Why do trampers freak out when they get lost?

I spent a time guiding people on overnight tramping trips. Some of them were going on to do trips on there own afterwards, so I spent a reasonable amount of time trying to educate them. The message I tried to get across was that any time you were feeling lost, there was a time and a place in the past when you weren't lost. If you stopped and sat on your pack the moment you felt that first feeling of uncertainty and rising panic, that time and place of 'unlostness' wasn't too far or long ago. Your job was to stay sitting on your pack till you had a clear plan to get back to that state of unlostness. Emphasis on going back till you had a clear way to continue. Especially if going back seemed by far the hardest thing to do. Say you got off the ridge or track and into the start of a steep and nasty gully, you really needed to take a deep breath and climb back out, figure the way that would keep you on a clear ridge or track to where you were going. Most people get lost going downhill and just keep on blundering downhill into ever worsening terrain.

I got lost on an unfamilar badly marked route recently... certainly not a first but its been a while... i know the drill, but this time, i was thrown for a a bit and it took me a bit of time to put myself into the right mindset.. recalled how i used to think...

Ever noticed that where the track turns but there seems to be an apparent route straight that the straight route has twice the wear? Its because everyone walked it twice

thats because you've been to the same tracks i've already been to...

I can relate to the fear bit, giving I help out with trapping on convoluted trapping trails, and as I'm the kind of guy who confidently charges ahead I have ended up at a few unintended places at times :-) I always have an offline map, so have never really really been lost, but what if you don't? Do people have some tips on what to do? The stay put thing is probably the best if you are sure you are completely lost, but what before that time? Following the river wouldn't work in NZ either. As Ian_H says charging downhill is usually not a good strategy either. But does seeking high ground or a hill work well in NZ? I can't see that working here given our forest. Climbing any kind of high tree is terrible without gear, and high ground? Unless you're above the tree line you won't see a thing.

Never ever felt panic about being lost (but then I've had lotsa practice at it!). DOC's STAR is not bad advice Sit (or stop) Think Assess React. Stop as soon as it feels wrong. As soon as you start wondering. Before you start worrying. Think. Are there any landmarks that I can 100% identify to orient myself. or 'when was the last time I was certain I was on the right track' Assess. How am I feeling? Do I have what it takes to get back 'on track' now. Will some calories / warmth help? Or do I need to camp, rest & recuperate before I make any decisions? Formulate a plan. 'I will do xxx until yyy' then I will reassess. Set decision points. React. Follow through with plan. Most ofen the answer is a short, painful, unwelcome scramble back up whatever face I've incorectly dropped onto out of 'shouldnt be here' terrain back to safe spurs & ridges. The coupla times I've been really badly ballsed up the answer to 'assess' has been a resounding 'no'. I've ended up here coz I'm tired and have not been thinking / watching / planning. Camp up as best as and assess in the morning with a clear head & full belly. Mind you. I carry a gps for such moments. It lives in my pack. But for when map&compass navigation skills fail and you just need to be certain. Knowing where you are is only the start of the answer. But it's a good place to start!

The times Ive been lost I havnt realized until Ive had that "how did that end up there " moment. At that point you know you were lost but arnt any more. Once my fault once a lack of signage or information about a washed out track. Ours wasnt the only group messed up by that that day. Holdsworth to Totora Flats. As at 2 years ago the bridge on the new track was washed out so the track got rerouted back down Totora Stream. No info on Doc site about it and no sign except for a few branches obscuring the new track. First I released things wernt as the map says was when I thought "there shouldnt be a river here oh hang on I know this river" Couple of other groups at the same point consulting their maps with no idea what to do. Pointed out the old track to them and noticed the orange triangles had been put back

first time i even came close to being lost i was pretty young.. still at primary school or intermediate was on a camp and taking a walk to a waterfall i'd done before... came to a part of the track i couldnt work out where to go next, just the thought of continuing and getting lost panicked me and i ran back the way i came... i learned from that, i now knew what it felt like to not be in control, how horrible and disorientating and how quicly and easily it happened, and i didnt want to feel like that again, and i needed to keep a grip to think straight and not just run around like a chook with my head cut off.