spot/in reach 'OK' to whoever was expecting you back tho, don't need SAR called out!

[caddisguy]

Sorry to hijack the thread... Don't like looking for lost hunters with SAR so adding my 2 cents. In teaching survival and core courses I like folks to consider themselves "directionally challenged", and never "lost". You always know your in Canada, bc, a certain valley, or near a certain feature of some sort. Directionally challenged has a less ominous ring to it, although as serious once nighttime arrives. It's all about managing what's happening in your noggin though. If ill equipped to travel in dark, time to set up for the night and sort out options - stay put, use sun, mtns, creeks etc. As an instructor I beg students to develop a working knowledge of using a compass beyond my introduction. My GPS is nice, my compass is essential. Last thing I'd add is folks should sometimes just stay the night in the bush with daypack once in awhile - sending a spot/in reach 'OK' to whoever was expecting you back tho, don't need SAR called out!

Not a hijack at all but rather a great contribution. Re-enforcing some key points on this thread so far... don't panic and start racing about, stay put if you're out of ideas and definitely time to set up for the night if darkness isn't far off. Better to get yourself set up in the last couple hours of light.

GPS, SPOT etc, all amazing gadgets, but knowledge of the area (or a map) and a compass is essential. The gadgets can fail and might not work when you're in deep with ridiculous canopy... could try your like climbing 30M for that reading--could also get yourself in more serious through though---which is probably useless when you climb back down and try to navigate 100M. Flagging tape can help things.

Directionally challenged, not lost is good psychology. You're in Canada still (probably) relax and enjoy!!

Glad we weren't really too far out or anything. It's pretty hard to get lost in a valley with a road through the bottom. You know which side you're on right? Hit mountains and climbing up... well you're probably going the wrong way. The thought of actually being in any sort of predicament never really crossed my mind. I was just surprised to be disoriented. It was like some kind of crazy maze... annoying to keep getting turned around in such a small area, but I can see how in other areas that could have been trouble as opposed to being home and stuffed full of grouse same day.

[quadrakid]

One point not mentioned so far. Tell people where you are going and when you will return. Your not going to be lost for long if people are looking for you and have your starting point.I,ve been lost twice,its very easy to do.See deer cross road ,follow deer,deer runs again,follow deer repeat once more and your lost.

[caddisguy]

One point not mentioned so far. Tell people where you are going and when you will return. Your not going to be lost for long if people are looking for you and have your starting point.I,ve been lost twice,its very easy to do.See deer cross road ,follow deer,deer runs again,follow deer repeat once more and your lost.

I sometimes wonder if deer get themselves confused. Could explain the Region 2 moose and whitetails.

Always tell people where I'm going and it's usually an hour or so out of cell phone reception.

It's so easy to want to change plans... check out a different mountain or whatever. It's best to avoid the temptation. A vehicle gives a starting point, but that's all it is... a starting point. If it comes to that, the odds are already sketchy at best.

[HarryToolips]

Good points there Elkchaser...and yes OP I have been turned around a long time ago when I was soakin wet, not fun..for me, one of my main hobbies is bushwhackin and orienteering, I like pickn an area, go through the thick stuff explore and try to get lost, or sometimes even open areas and learning to mostly go on landmarks and surroundings..fortunately this hobby has let me refine my navigating skills and given me extra confidence out there, something I just wouldn't get while useing a GPS...

I always carry at least 2 compasses, and even some sort of pin to make an improvised compass if need be.. But if the sun is out, it is the best compass, and can cover any kind of ground including thick bush quickly rather than having to take bearings regularly..

[epicZERO74]

I wondered away from my parents and got lost at Walmart once....

[Big Lew]

One thing that I have done for a great many years is to trail white thread
along as I go into snarly places where it's easy to get turned around.
Even when entering a large logged block far from roads I'll run the thread
out into the slash a couple hundred feet so that I can return the same way.
The thread can be bought in 5000 yd spools, just don't buy any colour but
white. It's also a good idea to tie a large and then a small loop into it every
so often so that if you use it for a reference you'll know which way to return.

[HarryToolips]

And paying attention to ridge lines, landmarks etc is very important, I also like to look back at my vehicle or starting point as I'm heading out..also paying attention to what nature is telling you can be a way to navigate..for example, in the winter you will get more snowmelt obviously on the sunny sides etc..even trees can tell you, there's usually more growth on the south facing side, although sometimes other trees or hills etc will create shade on a portion of the tree, so you kind of have to gather evidence of direction from many trees, rather than drawing conclusions from just one tree..it takes practice, but is really cool when you start paying attention to it..

And another thing I have learned is if you have a compass, but have no clue of your location and are absolutely stumped, just pick a direction, ie North or east, and stay course on a straight line, you eventually will hit a road, powerline, something..

[Big Lew]

And paying attention to ridge lines, landmarks etc is very important, I also like to look back at my vehicle or starting point as I'm heading out..also paying attention to what nature is telling you can be a way to navigate..for example, in the winter you will get more snowmelt obviously on the sunny sides etc..even trees can tell you, there's usually more growth on the south facing side, although sometimes other trees or hills etc will create shade on a portion of the tree, so you kind of have to gather evidence of direction from many trees, rather than drawing conclusions from just one tree..it takes practice, but is really cool when you start paying attention to it..

