Have you ever taken a wrong turn at a trailhead, and suddenly an easy one-mile hike becomes an eight-mile and counting excursion with no end in sight?

Even the most experienced hikers can get lost. Getting lost while hiking can be terrifying, but it's when you're lost that you most need your wits about you. Use these seven essential steps so that if you do get lost, you'll have an idea of what to do, and consult our article on how to prevent yourself from getting lost before you head out on the trail.

1. Stop Walking
Take a deep breath, so you can slow your racing mind. Don't panic.


2. Consider Turning Off Your Phone
If you don't have reception or a compass app, or don't have any photos on it to help you retrace your steps, turn it off to conserve the battery. You can turn it back on later to check for reception.

3. Try to Retrace Your Steps

4. Orient Yourself with a Compass

5. Gauge Your Distance
Pull out your trail map and try to determine how far you hiked down the trail. Some phones and apps will even tell you how far you hiked. It's possible you went off the trail without knowing it—try to get some idea of where you might be. The map might have natural markers that you can use, such as a stream, mountain, monument, or grove of trees.

6. Consider Your Options

If you are not extremely confident in your route, if you are injured or near exhaustion, or if it's near nightfall, stay where you are.

7. Enact Your Plan of Action


Creating a rescue signal: Use a whistle to make noise, since your voice doesn't carry as far as you'd think. Use a mirror, a CD-ROM you brought, or pieces of shiny trash such as aluminium foil or cans, to flash light up to any potential rescuers. If those methods don't help, consider making a smoky, controlled fire. Learn more about making smoke signals. 

This article originally appeared on Sunset.com: "How to Survive If You Get Lost Hiking"

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