Map Skills

A compass without a map for reference is only half the challenge. Keeping a detailed map in your side pocket and knowing how to read it correctly will complete your wilderness navigation toolkit.

As kids, my friends and I hid treasure in the woods and then made maps and used compasses to find it. It was great fun to walk to the big apple tree, walk 50 steps east, then 125 steps south to the big rock, then 25 steps west and look for an X on the ground. Of course, we need a bit more detail than that out in the real world, but much of the skills are the same.

Map reading is a satisfying experience. When you use your imagination to picture what the map is representing, the mountains and rivers can come alive even before you actually walk them. Once you understand a compass and can read a map, you can then use a map and compass together efficiently.

These map information pages include:

• Read a Map - a picture worth 1,000 words
• Map Scales - it doesn't look that far on the map
• Map Symbols - see what's blue, brown, green, and red
• Topo Maps - what are all those lines for?
• Contour Map Quiz - check your topo reading skills

Why did the polar bear go to the south pole?   To visit his Aunt Arctica!

Search Google News for more 'Lost Hiker' news items.

04 Jul 2022 - Paynetown lost hiker, Schacht Road fire, Woodland Springs fire

22 Jun 2022 - Lost hiker found safe

01 Jul 2022 - Hiker from Singapore is found wandering lost in Adirondack backcountry swamp. Wife called authorities when Strava app feed went dark.

01 Jul 2022 - Lost hikers found in Charles C. Deam Wilderness – The Bloomingtonian

02 Jul 2022 - Search is on for missing hiker in Linn county

15 Jun 2022 - Lost hiker found quickly after calling 911 and providing coordinates

26 Jun 2022 - HFD rescues lost hiker using photos, texts in Sunset Hills

04 Jul 2022 - Teams Work Through the Night to Rescue Stuck Hiker on Mt. Toll

06 Jun 2022 - Authorities Urge Caution After "Sneaker Waves" Kill Hiker on Lost Coast Trail

08 Jun 2022 - Rangers recover body of canoeist from Adirondack lake, aid 7 lost and injured hikers/paddlers

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