Monday, July 24, 2006
Top Tips for Successful BackCountry Navigation
As an outdoor enthusiast you will at some point make a decision to learn how to navigate in the backcountry. Whether you use a map, compass, GPS receiver or all three, there are several things you should know about successful navigation. Your safety and the safety of your companions depend upon it.
Backcountry activities such as hiking, orienteering, hunting, climbing, geocaching, fishing, four-wheeling and camping are all loads of fun - until you get lost. Thats why you should know how to navigate. But navigation doesnt start when you find yourself hopelessly lost. Navigation begins BEFORE your adventure begins so that you dont place yourself in harms way. Lets take a look at the top tips for successful off road navigation.
The first group of tips pertains to getting ready to go: Prepare your body. I cannot overstate the necessity for proper preparation. If you are not in good physical condition when you begin your adventure, you are placing yourself in danger. No matter what your current physical conditioning is - improve it before you start. An exhausted body will negate any acquired navigational skills. Prepare your mind. If you are using tools, and you should be, such as a map, a compass or a GPS Unit make sure you know how to use them. In order of priority: Maps are most important to understand and use, proper use of a magnetic needle compass is next and finally a GPS unit. Do not rely solely on your GPS. GPSs only work well when youre moving and they dont work at all with dead batteries. Take a class on using your compass with a map. It is not only interesting, it is also a required life skill for the outdoor enthusiast. Have a plan and tell someone about it. Whenever you go into the vast backcountry, be sure to tell someone back home where you plan on going, how you plan on getting there and when youll be back. If you break your leg, it would be nice if help could find you.
Now that you are a prepared navigator, youre ready to go. Here are the remaining tips: Trust your compass. Many people get lost by trusting their instincts instead of their compass. Always orient your map to the landscape. The best way to do this is to orient North on the map with the North bearing on your compass. I also face north when making directional decisions off of a map. A miss-oriented map can easily lead to confusion. Be sure of your Declination. The difference between True North and magnetic north is called your declination. This is critical for accurate compass use. If you dont understand declination, you werent paying attention in your map/compass class. If your map is fairly new, use the declination value on the map and adjust your compass as required. If your map is older than 5 yearsyoure not very well prepared. Most modern GPS Units calculate the declination value for you. This value should match the value on your map. Always measure for yourself. Youve prepared for your trip, now you should use what you learned. Bearing (direction of travel) and distance (number of steps or lapsed time) are the two most important measurements to you when traveling in the backcountry. Always measure for yourself, do not rely on anyone else for this. If your partner comes up with something different, sort it out. If you come up with the same thing as your partner, then move on in confidence. Never travel at night. Although a star lit sky can offer accurate navigational data, traveling at night is risky. Only experienced travelers should travel after dark. The major risk of traveling at night is injury. It is difficult to judge footfall distances and terrain in the dark. Keep a log book. If you are traveling from station to station (map feature to map feature) keep a written log of the bearing and distance decisions youve made. This will aid you in recovering from navigational errors and will also aid you in returning to a known location. If you think youre lost S.T.O.P. Oftentimes admitting you are lost is the toughest thing to do. It is also the most important thing you can do. Once youre lost, Sit, Think, Observe and Plan. S.T.O.P. will save you.
Some final thoughts: Its OK to write on your map. You should know how many steps you take to travel 100 yards. Write this number down on your map and in your log book. When a new land feature presents itself to you, compare it to your map. Keep your compass hanging around your neck, not in your pack. Never use your compass on the hood of your car or truck. Compass accuracy is adversely effected by metal objects. Always travel with extra batteries for your GPS. Pay attention to natural and manmade features such as fence lines, power lines, railroad tracks, ridges, valleys and rivers.
Backcountry activities are fununtil you get lost. Thats why you should know how to navigate. Take a map reading class, read an orienteering book and practice. Like most life skills, navigating in the backcountry is easy to learn. Get Outdoors!
As an outdoor enthusiast you will at some point make a decision to learn how to navigate in the backcountry. Whether you use a map, compass, GPS receiver or all three, there are several things you should know about successful navigation. Your safety and the safety of your companions depend upon it.
Backcountry activities such as hiking, orienteering, hunting, climbing, geocaching, fishing, four-wheeling and camping are all loads of fun - until you get lost. Thats why you should know how to navigate. But navigation doesnt start when you find yourself hopelessly lost. Navigation begins BEFORE your adventure begins so that you dont place yourself in harms way. Lets take a look at the top tips for successful off road navigation.
The first group of tips pertains to getting ready to go: Prepare your body. I cannot overstate the necessity for proper preparation. If you are not in good physical condition when you begin your adventure, you are placing yourself in danger. No matter what your current physical conditioning is - improve it before you start. An exhausted body will negate any acquired navigational skills. Prepare your mind. If you are using tools, and you should be, such as a map, a compass or a GPS Unit make sure you know how to use them. In order of priority: Maps are most important to understand and use, proper use of a magnetic needle compass is next and finally a GPS unit. Do not rely solely on your GPS. GPSs only work well when youre moving and they dont work at all with dead batteries. Take a class on using your compass with a map. It is not only interesting, it is also a required life skill for the outdoor enthusiast. Have a plan and tell someone about it. Whenever you go into the vast backcountry, be sure to tell someone back home where you plan on going, how you plan on getting there and when youll be back. If you break your leg, it would be nice if help could find you.
