It can be a frightening experience to feel lost in the bush, even if that feeling is momentary. It’s a reminder of how very small humans are in the world, and how much unknown landscape there is.

Finding the way again when you’re lost is all about remaining calm, staying logical and keeping a clear head despite every other emotion you’re feeling. It’s about everyone in the group contributing to the navigation decisions and backtracking to the last known place.

The biggest mistake a bushwalking group can make it to press on further. It’s tempting just to check what’s around the next corner, maybe there’s a sign there, maybe another track…? The reality is, going further onwards will almost always make things worse, not better! While it may feel like a waste of time and energy, stopping and backtracking means that you can reaffirm exactly where you are and if you went wrong.

Here’s a general set of guidelines to follow if you don’t know where you are:
1. Stop. Go through a deductive and logical reasoning process to figure out where you are from the last known point. Ask questions like:
- Did we cross a creek?
- Is the creek flowing the direction it should be?
- Did we climb a hill? Was it smaller or larger than expected?
- What direction are we going in? Does this make sense?
- Did we pass any forks?
- How fast are we traveling? What’s the furthest we can be from the last known point

2. Use navigation tools, like a GPS or compass to help.
Most of the time, this is enough to help you figure out where you are. Most often, it’s because you’re moving slower than you expected, or took a wrong turning.
If you cannot determine your location through a deductive and logical reasoning process:

3. Backtrack to the last known point.
After backtracking, you’ll probably figure out where you went wrong in the first place and can continue along the correct way.
If you cannot backtrack to the last known point (e.g. poor weather conditions, visibility).

4. Stop. Consider waiting until weather conditions improve.
If you are completely lost and have exhausted all other means of finding yourself, contact the emergency services by telephone (if reception) or activating a PLB.