Adam Hancher


Finding your way out of a barren landscape is easy, explains former marine John Sullivan.

Know your route
"Make a note of the direction in which you set off, the journey's distance, and how long it should take,", says Sullivan. Armed with this knowledge, you can use dead reckoning to travel in the direction you came or try to complete the journey. 

Explore with care
If you're lost, stop and mark out four directions at 90 degree increments. Walk for a fixed period of time, looking for anything familiar. If you find nothing, return to your starting point and repeat for each of the four directions, extending the distance until you recognise something. 

Make a compass
If you have an analogue watch, point the hour hand at the Sun, then trace an angle from the hour hand to 12. The mid-point is a north-south line. Now plant a stick in the ground and mark the tip of its shadow. Note where the shadow is an hour later: This is an east-west line. 

Read the path
If you find a path, there are small indicators of how active it is. "Broken spiderwebs are an excellent indicator," says Sullivan. "If you stand on an ant trail, the ants will reconnect the line within around ten minutes. If you see a foot-sized gap, you may be only minutes behind help."

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