[WaState]

Hello . An idea for a very simple educational project to hopefully to cut down on the number of people that get lost and possibly go missing. On ocassion ask people you know inexperienced or lightly experienced in hiking on what they would do if they lost the main trail or their way while hiking in the woods, see what responses you get. Reflect on these responses . I myself then give a basic lesson on backtracking skills. Then of course I talk about maps, compasses and gps, having some llight emergency gear. This may cut down some those missing people stories. Personally, while I hiking if I lose the main trail or my way just a little I immeditally!! start back tracking, or walking around hard( circling if need be etc) , thinking and looking to find the last known posistion to start over again. As a general rule I never march off in an unknown direction very far , without thought or a plan , this is panic. A person would be better off sitting down awhile than having such panic. As a general rule better off if getting dark and somewhat lost to sit and wait for morning, even with a headlamp it is much harder to navagate in the the dark. Even for a experienced person , going away from a known trail or point a few hundred feet or yards in an unknown direction can make getting back on track very difficult. Most people hate backtracking uphill, especially when coming down a mountain and it is getting dark, and racing to the car on a day trip. Bad things can happen in this situation. The inexperienced can get very lost and get stuck in a bad spot overnight or step off a cliff. Or a person could stop and sit down to wait for sunrise and not be that far from an know point,,. It would be an miserable night, but more likely to find the correct way out in the morning. It it is best to have all the emergency gear, and map, compass, gps etc. But some people have nothing but their wits and a cell phone out of service( no mapping gps set up on it). This is a very simple backtracking teaching prodject, just ask a few people you know what they would do if while hikng, if they lost the trail, what they would do?? Add some spice what if their going downhill? What if getting dark?? What if no headlamp??? What if have headlamp and still cant see well enough to backtrack or navagate??? Etc....

[WaState]

Going a little farther. The most basic backtracing skill is remembering your way and following it back. Trails and landmarks, such as a known creek will work. A little harder is actually following your own foot prints or sign back to a known point. Depending on the ground traveled on even a novice would have a chance to follow their own sign back to a known point IF they have thiis concept in mind, moving slowly and carefully while looking for ocassional sign. Just the concept of backtracking opens up plans of action if getting lost( even without navagational gear which people often don`t have on trail runs and day hikes), likely much better than wondering and hoping for good luck.

[Pahoehoe]

Most people completely panic when they are lost and go in circles. It has been studied. They teach kids to "hug a tree" for this reason. An experienced person who lost the trail isn't really lost. They just lost the trail, and know how to proceed. They only become lost if they fail in finding the trail. Sit down, calm down, access the situation and unless you have a map and compass and know how to use it, and/or know your terrain well enough to know where you will run into roads, ridges or steams that will lead you to safely you should make youself visible but think of shelter for the night and stay put.

[Bernardo]

This sounds like a good plan to start a discussion on finding your way while walking outdoors. Yesterday, I suddenly found myself cold, wet, and not on a trail. This wasn't shocking because I was doing an off trail hike, but I had found an old trail and it was taking me off of the mountain and at this point in the day I welcomed the easier path it provided. I stopped and looked ahead and around carefully, but saw no sign of the path. Before looking at my map or compass, I headed back up hill a short distance to the last sign of the track. There I saw no sign of a change of direction, but it was possible. Earlier, at the top, I had set an azimuth on my compass for the straight line to the nearest trail junction at a saddle on my route. I checked the compass and the direction it indicated was the direction the trail had been going when it disappeared. My altimeter indicated, I was not too far above the trail junction. With this information, I decided to follow the compass and plunge ahead. Shortly, the path reappeared and I knew I had made the right decision. I had been very careful when the path disappeared because even though I had been on an off-trail hike, by this time of the day I was tired and wet and it was getting dark and I had just emerged from low visibilty fog. Stopping and backtracking a bit helped me, but going forward, one way or another, was the only real option.

