From Booklist
Maps and a compass are the hiker's insurance against getting lost in the woods. But you'll need to be able to do more with these tools than locate Fresno or head south. Seidman, a world traveler and master kayaker, charts the subtleties of map interpretation (especially the ups and downs of contour lines) and offers instruction on how to use a compass for taking bearings and walking a course. Other techniques for finding your way in the woods are explained: estimating distances by finger angles or winking, adjusting your compass for true north, and finding directions from the motions of the sun and stars. By the way, forget about moss growing on the north side of trees; lichens like moisture, which more often depends on prevailing winds and weather than direction. This book is filled with illustrations and practical advice to keep the careful trekker on the right path. Even armchair travelers will find some valuable advice here. Jennifer Henderson
Book Description
Now with full-color topographic maps and featuring the latest on electronic navigation, The Essential Wilderness Navigator is the clearest and most up-to-date route-finding primer available. Providing readers with exercises for developing a directional ‘sixth sense,’ tips on mastering the art of map- and compass-reading, and comprehensive updates on a range of technological advances, this perennially popular guide is more indispensable than ever.
From the Back Cover
The Essential Series--Your Trusted Guides
"Puts the world of wilderness navigation in the palm of your hand."--Adventure West
"Teaches the essential disciplines of compass and map-reading . . . but goes beyond the basics with useful, eye-opening advice on how to read nature's highway signs--vegetation bands, wind-whipped ripples in sand or snow, and the positions of the sun and stars."--Northeast Outdoors
If you're at all unsure of your backwoods direction-finding skills, The Essential Wilderness Navigator is the guide you've been looking for. It teaches you how to observe--to see, smell, hear, and sense the details of the environment around you. Then, to supplement your newly enhanced sense of direction, you'll learn to read maps, use a compass, and find your location and route with reference to landmarks. This updated second edition also includes The basics of global positioning system (GPS) navigation and CD-ROM maps A full-color section on reading topographical maps Navigating in deserts, mountains, and snow
Whether you're planning an extended wilderness trek or a day hike on marked trails, here's how to stay found.
About the Author
David Seidman has spent a good portion of his life finding his way around the world. He's crossed oceans, toured central Asia and Mongolia without a map or the ability to speak the language, and found a Mayan ruin in Guatemala. He is the author of The Essential Sea Kayaker and The Complete Sailor and is an editor at Boating magazine.
Paul Cleveland has worked as a wilderness ranger in New Mexico and designed and built trails in the Appalachians. He is a frequent contributor to Backpacker and Climbing magazines and the Gorp.com Web pages. He guides whitewater rafting trips and teaches CPR and first aid for the Red Cross and wilderness navigation for Outward Bound.
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