And another thing I have learned is if you have a compass, but have no clue of your location and are absolutely stumped, just pick a direction, ie North or east, and stay course on a straight line, you eventually will hit a road, powerline, something..


There are many places I've tramped into that if I picked the wrong
direction and stayed the course it would be days before I hit something
that would help. Even hitting a big powerline and heading in the
wrong direction can end up being a multi-day walk, and sometimes
coming to a extremely steep and dangerous canyon. Taking stock of
the general direction you're starting from can reduce unpleasant and
risky choices, especially if others are looking for you.
Another thing I practice is to leave obvious foot prints frequently if it's
possible in case I have to re-trace, or others are searching for me if
I'm injured and immobile especially.

[rides bike to work]

I read a story about a trapper who was trapping on someone else's trap line and a co plane came in to check him out he took off into the bush and got turned around and showed up on the highway many hundred miles away a few months later. He said he was never lost just took a wrong turn.

[Sofa King]

I read a story about a trapper who was trapping on someone else's trap line and a co plane came in to check him out he took off into the bush and got turned around and showed up on the highway many hundred miles away a few months later. He said he was never lost just took a wrong turn.

good ol' albert it almost sounds like.
but it was mounties coming to talk to him.

[375shooter]

Not a hijack at all but rather a great contribution. Re-enforcing some key points on this thread so far... don't panic and start racing about, stay put if you're out of ideas and definitely time to set up for the night if darkness isn't far off. Better to get yourself set up in the last couple hours of light.

GPS, SPOT etc, all amazing gadgets, but knowledge of the area (or a map) and a compass is essential. The gadgets can fail and might not work when you're in deep with ridiculous canopy... could try your like climbing 30M for that reading which is probably useless when you climb back down and try to navigate 100M. Flagging tape can help things.

Directionally challenged, not lost is good psychology. You're in Canada still (probably) relax and enjoy!!

Glad we weren't really too far out or anything. It's pretty hard to get lost in a valley with a road through it. Just annoying to keep getting turned around in such a small area, but I can see how in other areas that could have been trouble as opposed to being home and stuffed full of grouse some day.

I can't speak for other gadgets but my Garmin 60cxs GPS always locks on the satellites no matter how thick the canopy is. I don't go into the bush without it but yet realize that it can fail, so I always carry a map and compass as well.

My 2 brothers and I were lost one time. That was over 30 years ago when I was only 17. My brothers were not much older. We crossed a river with our dirt bikes and traveled up an old logging road into a large remote tract of crown land until the road ended. From there we navigated by map and compass through the bush checking out various beaver ponds while scouting for the upcoming moose season. After traveling for a couple of hours we came across a new logging road which came in from the other side. It wasn't on our map and we had no idea it was there.

There were moose tracks all over the road and the travel was much easier, so we decided to just follow the road for a while. Since the road didn't go in a straight direction, after a while we ended up losing our position on the map. By this time it was starting to get late in the day so we wanted to head back to where we left our bikes. The problem was that since we no longer knew our exact location, we couldn't calculate the proper bearing to follow, so all we could do is go in the direction we thought it was. Remember this was before the GPS was invented.

We just kept trudging along in that direction through the bush, not recognizing a single landmark. It started to get dark, so we had no choice but to spend the night and it was a cold one. When we left home we thought it was just going to be a day trip, so we never had any kind of camp with us. We gathered firewood and built a fire which we slept beside, but we really didn't sleep. It was mid October and very cold so the side facing the fire was warm while the other side was freezing.

Up to this point, the whole being lost part of the experience was kind of scarey. When you don't know where you are and you're in a vast wilderness area, you start thinking about worse case scenarios, like maybe you're not anywhere that you think and you are and are heading way off from where you think you're heading. You're also feeling pretty uncomfortable because you're out of food and water. Even at our ages, we had lots of outdoor experience so were able to keep our cool and not panic.

The next morning we continued on in the direction we thought we should go. After a while we ran across a high ridge so climbed it to have a look around. We viewed the lay of the land and compared it to our map. We decided that we must be on a certain ridge shown on the map. Looking across the valley, there were features that looked like a river bed, hopefully the one we had crossed the day before on our way in. It seemed at that point that we had hope. We triangulated bearings from our ridge to two other ridges on the map and were able to pinpoint what we thought was our exact location. Once we did that, we set a bearing. We followed that bearing and were able to make it to our bikes. What a relief!

After that experience, it took me a long time to become comfortable being in new territory when it was starting to get dark. What the whole experience has taught me is to always keep track of where you are on the map, no matter what. Being lazy can have very bad consequences.

[HarryToolips]

There are many places I've tramped into that if I picked the wrong
direction and stayed the course it would be days before I hit something
that would help. Even hitting a big powerline and heading in the
wrong direction can end up being a multi-day walk, and sometimes
coming to a extremely steep and dangerous canyon. Taking stock of
the general direction you're starting from can reduce unpleasant and
risky choices, especially if others are looking for you.
Another thing I practice is to leave obvious foot prints frequently if it's
possible in case I have to re-trace, or others are searching for me if
I'm injured and immobile especially.
Sure, occasionally it can be many miles before you hit anything, but more often than not its a shorter distance before running into something..I'm saying if your absolutely stumped, and going in one direction is better than doing circles, usually..and if you hit a logging road, I find going down is almost always the best idea, and heading into the fork (always into the main road from where the two roads converge) will 99% of the time get you back to civilization of some sort, in my area anyway..just my observations..

