Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

While that would certainly be a 'different' experience, @Jebbalon, I rather think it is the exact opposite of what the OP is looking for. It also doesn't make any sense, considering ♥♥♥♥ sapiens have been making maps since they lived in caves (the first known maps were cave drawings).

More power to you if you do it because you find it 'fun' though. I'd be tempted to give it a go in a playthrough in the future myself if the game added buildable guidance aids that did not require building a work bench with a roof over it to construct. Like rock cairns and other types of 'trail markers'.

To make a trail on the ground I either use a how to make an actual trail, or use cooking stations as markers. You don't need to build a workbench to build them, and they are at least someone directional.

Navigating around land is not all that hard, except when the island you're on is very big. Coastline and mountain line tend to be good for navigation. If you get lost, generally finding one of those and following it around will get you back to where you want to be.

Navigation at sea is a very different matter, with fog and storms, and just the shear size of some oceans. It's very easy to get lost, unless you're careful to follow coastlines and/or known markers. That's where Yggdrasil comes in. That can be very useful in keeping you going the right direction, and I generally take a mental note (screenshot) of the tree above any base that I build. It can still be a challange to find, but getting the tree aligned the same ans the "mental note" is very helpful.

Mistlands is a whole additional level of challenge, though. There I place wisplights on the tops of rocks to use as a guide, but it can still be easy to get lost, sometimes for multiple days...