What To Do If You Get Lost

If you've ever been lost, especially in the woods or wilderness, you know it's a terrifying experience in which things can take a turn for the worse fairly quickly if you aren't prepared.

I've been lost once, and it was enough to make sure it never happened again. I did a lot of things wrong that day, including allowing my phone to die, which was also acting as my GPS, forgetting my backup battery at home, and not bringing a paper map because "it was a shorter trail."

Getting lost is usually due to a lack of experience, a lack of preparation, and/or a lack of proper gear, such as a map and compass or GPS. Knowing how to navigate and keeping a map and compass with you can help keep you safe, and if you need to learn, I highly recommend taking a navigation course! If you have a map and compass or GPS, and know how to use them, then you are never lost – you are simply navigating. However, if you do ever get lost, keep reading for some tips that could help you get home safely!

Remember STOP.

Stop

Stay where you are, remain calm, and do NOT panic. Panicking often makes these situations worse, and it's important to keep your mind clear if you are lost. This will help you return home safe.

Think

Take a deep breath. Assess the situation. Can you figure out where you went wrong or how you got lost? Don't go any further until you can figure that out.

Observe

This is where your skills come in handy. Pull out your map/compass and orient yourself. Are you on a trail? Can you triangulate your location? Listen, do you hear water or cars nearby?

Plan

If you are lost, you need a plan to get back safely. Sometimes the easiest way is to follow the way you came if possible, or you may need to find a nearby stream to follow down to a road, or maybe even just stay put and call for help. A Garmin inReach is a fantastic tool in a scenario like this. It is important to note that if you need to call for help, you may be waiting a while before a rescuer is able to locate you. Make sure you are prepared to stay put for some time, possibly even overnight.

It is also very important to take care of yourself while you are lost. A lot of the time, we get tunnel-visioned into the problem that we forget to take care of our needs such as proper hydration and food intake. Making sure you always have your 10 essentials with you is crucial to staying safe in a situation like this. Being lost is a terrifying experience that I hope you never have to face, but if you do, keep these tips in your back pocket to help you safely return home.

*Please note that some links above are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission on any purchase you make – at no additional cost to you. If you use these links, thank you for your support in advance!

As always, let me know if you have any questions! Happy trails 🙂

See you on the trail! — Shelby