CHAPTER TWO
SURVIVAL
Michael had arrived in Vietnam three months earlier, amongst a contingent of Australian Army personnel. It was the only way that he could sneak himself in to the country. Although it had taken him two years to achieve. A few years earlier he had served in the British Royal Marines, and during that time he had seen active service in the Borneo campaign with 40 Commando. At one time Captain Hatch an American Marine, had been on loan from his unit sharing ideas on jungle warfare. At that time they were based next to the Jungle Warfare Unit in South Malaya. Michael had become very good friends with Hatch, as he became known. During several discussions Hatch had told him about what was supposed to be going on in South Vietnam. It interested Michael to such a point that he set a latter goal to one day take a look for himself.
Although at that time 40 Commando had been stationed in Malaya, they could and were very easily transported the short distance across the South China sea into Borneo via a Commando carrier. During one such trip, Hatch had decided to act dumb and tag along with 40 Commando and to see for himself how the British Marines operated while on active service. In other words he accidently forgot on purpose, to report to his superiors back in America, that he was going along with 40 Commando. However, his plans were scuttled and came apart when his superiors learnt of his sneaking on board the carrier after they had set sail. There was almost an international incident, as the carrier was stopped in mid ocean and he was flown off by chopper. At one time a figure of several hundred thousand dollars was thought to be the price of stopping the Commando carrier in mid ocean, while Hatch was flown off. At the time nobody on board were given any clue as to where he was taken. It seemed like he just dropped off the radar.
After the incident Michael made up his mind that South Vietnam would definitely be the place he would next like to visit. And if need be find out whatever happened to Hatch.
Earlier the American President had asked the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson if they would help out in Vietnam. However, without hesitation he turned the request down. At that time Britain was constantly informing world leaders and the media that they did not want to become involved in a war that was not of their making. The truth was they wanted to keep their hands clean and their money in their pocket. It has since been disclosed with the wonders of hindsight that Wilson had early links with Russia, and went to a university there, but that's another story.
However, Australia was involved, as they had chosen to assist the Americans in their fight against the so called spread of communism in South East Asia.
With Michaels insistence and help the British military had come up with the idea, that if certain highly trained personnel were given Australian citizenship along with an Australian passport, it would not look like they were involved. It was an easy way of injecting their own spies into the area, something they had done successfully on many occasions in other theatres of war.
The one thing that worked in their favour during this particular conflict, was that a vast majority of the Australian servicemen at that time all spoke with English accents. As most of them were members of English immigrant families that had arrived in Australia in there thousands since the end of the Second World War.
Michael had been stationed with the Americans in the Central Highlands helping to train new arrivals to Vietnam, along with the local Montagnard tribe's men. During that time he had made friends with many of the local people and lived amongst them whenever possible. Taking them out with him on raids against the enemy, who were killing their people and burning their villages. The camp had been organised and set up by the American CIA, who Michael always referred to as 'Christians in Action'.
On several occasions he had taken part in reconnaissance missions into North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. These missions had been particularly hard as in most cases they had come up against a determined enemy. Someone who was prepared to fight for every inch of soil they could. Reconnaissance missions usually take place in complete silence, the idea being to see, but not be seen. However there were so many spies in the South that the North usually knew in advance what was being planned, well before it was executed. It was for this reason that the Americans did not trust the local Vietnamese. However, the Montagnard people were different, their hatred of the North was common knowledge. Knowing that they were doing their utmost to kill off the Montagnard civilisation completely.
Upon Michaels arrival back at the camp by helicopter, and before he had his own wounds cared for. He checked out the condition of his team that had number twenty. Six had been killed and five had been servery injured, while a further two had minor wounds like himself. Two other members of his team were also Australian Army members. Both had escaped the battle without a scratch. He then spent a couple of hours in the medical tent as his own wounds were assessed and dressed.
Just as he had suspected a very small section of his ear was missing and was easily stitched up. His shoulder wound was not as bad as first thought. A bullet had passed straight through the fleshy outside edge of his upper arm just below the shoulder. It was a clean wound with no damage to the bone. A part from a little flesh being damaged and a large amount of blood loss, it would soon heal. He was advised by the medical team to take a few days rest, and that he would be ready for action within a couple of weeks.
One of the camp intelligence officers visited him for a debrief, wanting to know what had taken place. The information might be of use to the intelligence section for the security of their camp, and future patrols into enemy held positions.
