Experience is the best teacher and getting lost is something that I would rather learn from than find out when I' m cold and wet. Just want to put in a note with the compass thing: make sure you know how to use a compass! I use a compass very often as I am a surveyor, but I hunt with some guys that still don' t know how to get out of the woods even if they have a compass. Few years ago some of my hunting crew headed into the woods on a bobcat hunt behind some hounds and got way into the middle of a huge section of timber, swamps, and creeks. I sent 2 or 3 of my own compasses in with them, and they still couldn' t find their way out. Luckily they had 2 way radios so they could tell us out on the trail to fire guns so they could find their directions. But, 4 guys and 3 compasses and they still couldn' t stay together to get out--needless to say I shot a lot of rifle shells after dark to get them out. But, they made it.