But if people know generally where you are, and when you were supposed to be back, Ya staying put can be the best idea for sure..

[Murder]

Been turned around chasing deer on an 800 acre farm with a river on one end and main road on the other. I panicked when I realized I had no clue where I was. My old Garmin 12xl couldn't pickup a signal. Started running and luckily found a dead fall I recognized on the way in. Shitty feeling for sure and I've never forgotten how I reacted and have always told myself to never do that again.

I now carry my phone with an offline gps app, my Garmin Oregon 450, my bushnell trackback gps, my inreach sat communicator and a compass and search and rescue map. Call it overkill, I call it redundancy for a guy who hunts alone 99% of the time and who has a wife he likes and kids to raise. I also flag a lot as I hike. The first three units mentioned all get a way point set prior to leaving the truck/quad unless I hop out and chase something, in which case the Oregon is on already in a belt holster.

Mike

[HarryToolips]

^^^hey all good ideas there Mike, not overkill at all...getting lost sucks..

[Slinky Pickle]

I have been "directionally challenged" a couple of times but always had a method to get myself sorted out.

My worst event though was a little different. I had hiked into a spot that I had been to dozens of times and I knew exactly where I was. The fog rolled in and I couldn't see 10' in front of me. As soon as I started back out in any direction I was disoriented. No sun, no path, no nothing! When you can only see 4 or 5 trees at a time they all start to look the same. I did have a compass and a GPS with me and it's the only real time that I actually needed to put my faith in them. Like I say, I had been there many times before and many since but the fog made it an entirely different place.

[adriaticum]

I got lost in the Chehalis once. It took me three hours to find my way out. A buddy took me there once and i mapped the path but my phone died.
So i wandered around for hours looking for a way out.
A button compass helpe me figure where I need to go but the area was nasty that it wasn't possible to always keep your bearing.
I always carry a little button compass now and make sure you always take it off any gadgets that may influence the needle.

[Glenny]

We and a bud walked 60 yards off the road to gut out and retrieve his Bear he shot. By the time we were finished it was pitch black. Couldn't see anything. Trusted my barrings and got us back to the road to get the quads. There certainly was few ohoh what have we done moments there.

[NORTHERN HUNTER]

gps, it's 2015.
absolutely no need for anyone to ever, EVER getting lost or even turned around these days.
I still just shake my head at all the idiots needing rescued from the trails in Vancouver, and they are on damn trails ffs.

Actually easier then one might think when a number of factors come into play. Barring stupidity, even being well prepared and GPS will not save you in a perfect storm. In a forest with a thick canopy sometimes even the most sophisticated of GPSs cannot obtain a signal, add fog to the equation or blinding snow and your hooped.

Once out out sheep hunting I had to take go way around a mountain to return to camp because it had rained so hard it made the way we came absolutely impassable due to slippery terrain, took 2 hours longer then anticipated, and although not lost didn't end up back at camp until well after dark.

I live in the North Yukon and was just out yesturday hunting on a mountain, the fog came in out of nowhere and when it lifted the light was so flat you couldn't see any contour in the snow, couldn't distinguish between flat ground and a 15 ft rolling drop off. The fog developed so fast that we didn't even have a chance to react or to reposition, it was perfectly clear before hand.

IMO nothing replaces a compass and some common sense.

[takla1]

I got turned around one yr east of barkerville.parked in hilly terrain{4pm} and sited a small lake about 1 mile distance from the top of a small knoll and started the hike down to it.I entered a regrowth area with 10-15 ft xmas trees on the way down and when I finally reached the lake a large storm blew in.Tryed waiting it out but darkness was approaching so started to head back up.I ended up doing a half circle to the east of my trucks location and was just lucky to comeout on a back road I had driven down earlier and reconized my truck tracks ...following them backa good 2 hrs after dark!Ive never left the truck for a hike without the compass since!.My dad got lost one yr in similar circumstances and when it set in he wouldn't make it out he built 2 fires 6 ft apart and slept between them...he said it was a long night!!

[boxhitch]

Headed off the road one time following a fresh track through a couple inches of fresh snow. Nose down , cloudy day , new area , this won't take long , wrong. Followed across a road, no prob the truck is that way , wrong. Kept following onto another slope , road crossed was not the one I had the truck on , other side of the first hill. Was so intent on tracking at one point I didn't believe the boot tracks I crossed were my own , must be another hunter in here , wrong.
It all worked out , just a real long back track on my own tracks after I had caught up with the non-legal 3 pointer.
At no time I was more than 2 km from a road , a compass would have made for a short return hike.

Good points made here , another is to consider a whistle like a fox40. Signalling when searching or being searched for is important, and a voice is soon lost in the wind and trees.

A current forest cover map from the MOE office is good for current roads in an active logging region.
And take time to look at your back trail , it always looks different on the way out.
Take time to notice reference points

[deer nut]

gps, it's 2015.

I got "turned around" because of my GPS once. Or at least, ran out of daylight and had to quickly build a fire & shelter. I should have just used my compass back bearing! Batteries died in phone, GPS and radio due to cold dven though I'd replaced all of them that morning.Technology is great but I've never had a compass fail me.

