I saw Mikes thing saying he was on another search and rescue. Being I haven't really seen this discussed, I want to hear more about it. So, how do you prevent getting lost? Seems people do it easily. How do find your way back once you're lost? On dirt bikes I often ride where there are tons of trails which lead to who knows where which intersect and do this and that and it's almost impossible to back track where you've been. I can get a general sense of which direction I went from camp so I can get a general direction heading back, but because I have like a 3.5 gallon tank on it which lasts forever, I just ride until I find something familiar again, like pavement. I have thrown the bike over fences, ridden down creeks until I find something or the bike submerges. Somehow I always get back. But I know there are many scenarios that I don't know about so I wanted to hear the "standard" things to do in a given situation. His thing said their GPS was crap so that throws that out the window.

Yeah I remeber some of the grumblings back and forth about lead. The fully supported is very valid, but since I don't plink with my 10mm's I am not concerned about it.

When I was on the PD... we had low bid practice ammo. Freakin soft crap, leaded badly. I learned to wipe down my gun, with BreakFree CLP, inside & out before firing. Yes, inside the barrel, chambers, the frame cutout of a revolver. When the Dept Armorer saw me wipe most of the lead & residue off he started buying spray bottles & gallon size for Dept use. When someone didn't they had very long cleaning sessions.Not helpful in a defensive situation but a great practice tip. I forget where I originally read about it.

IIRC, Glock "only" recommends shooting copper jacketed bullets in their pistols!!:2cents:2 G19's here with 124gr Gold Dots.

Let me throw this at all. If you are familiar with the badlands of North Dakota you know we do not have woods and mountains like you western or eastern folks but what we do have is very deceiving steep hills and valleys with colorful clay buttes that go on for miles and can look identical and get one disorientated and god help you if it rains as this clay is super slimy and slippery and sticks to everything and builds up to boot.No land marks to pick in the distance as one looks like the next and no down hill for miles like mountains.:stuned:But hey, no bears, just lots of big cats....Bob and Cougar and lots of diamond back rattlers, elk, mule and white tailed deer, moose in some areas and big horn sheep as well as millions of prairie dogs and a lot of North American Bison and some Wild horses for company as well as all the usual little fur bearing critters.

Let me throw this at all. If you are familiar with the badlands of North Dakota you know we do not have woods and mountains like you western or eastern folks but what we do have is very deceiving steep hills and valleys with colorful clay buttes that go on for miles and can look identical and get one disorientated and god help you if it rains as this clay is super slimy and slippery and sticks to everything and builds up to boot. No land marks to pick in the distance as one looks like the next and no down hill for miles like mountains.

That's a situation like I was originally trying to get at.. You guys have all basically said "don't get lost" by being able to remember things or know how to get to other things. W&F hit it dead on with my intent of this.

That's a situation like I was originally trying to get at.. You guys have all basically said "don't get lost" by being able to remember things or know how to get to other things. W&F hit it dead on with my intent of this.

The sun is your friend in all situations or if it is overcast at least knowing where general east or west is can help a lot if you know where you were at when you realized you were in too deep..

Well I'm off and running to another SAR's call again. I was called out at about 2pm for a 25 year old male lost out mushroom picking. So I pack up and head out for the IC location. He's basically wearing tee shirt and jeans carrying two 5 gallon buckets. So we rode from IC camp to last seen and start looking for boot prints in the soft mud of the burn out forest area. What's bad is others have been in the area picking mushrooms and plus its been raining lately. Matter of fact at about 7,000 feet it started snowing on us. But we hiked around the north side of the knob where he was last seen. As I post before I carry my pack on my back its about 30-35 pounds with all the gear plus my 9mm pistol, radio and my multi-tool on my belt. So I'm really close to 40 pounds worth of gear. Needless to say I'm glad I've got every bit of it. Water, food, safety yellow jacket, gloves, etc. where all used. All I can say is hiking on a 45* angle slope and greasy mud is a real PITA. My legs, knees, and hips are sure feeling it. So on my way down I end up with a few minor problems like my rear right tire was running flat, rear rack the bolts where backing out. No biggy. I still made the truck and loaded up. Status of now his still out there the fog was setting in as we left for the night, temp where dipping down into the 30's and getting cold. I truly feel bad for anyone lost in the woods especially without cold weather gear. All I can say gang is say a few prayers for this lost soul that he might make it to safety or be found soon.

