When you’re exploring or climbing a mountain, leaving a trail is a must, bro. It can help you to retrace your steps and avoid the risk of getting lost. In addition, you can also use nature trails to open new paths that not many people know about.
No, this example of a trail sign is very important, especially if you haven’t memorized the path. Especially if you are traveling with a lot of people, these kinds of signs can help other members not to go the wrong way or stray anywhere.
When talking about the types, there are four kinds of trail signs, depending on the medium: some use soil, twigs, grass, to stones. Now, from its function, the various trail signs are divided into two, some are for direction, some are to provide information about the condition of the path. So you’re not just walking randomly, but more prepared and safe!
Definition of Trail Marks
Trail marks are like markers that you leave in nature to provide information, clues, or warnings. They can come directly from nature such as animal tracks, broken leaves, or grass that looks like it’s been stepped on. But there are also artificial ones, such as directional signs, rallying points, or danger signs.
What do they do? So that you don’t get lost when you’re out in nature. In addition, these natural trail marks also help you read the surrounding situation and understand the state of the path being traveled. So, these types of trail signs are like a “secret code” that keeps you safe when exploring the wild.
Types of Trail Marks
Trail Marks on the Ground
If you have a fairly large or flat piece of land on your way, you can use it to make a trail mark on the ground. Simply scratch the surface of the ground with a twig, sharp stone, or stick. The scratches are a little deep so that they are not easily erased by leaves or carried away by the wind.
Usually these marks on the ground are left in the form of symbols such as arrows, letters, or crosses depending on the message you want to convey. But don’t forget, make it in a place that is easily visible, not in a place that is thick with grass or covered by bushes. This is one example of a trail sign that is best suited for those of you who are just learning nature navigation.
Trail Marks with Stones
For those of you who like to walk on rocky tracks, making stone trail marks can be a mainstay. All you have to do is stack small stones into a striking shape, such as arrows, circles, or other unique shapes that you can easily remember. What makes this efficient is that it’s durable and easy to lose.
The stones also don’t get carried away by the wind or change position unless disturbed. To make them more visible, you can arrange the stones in unusual places, such as on grass, in the middle of the trail, or on low branches. It’s one of the easiest nature trail markers to make and very useful for the team.
Trail Signs Using Twigs
If you’re walking in a forest or densely wooded area, try using twigs to create a twig trail. You can break the twigs and cut them into arrows, lines, or other symbols that have a certain meaning. These twig trail marks are usually used to indicate the direction of the trail, to warn of danger, or to mark checkpoints.
For example, an arrow to the right on a twig means the next direction, an X shape means a danger route. Make sure the shape is different from natural twigs, so other people can immediately realize that it is not a natural shape. It’s perfect for communication on dense forest routes.
Trail Marks Using Grass
When you go through a wide meadow with no rocks and no trees either, don’t panic you can make grass trail marks. The search is also not difficult, for example by picketing a few strands of grass, bending one direction of the grass, or making a distinctive pattern that you and your team can recognize.
These grass marks are usually temporary, but can be effective if you only need a temporary direction or marker for regrouping. Make sure the grass that you create is at least visible and different from the surrounding area. It can also serve as a natural sign trail shape friendly to the environment, as long as you don’t end up destroying vegetation in mass.
Well, those were some trail signs that you can use when you are on a nature adventure. Starting from simple to creative, you can adjust everything to the terrain conditions. What about you, bro? Have you ever tried to make a trail in the wild? Share your experience, who knows it could be an inspiration for other adventurers!