[Big Lew]

I got "turned around" because of my GPS once. Or at least, ran out of daylight and had to quickly build a fire & shelter. I should have just used my compass back bearing! Batteries died in phone, GPS and radio due to cold dven though I'd replaced all of them that morning.Technology is great but I've never had a compass fail me.

One of the benefits of learning how to use a compass is that even if you don't have one on you,
it's possible to make one out of a pin, needle, straightened staple, or any small and thin piece of
metal that responds to a magnet. All you need to do is scrape the metal with your knife blade
several times in the same direction, place the metal on a small floating non-metalic piece of paper
in some water and it will point north.

[gcreek]

A few million Canadians got lost in a storm yesterday..................

[slowjo]

two friends and i got lost last year for about 30 minutes. we had been following a blood trail and did not realize darkness had overtaken us. at the beginning of our hike we went down a bank and over a creek, so we figured we just needed to cross the creek again on the way back. well, little did we know, that creek went under ground for almost 500 meters. imagine our suprise when we got to the bottom of the gully, well past dark, and there was no creek. slight panic ensued, but luckily, gps got us out of our predicament.

[buck nash]

gps, it's 2015.
absolutely no need for anyone to ever, EVER getting lost or even turned around these days.
I still just shake my head at all the idiots needing rescued from the trails in Vancouver, and they are on damn trails ffs.

Gps is tech and tech fails sometimes. Ive had 2 gps units fail me. One was a magelin that when i turned it on the little status circle just kept spinning, and because of a programming error, it never started up properly. The other was a Garmin. On that one i cracked the screen so badly that it was completely impossible to read it.

Luckily in both cases i knew where i was and was easily able to find my way. I also had my compass for back up.

After 2 failures i dont know if I'll bother to replace this last gps. I think I'll go low tech and stick to map and compass. But no matter which route you go everyone should always carry some sort of compass. Even if it's just a little button compass that will point you roughly where you need to go.

[brian]

Actually easier then one might think when a number of factors come into play. Barring stupidity, even being well prepared and GPS will not save you in a perfect storm. In a forest with a thick canopy sometimes even the most sophisticated of GPSs cannot obtain a signal, add fog to the equation or blinding snow and your hooped.

Totally! There has been a few times in nasty weather where I simply have to turn off the GPS. Compasses only fail me when I loose them.

I have no natural direction sense. None!!! I remember wanting to check out an area just steps from my car. So I got cocky and left my pack and all my navigation tools in the car. After all I was only going to step into the bush for a few moments. So into the bush I go to check for trails and sign. It was a great little area of thick bush interspersed with small clearings. It was a flat region and I couldn't see any mountains or other terrain features. It was a perfect flat overcast day. The kind of day where I did not have any clue where the sun was. I also had no clue where I was when I turned back to find my car. Every little clearing looked the same. I began trying to make circles to find any clue of my trail. I was really and totally lost. I didn't even know what direction to start looking in. It was only through pure chance that I caught a glimpse of my grey car camouflaged perfectly in the grey bushes on this grey day. I felt stupid being so completely lost so close to my car. That situation could have gone much worse for me. It was the last time I did not take a few moments to strap on a pack of essentials before heading into the woods, no matter what!

[two-feet]

Some people have a good sense of direction, others dont. I dont. But i have spent years working remote, fly-in only country and have had to learn how to adapt.

First, i have to make a conscious effort to pay attention to landmarks, sun, etc.

second, be prepared to spend the night in the bush.

Gps is great but i have had them fail, giving the wrong utm coordinates. Took a while to figure that out.

Having experience being "turned around" helps, if you stay calm and use the thinker it usually works out.

[Big Lew]

Some people have a good sense of direction, others dont. I dont. But i have spent years working remote, fly-in only country and have had to learn how to adapt.

First, i have to make a conscious effort to pay attention to landmarks, sun, etc.

second, be prepared to spend the night in the bush.

Gps is great but i have had them fail, giving the wrong utm coordinates. Took a while to figure that out.

Having experience being "turned around" helps, if you stay calm and use the thinker it usually works out.

Good post! We've actually had 2 reliable high end compasses give my brother and I false directions at the same
time. We were purposely traveling by map and compass through virgin forest on the north side of Blue Mountain
between Alouette Lake and Stave Lake before it was logged. We had to circumvent a steep high rock outcropping,
and as we used our compasses, map and watches, we ended up making 3/4 of a circle of the outcropping.
Our destination was to be overlooking Stave Lake but we ended up looking down on Alouette Lake instead. When
we realized something wasn't right we did some checking, and apparently there was so much iron ore in that
outcropping it effected our compasses. In all my years of tramping in the outdoors it's the only time it's happened
so acutely to me.

[MattErickson]

Out goat hunting last september. Drove into an area I had never hunted so I used my GPS to mark the location of the truck and then started up the mountain. After 3 days of being rained on and fogged in and no end to the rain in sight I called it quits. It was ~3pm in the afternoon and as it was only a 2 hour hike up to alpine I figured i would haul tail down and be out before dark instead of spending the night on the mountain. Managed to make it back to the trucks location on the gps only to find there was no truck in sight, no road and a jungle of alders. Managed to find an old skid trail and work my way down the mountain until I hit the main logging road I came in on and work my way back to the truck, Soaking wet i got back to the truck at midnight. In the end the GPS had marked the truck about a km away from where it actually was. Learned a lot of lessons on that trip!