[WaState]

Great example, fantastic. I.suspect a lot of people out there are trail followers without much skill to fall back on if get into trouble. Of course there is much skill and gear beyound basic backtracking. But backtracking alone needs nothing but a working mind. Since most people of todaay have a cell phone---the main survival gear in the urban enviroment, why not load some gps software on it and use it. A lot of day hikers,/trail runners bring little gear. The sky is the limit of what to bring and what skills to gain. Some thoughts are , first knowing backtracking, then having other navagation gear. Map, compass, altimeter, gps, can have some or all of these and knowledge to use effectivly. Good headlamp. Then some thought of how to get through an unepected night out. To be light weight want to think in terms of just getting by, but being in good enough shape the next day. Some ideas are fire starter with a light saw, a puffy jacket, a small light tarp. Some kind of ground pad, some kind of bivy sack. The SOL gear is pretty good, also the Blizzard (sack, tube, blanket) gear is pretty good, some of thiis gear is farily cheap online. Ask, what if you or a freind break a bone etc???, it does happen, help can be a long time coming. It is tougher for trail runners to be light and have enough gear but it can be done. When i run i have cell coverage the whole way and I bring a SOL reflective ponco with a bit of fire starter. It is good to hike with and big enough to shelter my whole body in a sitting position. Just barely enough to get through a night. The SOL poncho with fire starter is 3oz and is very small, fits in my pants pocket.

[WaState]

A thought? How many hikers are only good following a trail? Being an experienced hiker does not mean much if lost the trail with no extra skills. I remember a simple true story a friend told me, these kinds of stories happen often enough. He was coming down from a peak and it was getting dark, a day hike. So he was hurrying along at a run!!! Well he tripped over something and actually did a front sumersault onto his back! He was OK but decided to slow down. Getting darker he tried his headlamp. Did not work! He kept going but getting darker, can't see, he thought may step off a cliff. He sat down waiting for moonlight or sunlight. However he played his headlamp and it started working! He then went down the trail a little way and there was a cliff drop off that he thought he would have stepped off into the void without a light!! I said his protecting angel tapped him on the shoulder!!! If on the trail I will travel at night with headlamp, if off trail it gets more tricky. If getting lost even with headlamp most likely better waiting until morning. In thick brush can have hidden drop offs, harder to see even with a headlamp.

[Tom]

[Bernardo]

[Bernardo]

[SwitchbackFisher]

I’m not going to lie. If I knew someone who was wanting to put time into any navigation course I would tell them not to waste time/money on a backtracking course but learn real land nav skills such as compass map or terrain association. Again backtracking is more of a natural instinct need not be taught. Thank you for your commitment WAstate but please include something else in a curriculum you make to that is land nav or survival related

[WaState]

Hello, Backtracking is a very. simple concept. Of course it can take a long time to totally master( ie lose all navagation gear and have to follow your sign back to the starting point in the woods) It seems in this world making money is everything that some may think this is my goal. I wrote and and published two books on a different subject- no money in it. Teaching anything is little money unless a con man. The first post of this thread suggests asking someone not that experience what they would do in some hiking situations ,, such as losing the trail while hiking. Note, such a person likely has already went on day trips hiking on trails. If interested , do this experiment see what you discover??? If not , that is Ok this type of activity is not for everyone.

[WaState]

I think all navagation skills are important, I just think it(backtracking) first and most important to know, especially for children. The reality is there are a lot lot people who go out on trail runs and day hikes without navagation gear. If a trail follower loses the trail without a least basic backtracking skills they can get lost. When I go to a popular day hiking trail in the cascades it is very interesting to see the different kinds of people on the trail. Most would not do well stuck out for a night(injury) or if they really lost the trail.

[WaState]

To focus, only if interested. Ask a few people , what would they do if they lost the trail while hiking. Say the trail just goes away. Suggest they are hiking back to the car on a outing. With no coaching, find out what they think to do?? Try to ask some teenagers. See for yourself how instinctive is backtracking. In my very limited experience there are a lot of ( only) trail followers out there.

[Brian Curtis]

[pushkarwallah]

Backtracking techniques I use everytime I hike. Notice and take note of: Large trees and rocks. Contour lines of drainages. I always orient my compass as I set of on the trail or scramble. Look back often and take note of contour lines and drainages. Break a branch or two at points of divergence. Flag if necessary. I always carry flagging and vet wrap. These things are always happening when I'm hiking, and I incorporate them into my practice of noticing all the fun plants and rocks along the way.