Basic Navigation Skills (many images)

[sml_12]

Hi all - hope that I'm posting this in the correct place...

Being new to the whole bushwalking scene, I went out today and bought myself a book on basic navigation in the interests of not making too much of a pain in the neck of myself when I finally get to Tasmania and around to doing a walk.. I've also downloaded a doc on map reading and navigation from an emergency management site. It looks like a lot to get through, but I'm hoping that means it's very comprehensive. It will give me something to entertain myself with on the trip over...

I wondered if anyone had any suggestions as to any good publications to get me started?? I was also hoping to pick up something on meteorology - I have some of my Mums old books (she was a pilot), but being that they are specific to aviation, I was not sure how relevant they will be. They are packed away in a box at the moment, so I haven't had a chance to eyeball them and check.

I also checked out an adult education website for Tassie, in the hopes of finding any courses on navigation or the like. I saw a couple for maritime navigation, but not much else. Any recommendations on how best to educate myself would be really welcomed.

Thanks in advance!

Sharon.

[BarryJ]

Not sure whether he still does it or not but Stuart Whitney used to run a Bush Walking course at Adult Ed in Hobart. It involved several nights on which gear etc was discussed as well as some navigation/map reading theory; there were then a couple of day walks plus an overnighter on which the theory lessons were then reviewed and the skills applied.

Edit: Just had a quick look at the Adult Ed web site and nothing appears to be on offer in the current semester. Perhaps next semester?:
http://courses.adulteducation.tas.gov.au/

[tasadam]

This post has some info - viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1221

It refers to a book, I have the book and it has all the info you need for learning about map and compass use - http://www.mapsdownunder.com.au/cgi-bin ... 11296.html
Perhaps it is in a library near you - http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1461474

[DaveNoble]

My friend Ashley (Monkey) Burke has a section on navigation on his website -

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~aburke/navigation.html

it may be of use.

Dave

[sml_12]

DaveNoble, Tasadam and BarryJ - Thankyou, thankyou and thankyou.

[Clownfish]

I've been meaning to write a piece for my own bushwalking blog on weather forecasting, clouds, etc. This may be just the impetus I need.

If you don't mind waiting a few days, I'll post a link ...

[Kainas]

I am in the same boat, I would like to try some more adventurous walks, but need better nav and bush skills before I do so.

Some suggestions:
- Local Bushwalking Club
- State Rogaining Club (e.g in two weeks I will be doing a qld rogaining course, alot about winning the comp, but also alot about bush navigation).

[sml_12]

Thanks - That would be fantastic. I most certainly don't mind waiting!

I am sitting here at my desk browsing the forum and all the links I've been given (I should be packing!!), so I think I'll be pretty occupied for some time to come. I stopped being in such a hurry for things a couple of years ago when I started (amongs other things) riding a single speed. It was a nice change in perspective. While researching my bike, I read about the "KISS" principle - it stood for "Keep It Simple, Stupid". It appealed to me greatly - so much so that I have it pinned on my wall. (I need reminding on occasion.)

I have a little book in front of me at the moment that my Mum always carried in her nav. bag - printed by Mobil and entitled "Clouds, Wind and Weather" plus some of her navigation gear and charts. I keep thinking of a quote that I heard from a blacksmith I met in Virginia 10 years ago, "too soon old - too late smart".

I just watched the documentary "Solo" the other day and got a bit inspired listening to Jonathan Bogais (I think) who was advising Andrew McAuley on the conditions that he could expect etc in his crossing of the Tasman/Southern Ocean. My folks would have laughed to see me get so excited about the weather and chart reading etc. Amazing what you can spend so long taking for granted.

I look forward to hearing from you again. Thanks for your response Clownfish.

When I finally get out of Perth and over to Tas. and figure out where I'm likely to finally end up, I sure will be looking at finding some like minded people to play with. I'm generally used to doing things on my own, but I sense that this is not a pursuit that is particularly forgiving of inexperience. Thanks for your suggestions Kainas - good luck with the rogaining, I looked at a few sites on it myself recently and it looked pretty interesting. The sites that have just been recommended above are looking excellent so far.

Sharon.

(We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. - TS Eliot)

[Clownfish]

Here y'go:

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2070

(draft version, anyway!)

[sml_12]

Thanks a heap - that was quick!!

"Red sky at night; sailors delight,
Red sky in the morning; sailors warning"

It was great to see that old bit of weather-lore referenced and explained.
Thanks heaps for taking the time to share the information Clownfish. Guess I'll be doing a lot of cloud-gazing for a while.

Sharon.

[tasadam]

I sense that this is not a pursuit that is particularly forgiving of inexperience.

Excellent sense!
Another thought for nav skills pickup is orienteering groups.

