A few years ago, I was in the woods with a few other people. They would take daily walks down a two track, but accept for one well defined path, they would not venture off of the road. I spent a half of a day with them in the woods, while they tried to find camp from about a quarter mile away. Their sense of direction didn't exist. Nor did they pay attention when we walked off the road so they could acclimate themselves. I would guess that they would still be there if they hadn't had a guide.
I literally grew up in the woods. I could walk 5 miles east and cross one sandy road and see two houses and 4 miles south and cross one gravel road and see three houses. There was a couple of trout stream that ran through this area and many feeder streams. In the 50's, during my youth, TV didn't offer much and besides, I had 4 brothers and sisters to compete with for TV time, so I didn't pay it much mind. I spent many days during that time foraging for meals, with berries, fish cooked on a stick, wild apples in season. I caught fish by hand by simply lieing down next to a small deep section of a feeder stream, putting my arm in the water, with my hand cupped, and flipping a fish onto the bank when one finally came close enough. It didn't always work, but it did teach me patience. I also set dead falls and killed rabbits with them as well as a partridge. I have caught rabbits by hand in deep snow and partridge by hand after an ice storm.
This sort of growing up was priceless. I am very comfortable in the wilds and the idea of survival has always been a part of me. It does amaze me how many people don't think past their thermostat.
Mick