Now that you are a prepared navigator, youre ready to go. Here are the remaining tips: Trust your compass. Many people get lost by trusting their instincts instead of their compass. Always orient your map to the landscape. The best way to do this is to orient North on the map with the North bearing on your compass. I also face north when making directional decisions off of a map. A miss-oriented map can easily lead to confusion. Be sure of your Declination. The difference between True North and magnetic north is called your declination. This is critical for accurate compass use. If you dont understand declination, you werent paying attention in your map/compass class. If your map is fairly new, use the declination value on the map and adjust your compass as required. If your map is older than 5 yearsyoure not very well prepared. Most modern GPS Units calculate the declination value for you. This value should match the value on your map. Always measure for yourself. Youve prepared for your trip, now you should use what you learned. Bearing (direction of travel) and distance (number of steps or lapsed time) are the two most important measurements to you when traveling in the backcountry. Always measure for yourself, do not rely on anyone else for this. If your partner comes up with something different, sort it out. If you come up with the same thing as your partner, then move on in confidence. Never travel at night. Although a star lit sky can offer accurate navigational data, traveling at night is risky. Only experienced travelers should travel after dark. The major risk of traveling at night is injury. It is difficult to judge footfall distances and terrain in the dark. Keep a log book. If you are traveling from station to station (map feature to map feature) keep a written log of the bearing and distance decisions youve made. This will aid you in recovering from navigational errors and will also aid you in returning to a known location. If you think youre lost S.T.O.P. Oftentimes admitting you are lost is the toughest thing to do. It is also the most important thing you can do. Once youre lost, Sit, Think, Observe and Plan. S.T.O.P. will save you.
Some final thoughts: Its OK to write on your map. You should know how many steps you take to travel 100 yards. Write this number down on your map and in your log book. When a new land feature presents itself to you, compare it to your map. Keep your compass hanging around your neck, not in your pack. Never use your compass on the hood of your car or truck. Compass accuracy is adversely effected by metal objects. Always travel with extra batteries for your GPS. Pay attention to natural and manmade features such as fence lines, power lines, railroad tracks, ridges, valleys and rivers.
Backcountry activities are fununtil you get lost. Thats why you should know how to navigate. Take a map reading class, read an orienteering book and practice. Like most life skills, navigating in the backcountry is easy to learn. Get Outdoors!
Looking for a Lasting, Deeply Satisfying Relationship?
"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction."
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1900-1944, French Aviator and Writer
If you are looking for a lasting, deeply satisfying relationship, you might want to consider Antoine's definition of love. Hollywood and romance novels spend a lot of time showing lovers locked in an embrace, gazing into each others eyes. And when that happens and you feel that zing, it is GREAT! But that is not the stuff that lasts.
At first when we fall in love, everything goes along great! You think about the other person all the time. When you are together you can't keep your eyes off of them. You smile and coo at each other. It's as if there really are birds singing in every tree and rainbows follow you wherever you go! But then something happens.
Maybe you decide to get married or move in together. You know there are bound to be disagreements and you are prepared to work them out. You are realistic. You've been in relationships before. But you thought this one was going to be different. After all, we have so much in common. We both like the same kind of ice cream. We like to do the same kind of things on the weekends. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make in relationships, that is, believing that if they have common interests everything will be fine. But what about when things get tough. What will see them through?
In my Soulmates Success Training we spend a lot of time identifying your values, vision for your life and life purpose. When you know what you value and what values are important to you, you are more likely to live by them. When you know what the purpose of your life is, you can use that as a compass to guide you in the direction of your dreams. Living from your purpose and in alignment with your values leads to feeling satisfied.
Since your spouse is your primary relationship, your life partner, it only stands to reason that you must share common values and a common vision for how your life together will be. It is that common vision that keeps you both looking out in the same direction. It is that common vision that allows you both to work independently, yet toward a common goal. It is that common vision that you share that will see you through the tough times and make the good times even sweeter!
"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction."
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1900-1944, French Aviator and Writer
If you are looking for a lasting, deeply satisfying relationship, you might want to consider Antoine's definition of love. Hollywood and romance novels spend a lot of time showing lovers locked in an embrace, gazing into each others eyes. And when that happens and you feel that zing, it is GREAT! But that is not the stuff that lasts.
At first when we fall in love, everything goes along great! You think about the other person all the time. When you are together you can't keep your eyes off of them. You smile and coo at each other. It's as if there really are birds singing in every tree and rainbows follow you wherever you go! But then something happens.
Maybe you decide to get married or move in together. You know there are bound to be disagreements and you are prepared to work them out. You are realistic. You've been in relationships before. But you thought this one was going to be different. After all, we have so much in common. We both like the same kind of ice cream. We like to do the same kind of things on the weekends. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make in relationships, that is, believing that if they have common interests everything will be fine. But what about when things get tough. What will see them through?
In my Soulmates Success Training we spend a lot of time identifying your values, vision for your life and life purpose. When you know what you value and what values are important to you, you are more likely to live by them. When you know what the purpose of your life is, you can use that as a compass to guide you in the direction of your dreams. Living from your purpose and in alignment with your values leads to feeling satisfied.
Since your spouse is your primary relationship, your life partner, it only stands to reason that you must share common values and a common vision for how your life together will be. It is that common vision that keeps you both looking out in the same direction. It is that common vision that allows you both to work independently, yet toward a common goal. It is that common vision that you share that will see you through the tough times and make the good times even sweeter!