However, the first question he was asked was why he had requested the shelling of his own position. After explaining that they had been over run and that it was a last ditch effort to stop the enemy in its tracks. He went on to explain to the officer that part of his training in the military had been to learn the history of other units in Her Majesty's forces. One such unit had the name of the 'Gloucestershire Regiment'. Although they had earned the nickname of the 'Glorious Gloucester's'. A name they had received after a particular incident that took place while they were serving in the Korean campaign during the early nineteen fifties. They had dug themselves in to a hilltop position pretty much like the situation Michael had found himself in. The enemy had over run their position and in sheer desperation the commanding officer had ordered his own troops to lie in the bottom of their trenches. He then radioed their hill position back to headquarters and ordered them to bombard their position with high explosive rounds. This had been carried out killing most of the North Koreans in the open, as they were running up the hill. To everybody's amazement, not one single member of the Gloucester's had been killed by the shelling. Which was why Michael had earlier contacted headquarters giving them his position coordinates, and arranged with them that on a given signal they were to shell his position. That signal was to be two green flares that were to be fired high into the night sky. They would be seen very clearly because the Americans had an elaborate system of spotters in position when full-scale battles were taking place.
Michael went on to explain that they had been making their way back to the main camp when he had been contacted by base that a stronghold in their vicinity on Hill 409, had been attacked a couple of times and was in dire need of help. The stronghold had been set up like a military camp, with full barbed wire entanglement to keep the enemy out. The entanglement went around the camp, but not around the rear, as it was a sheer drop rock face. The camp was built and run by a South Vietnamese contingent of military personnel. However, during the nights many locals were allowed into the camp for their protection. The Americans had been against allowing the locals in unless a strict check was kept on who was coming and going. That it would be too easy for the enemy to gain entry into the stronghold, and attack them from the inside.
During the 1950s the British had found themselves in a similar situation in Malaya. After a few years into the campaign they had come up with the idea of moving all the villages into fortified guarded compounds at n
ight. The main aim had been to deny the enemy food and shelter. Without this protection the communists infiltrators would just use terror to take whatever they wanted from the terrified local population. The whole project took almost ten tear to administer to the whole country. However, in the end it was successful, and the British chased the communists guerrillas up to the North of the country and into Thailand, where they still remain to this day. The British had tried to offer the results of their experience to the Americans. However, they were not interested and chose not to take the advice. It was common knowledge that they never even replied to the offer. Probably because the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson would not help them out in Vietnam. Although there was much more to that story, than had been released to the general public.
Upon Michaels arrival at Hill 409 he made radioed contact with them, and informed them that they were approaching from the South Eastern side of the hill and ignited a yellow flare to give their position. They were then allowed to walk up a very steep hill heading for the entrance in the barb wire defences.
They were only intending to spend one night in the camp, before moving on the next day. However, Michael was surprised and worried at what he found. To him the camp was not secure and it had taken a battering a couple of days earlier when it was attacked. There were also many locals living within its boundary, and there was no way of knowing if the enemy was amongst them.
After discussing the situation with the camp commanding officer. Michael and his team set about trying to help make the camp more secure. Knowing that the back was a sheer drop. This meant that they only had to concentrate on defending three sides. Michael took the dead on approach of choosing a position at the front of the camp overlooking the track leading in through the barbed wire entanglement. Once he was happy, he then ordered his team to spread themselves out either side of him around to the left and right and to dig in. It was a rushed job as they had to assume that the enemy could attack at any time. Which they did that very same night.
After a few days rest Michael approached the Commanding Officer of his base camp wanting him to replace the injured and deceased members of his team. He was eager to start training the replacements for future patrols as quickly as possible.
The Commanding Officer granted Michaels request in full, although it was not all good news. While he had been granted the replacements as requested, there was a slight disappointment. There were eleven Americans fresh from basic training back in the USA. None had seen active service or even been in the jungle before. There were also two new Nards, although Michael knew they would pose no problem in survival skills and tracking. While he had been lucky to hang onto Hoi, a Nard who had been with him ever since he arrived at the camp. In Michaels eyes Hoi was the best there was. He spoke very little, but what he lacked in speech he made up for in his actions. Hoi was the best tracker he had come across in this theatre of war.
