[pct-l] navigation without GPS

[Tortoise]

Years ago I took a Sierra Club backpack leaders training course. The instructor emphasized "staying found" instead of not getting lost. A very good way!

Tortoise

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Dictated / Typoed on my iPad.

On Mar 12, 2013, at 8:02, patrick griffith <patrickjgriffith at hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> Hi Martin,
> For me
> navigation encompasses several skills, it isn’t just being able to line up a map and compass. You
> need to be able to evaluate your own performance (or that of your group) so
> that you can reference back to the last point at which you knew were you were: are
> you walking downhill at the beginning of your day in perfect conditions? Or are
> you cold, wet and miserable at the end of a long knackering day going up a big
> and difficult hill in zero visibility? You need to be able to place yourself on the map in poor
> conditions where you might not be able to see ten metres in front of you, or
> when there are very few geographical features to reference, or when the trail
> itself has been lost under a snow field or when you realise you've taken a wrong turn. In these conditions you’ll also need to know you are not about to walk off a cliff, and inthese conditions you also need to know how to route find, in order to find the safest and most efficient way
> round/over an obstacle, ensuring you meet the needs of everyone with whom you
> are travelling. You also need to be able to assess weather
> conditions to make sure you’re not summiting a mountain in a lightning storm or
> traversing a river that could have been easier/safer/more enjoyable had you
> been able to navigate your way there better.
> 
> 
> Apart from
> knowing how to line up a map and compass, I find it is difficult to teach these
> sorts of skills in a classroom setting, the only way you really learn is to
> give it a go. In the early weeks I doubt the trail will present too many of
> these navigational challenges, so you’ll have plenty of opportunity learn how
> to navigate without putting yourself in any real danger. You can learn as you go along by testing
> yourself every time you stop. Make a point of trying to locate
> yourself on the map without help and ask yourself the following questions:
> 
> 
> 
> How long
> have I been walking since the last stop? Did it take as long as I estimated to get to where I am now? If not why not? Is the sun in the right place for the time of day and the direction in which I am heading? If not why not? What
> were the major features of the last section I just walked? Do they line up with
> what I was expecting? If not why not? What should I expect in the next section? How long should
> it take? Etc…
> 
> 
> 
> After a
> while you will do all this instinctively at which point you’ll be well on
> your way to navigating your way anywhere you want. I.e Canada!
> Regards .