Sometimes lost leads to Wonderful adventures
Well said, and sometimes that is half or more of the fun.
I was brought up in a family that hunted every fall and a big part of that was teaching us basic woodsmanship, navigation and some survival skills. Though I didn't realize it at the time my dad's lessons were the same as I later read in books on wilderness navigation. You keep from getting lost by not getting lost. Meaning always keep your sense of place around you. Know where you are and where you are going. Above all, pay attention.
I have only been lost in the woods once because I always followed dad's instructions. That one time was absolutely terrifying. Despite all my 'dead reckoning' the logging road I expected to hit was not there. At that point you start questioning all of what you thought you knew, and it is easy to panic and do something dumb. Fortunately another of dad's sayings came to mind. "Always take time to contemplate." So I sat down on a log and contemplated. After a bit I realized I could not really be lost, I knew what direction I had gone, when I turned and roughly how far I had gone since. So I started making gradually widening circles and after a bit found the logging road I had expected had dead ended 100 yards short of where I had expected to cross it. I had walked in the woods for over 6 hours making a large circle, covered miles of country and coming to within 100 yards of my intended end point with nothing but an awareness of where I was and where I wanted to be.
Of course had I had a GPS then things would have been a lot less stressful
Here's another of dad's sayings: If you get lost or turned around always head downhill until you find a stream, then follow the water downhill. Sooner or later you will find a road or people.
