I' ve never been in a predicament that I couldn' t walk 10miles or less and find my way back to anything by the roads, but sometimes finding your way back to a certain point in the woods directly is difficult. You make a LOT of subtle little turns when you manouver around trees, brush, creeks, etc. and you might think you turn right back straight, but make 60 turns around trees and miscorrect by 2-3 degrees each time and you' re haeded directly back the wrong way.

All I can say is know your stars, radio towers, airports, light pollution, and topography, and check your position relative to your camp constantly (i.e. my camp is this far directly that way from here, even though I came this way this far, and this way that far to get here).