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Welcome to Wilderness Navigation Guide.
Navigation is both an art and a science, requiring creativity as well as raw technical skills. It has always been an intricate part of human activity. In the past our very survival may have hinged on using natural navigation clues to find a decent food source and then retrace the route back to the cave. In stark contrast, present-day navigation systems can guide an aircraft across oceans and continents to a perfect landing in zero visibility. Future space travelers will no doubt use devices that are even more sophisticated.
Navigation is both an art and a science, requiring creativity as well as raw technical skills. It has always been an intricate part of human activity. In the past our very survival may have hinged on using natural navigation clues to find a decent food source and then retrace the route back to the cave. In stark contrast, present-day navigation systems can guide an aircraft across oceans and continents to a perfect landing in zero visibility. Future space travelers will no doubt use devices that are even more sophisticated.
Despite these technological advancements, we often find ourselves frustrated by navigational tasks. Just ask anyone who has tried to find his or her way out of an unfamiliar city.
Studies have shown that having a general sense of direction is closely linked to the ability to mentally rotate objects. This may explain why some people easily become disoriented while others have seemingly no trouble finding their way. The widespread belief that some people, especially members of indigenous groups, can navigate purely by instinct is however a myth. Wherever you are on Earth, you are likely surrounded by clues that you can use for navigation. It isn’t so much an innate sense of direction that differentiates navigators, but rather the ability to recognize navigational clues and put them to effective use.
The introduction of the global positioning system (GPS) and the availability of low cost GPS receivers has revolutionized navigation. Travel during poor visibility and through terrain devoid of landmarks can easily be done by anyone willing to put their trust in instruments. Then again, overreliance on technology is also a sure way to get into trouble. High-tech gadgets have a tendency to fail at the worst possible moment, and you may suddenly find yourself navigating like your ancestors.Except for a chapter on emergency communication, this book is strictly about navigation. It does not deal with wilderness survival, route finding, or the sport of orienteering. The aim is to take away the mystique of navigation by explaining all the essential tools and techniques. If you are a raw beginner, concentrate on learning how to navigate with a map, compass, altimeter, and GPS receiver before diving into topics such as celestial navigation. If you are already a competent navigator, this book will almost certainly give you a deeper understanding of how things work, and more importantly, why things sometimes don’t work.
An earnest attempt was made to present the material in logical order and avoid disruptive references to previous or subsequent sections. Unfortunately, this had to be balanced with keeping distinct topics together, and avoiding excessive repetition. No attempt has been made to separate basic from advanced topics. If you get bogged down, skip to the next section and return later to the material that you found challenging.