[Clownfish]

I just put an update on my weather forecasting post, showing a front developing, this weekend:

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2070&p=17755#p17755

[Cocksy_86]

I remember being in the same boat. I found heaps of information on reading maps, but then I couldn't find much information on actually plotting courses and designing routes. I think the main reason for this is that you're better off learning the hard way which is through experience. Get a topo map of one of the local nature reserves, where it's small enough and close enough to civilisation that it won't matter if you get lost, and practice different routes, terrains, creeks, different vegetation, and find out that hiking on the northface is different to hiking on the southface.

My other suggestion is get some journals of early pioneers. I know Tasmania has 60 years worth of journals from some dude that explored everything there. I'll try and find that for you. The point of this is that you can learn from their experiences. They all get lost at one point or another, Christie Palmerston cut his achilles tendon and floated down the river on banana leaves (1870s), Steve Tremont with Barry Higgins got lost and had to back track a day due to the inaccuracy of a 1:100000 map (1987), Thomas Archer had to follow a animal trail that lead them to the bush bandits (1840s)...ect.

The other thing is never point to a map with your finger but with a stick. I got taught that. Anyway, hope that helps. Josh

[sailfish]

I think that navigation is not something you can’t just read up on and do straight off from theory. The reason is that there are many different techniques or levels of navigation skills and it takes time to and experience to sort out what is appropriate for when and to develop observation and interpretation skill with maps.

It seems to me the most basic skills every walker should have are the ones usually missing. That is the ability to find direction and distances with no nav aids at all and knowing where to head for if self rescue becomes necessary. When things go wrong they tend to keep going wrong and you may well be left with no nav aids or even a map. Every walker should know and be able to find the direction to nearest civilisation.

As these things seem so profoundly lacking I include a brief explanation.

Direction: If you have sun, find a reasonably level area and put a long stick upright in the ground or cairn of stones. Place a marker (rock, stick, peg etc) on the shadow tip (west). Wait 15 min or so for the shadow to move reasonably. Place another marker on the shadow tip (East). Now you have a True east west line between the 2 markers and can fill in a compass rose for direction or a clock face for time by shadow if needed. This is accurate and works any time of year and any place on earth when you can get a shadow. A forked stick can be used as a divider to set out a compass rose or clock face accurately. There are other direction indicators and you need to know them. Watch and sun, Stars (Southern cross), lichen, wet/dry forest slopes etc.

Distance: Count your paces, only count the same foot. Transfer a stone from one pocket to another for ever 100 count. You will have to know your personal conversion from paces to metres and that will vary with the terrain. That takes time and experience to get proficient.

These are only the most very basic nav skills every walker should have IMO.
You will find more full explanations on line or SAS survival handbook.

Bit of a rant I guess but maybe helpful to some.

Regards,
ken

[Paul]

G'day all,

I agree with Sailfish, you can learn a certain amount of theory from books, but the only way to learn/improve navigation skills is to get out in the bush regularly - off track.

I would strongly recommend going along to Orienteering or Rogaining - you dont have to be competitive, just get out there and do it at your leisurely pace and LEARN.

I can not think of a better way to learn navigation skills. No GPS with a flat battery, no GPS dropped in the water, no GPS without Satellites coverage - just map & compass.

Paul.

[north-north-west]

Christie Palmerston cut his achilles tendon and floated down the river on banana leaves (1870s)

In Tasmania?

[Cocksy_86]

Nah, was in the Daintree...the point was learning from the experiences of others. Maybe you could float down on lichen

[north-north-west]

Sure. Use a couple of tent poles to knit a lilo from buttongrass, and float away on that.

[Bill P]

Shaz, good advice here all round.

That book referred to by tasadam is the simplest and best I have ever read on navigation. If you want a book that's the one.

Orienteering maps are great, try to get one & go to the area and wander around, while following the map, pocket the compass. Best way to learn. Some places have permanent orienteering markers installed which is great for practice.

For further nav experience I have found areas above the treeline valuable as the map features are far more recognisable and there's less vegetation clutter.

Finally, while recent maps have very low error rates, remember, always: "If the ground doesn't relate to the map, then the map is wrong"

Bill P

[corvus]

Further simple direction finding.
If you can see the Sun turn your watch so that the 12 (XII) faces it then 1/2 way between that and the hour hand lies the north south line (allow for daylight saving), if you dont use an analogue face watch you will need to visualize it on your digital .
Remember the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West
c

[vagrom]

There's been a comprehensive text used for years in mainland teaching. You can Google the title easily: Bushwalking and Mountaincraft Leadership, put out by the Victorians. From memory the cover shows John Chapman and friends heading in the direction of Pindars Peak. ( But the weather's nice, so it may have been photo-shopped).

