Info Wanted: Best introductory books on learning Solid MAP AND COMPASS skills for the backcountry

[Seth Brewer]

A quick search didn't pull up any recent articles and wondered what books should be on my must read list. Thanks in advance!

ABOUT ME: lots of hiking, not so much map and compass reading beyond the "hey that's north" and the occasional "let's find a stream on the map"…..I'd say I'm still at the beginner level…Very Limited OFF trail hiking experience and would like to get better.

[Kathleen B]

The Mountaineers organization in Seattle uses "Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter, and GPS" by Bob Burns and his son Mike Burns. I was on the navigation committee for 13 years, was lucky enough to meet Bob and attend a lecture by him, and usually re-read the book once a year, even though I've been an instructor for years. I still learn from it.

[Randy Martin]

There are a number of online references you may want to check out

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/mapcompass.shtml

I particularly like this one

http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/

[Steven Paris]

Phil on Sectionhiker.com recommends this one:

http://sectionhiker.com/the-essential-wilderness-navigator/

I've been going through this one, considered one of/the classic map and compass book:

http://www.rei.com/product/803685/be-expert-with-map-and-compass-3rd-edition

[JW]

There are some great suggestions above. As someone who has each one of them, I personally prefer this one the most because of it's simplicity and effectiveness: Staying Found: The Complete Map and Compass Handbook.

Fleming teaches a method that does not require drawing declination lines on your map, nor do you need to add or subtract when going from map to compass and vice versa. She does not go over UTM and GPS, for that the previously mentioned Wilderness Nav book is great, or this free online tutorial by Map Tools: UTM Getting Started.

Just make sure you get a decent baseplate compass like the Brunton 7DNL which is recommended here on BPL by Roger Caffin in his compass reviews.

~J.

[Seth Brewer]

I appreciate all the helpful input and some current favorites. This will be a good way for a quick study in the basics. Cheers, Seth

[Author]

Posts