4. Stay On The Trail
Stay on the trail. Leaving the trail in an unfamiliar place is not a good idea unless you have mad backcountry orienteering skills. The Southeast Alaskan rain forest is so dense that traveling off trail soon becomes incredibly difficult, futile at times. One can get turned around in a matter of minutes because of the limited line of sight. Locals often do hike off trail when they are hunting or gathering berries or other natural resources, but often the place is as familiar as their own backyard. Muskegs (wear your Xtratufs!) and alpine country are a little different because your line of sight opens up and it can be fun to explore these more open areas, but know that after several steps, the trail you were once on can be difficult to physically see and as a result, maybe difficult to pick up again.