(as a veteran of both Cole Range and the Star Course, I feel it is incumbent on me to point out to my fellow alumni of those land navigation courses that what will follow in this series will not always adhere to US Army doctrine. While elements of it will, for obvious reasons, those deviations from what might be found in the appropriate field manuals, student handbooks, and unit doctrine, are a result of personal experience and education utilizing methods that I have either found superior in application, or that make the learning process simpler and easier. There may be the “Right Way, the Wrong Way, and the Army Way,” but sometimes, the Army Way is fucking stupid.” –JM) While I have long been suggested that most American outdoorsmen do not possess a fraction of the map-and-compass expertise they suppose they do, the inescapable fact is that, each year, an even smaller percentage of hunters and backpackers rely on this older means of wayfinding. This is a result not of a return to more traditional, reliable “primitive” route finding methods, but instead a growing reliance on such technological crutches as GPS, and GPS-based phone apps like OnX and CalTopo. For outdoor travelers in more settled regions, or those places like National Parks, that expect regular visits from untutored urbanites, many travelers even rely on route numbers and posted trail signage. “Why bother with a map and compass, when I already have my phone with me, and besides, the trails are clearly marked!” Setting aside the sheer stupidity of relying, as a means of finding your way to shelter and safety, on something as battery draining as the modern smartphone, there is a simple reason: while not as reliable as even more prehistoric means, the fact is that map reading—for at least the last one hundred years—has been an essential piece of the education of any serious outdoorsman, and it should be for any human being1. Whether you consider yourself an experienced hunter, hiker, or backpacker, if you cannot read a topographical map proficiently—accurately and rapidly—you’re one wrong turn away from becoming a statistic.2 If you are the typical hunter or fisherman, you may have done most—or even all—of your traveling to the deer stand or the secret honey hole, through rote familiarity with the routes, unless you’ve relied on a local, experienced guide instead. As you gain more and more experience in the same general hunting areas, the lay of the land and the most obvious landmarks quickly become engraved in your subconscious working mind, if you are competent enough to recall them later. When it comes time though, to traverse new territory, or you find yourself turned around and confused by the unfamiliar appearance of familiar landmarks, if you happen to have obligations that require you to return home hearty and hale, from the wilderness, by a given date, you will probably need to come to rely—to some degree at least—on map and compass work for route finding. For those interested in learning and mastering the more traditional “primitive” navigation methods we’ve been discussing, then a practical familiarity with map and compass can lead to a degree of confidence that provides you the freedom to learn. Similarly, even if you intend to rely on technological methods of navigation, simply possessing a map and compass, without the knowledge of how to properly use them, is not—in any way, shape, or form—a suitable “emergency backup.” Fortunately, not only is navigation with map and compass extraordinarily useful, it is also interesting, and entertaining to learn, when approached properly. Map study and compass use translates well to a variety of subjects, games, and even competitions, to pique curiosity and interest. For those of us with children, learning to navigate with map and compass can help them more readily internalize and learn lessons in geography, geology, language arts, and mathematics, as well as history. Read the rest here, and join the conversation! https://www.patreon.com/posts/field...paign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Continue reading...
