Thread: Tips for beginners on not to get lost in the woods?

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Get hold of and read the Mountain Safety Council Bushcraft Manual. It has a wealth of information on navigation amongst other essential skills.

General rules:

Have a printed map and compass and know how to read and use them together. Printed map should be in a sealed plastic bag as mush as possible.

Stop often and look behind you to see where you have come from. This can make it much easier for the return journey or if you have to backtrack.

^ Probably the best bits of advice of the lot IMHO.

I carry and use a GPS but if I want to walk a particular heading I find it much easier to use a compass (with the heading set from the GPS)

Having a map handy also gives you a big picture view of the area that you can't really get from a small screen. If you are above the bush line or can see out of a clearing you can reference far off points and get a good idea of where you are and where you want to go to.

Always, always take a map and compass. The Mountain Safety Council Bushcraft Manual will tell you how to use them and all sorts of things like true north, compass north etc

Cheers