His team now numbered eighteen, comprising of eleven Americans, four Nards, Don, Geordie and Michael. The only problem for Michael, as he had found out to his cost on a few occasions, was that the training he gave the Nard people was so good. That he was constantly loosing members from his team to other teams within the camp. Something he had to tolerate being a junior officer of an invited ally to the American camp.
Within a few days all was in place and the knocking of the new guys into shape began. Some of their training was undertaken outside under a sun shade with maps of the area made in the sand and used as a blackboard. There they were shown and told what was expected of them while out on a patrol. There was also plenty of physical training areas where the men could be sorted out from the boys as Don called it.
Michael had learnt many years earlier that the best way to train young men, was to do it all yourself and to lead by example. He would never ask anybody to do something that he could not do. Michael would give a personal demonstration, and say right "Now it's your turn and do it just like I have shown you." He strongly believed that it was the best way to gain respect from everybody he trained.
However, because of his wounds, for now it fell upon Don and Geordie to undertake the demonstrations, while he looked on shouting from the side lines. It was also common for Michael to call his men by their first name. He was a hard task master and pushed his men to their limit at all times. Making sure that the lessons he was teaching remained rock solid within their memories banks.
It was Michaels belief that while under fire everybody reacts differently, and no matter how much training you have been through. When it comes to the real thing, there is always a chance you will react differently from the way in which you were trained. There was a belief amongst some service personal that the more active service you have been involved in, the better you become at looking after yourself. Although the odds of you taking a hit do get greater and after a time some people start to think the next one will be theirs. The service mans worse scenario is that during the last couple of months of their tour. They will try to dodge the bullets, and then it becomes an art form. After all who wants to go through a hundred battles only to be killed the day before you are about to finish your tour of duty, to be returned home in a black plastic bag.
Michael believed that persistence in training, and the constant repetitiveness of obstacles, was the way to go. It was imperative that whenever something happened, the soldier would re-act in a way that he had been trained. This meant that every situation could be covered with a well trained response, covering any problems that might arise. It also meant that every member of the team would know exactly how other members would also react. He also made a point of training for the worse scenario that might arise. Then if by a fluke that scenario were to take place, his team would know how to respond effectively. However, there are some that believed if you trained for it, then there was a good chance that it would never happen. It was also drummed into the team that at no cost would anybody be left behind. Most of the locals were under the impression that if they were killed, their families would receive some sort of compensation from the military. However, Michael knew this was not always the case. Where possible he did his best to help their families, although this was frown upon by the Americans.
Language was always a problem, when recruiting and training the local Nards. In the heat of battle words can be miss heard or miss-interpreted. For which Michael had devised a simple but effective hand sign system. Whenever he or other members of his team trained the locals, the use of hand signs was always used along with speech. This was a bonus when out on patrol as Michaels golden rule was to see and not be seen. During many of his patrols speech was totally forbidden.
When talking was allowed, it was not to be a whisper, as it's high pitch frequency travels a long distance through the trees. Only a deep gruff voice that was talked to each other was a safe way of communication, unless you were in a known safe area. The safest way of communicating in an unknown area was hand signals. Something everybody got used to, if it was used at all times.
Forming up a patrol usually consists of a point man with a Nard close behind ready to help read the track. The point man would normally carry a sawn off Remington pump action 12 gauge shot gun. At times while walking on a track the jungle can be very dense and thick. For this reason the sawn off shot gun is a perfect weapon to carry at the point position. It means that if you have to turn around quickly, it will not get hung up on the foliage that usually hugs the side of a track. Plus when fired at close quarters, if only pointed in the general direction of the enemy, because the shot spreads very easily it will not miss the target.
Working back from the point, the other members of the patrol spaced themselves out evenly in a line keeping the person in front of them in full view at all times. Hence if the jungle is not to dense then as long as they can still see the person in front then you can drop back. This allows for when walking into an ambush. The further you are apart the least members of the patrol will walk into the trap and be taken out.
However, t
here is also the possibility that the rear end charley as he's called, can be snatched without other members of the patrol knowing. For that reason he usually walks a little closer to the man in front of him. However, as a further precaution the guy in front of the tale end charlie must constantly keep looking back, keeping an eye on him. That position had become known as Charlies Assistant (CA).
