To a point only - anyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascades knows when they're in a valley and which direction to go to 'self-extract', but getting there can be tough with all the slide alder and variegated footing wherever there isn't an established trail. Also the fastest route to hypothermia here is to thrash through wet slide alder for 15 minutes. Remember James Kim... I think the best advice for lost hikers in our neck of the woods is still Stay Put, someone will be along to find you soon enough, your job is to carry enough with you to survive in wet and cold for 24-48 hours minimum. Sometimes keeping in one place keeps you dry, which can keep you alive.

For solo hikes my wife is my hiking partner - she gets a note with where I'm going, the trail number I'm on, my turn around time on the trail and where I expect to reach (furthest point in), and what time I'll call in and get home. I *NEVER* divert from my planned itinerary without telling her. Ever. Nor do I jolly walk a differnt trail home, ever. She always gets a call when I'm on the road home and back in cell range, it shortens the search area in case I didn't make it home. She knows I hike with enough gear to stay overnight comfortably (dry and warm). She knows I carry a PLB, and will use it if I can access it and need assistance. She knows that my last ditch time is 9pm, after which she should contact the local sheriff's office to report me as late for calling in. Worst case, I'm lying unconscious or dead at the bottom of a ravine, in which case the most heroic efforts of SAR won't make a helluva lot of difference to me. Best case, I'm safe and warm in my tarptent for the night. Medium case, I'm okay, but ran across someone on the trail who is not, and I'm just slowed by their pace to the trailhead (its happened twice, once with a beautiful female German tourist with a badly sprained ankle - wife wasn't too happy about that one :-). So far I haven't given her any reason to worry, but if 9pm came she is better prepared than if I simply left a note.