[geoskid]

Finally, while recent maps have very low error rates, remember, always: "If the ground doesn't relate to the map, then the map is wrong"

With respect, Bill, I think this statement could be misleading to someone learning. When I was new to it all (not so long ago) and reading up on navigation, a point stressed was that if the ground doesn't relate to the map, never assume the Map is wrong. Depends on the Map being used of course. If walking using Tasmap 1:25,000 Series, when the ground no longer relates to the Map, the safe bet is you are not where you thought you were on the Map and you should stop walking and try to work out exactly where you are. If the Map is being followed closely whilst walking, always checking what you are seeing around you against the Map, any deviation from the intended route will be realized sooner. (This last sentence is from experience )

[Bill P]

Hi Geoskid, Agreed. I should have said: "If the ground doesn't relate to the map, then the ground is correct" .

Some beginners jump at the option that the map "must be wrong" too readily, to explain their surroundings. Cartographic errors on topographical maps are extremely rare.
Bill P

[sailfish]

Finally, while recent maps have very low error rates, remember, always: "If the ground doesn't relate to the map, then the map is wrong"

With respect, Bill, I think this statement could be misleading to someone learning. When I was new to it all (not so long ago) and reading up on navigation, a point stressed was that if the ground doesn't relate to the map, never assume the Map is wrong. Depends on the Map being used of course. If walking using Tasmap 1:25,000 Series, when the ground no longer relates to the Map, the safe bet is you are not where you thought you were on the Map and you should stop walking and try to work out exactly where you are. If the Map is being followed closely whilst walking, always checking what you are seeing around you against the Map, any deviation from the intended route will be realized sooner. (This last sentence is from experience )

I was a little concerned with that statement as well. I am a cartographer and am painfully aware of errors on maps and some users unrealistic expectations. National mapping council standards for positional accuracy is 95% within +/- 0.5 mm at map scale. That means +- 12.5 m for a 1:25000, +- 25m for 1:50000, +- 50m for 1:100000 maps, but what about the other 5%? Well I once found an error of around 1.5 km on 1: 100000 map. The bottom line is that the cartographer just has to make a map with whatever is available, good or bad so there are occasionally some problems. Considering the mass of information on a topo map, a few errors on any one map is pretty good. Contours are the most unreliable, traditionally generalised from 3D aerial photo images. They don't show every little variation in terrain. Vegetation cover is an issue where the photogrammetrist will have had to guess a compensation for the trees. These days some agencies use LIDAR that has better penetration of vegetation but even so is not perfect. So the user in the field just has to generalise what they see to match the map. If all the major landforms are there your probably OK but don't expect to see every cliff line. I like the NSW new series for the orthophoto map on the back, much easier to use in many cases.


Regards,
Ken

[Liamy77]

worth joining the SES - get your training free and have hands on exp...
google SES australia... in WA it is:
http://www.ses-wa.asn.au/node/293

[ninjapuppet]

I wanted to also add that whilst theory is important, nothing beats practical experience & continual practice

I went bushwalking with a mate who's in his 3rd year of surveying at university. Not exactly sure how much mapping experience they teach in surveying these days but I trusted him and let him take lead bush bashing off track into the blue mountains. somehow he got us lost.

I did some very basic navigation in the army in days gone by but its been way too long for me to rely upon it in a dire situation when we only had 3 hours of sunlight left and no tent. whipped out the GPS and turned out that he was completely wrong as to where he thought we were.
we were just lucky its only the blue mountains where we're familar with MOST tracks.

[sailfish]

I wanted to also add that whilst theory is important, nothing beats practical experience & continual practice

I went bushwalking with a mate who's in his 3rd year of surveying at university. Not exactly sure how much mapping experience they teach in surveying these days but I trusted him and let him take lead bush bashing off track into the blue mountains. somehow he got us lost.

Well isn't that interesting. We had a team bonding thing at work some 20 years ago now. The only person to get lost out of over 100 was a very experienced senoir surveyor. He will never live that down!

There are some things that can be applied from it and marine nav though. Like keeping a nav log. Though I don't ordinarily bother with it, I can see some very good points and would possible do it in some circumstances.


Ken

[tas-man]

I wanted to also add that whilst theory is important, nothing beats practical experience & continual practice. [SNIP]

While catching up on this thread, I recall reading Bernard O'Reilly's book "Green Mountains" (which contains his account of the finding and rescue of the survivors of the Stinson wreck in Lamington National Park in the 1930's) and being fascinated by his detailed observations of the flora in the rainforest, such that he was always aware of his direction, as most of the time there were no views to landmarks and the ranges are continually in cloud and mist. His years of experience and observation of which fungi always grew on the southern side of certain trees, became as good as a compass! If I get around to finding some of his references to his direction finding, I will post more details.
http://www.oreillys.com.au/about-us/o-r ... on-rescue/

[corvus]

As a young Scout growing up in the Northern Hemisphere we were taught to look at where the lichens/moss grew on the Trees to give us a good indication of direction North /South.
c

[corvus]

Just a thought on Basic simple navigation skills how many of you know where North is by looking at the Sun at any given time (even in very thick cloud /fog you can often ascertain where the Sun is) cannot help with very cloudy skies at night tho
c