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You're trail riding in an unfamiliar area and suddenly realize you don't know where you are or how to get back. Your stomach knots, your body tenses. You stop your horse, look up and down the trail, and take deep breaths, fighting panic. You feel helpless and afraid.

You can avoid such a scenario with proper planning, navigational devices (map, compass, and global positioning system unit), and orienteering know-how. Here, we'll give you the basics in each of these areas to help you stay oriented and on track, so you can better enjoy your rides into unfamiliar territory. (For information on products mentioned, see the resource guide on page 42.)

Trip Planning
To avoid getting lost, don't just head out on the trail blindly. "Plan your route carefully," says veteran trail rider Bethany Caskey of Albia, Iowa, who's active in the orienteering sport of Equicaching (www.equicache.com).

"Take the time in the comfort of your home to print maps for the road to the trailhead, and program your GPS before embarking on the trail. Call park rangers or managers first to be certain the trails are open. Leave a detailed description of your route, and the time you plan to return, with someone at home or at the base camp, especially if you choose to ride alone. But it's best to ride with a partner or group."

And don't rely on flat maps. "Find out as much about the terrain and footing as you can, as well as the degree of difficulty on the trail," says Rick Godderis, board member of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies, based in Calgary, Alberta. Before a group ride, he provides his members with topographical maps of the area, complete with mountain and river names, and elevations.

"We provide a name place list giving the history of key landmarks," he says. "A compass tells us what direction is 'that way.' And a GPS tells us the elevation of spots we've climbed to and the elevation gain we've just accomplished. It also traces our steps back."

When assembling maps for your trip, be sure to use current, up-to-date versions. Storms can wash out trails, or cause waterways to overflow and completely change the landscape.

Keep your maps on your body, rather than in your saddlebag, in case you become separated from your horse. You'll also have easy access to them. And laminate your maps, in case you run into inclement weather on your ride and to keep the map dry during river crossings.

Navigational Tools
Your most important navigational tools when riding in the backcountry are a topographical map, a compass, and a GPS unit. Here's what you need to know about each one.

• Topographical (topo) map.
➜ How it helps you navigate:
A topo map, also called a contour map, provides valuable information on the terrain over which you'll be traveling. It'll show how steep or flat the land is, how far it is between designated points, the direction in which you're heading, landmarks, and degree of forestation. You'll also be able to use the map to find your way.

➜ How to use it: It's one thing to understand the concept behind a topo map, but you won't completely grasp it until you use one in an actual trail riding (or hiking) situation. To learn how to read a topo map, take one with you when riding in a familiar area. Take note of the terrain around you as you ride, and compare it to the map.

Look at the map's contour lines. These curved lines indicate different elevations. To determine how much elevation change is depicted between contour lines, refer to the map's legend, which will tell you. The closer the lines are to one another, the steeper the terrain.

The map's legend will also identify other symbols you'll see on the map. Different symbols indicate different landmarks, such as springs, quarries, and fire roads. Trails are marked on topo maps; once you locate your trail on the map, you'll know what kind of terrain you'll be traveling through.

➜ Downside: Topo maps can be confusing if you don't have experience reading them. All the lines and curves can drive you crazy if you haven't learned to interpret their meaning.

➜ Buying tips: You can buy topo maps for many areas located in national forests through the National Geologic Map Database. You can download these maps for a fee. Private businesses also sell topo maps, many online. Topo Zone offers map downloads with a paid subscription to its website. MyTopo.com makes custom maps with a variety of options.