There is a profound sense of empowerment that comes from learning how to navigate the wild unknown without the use of technology. My personal journey into using a map and compass began when preparing for a solo expedition across Scotland’s West Highlands and Cairngorms in 2018. The right to roam and the ability to wander off trail allowed me to lean into curiosities about Scotland’s landscape and history that may not have happened without this knowledge in “lost-proofing.” I believe that the art of land navigation is a critical skill, along with a strong foundation in wilderness medicine, that every hunter, hiker, bushcrafter, or everyday explorer must be educated on before immersing themselves off the grid in the great outdoors.
When asked to teach the Navigation 101 course for Georgia Bushcraft, I was beyond elated as land navigation is one of the first skills I developed on my “rewilding” journey and affectionately described as going back to my “roots” when leading an intensive solely on this skill. Navigation has become essential to who I am today as it allowed me to lessen my fear of getting lost and feed my “wanderlust,” or desire and courage to roam and roam freely. To solely immerse yourself in the beauty of nature without fears and limitations brings an indescribable sense of wonder and freedom that fosters resilience and agency beyond guided travels. It was a privilege to be able to share this passion with those with the same taste for adventure, ready to tackle insecurities. and dedicate themselves to proper skills training.
The course began early on Friday morning at the Georgia Bushcraft Basecamp, an outdoor classroom surrounded by multi-story Mulberries, Maples, and Sweet Gums whose leaves were barely holding on from Autumn’s abscission. Our group of ten, a mix of hikers, hunters, bushcrafters, and retired army veterans, gathered around hungry for knowledge but still with hints of nervous tension as this art can be intimidating for some. As their instructor, I aimed to set the tone with reassurance sharing my personal experiences hiking through the Alps and across the Arctic; and laying out an overview of the weekend’s agenda: parts of a compass, map reading, terrain association, grid plotting, self-mapping, navigating by the sun and stars, and various practical exercises.
We started with an in-depth overview of navigational concepts, compass anatomy, and then its multiple uses beyond finding and following azimuths. By the afternoon students were equipped with travel logs and ranger beads, ready to travel safely through the woods conquering numerous courses varying in difficulty from the number of checkpoints to difficulty in terrain. That evening, back at basecamp, we shared our experiences over a shared fire and students gained tips on how to find cardinal direction from observing certain celestial bodies.
Saturday morning, I handed out topographic maps and protractors, explaining declination, how to read contour lines, identifying terrain features, and calculating distances. I emphasized the importance of understanding scale and orienting the map. For many of the students, it was a reminder of just how dependent we’ve all become on modern technology like GPS devices and various phone apps.
"Technology can fail," I told them. "But knowledge weighs nothing and skills can last a lifetime as long as they are maintained much like your tools.”
By mid-morning, they were practicing in pairs, plotting points and planning routes, to find specific trees or toys scattered across the forest floor. This newfound knowledge was not easy to digest for some, as they had to recalculate their distance and bearings; however, the dedication to the craft was strong and lessons from mistakes were learned. It wasn’t long until I could see their confidence growing and their curiosity for off-grid adventure begin.
One student, Bowdier Sackett, said “Navigation 101 with Jacks was more than a class on navigating, it was a class on confidence building and applying it. Jacks is a very knowledgeable and patient teacher. She made every part of this class fun and interesting. I would not hesitate to recommend or even to take the course again.”
On Sunday morning, the sun was shining allowing for a module in primitive navigation, or how to navigate by the sun and shadows. Simple methods in finding cardinal directions and advanced techniques to determine actual azimuths were discussed and practiced.
Kenny Brunswig, Founder of Grumpy Bushcraft, and the resident medic for the weekend’s module, said, “Coming from a military background, this was the most comprehensive and easily understood land navigation course I've taken. The information provided was extremely easy to digest and also use. The primitive navigation module was very interesting. Despite carrying a compass or GPS, knowing that I could find cardinal directions with nothing if I had to brought a profound sense of comfort.”
Other conversations around modern devices and signaling for rescue were had before students set out for further and more difficult exercises armed with maps, compasses, travel logs, and skills. The sense of accomplishment from these students was immeasurable and it didn’t go unnoticed how they blossomed into confident outdoorsmen, proving to themselves, others and myself that they could get their bearings and find their footing.
Land navigation is more than a skill, it’s about mindset and trusting your training when it comes to troubleshooting. It’s this trust that builds confidence, a renewed sense of self-reliance, and a deeper connection to oneself and the wild. It’s been said before that if you prepare for the worst, then you can hope for the best and truthfully, I’ve never been a huge fan of this phrase because I believe that hope should never be a contingency. I prefer the phrase, if you prepare for the worst, then you can prepare for the best. As I said earlier, I truly believe that land navigation is crucial when preparing for venturing off the beaten path, and I encourage everyone to take the first step.
Land Navigation Class Review by Jacks Genega, Founder of Wildcard Wilderness Survival
For more class reviews, gear reviews, trail stories, class updates and more! Follow Wildcard Wilderness on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!
#survival #survivalskills #navigation #survivaltips #suunto #wildernessskills #wilderness #outdoorlife #woodsman #wildcard #neverlost #womeninbushcraft #onthetrail #wildcardjacks #wildcardwilderness #LearntoNavigate #LandNavigationClassReview
.
Comments