The patrols always keep to a jungle routine of stopping on the hour, for about five minutes. Mainly for the leader of the patrol to check his bearings, maps reference and the direction to continue the patrol. However, it also allows for the patrol to take a short break and a drink of water. There would be no talking unless it was absolutely necessary, and definitely no smoking.
Upon moving on, the second person in the patrol would move up to take the point of the patrol, with a fresh Nard following close behind him. While the old point man would drop back to the end of the patrol, becoming the new tail end charlie.
The smoking of western cigarettes was totally banned while on patrol as the smell was totally different to that of the Asian brands. Smells in the jungle are very important to the locals, especially the enemy. Even things like toothpaste, hair creams and foot power, they just stand out for the enemy to pick up on. A rule of thumb was anything westernised was totally banned while out on patrol. Whereas they might not stand out in western countries, in the jungle they stand out like a pork chop at a Jewish wedding.
The question of drinking water had to also be learnt and of where to find it. Whereas the jungle is a very wet and damp place. To find clear drinking water was being able to understand the jungle and of knowing where to look. One of the main places to look was for the vines that hang from many of the trees. The art is to use a Parang or a Machete and to cut a one meter length and to hold it up straight above the neck of the water bottle. It would take a few minutes to drain, but hopefully a mouthful of water would be the result. However, if in a hurry and it was raised so it dropped straight into your mouth, it was not advisable to let the vine touch your lips. If this happened your lips and the skin around your mouth will become severely infected with sores. Needing medical treatment, and at times you could be several kilometers from your home base and help. Many times people had been stranded along a high ridge and craving for a drink. Totally unaware that even though the ridge is high above water down in the valley. Some of the trees even at that height can still contain water in there vines.
The Australian members of the team had earlier been issued with Australian back packs and kit before they joined the Americans. That contained a green canvas water purifying bag about 150 millimeters wide by 300 millimeters long. This bag could be used to scoped up water from a river. The bag would then be hooked on a twig or small branch and positioned above the drinking bottles open neck. When full two tablets would then be added to the water, one to kill the bacteria in the water, that left the water with a foul taste. The second tablet was to killed the taste of the first one. Michael always told a story that while he was in training he once watched a demonstration of the canvas bag. The instructor held open the bag and scooped up water from a nearby sewer stream. He then filtered it in to his water bottle and added the statutory two tablets. Then in front of the class he drank the water. The class suddenly started making horrible noises and pretended to spit something on ground. But to no avail, as the instructor then ordered all of them to go through the same routine, including the drinking of the water. Michael added that on more than one occasion it had saved him while lost in the jungle.
There were other ways of making water. One is to pulp up the trunk of a banana tree, which is usually full of water. Then take your shirt off and place all the pulp in the shirt. Carefully gather up the shirt in a way of keeping the pulp inside of the shirt and gradually squiz it over a container and water will be the end result, not fresh but at least its water. If you have not got a container use a large banana leaf bent in a shape so as to contain the water. Without the tablets it might not be pure but if you are lost and with no gear, it's better to take a chance and stay alive.
Another way is to find Bamboo and cut a stem off five notches up from the ground, and it will be full of pure water. This one can be used if you don't have a water purifying bag. However, remember while you are near bamboo it's also the usual habitat of the venomous bamboo snake.
If you are looking for food one of the golden rules of the jungle is that you don't eat anything red. There might be a couple of things out there that are red and are okay, but why take a chance of poisoning yourself. Michaels rule also included eat the local food wherever possible. As for surviving and living off the land the locals can teach the military a few lessons in hunting and gathering and the use of animal traps. First it was found in the jungle which means you don't have to carry it, and second it smells like the jungle.
Given the opportunity Michael would always try and smell like a local, by not washing and also not shaving. In the hope that anybody passing would think he was a local. However, there was one serious problem and that was his build, falling just short of the preverbal brick out house.
Another thing that's hard to hide is the fact that we all smell different. In almost every country around the world, the people smell different to each other. It's not a case of the enemy knowing you are Americans, Australians or British. It's just the fact that we all smell different. And no matter what nationality you are too the locals its different. It's something that you can never hope to hide completely. For a start you cannot even describe what your own body odour smells like. Michaels theory was to live, eat, and act like a local and you just might be able to blend in and get away with it. As Michael would always say, better to die trying than to die doing nothing.
