• BluJay320
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    5 months ago

    Got myself lost in the woods at night for a good hour or so. Overgrowth was largely covering the desire path I regularly walk, and when I turned around to head back, I couldn’t find it at all.

    Knew the general direction back to the main trail, so I opened my map on my phone and started walking that way in what I thought was a straight line… Problem is, my phone is screwy and the arrow showing where I’m facing points 90° to the side… After a half hour of trudging my way through the brush, I finally saw a clearing, and when I got to it… it was the same spot I started at, except I came from the other side.

    Somehow I had walked in a massive circle, and my phone (which I was using as my flashlight) battery was getting concerning low, as I had failed to charge it earlier.

    Tried again and eventually managed to get back to the main trail, but I was definitely starting to panic by the time I did.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      If you have any gait issues or injuries then you will always walk in a huge circle. That’s why they teach you to pick something straight ahead, walk to it, then pick another thing when you’re lost in the woods.

    • Notyou@sopuli.xyz
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      5 months ago

      That is interesting. I read somewhere that we tend to walk in circles when we think we are walking straight.