[hunter1947]

I have never got lost ever in the wild but I did forget where I parked my truck the first year I moved to Cranbrook was out shed hunting and when I got back to where I thought I parked my truck it was not there I thought someone stole my truck I walked out to the main highway happened to be a RCMP office was on his way to cranbrook I flagged him down and told him my story he radioed to all other offices and the dispatcher regarding my mishap the co were involved as well to make a long story short about an hour latter the co radioed the police officer saying I found waynes truck its where he had parked it LOL I felt so embarrassed about what I did ,,its like going into walmart coming back out and wondering now where did I park mt truck or car LOL


I bought two dozen tim donuts the next day gave a dozen to the officer that I flagged down said give them to whoever you want thanked him again for what he had done for me I did the same for the CO went over to their office a asked for the CO that was on the scene that had helped me so so embarrassing for me LOL..:redface:

[Big Lew]

I have never got lost ever in the wild but I did forget where I parked my truck the first year I moved to Cranbrook was out shed hunting and when I got back to where I thought I parked my truck it was not there I thought someone stole my truck I walked out to the main highway happened to be a RCMP office was on his way to cranbrook I flagged him down and told him my story he radioed to all other offices and the dispatcher regarding my mishap the co were involved as well to make a long story short about an hour latter the co radioed the police officer saying I found waynes truck its where he had parked it LOL I felt so embarrassed about what I did ,,its like going into walmart coming back out and wondering now where did I park mt truck or car LOL


I bought two dozen tim donuts the next day gave a dozen to the officer that I flagged down said give them to whoever you want thanked him again for what he had done for me I did the same for the CO went over to their office a asked for the CO that was on the scene that had helped me so so embarrassing for me LOL..:redface:

Yes, that would be extremely embarrassing to someone like yourself that most people know as a excellent
bush person, lol! At our age Wayne, when we do something like that, I always worry that they think
dementia is setting in so will try to have us committed behind locked doors 'for our own good.':icon_frow

[IronNoggin]

Been "turned around" out there a few times myself...

Worst case I remember was hunting in the Greater Sand Hills in southern Saskatchewan.
Spied a damn good mulie from a distance, and set off to intercept him.
Worked that buck for just over 4.5 hours, and finally got the shot. Cleaned him after a quick admire moment, and drug him (tough job solo on a big ol' boy!) to the nearest fenceline... :D

We had made quite the looping and wandering trail that buck and I, and although I was "positive" of the direction I needed to go, within a few hours I began to seriously wonder. Spied a hill I thought I had parked close to, got there... No truck?? :shock:

Sat for a spell to collect my thoughts, and marveled just how much everything looks the same in the Sand Hills.
Marked the tallest hill I could see, and went directly there. No Joy.
Repeated that twice, and at the base of the third hill, there sat the 4x4!! Instant JOY!!

Funny thing was I drove out, around and directly to where I had left that buck immediately afterwards... :lol:

Cheers,
Nog

[mpotzold]

Almost got lost hunting moose between Big Creek & Gang.

It was GOS on immature. Within 1/2 hour of the hunt snuck up to a cow moose lying in an overgrown clear cut within 20 feet. Then about 1 hour later a big bull was standing in the small pond. Saw at least 3 more moose but no immature.
With all the excitement didn't pay any attention to time. It started to get dark & there was no way I could retrace my way back where LT & Eve were hunting. I picked a distant hill site and decided to walk a straight line towards it. After at least a couple of hours made it to an old road & had to guess which way to go. Fired my 300 win mag in the air. LT heard the shots & came to the rescue within about 1/2 hour. I was at least 5 miles away from the start. I think it was past midnight when found.

First thing I asked for was a German beer. :grin:

BTW The FN forced the ministry to cut the GOS midstream. We were not aware of it until some hunters we met the next day warned us about it.

[Big Lew]

One of the closer times I could have been in a bit of trouble was while hunting
on a huge plateau off the end of the last road and known trails. This area
had a maze of small ridges, swamps, and ponds, but had no identifiable land
marks. I was wearing moccasins while bow hunting along a long rocky ridge
between some small ponds and swales so wasn't leaving any footprints. At the
end of my ridge I crossed through a willow thicket to get on the next ridge,
repeating this for a couple more ridges until there were no more. These ridges
were only 20-50 ft above the surrounding area. I retraced my route until getting
to that first thicket when things went wrong. Unknown to me, there was another
ridge coming at an slight angle to the same spot in the small thicket as the one I
came in on. This other ridge was quite long, and then it turned the wrong way from
where I had first started. That was very puzzling, and as it was a windless and overcast
day, I could only go by my compass which was only showing a slight difference until this
ridge turned away. I returned to the willow thicket, and by crawling on my knees
and looking for my tracks amongst the grass clumps I was able to find my original ridge.
After that is when I began using surveyor's thread in challenging areas and for marking
a route to and fro a downed animal.

