http://news.yahoo.com/why-humans-lost-163420867.html

An interesting article, but even more interesting is a link to

http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/

Thanks for the links! Now I have an excuse when I get lost. So what excuse do guys have for not wanting to ask directions?

I can’t speak for any gender group. Each individual has a preference. Give me a road map and I can tell you exactly where we are.

Jeanette Isabelle

there are probably a lot of reasons. But i'll give you one good one. Very FEW people actually stop and look backwards.

Let's suppose you are hiking down a trail in an area that you've never been before. You're excited by the vista ahead. So naturally you forge ahead. But you don't make frequent stops to look backwards - and see how the countryside (and landmarks) would appear when you are retracing your steps. Therefore ... how can you possibly expect yourself to find your way back home.

People with good map-reading skills, or GPS skills, or a good natural ability to spot and remember landmarks - do FIND their way back home.

Otherwise, getting lost is pretty easy, really!! :-)

Pete2

In the technology age, using a GPS to lay a cookie crumb trail to follow or simply marking waypoints as you travel is very basic. You don't need to mark the trail continuously or even a lot. Just enough to keep you going in the right direction. After all you should be looking at the local scenery -- flora & fauna -- and not at your GPS.

... or you could do it the old fashioned way and check your back trail ...

This is a great read, I've been working on it off and on this morning... Thanks for sharing!

Looking backwards and checking landmarks at key points such as trail junctions is a habit that one soon learns can be quite beneficial. It is absolutely vital if you are traveling underground in a cave or a similar environment.

Never even thought about it,not being a hiker....

Situational awareness. Know, not think you know, know where you are on the map. GPS is great, except when it's not. Most can't find my house, only been here 16 years but the road name changed, as did the connecting road. Use GPS and you're lost. If you can read the updated maps, you are good to go.

Know how far you need to go. Seldom is anyone lost because they went too far, it's not going far enough and trying to make the terrain fit the map.

Look back. Leave a sign that can be easily destroyed. Say an arrow made of rocks, or branches, placed just off the trail.

Trust in your map. It's probably not wrong, it's the operator. Know how to use a compass as relates to the map, magnetic deflection. Check the legend.

I learned map and compass as a Scout. Mapped my suburban neighborhood at the insistance of my teacher - Dad. Then we compared it to the survey map. I did pretty well if I do say so. Practice, practice and don't rely on anything with a battery.

+1 on what JBMat said.When using map and compass you are actively involved in your location.Even if your compass breaks or is lost you can still use a topo map and landmarks to find your way back.When most people use GPS they put all their trust in it.If it is dropped and breaks or the batteries die they are instantly lost because of blindly following it.Technology is great,but I have seen it fail at the worst of times to not place my trust or life in its hands.I have read too many stories on this very forum were Mr.Murphy's law prevailed.......

BOATMAN
John