Getting lost is dangerous as hell (Hiking tips Pt. 35)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ต.ค. 2024
- In the 21st century, people are still getting lost and going missing in the wilderness. Plus - A first-person account of getting lost in the woods and the precautions that were neglected.
The University of Oregon sun chart - solardat.uorego...
A good article about getting lost in the outdoors in the 2010s - www.backpacker....
Excellent video My husband gave me a compass and showed me how to it up to a tree, walk to that point and check my direction. Got lost once and it's amazing how quickly you panic Got out OK once I realized I had everything I needed to spend the night. I always pack for getting lost, even on a 5 mile hike.
Thanks for sharing your experience on the value of preparedness, and thanks a million for watching!
Quite possibly your best and most important video so far, in my humble opinion..... Thank you
+cyclinguy Thanks for the vote of confidence and thanks again for watching!
Another in a series of very informative and useful videos. You are much appreciated.
+Donut Ho Thanks for your kind words and thanks again for watching!
I always enjoy your videos. They are very informative with very little unnecessary BS. Thanks. I too am amazed at how unprepared many people are when they venture into the wilderness. I tend to forget the wonderful training I received as a Boy Scout. There is very little that I encounter on these bushcraft videos that is new to me. Thanks to the Boy Scouts, I try to be always prepared. But, the most important thing I learned about these situations I learned in the military. Its called situational awareness. When you loose it, bad things invariably happen. I will continue to eagerly await your next video. Great job.
I'm glad you like the videos! Thanks for sharing your experience here and thanks a million for being a great viewer!
Thanks for another great one.......Your presentations are always packed with great info in an interesting and unique style!!
+shanti g Glad you like the videos and thanks for being a viewer!
Great video, good advice. Your comment about the space blanket reminding you to not get lost in the first place is a good one. I've always given whistles, disposable ponchos and space blankets to everyone I hike with, even short hikes, and that provides confidence and an awareness that the wilderness is not a park or playground. I have still gotten lost, once with my wife and two girls on a day hike when I got turned around on a hike I had done many times. We found other hikers who straightened us out, but it reminded me, always pay attention to where you are.
+Stephen Wright Thanks for sharing your experience and the good advice. And thanks again for watching!
I love the well structured form of your videos. Thanks for putting this together.
+Monica Luna Glad you like the videos and thanks a million for watching!
There are a couple of hints I learned from Kephart's book 60 years ago that I still follow.
With the tip of a knife, I inscribe on the back of my compass, which colored end of the needle points north. When people are lost, they often doubt their memory of which of the 2 ends of the needle points North. Inscribe it and you will be sure.
I also cut a notch in one part of the sole of one of my hiking boots. That makes it easy to recognize my own track if I am circling, or get turned around in direction.
At night, in the dark, I draw a line in the dirt, or lay a stick pointing to the North star. That way, you start off in the morning in the right direction.
I also make myself a small map from a larger one, showing the significant borders in the cardinal directions, of the area I am in. Rivers, roads, mountain ridges, power lines, significant features.........knowing which "edge" of your area they are on makes orienteering a lot easier. Likewise, the overall downhill flow of water will generally be in one main direction over a distance, and rivers often lead to bridges or the coast..
As a sailor, I have studied celestial navigation. You can find north from various constellations, not just the north star, Polaris. Orion easily indicates the north, as do many other constellations, as they circle Polaris, with the same part of the constellation always toward Polaris.. I usually keep track of the direction of the wind, noting changes by the position of the sun. I am constantly aware of the sun's position, and can tell direction if I know time, or guess time by the altitude of the sun. The key, of course, is to note your direction leaving camp, so you can reverse it to return. In the twisting waterways of our local swamps, I often tie knots in bunches of marsh grass, to indicate which fork of a junction I have come in on, likewise on trails.
+tom jackson Now that is a bunch of good tips. Is it "The Book of Camping and Woodcraft" by Horace Kephart?
