[vthompson]

Another way to help yourself in unfamiliar territory if you don't have a map or compass is to follow landmarks. While walking through the woods, periodically climb to high ground and find and make a mental note of certain landmarks. Be it tall trees, large rocks,etc. and check these out often to make sure that you are still going in the direction that you want to go.
Another thing to look for if you are lost or turned around, is to climb to higher ground and look for smoke. If you see smoke, that means that people and help are close by.

[Dick]

We have a lot of relief in our terrain which is really useful in doing just that. I’ll, more often than not, familiarize myself with a topographic map before I go into an area. I’ll make a mental note of the directions the valleys travel, any water features, and roads.
These gross features give you a ‘rough’ picture when you are on the ground, like down hill gets me to the creek, and down the creek gets me to a road.
One problem I have encountered with tall trees, rocks, and the like is that they can reiterate across the landscape.
I once took a compass shot on a huge cottonwood (I thought it was the only one as it was all I could see). Each time I emerged from the heavy underbrush there it was, and I continued on without using my compass. Anyway, each time I emerged I was looking at a different cottonwood and the original had become obscured. As it turned out, I had gone off my azimuth by about 90 degrees, and it took some time to figure out what had happened get back on track.

[vthompson]

Whenever we go camping in the mountains, and I know that we are going to hike while there, I will get a topo map and study it to familiarize myself with the terrain also. I have always been pretty good at looking at a map for a while and then when we go hiking I pretty much know where we are at.

[AlpineZone]

Pull out your topo or if you dont have one pull out paper and pencil and write down each heading instead, shoot three azimuth's and draw a map on paper. Back shoot them to same location you shot the initial ones and draw a line across from each other where you origionally began on your paper. This is your location.

[warvet]

I suggest based on past experience and training as well as obvious experiences of those here, it is highly recommended not to use trees as a Landmark. The reason is they all tend to look the same from difft elevations, its very difficult to distinguish 1 from the other. Beter to use a very distinct Rock formation mesa etc or something very distinct and immedidiately recognizeable from difft elevations. Sorry thompson to disagree with your method but your intention is good and ideology is bang on.

Tim

[gkckak]

i would not spray paint a tree or nothing because i would probaly get fined and alot of people would hate me. I usually just put weird looking rocks, stumps, and whatevr is around on the trail so i can find my way back

[AlpineZone]

Or as garret stated in another post on same subject bring road marking paint. It washes in a good rain and doesnt damage the tree.