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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
But then what do I know? I'm just a lowly woodcutter.
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.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Sofa King