Yes, and it is still available on Amazon.
If you're lost, and you want to build a signal fire, don't just make one. One column of smoke can be mistaken for a campfire. Build 3 (in a triangle if possible) and throw wet or green wood and vegetation on it as well, to make it as smoky as possible. Some knowledge of bushcraft and wild edibles is a good idea too.
When you leave your tent at night, turn on a flashlight and leave it in the tent. You'll be able to find the tent easier if it's lit up than if it's pitch black. One of those tiny flashlights is all you need. It's good to have a spare, anyway, might as well use it. Great channel, by the way. Thanks for posting your advice.
+Doc America Excellent advice! Thanks for sharing and watching!
Never thought of that. Good idea to do this just in case your headlamp or flashlight fails while in the woods doing your business.
Or if your tent is one of several pitched on the AT near a shelter. Happened to me. Happy Trails.
Yeah, not a good idea to hear a woman screaming in the dead of night when some guy tries to crawl into her tent after a bathroom break thinking it's his own !
Been watching a lot of your videos over the past 6 months. Nice work, thank you.
You're welcome and thanks a million for watching!
As usual an excellent topic and presentation. Rang a bell with me for sure. I experienced getting temporarily lost a long time ago while in college. I was a former Boy Scout and knew what I should have had with me for a day hike, especially bushwhacking like I was that day. As in your case, I was fortunate that there was an old logging road that I left from and somehow I was able to get back to that finally and get home. That was 45 years ago and I have not been without the basics even on a short couple hour hike since then. It was certainly a "wake up call"!! Also just last Fall on a trip to Dolly Sods, I turned the wrong direction from a fire pit (in the dark) to get back to my hammock. I had my headlamp but it took a while to get straightened out and get back on track. When I got home, I immediately replaced all the lines on my hammock with reflective line. I just got back off the AT for an extended period using that same hammock and the reflective line came in handy several times.
Thanks for posting.
+Tom Bebee Thanks for sharing your experiences and glad they ended well! And thanks again for watching!
Thanks for this video. I noticed one of the first things you mentioned was looking back often for land marks . This was the most valuble thing I learned from my uncil in my youth. A compass and a map are always a good Idea but as you mentioned you dont always have huge land marks that are visible. Most of my backpacking was out west and sometimes when your in a creek bottom or river bottom you can not see above 150 to 250 ft trees. If you are lost already this forces you to seek higher ground with a good vantage point. This uses alot of energy and time. Like you mentioned always let some know were you will be and the time you exspect to return. Now that I have a family who depends on my I am even considering a SPOT to go in my day pack along with all the items you mentioned. I have only gotten turned around once while out backpacking and I stopped right away and checked my suroundings for familiar signs. Thirty minutes later I was back to a famliure trail. I remembered what my Uncil had told me and I was able to backtrack because I had been looking back alot during my hike. Thanks again .
Thanks for sharing your experience - your uncle was a good teacher! More and more people are using the SPOT device - I can imagine they are particularly helpful in the west. Keep hikin' and thanks for watching!
I'm probably the AT hiker with the worst sense of direction so I always take a trail map and guide book when I backpack. I too have wandered from my camp a few yards in the dark with a flashlight and had to search for it to get back. That's one disadvantage to stealth camping. I've thought about hanging one of those red flashing bicycle tail lights on my tent to make it easy to find. Years ago a friend told me about a guy who got lost in the dark and wandered around for hours trying to find his truck. Finally he sat down and waited for sunrise. When it got light enough he could see his truck through the trees a mere 25 yards away.
+Appalachian Swede In canoe camping and sailing, I often carry a small solar powered garden light. I use it to mark my camp in the swamps when I am fishing limb lines at night, as in bad weather and darkness it is sometimes hard to find my hidden camps. I leave it on my sail boat during the day. Returning to an anchored boat, rowing in a dingy on a stormy, dark windy night, it is much easier with a light for a goal, and the garden light turns itself on at dusk. Walmart sells very small, light ones for a buck, but I like the better ones with an on/off switch.
