Guides

Everything here is about one question: how do you find your way back out. No gear reviews, no survival theatre — just what works on an ordinary afternoon an hour from the car.

• How to use a compass

  Take a bearing, hold it without drifting, and work out the back bearing that gets you home.

• Compass trainer

  A compass you can actually turn: three drills for setting, reading and reversing a bearing.

• Best offline GPS apps for hiking

  Organic Maps, OsmAnd, Gaia, AllTrails and ours — what each does well and where each falls short.

• Does GPS work without internet?

  Yes — and here is what actually stops working offline, plus the five minutes of setup that prevent it.

• Mark your entry point before you walk in

  The ninety seconds that decide whether you find the car again, and where saved pins let you down.

• What to do if you get lost in the woods

  Stop walking, protect the battery, decide whether to stay or move — and how to be found.