Have you ever doubted your ability to properly use a compass and find
your way - even in poor visibility - without the use of a GPS? Have you
ever looked closely at your wilderness maps and realised there are
things like variation and grid references on it that you don't know much
about? Or maybe you cannot afford a GPS and need to learn some of the
"old fashioned" navigational methods? If so, then Navigation Anyplace
Wild is the very book you need!
The author, Andrew Friedemann, is a certified National Mountain Leader /
Guide with many years of experience both as a leader and a trainer. He
refers to Navigation Anyplace Wild as a workbook which is an apt
description since it includes a set of Test Your Knowledge questions or
exercises at the end of each chapter. It also comes with a separate map
for use with some of the exercises. Although it can be read like any
other technical manual, these test yourself questions and exercises
(with answers provided at the end of the workbook) allow more serious
readers to assess their grasp of the material as they work through it.
Topics covered include route planning, safety issues, the navigator's
toolbox (map, compass, roamer, altimeter, etc.), navigational skills and
restricted visibility navigation, so it is not just a book about
navigation. Even the casual weekend walker who follows marked routes
will find it of interest and value. However, the emphasis is on basic
navigational tools and methods, with some quite extensive theory thrown
in for those who want to know more. What would you do if your GPS broke,
ran out of power or couldn't receive satellite signals because of the
vegetation or terrain? The workbook deliberately avoids covering the use
of a GPS because "if you don't understand basic or manual navigation you
will battle to use a GPS". It even includes a section on improvised
navigation for those caught out in a survival situation.
Navigation Anyplace Wild is a must read for anyone who regularly
ventures into wilderness areas with the responsibility of getting a
group of fellow adventurers back home safely. It is certain to become a
standard reference work on wilderness navigation and prescribed reading
for trainee navigators
.
