The ability to read a map is one of the many skills we have mostly lost in the battle with modern technology. Nowadays, most people have difficulty orienting themselves with basic East-West directions on a sunny day. This over-reliance on technology does not pose an issue for most situations but could easily end up being the downfall of hikers and outdoorsy individuals. I have found that the knowledge that I can read a map and use a compass puts my mind at ease. Even so, city life and GPS make losing it a real danger, as any skill not honed is subject to rust.
As a junior in college, I enrolled in a geology class to fulfill a science requirement. I figured it would be a rather boring time studying rocks, but far easier than slogging through a semester of biology or chemistry. To my surprise, I found myself very much enjoying the class. Much of this was because, during the second week of class, the professor handed out contour maps and told us we would be using them for the whole semester.
I always loved maps, especially historical maps showing old cities and the roads and rivers that connected them. I had seen contour maps before, with their squiggly lines that meant little to me. Hell, I didn’t even know they were called contour maps until that day in college! Soon I was becoming engrossed in learning how to read elevation and slope as well as locating nature’s peaks, valleys, and rivers. Little did I know, but this was giving me incredible preparation for a couple of years down the line when
I was serving in the Israeli Defense Forces in advanced recon infantry training beginning to learn about land navigation. When they handed out contour maps, I could hardly contain my excitement. I figured I was leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else due to my semester in basic geology. I won’t say the pre- existing knowledge didn’t help, but there is far more to navigation than the basic understanding required to read the lines on a contour map.
One of the more difficult parts of navigation is translating what you read on the map into what you see in the field and feel with your legs on the ground. Being able to understand the elevation changes that make up the ridge of a mountain, or the channels coming down the sides and choosing the best ones for descent is crucial to mapping out your route.
Memory is key for understanding the route. It is not practical to walk your route with a map in hand and expect to translate the necessary information on the spot. This is why in training we were expected to navigate without a map and would be punished if caught using one. All of this might seem unnecessary to the layman who simply wants to get out for a hike, but there are plenty of scenarios where one could find themselves stuck in the wilderness without the technology to guide them to safety. Having a paper map of the area, a compass, and the ability to use both could very well be the difference between life and death. So how would a city dweller build these skills so that when they get out into the deeper recesses of the wild they are fully equipped and confident?
Step 1: Search YouTube for basic videos on working with a compass and map reading. There are many channels by survivalists, special forces soldiers, and outdoorsmen who break down what you need to know and how to use these tools.
Step 2: Find a local workshop that teaches the basics without leaving the city. There are always locals with this knowledge who are willing to teach those without. Often done in a local park where one can use the sky, shadows, and outdoor feel to help students understand certain basic lessons.
Step 3: After learning the basics, take your new skills out on a day hike. Find a paper contour map of a short to intermediate hike and study it before going out. Many apps/sites like AllTrails have downloadable and printable options. Take your map with you and have it out as you hike. Find the natural features of the surrounding landscape on the map and identify the peaks, ridges, shoulders, rivers, etc. Do this once a week for a few weeks and soon you will be able to read the map at a glance and translate it to what you are seeing in the field.
Pro tip: Leave the phone turned off and in your bag, and resist the temptation to use it. The longer you go without it the more comfortable you will feel without it. This is the best training for being stuck somewhere without the crutch of technology to get you out.
Good luck out there!
