Essential Wilderness Navigation: A Real-World Guide to Finding Your Way Safely in the Woods With or Without A Map, Compass or GPS

by Craig Caudill, Tracy Trimble

Overview

All the Skills You Need to Navigate Unfamiliar Terrain

*FULL-SIZE fold-out USGS map included for hands-on practice and training! Plus thick pages and color photography throughout.*

Top wilderness trainers Craig Caudill and Tracy Trimble are here to help you find your way in nature in this must-have guide at a portable size and with thick, sturdy paper ideal for field-use.

Using real-life stories of wilderness navigation successes—and cautionary tales of wilderness exploration gone awry—Craig and Tracy start with the basics of rudimentary compass and map use before teaching the finer points of these indispensable resources, making Essential Wilderness Navigation the ultimate go-to guide for explorers of all skill levels. You’ll also learn how technological aids like GPS and natural elements like flora, fauna and celestial bodies can help you identify your position. Armed with your new knowledge and skills, you will be well equipped to troubleshoot any problems, explore nature and become a master wilderness navigator.

Get Craig Caudill's complete wilderness skills series!

Extreme Wilderness Survival

Essential Wilderness Navigation

Ultimate Wilderness Gear

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781624147197
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	04/09/2019
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Craig Caudill is the author of Extreme Wilderness Survival and Ultimate Wilderness Gear, and he’s the founder and director of Nature Reliance School. He lives in Winchester, Kentucky.

Tracy Trimble is a former US Army reservist who teaches land navigation and other backcountry skills to federal and state first responders and to civilians with Nature Reliance School. He lives in central Kentucky

Table of Contents

Introduction 8

Section 1 The Essentials Of Wilderness Navigation 11

Chapter 1 Choosing the Right Maps and Learning to Read Them 13

Chapter 2 Choosing the Right Compass and Learning How It Works 47

Chapter 3 Understanding Global Positioning Systems and Other Useful Technological Equipment 73

Chapter 4 Other Items You Need to Do Land Navigation Right or to Look Cool (or Both) 103

Chapter 5 What to Do If It All Goes Wrong 143

Section 2 Next-Level Skills To Round Out Your Knowledge 165

Chapter 6 Using the Day and Night Sky to Point You in the Right Direction 167

Chapter 7 Utilizing Flora and Fauna for General Navigation Needs 183

Chapter 8 Using Eighth-Grade Math Skills to Navigate Like a Boss 197

Section 3 Specializes Practical Applications Of Wilderness Navigation Methods 209

Chapter 9 Wilderness Navigation for Search and Rescue 211

Chapter 10 Navigating While Armed for Hunting or Law Enforcement 225

Chapter 11 Tips and Tricks to Help Scouts and Families Learn Wilderness Navigation 241

Conclusion The Ten Commandments of Wilderness Navigation 256

Appendixes 261

Topographic Map Symbols 261

Suggested Resources 264

Acknowledgments 266

About the Authors 267

Index 268

Editorial Reviews

Craig and Tracy have presented the complex puzzle of navigation in a way that begs for the reader to get out and try it without being overwhelmed.”

—Alex Hyrcza, chair, Commonwealth of Kentucky Search and Rescue Advisory Committee

“Land navigation is the single most important backcountry skill. Craig Caudill has the experience to teach you what works in the real world.”

—Evan Hill, owner, Backcountry Skills Guide and Hill People Gear

“I am excited to have a portable and easy-to-read resource to recommend to anyone who wants to plot a course toward competency with navigational skills.”

—Tali Hunt, backcountry skills instructor, Adventures in Good Company, Women Adventure Travel

From the Publisher