+Appalachian Swede Good story about the guy with the truck, and thanks again for sharing your experience. I eventually got a CMG Infinity light (one of the old ones) and would leave it burning inside the tent. It only has about half a lumen but the upside is it runs hundreds of hours on a AA. In the pitch black middle of nowhere, half a lumen is way better than nothing. I actually got two of them. Sadly, as near as I can tell they are no longer sold. And thanks again for watching!
tom jackson Thanks Tom, I have one of those lights too.
I was hiking in the Big Cypress Everglades in Florida last weekend. I was with a couple of trail volunteers and the one thing they asked/advised... "do you have a compass?" and "if we get separated just head south". Since I was in reasonable shape we never got lost, however, after the hike I realized that I had not been paying attention to the blazes. In the everglades the next blaze is supposed to be visible from the current. I found myself following the rut of the trail with my head down looking or critters. It was a good think I had company.
I think I would be looking for critters too in the Everglades .....
just curious how deep was the water out there last month?
whoodiestyle yesterday's hike was south of Oasis ranger station and the water range from six inches to 24 inches about me deep. When we got to Robert's lake the water was about 32 inches
This is very informative as are all of your videos. Thanks for sharing.
+Joseph Warren Glad you like the videos and thanks a million for watching!
Your videos are always fantastic! Thank you.
+Steve Scope You're welcome and thanks for watching!
beginner hiker here... your videos are excellent!!! hope to do the AT one day... maybe into the 2020's sometime. KEEP UP THE GREAT CONTENT!!
Glad you like the channel and thanks a million for being a viewer!
I had a good compass I went to look for it and could not find it, you got me scared and now I got like 4 compasses still learning how to use them.Thanks for the videos and greetings from Germany!
+Tonahuac Theonewhocarriesthelight Good decision! And thanks again for watching!
I often navigate by the sun, my grandfather taught me from young. If you are carrying electronics that you suspect are throwing your compass out, you can use the sun to at least verify the compass isn't pointing at the sun at sunrise haha. I'm in the southern hemisphere, so early morning its sun in the face and front of left shoulder. It shouldn't be full on the left shoulder and left face. You gradually alter that as the day wears on. I agree about knowing where you are at all times. If you've been walking for an hour and not known you are lost, you're not doing it right. Even if I am following a marked trail, I am very careful about proceeding by sighting the markers. And I teach my sons the same thing. If you are uncertain, stop. If you are lost, stay stopped unless you have a map, a compass and a plan. If you have left a trail, by all means back track, but if there isn't one, stay put and think. Even I have had moments of panic, particularly one trail where we'd started our hike too late in the day, and weren't going to reach the bush hut. This bush is so dense and steep that you can't pitch a tent in it, and I had to shelter my son and myself. Fortunately, there was a very tiny patch of grass I'd remembered deliberately, in case we weren't going to make it. An hour before sundown, I called off the hike, turned us around and stopped for the night. A good contingency plan that works can help build confidence and reinforce the benefits of educating yourself.
Your videos have been a part of that process for me, so thank you :)
My cell phone has to be within six inches of my compass to move the needle. A hunk of metal as big as a refrigerator has to be within about 12 inches to do the same. Those distances are measured from the side. Something underneath my compass has to be even closer to throw it off. My experience is if the compass has 10 inches all around clearance out in the woods or fields, it is accurate. And we can carry one out there and experiment with it ourselves under those circumstances to see what we think. Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks a million for watching!
Well done video on this one. Awesome topic to pick and great examples. As a hunter, this exact same thing has happened to me while in national forests. I made the same adjustments as you throughout the years (daypack, compass, flashlight, etc).
Hopefully someone will heed the hard earned lessons from some one else and not have to experience it because it can be pretty scary, esp. when the weather conditions are bad.
+Jon Boy Thanks for sharing your story here and thanks a million for watching!
