Navigation is one of the most important skills to have to survive the wilderness. Without it, a lost hiker or camper has no choice but to rely on luck to get himself out of the wilderness safe and alive. If you have future plans of including the wilderness in one of your adventure trips, it is a good idea to try to learn how to navigate for your own safety and security.
Our 'natural' sense of direction
Our inborn talent to find our way home has been a highly debated issue and there is no tangible evidence that we can truly navigate ourselves out of the wilderness using only our 'sixth sense'. More often than not, it's usually the force of habit or the lessons from a previous training that allow us to keep to a certain route in order not to lose our way.
There is also a tendency for people to follow the direction that is predominant in their person. For example, a right-handed person will eventually veer to the right and walk in circles in that general direction while a left-handed person has a tendency to do the exact opposite.
Instead of trying to find your way out of the wilderness with the help of your 'natural' navigation talents, it's best to learn how to find your way out using something you can actually see, hear or control.
Navigating the wilderness
If you can, never venture into the wilderness without first knowing how to navigate using a map or a compass. Make sure you have these tools with you and that you know how to read them correctly. Map out your route before your trip so you will know which direction you will be headed. During your trek, refer to the map or compass periodically to check if you're on the right track.
In case you don’t have these implements with you, here are things you can do to navigate the wilderness and find your way home:
Always be aware
Let's say for example you willingly go on a trip into the wilderness. Before going in, be aware of where you are. Study what you can see and hear. Take note of roads, rivers, streams, lakes, houses, buildings, anything that could help you find where your exact starting position is.
If you can, try to find a distinctive feature of the landscape you are in – ridges, bodies of water, rocks, hills – and try to memorize where they are in relation to your present position. You might also want to try to determine the sun's position and wind direction, although these factors can change during the day. It is also very helpful to establish the direction to where you are headed right before entering the wilderness.
Leave a mark
If you are still unfamiliar with the territory, you might try leaving a mark such as a broken branch, an improvised flag or a piece of fabric on a tree trunk or a rock so you will know where you've been. This is especially helpful if you need to retrace your steps. It will work well if you have nothing else to help you with and in case somebody needs to find you.
Get an eagle's eye view
Try to 'map' out your route or course by finding a high vantage point (a tree, a rock or a hill) and looking out in all directions to find your objective. This may be necessary especially if the terrain or immediate environment looks the same to you. By establishing your target area, you will know the general direction you should be headed.
Finding North
If you know where the direction of East is, finding North will be easy. Face East and spread your arms straight shoulder high. Your left will be pointing towards the North and your right toward South. Behind you is West. Based on these directions, you can now determine where you should go.
If you're unsure of where east is or if you can't tell whether it's day or afternoon based on the sun's current position, you might have to use other tools. One of these is your watch. This method is recommended for an analog watch, but it can also work with the digital type as long as you mark a specific part for the necessary purpose. Here's how:
If you are located in the northern hemisphere, hold your watch and turn until the hour hand points directly at the sun. The direction which is found midway between the number '12' and the hour hand is South. Once you've determined where South is, you'll know that the exact opposite is North. Knowing where North is will help you establish where East and West are.
If you're in the southern hemisphere, turn your watch until the number '12' points directly towards the sun. The direction that is found between the hour hand and '12' is North.
There are other ways to determine directions and navigating your way out of the wilderness and some of them take a little time and effort. Remember that the wilderness, for most of us, is unfamiliar territory and should be approached with much caution, preparedness and respect. Learn the basic information about navigation and you'll never have to be afraid of the wilderness, regardless of whether you are lost or not.
Our 'natural' sense of direction
Our inborn talent to find our way home has been a highly debated issue and there is no tangible evidence that we can truly navigate ourselves out of the wilderness using only our 'sixth sense'. More often than not, it's usually the force of habit or the lessons from a previous training that allow us to keep to a certain route in order not to lose our way.
There is also a tendency for people to follow the direction that is predominant in their person. For example, a right-handed person will eventually veer to the right and walk in circles in that general direction while a left-handed person has a tendency to do the exact opposite.
Instead of trying to find your way out of the wilderness with the help of your 'natural' navigation talents, it's best to learn how to find your way out using something you can actually see, hear or control.
Navigating the wilderness
If you can, never venture into the wilderness without first knowing how to navigate using a map or a compass. Make sure you have these tools with you and that you know how to read them correctly. Map out your route before your trip so you will know which direction you will be headed. During your trek, refer to the map or compass periodically to check if you're on the right track.
In case you don’t have these implements with you, here are things you can do to navigate the wilderness and find your way home:
Always be aware
Let's say for example you willingly go on a trip into the wilderness. Before going in, be aware of where you are. Study what you can see and hear. Take note of roads, rivers, streams, lakes, houses, buildings, anything that could help you find where your exact starting position is.
If you can, try to find a distinctive feature of the landscape you are in – ridges, bodies of water, rocks, hills – and try to memorize where they are in relation to your present position. You might also want to try to determine the sun's position and wind direction, although these factors can change during the day. It is also very helpful to establish the direction to where you are headed right before entering the wilderness.
Leave a mark
If you are still unfamiliar with the territory, you might try leaving a mark such as a broken branch, an improvised flag or a piece of fabric on a tree trunk or a rock so you will know where you've been. This is especially helpful if you need to retrace your steps. It will work well if you have nothing else to help you with and in case somebody needs to find you.
Get an eagle's eye view
Try to 'map' out your route or course by finding a high vantage point (a tree, a rock or a hill) and looking out in all directions to find your objective. This may be necessary especially if the terrain or immediate environment looks the same to you. By establishing your target area, you will know the general direction you should be headed.
Finding North
If you know where the direction of East is, finding North will be easy. Face East and spread your arms straight shoulder high. Your left will be pointing towards the North and your right toward South. Behind you is West. Based on these directions, you can now determine where you should go.
If you're unsure of where east is or if you can't tell whether it's day or afternoon based on the sun's current position, you might have to use other tools. One of these is your watch. This method is recommended for an analog watch, but it can also work with the digital type as long as you mark a specific part for the necessary purpose. Here's how:
If you are located in the northern hemisphere, hold your watch and turn until the hour hand points directly at the sun. The direction which is found midway between the number '12' and the hour hand is South. Once you've determined where South is, you'll know that the exact opposite is North. Knowing where North is will help you establish where East and West are.
If you're in the southern hemisphere, turn your watch until the number '12' points directly towards the sun. The direction that is found between the hour hand and '12' is North.
There are other ways to determine directions and navigating your way out of the wilderness and some of them take a little time and effort. Remember that the wilderness, for most of us, is unfamiliar territory and should be approached with much caution, preparedness and respect. Learn the basic information about navigation and you'll never have to be afraid of the wilderness, regardless of whether you are lost or not.
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