phirstaide

I've been lost in the woods plenty of times . Always had my compass withme though. Yeah the GPS is nice but it can go on the fritz at any time.I'veseen it happen on more than oneoccasion.

The one thing that always stuck in my mind was DO NOT PANIC! Once you start to panic things can go from bad to worse in just a few minutes. Apply theSTOP method.

Stop what you are doing and sit down once you realize you are lost.
Think about your situation and how you got there. Try to recall some of your steps. This will help you to calm down and start thinking again.
Observe your surroundings. Sitting down and observing your surrounds you might hear a river or brook, or machinery noises. Or perhaps a road or cars driving.
Plan out your course of action. Most people agree that you should stay put. Gather some firewood to spend the night and try to make a shelter. Keeping your mind active is the best way to keep panic from setting in.

Good luck this year.