Extopian

In some survival or disaster situations it is imperative that you are able to travel overland instead of waiting it out at a fixed point (house, camp, car, etc). Although, GPS units are becoming cheaper and more common every year, its good to have a backup plan for when devices fail, batteries die or gear is lost. The following are several tried and true methods using the simplest of techniques and equipment to orient yourself. Please take note of the geographical limitations of some of these methods in one hemisphere or the other or if you are very close to the Equator.
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The Dream—An increasing number of folks are having the same dream today: get a piece of land isolated from the stress and pollution of civilization, and live a self sufficient lifestyle where who you are and what you do mean more than how much money you have or what your “place” is in the corporate world. Can a family today really do it? More important, can they be happy doing it? You bet! We did. Seven miles up a rocky 4×4 trail, snowed in five months of the year, elk, moose, and bear for neighbors, living only a mile off the Continental Divide in Southwestern Montana. Our son learned to ski and ride a horse before he knew what a tricycle was.

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Tracking, or “reading sign”, is an ancient skill. Tracking involves looking for deviation in the way things are supposed to look. If you see something that looks out of place, stop and examine it further. Try to determine what occurred. Not all sign is caused by humans or animals. Look for spoor that is unlikely to be caused by nature (when Tracking).

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