While patrolling its essential for all the team to stayed alert and on their toes at all times. Each member plays a leading roll whatever position they hold in the patrol. The pressure is not just on the front man, but all the members of the patrol. Tell tales signs of the of the enemy would not always come from the front. Sound travels and at the first sign of anything suspicious, the whole patrol would silently drop down where they were, making the least amount of movement and noise. While at other times the man on point, would flag back to the patrol behind him to either drop, or take up a defensive position slightly off the track. With the customary right hand held out from his side flat palm down, and lowering it meant down. Which is standard with most militaries around the world. While the same hand held with a flat palm facing out wards to his right and moving out continually means they were to take cover. That's a little harder, as it has to be passed back through the patrol, and sometimes a little noise is made as some members try to find cover.
Knowing what was happening at the front is why Michael always insisted that he was position in the second or third position back from the point. In case the patrol had halted for a particular reason, then Michael would more than likely have to make his way up front to see what the problem was and to make quick decisions on the situation.
While leaving existing tracks to try and cut a new one also demands great care, so that the tracks are not picked up by the enemy. At a given signal one of the Nard trackers would select an area that he thinks is safe. He will then point out to the person behind him where to place his feet. He in turn will pass on to the next and so on. The last one usually another Nard will spend plenty of time trying to cover up the tracks they might have left at the entrance, leaving it well camouflaged. So that others coming along the track will hopefully not find tell tale signs. One favourite trick by the Nards is to start a new false track on the opposite side of the track to the real one, either before or after. These guys are expert in this work, but it must also be realised that the enemy also use very good trackers, and should never be underestimated.
Cutting a new track can also have its hazards. The sound of cutting your way through the undergrowth can be very noisy at times, and so the chopping and slashing noise has to be taken seriously and kept to a mini
mum. At all time each member of the patrol had to be alert and mindful that the enemy could also be cutting their fresh track nearby, or even worse following you on your new track.
However, there are times when patrols wanted to use the same track upon their return trip. Small articles such as a pen knife would be left beside the track. Somewhere in full view of anybody using the track. It's a fore gone conclusion that they would not be able to resist the temptation to pick it up, it's human nature. The returning patrol would know that the track had been compromised, and that they should get off it as soon as possible and to cut a fresh one. This same method of tempting somebody to pick an item up is also used while setting bobby traps. This has been very successful over the years. However, it doesn't seem to stop peoples inquisitive nature, and the thought that it might be valuable.
A few years earlier while Michael was served in Borneo on active service for the British military. He had befriended the local tribes men known as Ibans and Dayaks. From these people he had leant how to read a track. This became very useful for Michael later when he arrived in Vietnam, when he passed it onto the Nards. Being a new way of leaving information on a track. Only people trained by Michael would be able to read it. The trackers working for the enemy would not know the secrets that lay before them. While Michaels trackers could still understand the Enemy's track code. For once Michael was one up and ahead of the enemy.
When an Iban or Dayak passes along a track they sometimes snap off a sapling about every twenty five paces and leave it pointing in the direction they came from. Then if they wanted to return the same way in the dark, they only have to feel for the saplings and carry on with their journey. When the sapling regrow's, it always grows on the side of the break. Allowing the track reader to know that it was an old track. If a sapling has been sliced at an angle with a knife or machete, then that is also the direction that another person was taking only he was using a different method of leaving the information. If a sapling has been sliced twice, one angled and one straight across a fork of a sapling. The angled slice is the direction you need to take and the straight slice will lead you to water, but you need to return back to that point to complete your journey. The short stem to the straight slice means water is close by, if it were longer then the water would be further away. A fork of a sapling which has two angled slices means from there the track goes in two directions. A great form of communication amongst his Nards and a secret code that the enemy hopefully could not read.
On the question of an ambush. It's something that if planned correctly it should only last a couple of seconds, one or two shots from each person. In a perfect situation each member of the team laying the ambush would probably only have one person in his sights. If sprung correctly, on the given signal usually by the leader of the team each ambusher should only have to fire one shot at the one person in his rifle sights in front of him. If by a fluke he has two of the enemy in his arc of fire, and the area of the track he is covering. He has to move his weapon to take his second shot, and it has to be taken very quickly as the patrol would already be diving for cover at the sound of the first shot. If the shots came from the left then they would automatically dive to the right.
