I help teach a hunter education/safety course along with a half dozen or so other instructors. Last night's segment was on survival aspects. Along with many things that have been mentioned here, such as leaving a note as to where you are going, calling at specific times, etc., one of the instructors mentioned this. Before leaving your house, take a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil, put it on your carpet and step on it with the boots that you will be hunting/hiking with. Leave the impression at home with your note, or in your vehicle. That way if you get lost and searchers try to track you, they can differentiate your footprints. I thought that was pretty ingenious.