Coordinates are the least cheaty way of trying to combat that. Whenever I play I always have the coordinates on screen somewhere, whether through the newer Java debug info, a local resource pack or, in the case of servers, a client-side mod. Bedrock has a coords option somewhere too.

Knowing the coords of where you died doesn't 100% guarantee getting back to your stuff in a timely manner, but it does give you a slightly better chance.

Half the trick is knowing that as long as those chunks aren't loaded, the despawn timer isn't ticking, so you have all the time in the world to gear up to go back. And you might need to gear up for a fight if mobs steal your old gear.

... but none of this is a cure for lava. I lost a horse to lava once. That was horrible.