Welcome aboard, Michael!

And no worries... Asking questions is a good way to find the answers you're looking for... That and the search function... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Not too long ago I was in a situation where I took a wrong turn on a trail and instead of hiking the three miles I thought I was going to, I ended up having to do eight or so (estimate). It was getting dark, and if I hadn't managed to orient myself and pick up the pace I would have had to stay the night as they close the gates of the park at sunset and my car would have been trapped until sunrise.

If I had not managed to get my bearings to at least get to the car for the night, I had my small bug out bag with me, and within it was everything I would have needed to make it through the night without much hassle.

In truth, I probably would have actually enjoyed it... Well, except for the embarrassment of explaining to the rangers why I was camping in an undesignated spot without a permit.

I had informed family members where I was, but I also had a cell phone with me and probably could have hiked to a spot outside of the park where I could get a good signal.

But as other's have mentioned, it would have been more an inconvenience than a survival situation as I was prepared... Not to mention the fact that the park is surrounded by major roads and barring injury if I had maintained a constant direction using my compass I would have gotten to a road before any real emergency situation had set in. It would have been a heck of a hike, but it would have been do-able.

In any case, I got to my car and out of the park before the gates were locked.

On the last mile or so, my hike turned into a jog and under the trees, though the sun had not set, the trail was getting very dark. Thank goodness I had a flashlight. It was the only piece of "survival gear" I needed that day.

Still, when I analyze the situation, I come to a few conclusions about what I did right and wrong.

What I did wrong:
1. Knowing that I had gotten a late start in the day, I should have hiked on ground that I knew well rather than trying out an entirely new area that I was completely unfamiliar with.
2. Instead of attempting to memorize the "easy" map at the trail head, I should have gotten a real map.
3. Once I got to mile three and realized I was nowhere near where I expected to be, meaning the trail ending at the far side of the parking area, I should have backtracked.
4. At mile four(ish) I should have stopped the biker I saw coming off a side trail and asked how far I was from where I needed to be.
5. Instead of parking in a part of the lot that was under construction, under trees with low hanging branches, in between mounds of dirt and gravel, I should have parked in a spot where my car would have been more visible.
6. I was taking a chance by jogging on a small path in the dark by flashlight. I could have been injured.
7. I had no real way of knowing if I was going to make it to my car in time if at all, had worked up a good sweat and it was getting chilly. Though I had the means to make a shelter and a fire, a few missteps could have seen me cold and wet as it got colder and I began to prepare for the overnight stay.

What I did right:
1. I never really panicked.
2. On hikes my small BOB goes with me. It includes my large PSK, small FAK, food, water, a knife and more.
3. I had my small PSK with me as well.
4. When I realized that I might be stuck in the woods for the night, I began to strategize. I decided what I would do in case I couldn't find my car, in case I found my car and couldn't make it out and so on.
5. I maintained a sense of humor about the situation.

As I mentioned above, barring injury, even in the worse case scenario, I most likely would have only been embarrassed by the whole ordeal. It was a learning experience though.