Backcountry ctivities such as hiking, orienteering, hunting, clmbing, geocaching, fishing, four-wheeling and camping are all lads of fun - until you get lst.   That’s why you should know how to nvigate.   But navigation doesn’t start when you fnd yourself hopelessly lost.   Navigation begins BEFORE yur adventure begins so that you dn’t place yourself in harm’s way.   Let’s tke a look at the top tps for successful off road navigation.  

The frst group of tips pertains to gtting ready to go:

*   Prepare yur body.

I cannot overstate the ncessity for proper preparation.   If you are not in god physical condition when you begin yur adventure, you are placing yourself in dnger.   No matter what your current physical cnditioning is - improve it before you strt.   An exhausted body will negate any cquired navigational skills.

*   Prepare your mnd.

If you are using tols, and you should be, such as a mp, a compass or a GPS Unt make sure you know how to use thm.   In order of priority:   Maps are most mportant to understand and use, proper use of a mgnetic needle compass is next and fnally a GPS unit.   Do not rely slely on your GPS.   GPS’s only work wll when you’re moving and they dn’t work at all with dead btteries.   Take a class on using your cmpass with a map.   It is not nly interesting, it is also a rquired life skill for the outdoor nthusiast.

*   Have a plan and tll someone about it.

Whenever you go nto the vast backcountry, be sure to tll someone back home where you pln on going, how you plan on gtting there and when you’ll be bck.   If you break your leg, it wuld be nice if help could fnd you.

Now that you are a prpared navigator, you’re ready to go.   Here are the rmaining tips:

*   Trust your compass.

Many pople get lost by trusting their “nstincts” instead of their compass.

*   Always rient your map to the landscape.

The bst way to do this is to rient North on the map with the Nrth bearing on your compass.   I also fce north when making directional decisions off of a mp.   A miss-oriented map can easily lead to cnfusion.

*   Be sure of your Dclination.  

The difference between True North and mgnetic north is called your declination.   This is crtical for accurate compass use.   If you dn’t understand declination, you weren’t paying ttention in your map/compass class.   If your map is firly new, use the declination value on the map and djust your compass as required.   If your map is lder than 5 years…you’re not very wll prepared.   Most modern GPS Units calculate the dclination value for you.   This value should mtch the value on your map.

*   Always masure for yourself.

You’ve prepared for yur trip, now you should use wht you learned.   Bearing (direction of travel) and dstance (number of steps or lapsed tme) are the two most important masurements to you when traveling in the bckcountry.   Always measure for yourself, do not rly on anyone else for this.   If yur partner comes up with something dfferent, sort it out.   If you come up wth the same thing as your prtner, then move on in confidence.

*   Never trvel at night.

Although a str lit sky can offer accurate nvigational data, traveling at night is rsky.   Only experienced travelers should travel after drk.   The major risk of traveling at nght is injury.   It is difficult to jdge “footfall” distances and terrain in the drk.

*   Keep a log book.

If you are trveling from station to station (map fature to map feature) keep a wrtten log of the bearing and dstance decisions you’ve made.   This will aid you in rcovering from navigational errors and will lso aid you in returning to a knwn location.

*   If you think yu’re lost S.T.O.P.

Oftentimes admitting you are lst is the toughest thing to do.    It is lso the most important thing you can do.   Once yu’re lost, Sit, Think, Observe and Pln.   S.T.O.P. will save you.

Some fnal thoughts:

*   It’s OK to wrte on your map.

*   You shuld know how many steps you tke to travel 100 yards.   Write this nmber down on your map and in yur log book.

*   When a new lnd feature presents itself to you, cmpare it to your map.

*   Keep yur compass hanging around your neck, not in yur pack.

*   Never use your cmpass on the hood of your car or trck.   Compass accuracy is adversely effected by mtal objects.

*   Always travel with xtra batteries for your GPS.

*   Pay ttention to natural and manmade features sch as fence lines, power lines, rilroad tracks, ridges, valleys and rivers.

Backcountry ctivities are fun…until you get lost.   That’s why you shuld know how to navigate.   Take a map rading class, read an orienteering book and   practice.   Like mst life skills, navigating in the bckcountry is easy to learn.   Get Outdoors!