Proper Navigation Tips: How to not get lost!

[BirdDog123]

Hey guys,

I do a lot of backpacking, backcountry camping/hunting, etc.

When possible I try to take a topographic map of the area I am in and use it with a compass/flagging tape.

However, there are times (especially when hunting WMAs) in which my map is very basic and does not give good topography. In these instances, I try use flagging tape and a handheld GPS to pinpoint where I got off the trail and pinpoint any hotspots I find while scouting.

My biggest fear is for the GPS to somehow become unreliable. I often take extra batteries but I don't want to be too reliant on it ya know?

Can anyone provide tips/share experiences for how they keep their directional bearings in the wild?

 

[Brisco Darlin]

I don't own a GPS. If i'm hunting in a new area, i get topo maps of the area. there is the map store in knoxville, tn. where i get some of my maps. I usually will try orient my map and pinpoint where i start and take a bearing on which way i'm going . if i change directions, i will take another bearing and then reverse it coming out.

 

[Shed Hunter]

If you get lost on a wma pick a direction and stick to it. There are enough roads you'll find one if you keep on keepin on.

Carry something like a compass.

 

[fishboy1]

I always have at least one compass.

WMA's are pretty simple. Park and figure out which direction you head into the woods from the road. Say North off an East West Road. Wander around in woods North of road. Try and determine if I am going more East or West of my starting point....

Head South back to road and then East or West to parking spot.

 

[AT Hiker]

If your hunting the big areas out west...study the forest/blm maps before you go in and pick out an identifiable land mark i.e. mountain. A good ol fashion compass is a great tool as well!

I hike a lot in the southern appalachian mountains and will tell you first hand it is very easy to get lost there...even on the AT. You wake up early one morning and its raining or foggy and you could head the wrong way very easily, or stride off a spur trail and go 3 miles before you know it. Maps are golden, study them and have them with you at all times. Take a look at them throughout the day as well.

Maps, maps, maps...cannot say enough about them. Study a lot before you head into an area that has potential to be confusing. Not to many in TN, but they are there...I would even say LBL is tricky if you go far enough in to it. Although you can come across a road in 4-5 miles or less in most places of LBL.

 

[fairchaser]

Have a plan, a backup plan and an emergency plan. I carry my Iphone with google maps so I know exactly where I am and where Im going with a touch of the button. I also have a GPS with the landmarks waypointed in so I can get back without wandering too much. Then have a compass/map and know what direction I need to travel to get back. All else fails, I look at the sun to determine direction which is agood idea to know anyway. If you are traveling beyond phone service, I recommend a satphone for emergencies. Always be prepared to spend the night. Good luck.

 

[Brisco Darlin]

first rule of survival. redundancy. i like your ideas .

 

[corymhoward]

always have extra...."two is one and one is none" learn resections and intersections as far as navigation goes if terrain features permit it

 

[BirdDog123]

first rule of survival. redundancy. i like your ideas .

Yes sir! When I am bowhunting on public land I bring a compass, Topo map, flagging tape, and GPS. Plus I have enough primitive skills to make a small shelter and food to last 2 days. Occaisonally, I will leave a note on my windshield indicating when I plan to come back and my general whereabouts.

A lot of that may be overkill but it is worth it to see your wife and kids.

 

[J.Maples]

Great subject, especially for new hunters and even old farts like me. Your batteries can go dead (have extras). maps and compass can get lost in rough terrain, etc, Murphy's law,if it can happen it probably will, better have water and a flashlight handy.

I'm local to TN., but have gotten lost off of Cades Cove Rd.
Good Hunting, better not try it in Cades cove tho. LOL

Guess I'm just not Macho enough.

 

[TNDeerGuy]

If you forget your compass, or it breaks, you can also use this method. If you have an analog wrist watch, you can use the time to find north. Hold your watch up in front of you, and let the short hand that indicates hours point at the sun. While holding it like this, cut the angle between the short hand and 12 o'clock in two, noonwards if the time is before 6am or after 6pm, that way is south. The reason you need to cut it in two, is because the clock takes two rotations while the Earth does one rotation.
Many people wear digital watches these days, or use cell phones. If that is the case, draw an analog watch face on a piece of paper, and then mark the hour hand on using the digital watch. The rest of the method is identical.

 

[BirdDog123]

Wow good tip! so if it is before 6am it is north and after 6 is south?

 

[TNDeerGuy]

Wow good tip! so if it is before 6am it is north and after 6 is south?

yes

 

[BlackBelt]

Ive found that 2 small compasses never let me down. The best thing that i have working for me is that when i get 'turned around' (lost), i spend some time enjoying the feeling. Once you get used to being lost every so often you wont panic when it happens.
Knowing you can live off the land for a couple of days REALLY goes a long way towards giving you confidence.
One good thing about most of TN is that except for a few places if you maintain a solid bearing (straight line) you usually will eventually run into something like a road or path or a Burger King.

 

[Great White Stalker]

What fairchaser said. Hey do you know how to tell when you are lost? I do. When you break down and start yelling for help, you are lost. LOL. It's funny now. It wasn't when I was 12.

 

[FOX FIRE]

How to propperly use a compass is something I've always wanted to learn, should be basic training for any person who spends time outdoors.

 

[Mike Belt]

...and then believe your compass. They don't lie.

 

[BirdDog123]

unless your in Bermuda

 

[TNDeerGuy]

unless your in Bermuda

Is there something wrong with going around in circles until little green men show up? Geez....where is ya'lls sense of adventure?