I get turned around on the trails to the north si it is kind of nerve racking. But with my large 20 plus hiking group, I just have to be aware of where everyone is so when I do get off trail, i know another group is nearby. Great video again Flat.
+Adrian Redgwell Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks again for watching!
When walking in the woods off the trail I make it a practice to look about 35 to 50 yards ahead at a landmark such as a boulder or even a tree, and head directly for it. Then I do it again and again until I reach my destination, that is how I avoid walking in circles. Good video.
+60 Fit and Vegan Good tip, and thanks for watching!
Superlative presentation.AT Thru Hikers obsessed with weight(reasonable to a point) will saw off toothbrush handles and remove tea bag labels but fail to include a compass( unreasonable,imo) or other critical last ditch survival items(whistle,firestarter,knife,etc). While statistically safe,emergencies do happen and it's best to be prepared.Just subbed.Be safe.Happy Trails.
Thanks for watching and thanks for the sub!
great video. Good tips and thanks again. take care.
Thanks again for watching!
I got lost in the Big Gum Wilderness Swamp in 1972. I picked a big cypress tree & walked as far as I could 90 degrees off keeping the tree in sight. On the 3rd attempt I found some jeep tracks & followed them to a road & made it back to my car. It could have been real bad as I only had a knife, lighter, cigs. & rifle & shells.
Glad you made it out! Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!
Very informative, great job, Thank You.
+Charles Roberts And thank you for watching!
Nice video, food for thought
Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!
Something I noticed about AT hikers, they spend more time trying to move quickly to whatever shelter or location they are heading. This seems to cause them to put their head down, eyes on the ground and then go as quickly as possible, doing very little looking around. Also, the grouped AT hikers seem to spend more time talking among themselves rather than paying attention to their surroundings as well. It seems to me that direction, location, and terrain identification are basic and fundamental survival strategies that should automatically be understood and followed. Maybe they need to be reminded that Mistakes in the wild are punished swiftly and severely in most cases, Pay Attention... Another great video!!!
+afk hiker Thanks for sharing your observations. I certainly have seen some of those swift punishments ... some of them have been almost instantaneous. And thanks again for watching!
On my SOBO thru hike this year I found it helpful to use the Guthook phone app, which can be used in airplane mode and shows your location as well as landmarks and water sources. I did use the SPOT GPS tracker so my mom could usually see where I was, but I found Guthook more useful. I suggest everyone get in the habit of laying my pole down pointing the way I came. The more exhausted I was, the more likely I found myself questioning which way I came.
Thanks for sharing your experience and tips! And congrats for the thru hike!
Always pay attention to your location and your surroundings and it does not hurt to look at your back trail at times. A compass and a lighter are two nice items to have with you and do not take a lot of space. Another handy item is a map of the area you will be in. It can be useful in location your position ( Reference Points , Mountains , Streams , Rivers , lakes ) and with a compass then you will know which way to go. If you think you might be lost just stop and do not panic. Panicking will only make matters worse. I always know where I am , I'm right here. The question is , Where is Everyone Else ? With a clear mind it is easy to figure that out.
Something else that is nice to have is a small survival pack , energy bars , space blanket , small knife , fire starter , bottled water or if water is available then a personal water filter. With luck you will never have to use it.
Good tips and thanks again for watching!
Good info!! Even though we have so many electronics to help us find our way, I learned to use a compass with a map, and taught it to my son. I look forward to your instruction on finding direction without a compass. If it's overcast, isn't there a way to tell north by the moss on trees? Or is that a myth? Thanks.
+Tara Crocco Good job teaching map and compass to your son! Those who look at a lot of moss on a lot of trees find it growing randomly, overall. The no-compass video will show up, eventually. And thanks again for watching!
