Glider

The glider is a craftable item that allows the player to fly short to moderate distances, it was added in update v1.10 to The Forest.

Gameplay
The glider functions similar to tennis balls in that, when picked up, it occupies your right hand. You can hold out a lighter or other left-handed item while using the glider. If no item is held, player will appear to hold the glider with both hands. You cannot wield weapons or open your inventory while gliding.

The glider's primary function kicks in when you fall a short distance in midair. Its wings will catch the wind, allowing you to move very quickly through the air at a greatly reduced falling speed. By default, you descend slowly, at about a quarter of normal falling speed, and move about three times as fast as a full sprint. While gliding, movement will instead steer the glider. Turning upwards will gain altitude, turning downwards will cause you to fall quicker but move forward faster. The glider is very difficult to maneuver once in midair; turning has very little effect, so make sure you're pointing in the direction you want to travel before you jump.

While gliding, you don't take any damage from falling. This allows you to safely fall tremendous distances, such as entering the Sinkhole or from the top of a tower. However, the glider can't be carried up climbing ropes or ziplines, so if it falls into a deep pit from which you cannot ascend using a simple ramp, it will be stuck there. Additionally, unlike the log sled, it is possible to retrieve it even after falling into water and it is very much like retrieving a log. Player will attempt to grab hold of the glider then let go, because equipping underwater is not possible. Keep tapping x while swimming towards land to retrieve the glider.

Constructing a tower is recommended for continued gliding, as its extreme height allows you to reach nearly any point of the map if you place your glider at the top, and its ramps allow you to repeat this. If you aren't willing to put in the large amount of work required to build it, however, there are many natural cliffs and high points that the glider can be used from. Additionally, due to the natural downward slope of the peninsula, starting your glide from a small drop in the northernmost regions will generally allow you to traverse the entire map.

Location
The glider schematic can be found in the Kanji Cave, which is just south of the central islands on the far west side of the map. Because the entrance is underwater, you will need a rebreather to access it. The entrance is marked by a log floating near the surface, tethered to the cave's entrance a decent distance below it with two yellow ropes.