[CVMike]

Mushroom picking with my girlfriend we walked through a slash and up a creek into some nice old growth. Picked around the hill for an hour and went to go back down the creek and could not find it! Must have gone underground at some point. Well we picked around a bit more and found the creek but for some reason the hills had us so turned around that we both swore we must have gotten down stream, or it was a fork off our stream or something, because we both thought the direction the truck was was up the creek... Well 40 minutes up the creek and it turns into swamp... It was starting to get a little dark. Thought about making a fire and hunkering down but figured we'd give it a go down the creek. Well sure enough an hour and a half down the creek and there is the slash and the truck. Dinner and beers back at camp never tasted so good.
Since then I bought a gps watch and always bring a compass. Its scary how you can have your sense of direction go completely haywire.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^^^ya it's easy to get turned around quick in the thick stuff..the most reliable navigation tool is the sun, if its not too overcast..then a compass, but beware of magnetic pockets..

[dino]

Getting lost by yourself is therapeutic. Most people will go through life without ever knowing the feeling of being actually lost in the wilderness, and not just disoriented " I mean lost". Finding yourself lost and seeing first hand the meaning of the saying" when things go wrong they go wrong fast" is a great experience. Getting physically lost once in a while is not a bad thing,
It wakes you up.

[HarryToolips]

^^^lol I just remember the feeling of my guts wrenching, as I was soaking wet at the time..now, because of my fascination of orienteering, I try to get lost all the time, but paying attention to my surroundings and practising navigation skills hasn't allowed me to do that anymore:wink:

[Phreddy]

As a fellow SAR member (in a different area) and CORE instructor it's good to see we're on the same page. I would add, if you find yourself "directionally challenged" build a fire and a shelter from the elements and stay put. The more you move the harder it's going to be to find you. A person who keeps moving when lost tends to double the area searchers will have to cover every hour. Always let someone know where you're going to be hunting, and let them know if you change your location.

On the lighter side, along with your compass (always with you even if you're just stepping into the bush for a whiz) carry a deck of cards. If you find you're lost sit down and deal out a hand of solitaire. Generally, within minutes, someone will come up behind you and tell you to put the red queen on the black king. (lol)

[Big Lew]

It's one thing to find yourself "directionally challenged" but it's another thing to have someone
fail to return to a predetermined rendezvous spot. I've had that happen too many times. You
wonder if they're in trouble, lost, or just miscalculated their return time. You don't know when
you should go look for them in case they return while you're gone, yet you worry that if they're
injured or in trouble, waiting could seriously jeopardize their situation.
It's not a very nice feeling at all!

[MichelD]

It's one thing to find yourself "directionally challenged" but it's another thing to have someone
fail to return to a predetermined rendezvous spot. I've had that happen too many times. You
wonder if they're in trouble, lost, or just miscalculated their return time. You don't know when
you should go look for them in case they return while you're gone, yet you worry that if they're
injured or in trouble, waiting could seriously jeopardize their situation.
It's not a very nice feeling at all!


I have a hunting buddy like that. Make a plan, but he'll find a trail or a pile of droppings or a track and lose track of time and fail to return as promised.

[HarryToolips]

As a fellow SAR member (in a different area) and CORE instructor it's good to see we're on the same page. I would add, if you find yourself "directionally challenged" build a fire and a shelter from the elements and stay put. The more you move the harder it's going to be to find you. A person who keeps moving when lost tends to double the area searchers will have to cover every hour. Always let someone know where you're going to be hunting, and let them know if you change your location.

On the lighter side, along with your compass (always with you even if you're just stepping into the bush for a whiz) carry a deck of cards. If you find you're lost sit down and deal out a hand of solitaire. Generally, within minutes, someone will come up behind you and tell you to put the red queen on the black king. (lol)
All very good advice here...

[goatdancer]

Never been lost but there has been the odd time when I wasn't quite sure where I was at the time............

[Moose63]

Very good thread. Other map & compass tips are if you know you are on a known creek, take a bearing on any other known feature on your map and that should give your position. Also, some compasses come with an clinometer to give angle of the slope you are on which can help with your location on the map.
Get a compass with a mirror and for improved accuracy and a lockable declination adjustment for convenience.

[Ltbullken]

I don't get lost. I was a junior officer in the military so know how to use a compass. But anyway, I have an innate sense of direction... just ask my wife! ;-)

[wideopenthrottle]

only compass failure for me was on an old compass I found while timber cruising...it had been there for many years and a tiny bit of paint had flaked off of the slightly rusted needle...one time when I took it out hunting (as a spare for my hunting partner if he forgot his) I tried it out....the compass worked fine unless the tiny bit of paint was close to the tip of the needle (when close to the tip it affected where it pointed)..i had my original compass with me too so when I looked at the "foundling" and said to myself "that can't be right"...I took out my original out of my pocket and discovered the problem with the paint flake affecting the direction it would point...took me awhile to sort out where I was but, as always. I know a direction that I will take if I lose my bearings...

[FlyingHigh]

Never been lost but I've had a river decide to move two valleys over once.

[srupp]

Hmm friend jumped out of the truck to shoot a moose..ran in the woods..he vanshed for 18 hours..he walked out onto the ski hill..old one at 100 mile house..however he had jumped out at km 20 of the Rideau lk rd at 150 mile house..good thing he was young and was a triathlete. .
Me? 4 or 5 miss calculations prior to gps..one nite under a tree stump..was actually in a backyard..awoke to owner chainsaw firewood..350 yards from a home..embarrassed...