Thank you for the good videos
great video. i am from ohio and plan to hike the AT. hypothermia is the scariest element, i think....being cold and wet.i find that an inflatable sleeping pad keeps the cold off of me- and i bring a yoga mat to sit onfor resting...I lie downonit during the day to rest as well. the yoga mat is good to prevent sticks and stones from bothering me. and prevents from bugs on the ground. i had slept on the cold ground and began shaking with hypothermia before, and i won't repeat that mistake! gotten lost also....its all about keeping the wits to-get---ther!!i carry a cheap camping jacket which is not "breathable", but is like a trash bag for keeping in body heat while resting. it goes into a small ball....
Thanks for sharing your experience. It will get wet and cold and we need to be prepared. Does the yoga mat absorb water? I once looked at a couple that did. After a corner was wet, water could be squeezed out, like a sponge. Keep hiking and thanks for watching!
good question- this particular mat floated on a lake of water ( i had to swim to retrieve it in the reeds...) and seemed to be great in NOT really absorbing water. a dense rubbery mat, yet lightweight. i think lying down during day was so restorative to my body.
Alot of yoga mats absorb water but i dont think of all them do. no way to test without buying it and getting it wet
Passenger airline ✈️ hailed via radio : Believe it was a hunter in British Columbia back in the 90’s who had broken his leg. Plane was directly overhead and he must have had some kind of 2 way radio and knew the emergency frequencies.
--- 2 way radio and knew the emergency frequencies --- If so, that's far more prepared than average. And thanks for watching!
The worst trail advice I ever saw was just recently, when one A. T. hiker advised anyone who had to use the loo to go 200 feet off the trail to do so :(
My God you're right, the sun rises true East and sets true West only during Spring Equinox event.
The AT Conservancy might recommend something like that. Another good reason to carry a compass and look at it before we step foot off the trail.
I believe you are right I was never on the AT.
One thing you can do is carry ACR beacon. REI has them a couple hundred bucks may save your life in the back country.
Good tip. Thanks for watching!
Did you ever meet "Bismarck" (i.e., James T Hammes, the ‘wanted’ criminal who hid out on the AT for six years) on one of your hikes?
+2506INF I really doubt it - most of the time I never asked anybody's trail name and when I did hear it 90% of the time I forgot it .... I do keep watching for his sentencing - so far it hasn't happened. And thanks again for watching!
Question: I had a hip replaced in January of this year. Been able to hammer out 30 min on the elliptical and my only pain now is my knees. Is a thru hike out of the question for me? Should I be focusing on a section hike and see how it goes?
I always vote to take an AT section hike to see how it goes, if at all possible. My thinking is it's better to learn in advance exactly what we are dealing with. I have not said this in a video because it would take a lot of explanation and bore everybody -- but the injury I got in that car wreck was trauma induced arthritis of the hip and I had a total hip replacement to fix it. This is not very common which helps explain why I was misdiagnosed for so long. I waited a full year from the operation to really start walking and climbing hard - all before that was just PT. All with my hip was fine during a 56-mile AT section hike in Sept. If my experience is any indication, the knee issue poses far more potential trouble than a replaced hip. A year after surgery I asked the surgeon if I was OK for the AT - I recommend others do the same in similar circumstances. I also would pin the doc down with questions if my knees were questionable. For example, can exercises or PT or knee wraps or anything else help protect them? I hope all works out and thanks for watching!
Is that a Springfield or a KAR 98 ?
+Craig Stocker 98. And thanks for watching!
I like your channel so keep up the good work.
smart phones are useless in the outdoors no signal renders the phones useless get a decent handheld gps or get proficient with a compass and map
For more on handheld gps, see my "Calling for help" video. And thanks for watching.
never needed help was out in the Cleveland forest today just screwed around but never had a problem got lost twice out in riverside ca and because of my high power rifle scope I went home power 7x21 power of 6x24 cell phones are useless
We almost got lost in Algonquin, * the feeling when it kicks in .....
Yeah, it's pretty unpleasant to realize we are lost and feels great when we work our way out of it. If it's a character-building experience, I think it's one best avoided. :) And thanks for watching!