Navigation Techniques for Wilderness Travel
Knowing how to navigate in the wilderness is a fundamental outdoor skill that can keep you safe and open up new possibilities for exploration. This guide covers traditional and modern navigation techniques to help you confidently find your way in the backcountry.
Understanding Maps
Map Types
Different maps serve different purposes:
- Topographic maps: Show terrain features with contour lines
- Trail maps: Focus on marked routes and facilities
- GPS maps: Digital maps with varying levels of detail
- Specialized maps: For specific activities (e.g., water navigation)
Map Features
Key elements to understand:
- Scale: Relationship between map distance and real-world distance
- Legend: Explanation of symbols and colors
- Contour lines: Show elevation changes
- Declination diagram: Shows relationship between true and magnetic north
- UTM grid: Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system
Reading Contour Lines
Contour lines connect points of equal elevation:
- Contour interval: Vertical distance between lines
- Index contours: Darker, labeled lines at regular intervals
- Close lines: Steep terrain
- Distant lines: Gentle terrain
- Circles: Hills or depressions (look for tick marks)
- V-shapes: Valleys and drainages (V points upstream)
Compass Navigation
Compass Parts
Understanding your tool:
- Baseplate: Clear bottom with direction of travel arrow
- Rotating bezel: Marked in degrees
- Magnetic needle: Red points to magnetic north
- Orienting arrow: Fixed on baseplate
- Orienting lines: Rotate with bezel
Taking a Bearing
To determine direction to a landmark:
- Point direction of travel arrow at target
- Rotate bezel until orienting lines align with needle
- Read bearing at index line
Following a Bearing
To travel in a specific direction:
- Set desired bearing on bezel
- Rotate compass until needle aligns with orienting arrow
- Follow direction of travel arrow
Map and Compass Together
To navigate with both tools:
- Orient the map: Align map's north with compass north
- Plot your course: Draw line from current position to destination
- Measure the bearing: Place compass along line and read bearing
- Adjust for declination: Add or subtract as needed
- Follow the bearing: Use compass to maintain direction
GPS Navigation
GPS Basics
Understanding satellite navigation:
- How GPS works: Triangulation from satellite signals
- Accuracy factors: Number of satellites, terrain, tree cover
- Coordinate systems: Latitude/longitude vs. UTM
- Waypoints: Saved locations
- Tracks: Recorded paths
- Routes: Planned paths
Using a GPS Device
Essential functions:
- Mark waypoints: Save current location
- Navigate to waypoint: Follow bearing and distance
- Track recording: Document your path
- Route following: Stay on planned course
- Coordinate input: Navigate to specific coordinates
Smartphone GPS Apps
Modern alternatives:
- Recommended apps: Gaia GPS, AllTrails, Avenza
- Offline maps: Download before losing service
- Battery conservation: Airplane mode, dimmed screen
- Backup power: External battery packs
- Waterproofing: Cases or bags
Natural Navigation
Using the Sun
Celestial guidance:
- Direction from sun position: East in morning, west in evening
- Shadow stick method: Mark shadow tip over time
- Watch method: Analog watch can approximate north/south
- Sun arc: Higher in sky to the south (Northern Hemisphere)
Night Navigation
Finding your way after dark:
- North Star (Polaris): Located using Big Dipper or Cassiopeia
- Southern Cross: For Southern Hemisphere navigation
- Moon phases: Rising and setting patterns
- Light discipline: Preserve night vision with red light
Terrain Association
Reading the landscape:
- Ridgelines and drainages: Natural highways and boundaries
- Vegetation changes: Indicate elevation and sun exposure
- Rock formations: Distinctive landmarks
- Animal trails: Often follow efficient routes
- Water sources: Predictable locations in terrain
Route Finding
Planning Your Route
Before you start:
- Identify landmarks: Notable features along your route
- Handrails: Linear features to follow (streams, ridges)
- Catching features: Boundaries that stop you from going too far
- Attack points: Obvious features near hard-to-find destinations
- Escape routes: Emergency exit options
Staying Found
Preventative techniques:
- Regular position checks: Confirm location frequently
- Tick off features: Mental checklist of landmarks passed
- Aspect of slope: Direction hillsides face
- Leapfrogging: Navigate from feature to feature
- Bread crumbs: Physical or GPS markers of your path
What To Do If Lost
STOP Protocol
When you realize you're lost:
- Stop: Don't wander aimlessly
- Think: Consider your last known position
- Observe: Look for recognizable features
- Plan: Decide on a course of action
Relocation Techniques
Finding yourself on the map:
- Backtracking: Return to last known position
- Terrain association: Match landscape to map
- Resection: Take bearings to visible landmarks
- Elevation matching: Use altimeter or contours
- Drainage following: Water leads to larger water bodies and civilization
Practice Exercises
Develop your skills with these activities:
- Map study: Identify features before seeing them in person
- Bearing walks: Follow and reverse specific bearings
- Micro-navigation: Find small objects using precise bearings and distances
- Featureless navigation: Practice in fog or darkness
- GPS treasure hunts: Navigate to specific coordinates
Conclusion
Navigation is both science and art—it requires technical knowledge and intuitive understanding of the landscape. The best navigators use multiple techniques, cross-checking between map, compass, GPS, and natural indicators.
Start practicing in familiar areas before venturing into remote wilderness. Build confidence gradually, and always carry multiple navigation tools. Remember that even experienced navigators sometimes get temporarily disoriented—the key is having the skills to reorient yourself and continue your journey safely.
With practice, wilderness navigation becomes second nature, opening up a world of off-trail exploration and self-reliance in the backcountry.