Greg,Brian,Doc Ron and all,,How do you handle this situation? I occasionally hunt in area called Green Swamp. It is thick and swampy.Field of vision is anywhere from 1 foot to about 20 yards in many places. It is very easy to get turned around and more than one person has been lost for the day or more in there. No high land marks for shooting azmuth, no running creeks to follow etc.,just a lot of dense areas where deer and hogs lay up. Is the old walk in straight lines using pace count and taking a compass reading each time you change directions the best way to navigate? Just for the sake of it lets say you have no map and you are entering an area like this at point A. You know nothing about the land except that it is thick. You will be changing directions several times over the course of an hour hike and would like to return to your point of entry as close as possible. You have a compass and Bowie knife for blazing a path. What is your game plan? Also since I have started this thread can you talk about land navigation strategies in different types of terrain (i.e. different parts of the globe)? How about working as a team vs. an individual? Again I am assuming that you do not have a topographical map,Gps etc and have never been there before. In a nut-shell, what is your technique for geetting in and out of an area you have never been in before without getting lost? Forgive me if this question is very rudimentary but I would like to know your thought process in approaching this type of situation..Rob