It’s a pretty large, rugged park. You can easily be 20 miles as the crow flies from anything. I think you’d probably spend the first days trying to find a trail, because it’s easier. Trying to find a stream going downhill, then trying to follow a stream to a creek, then river, moving across terrain the entire time? That’s going to take a long while, and you’re looking at a much larger calorie expenditure. You’re also moving far away from where you are last seen and in odd directional patterns unless someone knows you’re trying to follow streams.
Not to say it’s not good advice if you have no hope of rescue. It’s sort if like if you are in a maze and you put your hand on one wall and never stop touching it, you will find the exit. Eventually.
I didn’t come up with the advice, just relating what I’ve read a few times. So maybe that’s not representative of the current advice.
That said, moving downhill isn’t really random. Gravity is a universal rule, and water moves downhill. Humans for our entire existence have needed water for survival, and eventually for agriculture. So we tend to gather around it.
I’ve also read if you’re lost advice to stay where you are, but that’s in a scenario where you expect people to know where you are and to come looking for you. Probably a tough call to make in this case, plus the guy had his dog with him.
Specifics of this situation aside, I don’t think 20 miles is that hard of a push. I’d expect to be able to do that in a day or two.
It’s a pretty large, rugged park. You can easily be 20 miles as the crow flies from anything. I think you’d probably spend the first days trying to find a trail, because it’s easier. Trying to find a stream going downhill, then trying to follow a stream to a creek, then river, moving across terrain the entire time? That’s going to take a long while, and you’re looking at a much larger calorie expenditure. You’re also moving far away from where you are last seen and in odd directional patterns unless someone knows you’re trying to follow streams.
Not to say it’s not good advice if you have no hope of rescue. It’s sort if like if you are in a maze and you put your hand on one wall and never stop touching it, you will find the exit. Eventually.
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I didn’t come up with the advice, just relating what I’ve read a few times. So maybe that’s not representative of the current advice.
That said, moving downhill isn’t really random. Gravity is a universal rule, and water moves downhill. Humans for our entire existence have needed water for survival, and eventually for agriculture. So we tend to gather around it.
I’ve also read if you’re lost advice to stay where you are, but that’s in a scenario where you expect people to know where you are and to come looking for you. Probably a tough call to make in this case, plus the guy had his dog with him.
Specifics of this situation aside, I don’t think 20 miles is that hard of a push. I’d expect to be able to do that in a day or two.
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It very much depends on the terrain and under growth. Plus 20 miles in a straight line, could easily be double or triple that in the woods.