That's why your survival kit should contain a backup compass. Carrying both a map and a compass is splendid advice, and not only for fog conditions. And why not use a GPS?

None of these things are do-all magical artifacts that can pull you out of any situation. But they are immensely helpful. And as always, practice before you need it...


Fussing about in low visibility can be pretty spooky, even if you're not lost (but you can be - pretty quick). That's why you don't forget about capacity for creating shelter, fire, getting water and so on. Then comes signaling for help, plus having someone to call the cavalry if you're not home at X o'clock. In fact, everything that has been written and said about survival and what to bring along for those hikes with only a daypack applies to fog situations...


Fog (particular in the winter) comes along with his friend Hypothermia. Mr. Fog is confusing and annoying, but otherwise harmless. Mr. Hypothermia kills. Those drops of liquid water suspended in the air will make everything wet: You, your natural sheltering materials and your firewood. Which makes survival a lot tougher than in dry conditions.


As for trying to find home versus staying put, I'd say that depends on the seriousness of the situation. It makes sense to think real hard through what your situation really is. How thoroughly lost are you? Wandering aimlessly around the bush is a waste of energy. But if you have PAID ATTENTION on your way to Lostwille it is usually doable to find your way out again. Usually, you're able to point at the map and say "I am enveloped by this road here, that power line and this river. Now I can go east and track the road back to civilization, I can go north or west and track the river or south and track the powerline."

But - If you try to make it back and it takes longer than anticipated you'll be forced to spend the night outdoors anyway. So - do you spend precious hours of daylight building the best possible shelter and fire, or do you walk the walk? Though call - that's why brewing a nice cup of tea (or equivalent) to think things through is such excellent advice, at more than one level. It gives yourself a clear head and time to think through what actually can be a life or death decision.