While on a family camping trip, Hunter, who is eleven years old, is told to keep a close eye on his five year old brother, Ashton. Ashton sees a small animal and follows it. Just before he loses sight of him, Hunter calls out to Ashton but is ignored. Hunter chases after Ashton as he keeps following one small animal after another for several hours. When the sun starts to go down, the boys realize they don't know where they are or which direction to go to find their way back to the campground. Ashton panics and wants to run in the direction he thinks they should go but Hunter stops him and says it could be the wrong way and they need to stay where they are. Hunter tries to remember everything he can from the wilderness survival shows he likes to watch to help them stay warm at night and find food until someone finds them. The boys survive on their own for three weeks before they are found by the search party. By then, they have been assumed dead and searchers are surprised to find the boys alive and in fairly good health. Hunter is asked hundreds of questions about how they knew what to do.