Personal safety hazards

Losing the way

Travelers may become lost either if a party cannot find its way, or if a traveler becomes separated from the party and cannot find it again. Lost hikers who cannot find their way to their destination on time may run out of food and water, or experience a change in weather, exacerbating the risk of hiking hazards. It's even easier to lose the way if trails do not exist.[2]

If a group splits up into several subgroups moving at different speeds, one of the subgroups may take a wrong turn at a trail junction. A common custom to avoid this is for the leaders to stop at junctions and wait for the others. Keeping the group together is important in the wilderness, especially when visibility is blocked due to weather, rocks, or trees.[2]

Carrying a map and compass and knowing how to use them will decrease the risk of getting lost.[2] Likewise, a Global Positioning System may prove invaluable, as it can pinpoint a traveler's location, revealing his exact position on the globe and the direction to roads, services and cities.[2] Most GPS devices can also be designed to mark their path on a map, making it easy to backtrack. Family Radio Service, General Mobile Radio Service, and amateur radios operating on the "2 meters" band may help maintain communication. Whistles, signal mirrors, and flashing lights are low-tech emergency signals.