>>448166Probably the most common way that people get lost in the outdoors could be solved if they were as familiar with the area in which they are hiking as they are with their own backyards. Therefore, before going, study the topo maps well. Know the locations of the mountains, streams, trails, and their relations to one another. If the trail you are on forks, note it. Look back at the way you came and look for distinctive features (think: on my way back, I take a left at the fork with the large boulder and maple tree overhanging it). Know your exact place on the map at all times, and the directions in relation to your location at all times. Don't leave the trail without knowing all of these things as well, even if you are just going off trail 100 yards to find a campsite.
Have a plan for your trip. Know where you will be every minute of every day and night, and how you will get there. Understand the hazards (snow, weather, impassable conditions, physical injury or strain to yourself or others, mental anxiety, gear failure, being late or ahead of schedule of your plan, and many other variables that could go wrong), and have a plan for how to deal with each one (even if your plan to deal with impassable snow on a high ridge is simply to "turn back," have the plan, so you don't err on the trail while your mind is under stress).