[elknut]

A little trick I used to show some friends that were afraid to go in the bush....At last light and a bull elk bugling..They said their gps wouldn't lock on to any satelites and they feared getting lost..The trick I showed them was to face toward the cutline or road they wanted to return to and then open their compass..Then turn the dial so the needle went into north ..Close the compass then go in after the elk..After hopefully shooting the elk open the compass and dont touch the dial ..Just turn your body till the needle turns to north in the compass ..The direction straight ahead is your way back to the road or cutline..You can ribbon your way then return with quad and lights and gear and retrieve the animal..That's 4 guys that aren't afraid of a evening hunt for elk anymore...Dennis.

[HarryToolips]

^^^very good idea, and/or one can just see the direction they'd have to take back to the truck..

[HarryToolips]

I don't get lost. I was a junior officer in the military so know how to use a compass. But anyway, I have an innate sense of direction... just ask my wife! ;-)
Lol ya I remember the night navigation training where we'd try to find our way around using a compass and a map and 1 red light flashlight in the dark for each patrol of 8 guys..good times..

[Salmon Belly]

Never been lost but I've had a river decide to move two valleys over once.

That's funny. I had an old fence line move to the wrong side of a known creek once. Turns out it's not safe to assume a fence you circle back to is the same one you left... Took me a while to figure it out but once I did I felt better. Only embarassing part was not realizing my hunting partner watched me quick-step it back to the rendezvous spot (didnt want to be late and get him worrying).

The urge to move quickly when you're turned around is so powerful -- have to stay calm and resist that as it not only leads to bad directinal decisions but also puts you at risk of falling/injuring yourself.

SB

[mpotzold]

Re: Innate sense of direction.

In the 60's surveying mining claims in the remote Yukon wilderness had 2 brothers( last name Acklack ) from Old Crow on my crew. The FN guys excelled at everything they did. They always found their way back regardless of terrain, distance or weather & were never confused. Always found the shortest way back. Didn't use a compass. We always said that they could walk out of the bush with their eyes closed.

Another time I got caught in a whiteout north of Germansen. I flagged my way into dense forest, swampy area for at least 3 km. The snow started falling & was so heavy & wet that it covered all the ribbon. So I couldn't backtrack. One could only see about 20 to 30 feet ahead. Again decided to walk a straight line & after an hour or so made it to the road. Sheer luck!
I wasn't ready for an overnight stay. The fresh moose signs were everywhere & with all the excitement lost track of distance/time.

Got our moose the next day in the same area.

Lesson learned. Always be prepared for 1 or 2 nights & have at least a couple space blankets along.

[Big Lew]

Re: Innate sense of direction.

In the 60's surveying mining claims in the remote Yukon wilderness had 2 brothers( last name Acklack ) from Old Crow on my crew. The FN guys excelled at everything they did. They always found their way back regardless of terrain, distance or weather & were never confused. Always found the shortest way back. Didn't use a compass. We always said that they could walk out of the bush with their eyes closed.

Another time I got caught in a whiteout north of Germansen. I flagged my way into dense forest, swampy area for at least 3 km. The snow started falling & was so heavy & wet that it covered all the ribbon. So I couldn't backtrack. One could only see about 20 to 30 feet ahead. Again decided to walk a straight line & after an hour or so made it to the road. Sheer luck!
I wasn't ready for an overnight stay. The fresh moose signs were everywhere & with all the excitement lost track of distance/time.

Got our moose the next day in the same area.

Lesson learned. Always be prepared for 1 or 2 nights & have at least a couple space blankets along.

That Germansen area and south to around Nations River can be deadly in a snow storm even if you step just
a few feet from the road if you're not careful. I can imagine anyone chasing after a moose would quickly be
in trouble.

[northof49]

Can't get lost....everyone keeps telling me where to go!!��

[LYKTOHUNT]

Your never lost if you dont care where you are, but seriously,hell ya I have been lost lots but always managed to get out before panic sets in for everyone else wondering where you are or what happened to you

[trapperRick]

Me never been lost but my Teepee has been lost!!

[walks with deer]

Um mosquitoes as thick as a cloI'd screed me up once swatting in a circle came out okay.
your day pack should be able to convert to a longer stay depending on location.

[Frango]

Back in the mid seventy's I was on a Elk hunt with a buddy just for the day. It had started to snow early morning and it got crazy heavy all day. We walked into the bush because we could hear elk bugling. Went in perhaps 800 m Bull elk everywhere. I was not worried about getting lost because we had our tracks to follow out. I passed on a couple of small elk and perhaps an hour of light left found a big one..I had to let it go because I had no idea where I was and our tracks had been covered by two feet of snow..We decided to find my truck. After walking in circles for hours we finally came on a road but which direction? I chose the hard choice going uphill. We found my truck at 9.30 at night. Exhausted from walking thru almost 3 feet of powder all day. Lucky for us it had stopped snowing and we had near a full moon. I had an great old International 4x4 with a 10,000 lb PTO winch. We needed it 4 times to get back to the highway. Never been so tired or nervous before or after that episode. In hindsight considering how much snow was falling we should have left sooner. Screaming Elk makes you loose common sense.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^wow now that's crazy...now I'm assuming if you had the same scenario again, this time using a compass to know which direction your going it would mean you have a bull elk down??