Let me throw this at all. If you are familiar with the badlands of North Dakota you know we do not have woods and mountains like you western or eastern folks but what we do have is very deceiving steep hills and valleys with colorful clay buttes that go on for miles and can look identical and get one disorientated and god help you if it rains as this clay is super slimy and slippery and sticks to everything and builds up to boot. No land marks to pick in the distance as one looks like the next and no down hill for miles like mountains. But hey, no bears, just lots of big cats....Bob and Cougar and lots of diamond back rattlers, elk, mule and white tailed deer, moose in some areas and big horn sheep as well as millions of prairie dogs and a lot of North American Bison and some Wild horses for company as well as all the usual little fur bearing critters.

x2 to all of the above!! Of the many trips I've made to NoDak; I can truly say this...................The wind is always in my face........... the sun is always in my eyes...................my truck is always uphill from where I left it..........................it's always seems hotter than it is....................and not as cold as it feels.................dry heat and dry cold unless your waders leak....................wet mud, clay, gravel roads are slicker than ice covered blacktop.....................as long as you're not from Minnesota, the locals love you.......................a poor day duck hunting there often equates to a good day duck hunting in other states............................the locals only have 3 spices they use in their cooking; salt, pepper and ketchup..............................they despise "sotans", but love the Minnesota Vikings........................the NoDak women are as big, if not bigger, than the NoDak men.........................lot's of 1st and 2nd gen Dodge/Cummins still pulling round bale wagons out of the fields and down the gravel roads...................................more to add as I think of them!!! I really love NoDak!!!!! Save for the "larger than average" women and the limited spices in their cooking!!!!

Excuse my ignorance on this but how did the settlers know how to navigate back to plymouth rock or wherever from england each time thereafter? I know they had a compass but there is nothing on the ocean... I wouldn't think their maps would be accurate enough to point the ship in the direction of the town starting from england and be able to get anywhere close.

Excuse my ignorance on this but how did the settlers know how to navigate back to plymouth rock or wherever from england each time thereafter? I know they had a compass but there is nothing on the ocean... I wouldn't think their maps would be accurate enough to point the ship in the direction of the town starting from england and be able to get anywhere close.

They back-tracked via dead family members graves.

Actually, I've been out on the ocean with a compass & thankfully a working depth finder... but Pilgrims had sounding chains to tell water depth as well. I had to make my way back to the mainland from a 20 miles offshore island. I didn't want to miss the point of the Bay so I deliberately gave some West angle. Ran in until I reached my desired depth of 30 feet. If I got shallow, I headed out... too deep, I headed in. Because I knew the reinforced jetties that protected the harbor entrance were 30 feet depth. I made the entrance in the fog... dead center. We swung out to the arm of the breakwater and anchored for some diving. Yes, the Pilgrims wanted to go to Virginia, ended up in Cape Cod. Make crossing, make landfall, follow coast.

its not easy for me to get lost. study the stars. know what phase the moon is in. if lost during the day. make sure your intelligent enough to have prepared your self for the adventure you are on. one should at all times have WATER!, some form of food. lighter/matches/ compass, blanket, firearm, and sufficient education for them to use in order to save the life they so cherish. if lost; stay calm. remember every book, or movie you'v read or seen about survival. the small key points are what going to keep you alive. if in doubt think it out. I care an xd40m at all times. one clip has hallow points the other are fmj's. that is good enough to provide self defense and food gathering if need be.