Synopses & Reviews
Sooner or later any outdoor enthusiast will need more than trail markers for guidance. This best-selling manual--now thoroughly revised and updated--is designed for anyone who wants to chart a course in the wilderness: hiker, backpacker, snowshoer, skier, fisherman, or hunter. Step by step, it teaches the skills that enable you to answer the vital questions: Where am I now? Which way do I head to reach my destination? How far is it? And how long will it take me to get there?
Starting with the basics of interpreting maps and orienting by compass, the book proceeds clearly through the more advanced mysteries of land navigation: measuring distances and estimating travel times; determining and adjusting for
local declination around the globe; using an altimeter to add the dimension of height to one's position; and navigation by means of sun and stars. In updating the late W. S. Kals's text, coauthor Clyde Soles focuses on the latest developments in technology and equipment. Readers learn, for example, that through digital mapping software, one can order the exact area desired, at any scale, and print it on waterproof paper. Soles also surveys the popular new handheld GPS units and instructs in their use, and provides an overview of marine navigation for the growing sport of sea kayaking. Visuals include a full-color foldout topographic map for reference and practice, plus dozens of helpful drawings and photographs.
Though much has changed, one thing certainly hasn't: the new edition of Land Navigation Handbook retains the solid information, spirit, and lively humor that made it a classic among outdoorspeople everywhere.
Synopsis
Every outdoorsperson at on time or another needs to chart a course in the wilderness. In
Land Navigation Handbook an expert navigator combines his map-and-compass skills with a special concern for the needs of the wilderness wanderer to create a comprehensive primer for the beginning pathfinder and the veteran hiker. Subjects include:
Choosing and using a compass
Reading topographic maps
Measuring distances and estimating travel times
Altimeter navigation
Navigation using the sun and stars, including instructions for the tropics and Southern Hemisphere
The book also includes a specially prepared five-color foldout topographical map plus 70 drawings and photographs.
Table of Contents
Preface to the Second Edition
1. Land Navigation
2. Maps and Map Symbols
3. Distance from the Map
4. Height from the Map
5. Direction from the Map
6. Choosing a Compass
7. Using Your Compass
8. Magnetic Direction
9. Altimeter Navigation
10. GPS Navigation
11. Using Your GPS
12. Direction from the Sky
13. Navigation Tricks
Index