[panhead]

Was moose hunting many moons ago with 3 partners. Was a beautiful warm day and we were all loafing around camp having returned for lunch. I headed out first and the others followed out one at a time. All in different directions. When we returned after dark the fellow who headed out last did not return. No one saw him leave and as it was so warm did not know what kind of clothing he wore when he left. WAY below freezing at night. I found him the next day and he had not panicked and had lit a fire and stayed put. He knew we would be looking for him. Kept putting warm rocks into his pockets from the fire to keep warm. He was so tired he kept falling asleep as I walked him out. Don’t know who was more scared … him or us.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^^Good for him though, not many people would be able to stay calm and think that well...

[Wentrot]

Iv never been totally lost but have managed to get myself turned around pretty good a couple of times due to the GPS going rogue on me. It's a pretty gross feeling and I'd hate to actually get lost-I guess I would finally be able to justify all the random shit I carry around though.

[Walksalot]

Want to simulate going through dense bush with no landmarks to orient yourself with and no navigation device? Go into a large parking lot, best done with another person, and fix on an object across the parking lot. Then have another person blind fold you and have you walk toward the given destination. The very first time you do this will give you an accurate example of the course you will walk in the woods without a navigation device.
The best comment I have ever heard on the difference between a gps and a compass is that a gps works on technology and the compass works on God. I am lucky enough to have not had to spend a night alone in an uncontrolled environment. I have, however, had many instances where I thought I was going in a certain direction and then compass indicated I was 180 degrees off. It is a awful feeling and more than once I have followed the compass total trust that the compass was right and I was wrong. Both myself and my buddy, on different occasions, have been in a situation where the gps had went south and the compass was right. On both occasions the gps ended up on the shelf never to be taken into the woods again. It did go on one final trip from the shelf to the dumpster. Oh, and the people who use landmarks for navigation, put in a blanket of fog and you could swear you might even be on the moon.
Being totally aware that one can be in a survival situation and the contents of ones back pack can and will aid you in not becoming another statistic. It is so easy to say don't panic but I would bet a pretty penny that 99.9 percent of people in a survival situation will feel panic during some part of their ordeal, I know I would. Any one who carries a navigation device has a fear of getting lost. Others who carry no navigation devices while exploring the woods do, to some extent, go by the old saying" but for the grace of God go I".

[zippermouth]

walksalot, I have to disagree about your thick bush/parking lot comparison. I thrive on hunting the thick shit. for mulies, elk, and whitetail. when it fogs in or gets dark you loose some bearing, but not like going in blindfolded. this might change slightly if the area your hunting is completely new, but most of the places I hunt I've spent some time in scouting. my direction in the bush I would think is fairly honed, but not enough to get complacent. you always have to be focused about where you are and your destination, and even then there are still instances where you get confused. I like the idea of getting a compass, as I dont normally use a gps. its been a few years since ive lost all bearing of where I am, and that day was a fogged in mess. I just kept hunting, it was an area I was familiar with and soon enough I found a spot i could identify. had it have been an area i wasn't familiar with i would have focused more on getting out than hunting. also for the most part the road density where i hunt is fairly established. I'm not normally more than 10km from a road. I'm sure my mindset and tools would change if i hunted a more remote valley via fly in or jet boat, but for now the areas are just not remote enough to worry about.

[Big Lew]

I've had a compass compromised by a high density metallic outcropping on a couple of occasions,
but otherwise have had favourable results in navigating with one. As for becoming disoriented in
fog, cloud, or heavily snowing, a compass still works, but it can be extremely dangerous if trying
to find your way on rugged mountains or through swamps and muskeg without some sort of trail
markings or landmarks to go by. Just this fall during a bright but cloudy day I worked my way through
a nasty tangle of thickets, blowdowns, swampy sloughs, and small lakes. Even by using a compass
and trying to visualize the lay of the land, I had to backtrack many times to try another route....
I can't imagine how difficult and frustrating it would be at night or if it was foggy etc.

[HarryToolips]

Iv never been totally lost but have managed to get myself turned around pretty good a couple of times due to the GPS going rogue on me. It's a pretty gross feeling and I'd hate to actually get lost-I guess I would finally be able to justify all the random shit I carry around though.
I don't own a GPS but I'm sure it could be a very useful tool..that being said, I'm sure you learned that using it as your only source of navigation is risky, a lot of people I'm sure just don't pay attention to their surrounding nearly enough when using one..glad your smart enough to pack around the other 'shite'...

[Wentrot]

I don't own a GPS but I'm sure it could be a very useful tool..that being said, I'm sure you learned that using it as your only source of navigation is risky, a lot of people I'm sure just don't pay attention to their surrounding nearly enough when using one..glad your smart enough to pack around the other 'shite'...

Foolishly the other stuff does not include a compass- the main reason I like using gps is just to upload the data to Google Earth after I get home, it's also nice to know exactly where the trail cam was set.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^thats good except you can still practice using a compass on your outings...and if it's a sunny day, try using just the sun to navigate, while just using your GPS to mark your cams or whatever..google the solar watch method.. Or you can PM me for tips..