There are many ways of laying an ambush, as each is set up taking full advantage of the terrain and position chosen. In the jungle where at times it can be quite dense owing to the vegetation and foliage, it is usually set up close to the track. The chosen position is always approached from the rear, so as not to leave signs of exit from the track for other trackers to pick up. While the Nards are usually not part of the ambush, and stayed back behind the trap position in what's known as the waiting room.
Spreading the team out alongside the track, depends on the day and the terrain. Each member has what is known as his arc of fire and it's his responsibility to take down anybody within that arc. The arc is worked out by looking straight ahead and his arc would be about 40ยบ either side of his straight line view. If the position is set up correctly each arc should over lap the team member beside him. Making sure that there are no uncovered blind spots on the track. Very thin vines, string or trip wire is usually attached to each member as a means of communication, remembering that speech is forbidden. The signals are usually quite basic. Something like one tug for, somebody coming. Two for all clear, and so on. A code that's usually agreed on by the leader of the team during their training.
Each member has to be comfortable with the position he is laying in. Remembering that he could be lying in that position for a long time. Although he needs plenty of cover around him, he must also make sure that there is no restrictions left or right of his weapon. If he is aiming at a particular target as he moves along the track he has to be able to move his weapon very slowly following him. There is also the unknown of just how many targets are going to be allowed into the trap before its sprung. The same being that if he has more than one target in his arc of fire, he will have to move the weapon to take the other target out.
If in that position for a long time, Michael had trained his team that on certain string line codes. Two members a time could back track to the pre arranged waiting room. To stretch their legs and have a drink for a few minutes. There was to be no smoking and if food was to be eaten, it could only be local. Talking was to be kept down to a bare minimum. Before returning allowing others to also take a break.
The signal to spring the trap was usually Michaels first shot. Meaning that other members of the team had to take their shot as quickly as possible, as the targets will be diving for cover onto the under growth on the other side of the track away from them. This was where training procedures were crucial and had to be adhered to. The time between Michaels shot and all the other members of the team should only be about two seconds. If a member had to take a second shots before the targets dived out of view, he had to be very quick and accurate.
On a night ambush a flare is used to light up the track, so that the targets can be highlighted. There are many ways to set the flare. Although somebody has to go out front on to the track and place the flare in such a position so that the light would not blind any members of the team, while lighting up the enemy. It was usual to place the flare at the base of a tree on the ambushers side of the track. A flare is the size of a small tin of beans and is usually detonated via a very thin wire. The wire can be set up across the track at a height just above the ankle, or can be run back to the team leader who could use it to activate the flare. However the best way is across the track. When detonated it makes the sound of a loud popping noise, followed by a very bright light that will more than lightly briefly blind the targets. The aim is to hit the targets as they are startled by the flare igniting, and immediately blinded by the light. A maximum of two rounds from each ambushed is usually all that's required. Once the trap is sprung Michael always insisted that nobody in his team were to move. As some of the targets could still be alive, and there could be others who had not walked into the trap, awaiting just such a move just back along the track. On some occasions, Michael would leave his team in position for some time. Before giving three tugs on the communication wire as a signal to very slow retreat and to quietly make their way back the way they had entered the position to the waiting room.
The question of walking into an ambush was also drilled into the team. Not knowing when it would happen or where, it's hard to determine. Although a good tracker or point member would be constantly looking for possible ambush positions as he slowly made his way along a track. Whenever it does happen, it's human nature to dive for cover into the opposite side of the track from where the shooting came from. Although a good ambush could even have anti personnel mines set on the opposite side of the track. So that they kill who ever tries to escape by running into them. Although set in such a way as to direct the blast through the killing area, but not into the ambushers.
There were times when Michael had set up anti personnel mines on his side of the track. Rather than risk going out onto the track to set them
up on the other side and leave tell tale signs for the enemy to find. The anti-personal mine is angled by a slight curve, the outward side of the curve being the direction in which the blast will travel. If placed in front of you correctly, you will be safe from the blast behind it, a little deafened by the blast, but safe.
If you were to survive and the enemy did not come out to check on you. The only escape plan you had was to not move for some time. Then at your discretion just crawl away with your weapon to a distance you felt was safe, and then to lose yourself in the jungle for a time. Make a plan and to try and get back to your camp. This situation was why at all times you had to keep looking at maps and to have a rough idea where you were. The only map you might have would be in your head, and that could be the saving of your life.