What is the most methodical way to try to get yourself unlost? (Assume below timberline in a temperate climate)
My question is prompted by the answer of @Aaron to this question; his answer referenced Geraldine's Largay's death on the Appalachian Trail.
Ms. Largay was hiking alone on the AT in Maine. She got lost off-trail in a wild section and remained at a water source rather than attempting to self rescue, possibly because of her poor sense of direction. Searchers came very close, and she was only a mile from the AT itself, but she was found only after she died.
If one is in a similar situation, complete with poor sense of direction, what is an efficient and likely effective way to probe the area in an attempt to self rescue?
Assume below timberline, a temperate climate, and no GPS or PLB or similar devices. Ms. Largay had a water source, which was an impetus to stay put, but let's assume at the time you got lost you were not within sight or sound of water. Assume you are not in a desert. Also assume that there is no visible high hill from whose top you might get your bearings.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/20767. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1 answer
In most cases, and certainly in this one, you want to go downhill following water if at all possible.
Downhill will take you to civilization in almost all cases as humans have tended to settle in the valleys and not on the mountaintops.
Going downhill will also help one find more water as streams get bigger the farther downhill you want to go.
The other thing one could do is to use the sun to find directions and just go in one direction instead of wandering in circles but this has it's own problems and can be blocked by clouds.
The important thing is to not give up and to remember that ultimately you are responsible for your own safety.
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