Ive got a little more time now, so Ill expand on the reply to SF's post about map/compass...
For over 14 years all I ever had was a map, compass and pace beads and training for tools to navigate. Technology finally got affordable, and I bought a Magellan GPS-315 from K-Mart for under $300, BECAUSE it had MGRS (Military Grid Referencing System) co-ordinates built in, this meant I could use the GPS *with* a military map!
Whoah.... Yeah buddy, this was the shit! By this time, I was in support platoon finally getting out of ground pounding, but it was still the same division, battalion AND company.. Only now, my motto was "If we cant truck it, f it"...
In very short order I came to MASTER not only using the GPS (which was 10 times lighter, and 10 times faster than the PLUGGER of it's time), but ALSO I sharpened my map reading and navigation skills...
My platoon sgt ALWAYS had me as a co-pilot (he liked to drive the HMMWV)... Id plot the grid and tell him where to go... and we would FIND the TOC every single time, easy peasy... Mind you, this is in terrain with multiple dirt roads and thick foliage, so it otherwise would have taken a LOT of scouting...
Fast forward to recent times..
I tried and tried and tried to learn the Lat Lon system of the civilized world, only to be left disappointed, you almost need to have a degree on the subject to be proficient... Then I discovered UTM co-ord system, which is based on 1K meter grids... SAME AS MGRS!
OKAY, *NOW* were onto something... The grid numbering system is identical to MGRS, its just different numbers... So I mastered UTM in about 5 minutes...
I have the NatGeo software for making topo maps, and I spit them out in (I think) 1:24K and UTM, I even have map tools for reading the grid if I want precision.
For me, the GPS is a great, great asset... but it is not unlike other navigation tools and should NOT be depended on solely.
Kit for navigation:
GPS (I run a Dakota 20 with topo maps and built in compass)
USGI compass and/or Silva
Topo map in UTM
Pace beads, if your gonna hump multiple klicks
If I drop one piece of gear, I should be good to go...
At the minimum, I want a MAP and a COMPASS to navigate. Utilizing terrain features with intersection and recession I can determine my location, and move out from there if needed.
Pencil and paper are great assets too... I can scratch on paper the co-ords of a waypoint (RP?), log it in the GPS, and move on... if the gear fails, Ive got it on PAPER and can navigate back if desired.
Field navigation is my one strong point (along with marksmanship, Ill brag...)... I hope to teach daughter the same skills and gear her with the same tools so she can be comfortable exploring the field that has yet been explored...
Thank you for your time, & HORAH!
EB
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