I dunno. A lot of backpackers never get off the trail, and the reason they don't is they're afraid they'll get lost, or afraid they'll get hurt and won't get found. That's a pretty weak link in their skill set, and so are the others W_D points out.



There are times when the shortest and quickest way out is to bushwhack. There are a lot of situations where time can be a factor and that's an important skill set to already have when it is. Learning how to navigate without a map and compass goes hand in hand with that, as does reading the terrain.

I've only felt the panic of being lost twice. It's pretty powerful and it overtook me for about a minute both times. I realized I had to calm down, and so I started assessing my situation. Both times I ended up doing exactly what W_D says, I read the terrain and figured out where I needed to go. It's really pretty easy if you think about it. After both of those incidents I started thinking about it. After the second time I started practicing it.

I practiced reading terrain a lot. I studied topo maps and learned to locate myself on them off trail with a high degree of accuracy without a compass, and I learned the lay of the land by memory from studying maps before I ever went there, and I learned to pay attention to it when I didn't know much about it at all and use that to guide me back.

Now I'm comfortable with it and it's changed how I backpack. Trails are no longer a necessity, they're a convenience at most, and an annoyance at worst, but I seldom spend any time on them. The biggest difference is I used to limit myself on how far off trail I'd go. I don't have to do that anymore. I realized it doesn't really matter.

All that said, I have seen the panic in those with me who're starting to think we're lost, and I've learned how to deal with that, and how to help prevent it, but it has proved W_D's points to me. If you're going to backpack you should practice those skills. I think they should be a part of your trip rather you're on or off trail.

As far as hypothermia goes, I think it's wise to at least know the symptoms and be aware when you're at risk. There have been a lot of times when I've hunkered down somewhere that's shielded me from wind and rain so I wouldn't go hypothermic.

None of that may be necessary for a weekend trip with your buddies on a known trail in a small park, but if you really want to backpack into the wilderness it is.