I think this is why I tend to think a GPS is so important - at least in areas without landmarks. Forests and featureless terrain are a lot like being in the middle of an ocean.

Of course they work better with useful waypoints or a good built in map.

There was a time when people poo-pooed GPS's with built in compasses, but now I wouldn't buy one without the compass capability.

Still, I wouldn't head into the backwoods with a compass and at least some kind of decent paper map.