# Has anyone been lost, really lost, in the woods?



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I've been "temporarily geographically challenged" a couple of times. Backpacking alone, or with just my dog. But I knew I was within a square of roads maybe 10 miles on a side, so not really lost I guess. I had a compass and a map of the streams, so everything worked out.

How about you guys. Canadian Northwest, Africa even? Ever been really lost?


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## Malcom Renolds (Jul 14, 2017)

Once when I was a kid. I was probably 5-6 years old.
We were "moving" the cattle herd from one field down to the barn. The ole man told me to keep walking behind them on the trail and keep them moving. They would just follow the trail and I just needed to walk behind them to "apply some pressure". At some point I looked up and there were NO cattle, and NO trail. It was getting dark and of course the heavy Oak and Cedar forest made it seem darker. After about an hour or so, I heard my father calling from the trail. All the cattle had shown up at the barn, but no KID. He said Im glad I found you and dont tell your mother... HA HA. Thats probably where I learned what true fear felt like.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

On land? No. While night diving? I got fiercesome confused, once.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Not really, but here's a good tip if it happens.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Annie said:


> Not really, but here's a good tip if it happens.


How many trees did that guy damage to make a distress signal? I guess if you were dying, but I just can't get behind that otherwise. How about a signal fire instead. Smoke is extremely visible from the air.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Meh, you could do it with fallen branches too I suppose. Easier.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

I have found, when alone, the quickest way to bump into some one is
1= Fart
2= Pick your nose or adjust your crotch
3= Drive with your highbeams on.
Kinda like above, I have been "bewildered" and took a wrong turn here or there, but never actually lost in the forest


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

sideKahr said:


> How many trees did that guy damage to make a distress signal? I guess if you were dying, but I just can't get behind that otherwise. How about a signal fire instead. Smoke is extremely visible from the air.


i kinda remember a movie, where someone lit three small fires, in a triangle, to bee seen by satelites?


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

The survival guy has another one about food from a pine tree.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

I hope I'm not being a nerd putting up all these survival guy videos, but just one more....good stuff!


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## Malcom Renolds (Jul 14, 2017)

LIFE ALERT official website - I've fallen and I can't get up!®



> Life Alert Mobile
> For Emergencies away from home.
> Pendant batteries do not need
> charging for up to 10 years.
> ...


LOL...


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Land Nav course when you are dropped in. Have to figure out where you are and how to get to the next point. So yes for a time you could say lost.


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## Malcom Renolds (Jul 14, 2017)

This one for folks that dont like the "stigma" of the life alert:

https://www.rei.com/product/843146/acr-electronics-resqlink-gps-personal-locator-beacon
ACR Electronics ResQLink+ GPS Personal Locator Beacon


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## patrioteer (May 21, 2018)

The woods, no. The Mall of America, yes.


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Yes, on a 125,000 acres of forest land, no landmarks and a cloudy day, several hours and a lot of mental discipline for not to panic, ended up about 300 yards from where I went in, lost my compass, and yes, I’m a dumbass......lesson learned......I was prepared to spend the night though. Fire is your friend....


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Annie said:


> I hope I'm not being a nerd putting up all these survival guy videos, but just one more....good stuff!


Yeah, Good stuff. Knowledge is #1. Can you drink from that brook unfiltered? Follow it to it's source and find out. Has the weather changed to the point where your gear is inadequate? Then get the hell out; pride isn't involved. Met the scariest toothless guy you've ever seen, and you're unarmed, well...you figure it out.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

NO. Grandpa and dad taught me well. Maybe once when I was in the Army but i wasn't in charge.


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## MountainGirl (Oct 29, 2017)

Never was lost lost, but if I ever need to be found I'll just google "I have an AR15, where is the nearest school" - and I'll have more company than I need. 
:tango_face_grin:


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## The Resister (Jul 24, 2013)

Was I ever lost? I can't say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. Oh wait a minute. That was what Daniel Boone said. I'm lost right now.


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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

The Resister said:


> Was I ever lost? I can't say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. Oh wait a minute. That was what Daniel Boone said. I'm lost right now.


Are you old? I am, and I have those Daniel Boone moments about once a week.:sad2:


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Never been lost in the woods. Dazed and confused is another story.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

In the Army Basic land Nav was easy. However as you advanced it became a challenging task. One thing I always carried when one was allowed was a spare compass . If you ever had one go south while half way through a course you would understand.
It took some luck and more time but using terrain features I was put back on a course I could at least get close enough with. Finished with seconds to a No/Go. NCOIC got a good laugh when I showed him the compass pointing south at all times.


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

Once as a young lad hunting up on logging company land we walked pretty deep into the evergreens tracking a small herd of deer. We took note of the direction the clouds were moving as our compass. 
The trail went cold so we went to head back to the truck.
We looked up at our compass and the sky's had cleared, for about an hour or so we had no way to tell which way was north, and I wasn't climbing 200' or more up a doug fir to get above the canopy, so we started backtracking best we could recon.
But the clouds returned, it is Western Washington after all, and brought our compass back.


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

Annie said:


> The survival guy has another one about food from a pine tree.


Is that Ual Gibbons grandson? the video ended before he broke out a box of Grape nuts.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

sideKahr said:


> .....Met the scariest toothless guy you've ever seen, and you're unarmed, well...you figure it out.


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## The Resister (Jul 24, 2013)

MisterMills357 said:


> Are you old? I am, and I have those Daniel Boone moments about once a week.:sad2:


It's hard for those around me to fathom, but I'm 61.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

I was only really lost one time. During a short halt post 3 day ass kicking of the Iraqi Republican Guard during Desert Storm, I had been out during daylight looking and scrounging through some Abandoned Iraqi armored vehicles (Chinese & Russian APC's) and took off my protective mask so I could move around inside a vehicle easier. Of course I forgot it in the APC and only realized this after dark when doing a sensitive item check. I trekked out to retrieve it, got turned around and ended up lost for about a couple of hours until I luckily got close enough to one of our companies tanks (without getting shot) to get challenged and found. I some how ended up on the other side of the company from my tank. It was pretty unnerving given that some Iragi troops were still around and they were still shooting scuds on occasion. I only had my old crusty Remington rand .45 and one spare mag on me as well.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I've never been lost but back in the summer of '82 I was bartending at a little college bar and school was out for the summer. It was just me and two waittresses and we decided to close the bar a bit early since no one was there anyway. After closing the bar and cleaning up a bit, one of the girls suggested we have a few shots of tequila since none of us had anywhere to go or anything to do. One shot led to another and two days later I awoke in my apartment. 

I lost 2 days but was never lost. :tango_face_grin:

Hope that makes sense. lain:


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