Posted: 7/18/2012 3:02:20 PM EDT
| Can someone please recommend a good book to teach my young sons land nav? I'll be doing it with them, but want something that covers all the bases. |
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Can someone please recommend a good book to teach my young sons land nav? I'll be doing it with them, but want something that covers all the bases. My old boy scout manual was excellent-no idea if they are still available though. ETA: Found a free download from NWCG 
LINK Updated in 2007, so far more updated than what I remember using as a kid. |
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http://550cord.com/products/info.asp?ProductID=5&product=Land-Navigation-Training
Best training aid out there IMO. The military uses it a lot for training, it costs $40 though if you can't find it free someplace. |
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http://550cord.com/products/info.asp?ProductID=5&product=Land-Navigation-Training Best training aid out there IMO. The military uses it a lot for training, it costs $40 though if you can't find it free someplace. This |
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http://www.amazon.com/Orienteering-Sport-Navigating-Map-Compass/dp/0811728706/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342708951&sr=1-1&keywords=orienteering
This is a very good one. I'm an ASM and the scout book is a good start but if you want to really get good, there are tricks, tips and techniques that the basic nav chapter in the scout handbook just doesn't have enough room to cover. |
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http://550cord.com/products/info.asp?ProductID=5&product=Land-Navigation-Training Best training aid out there IMO. The military uses it a lot for training, it costs $40 though if you can't find it free someplace. That looks very nice. Might have some things that are more applicable over longer distances. Another thing about how the BSA teaches landnav is that it's very cumbersome and slow, trying to achieve surveyor accuracy when it's not necessary. (like having the point man walk off to mark the bearing and then the compass man walks to him). I'd also add that practice is everything. Go do some orienteering races or adventure races call "Rogaines" (nothing to do with the hair product) if they are available in your area. |
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I am used to the Army navigation and I was curious if someone offers the military style maps for every state with grid identifiers like "Whiskey Tango 12345678" Hope that makes sense. makes sense... don't know of a place off the top of my head. prior service? |
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I am used to the Army navigation and I was curious if someone offers the military style maps for every state with grid identifiers like "Whiskey Tango 12345678" Hope that makes sense. Not to derail the topic, but does anyone know what the name of the military's mesurment system is? IE WT12345678 |
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I am used to the Army navigation and I was curious if someone offers the military style maps for every state with grid identifiers like "Whiskey Tango 12345678" Hope that makes sense. Not to derail the topic, but does anyone know what the name of the military's mesurment system is? IE WT12345678 Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) |
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I am used to the Army navigation and I was curious if someone offers the military style maps for every state with grid identifiers like "Whiskey Tango 12345678" Hope that makes sense. makes sense... don't know of a place off the top of my head. prior service? Yea Recent: OEF 9, did my time as a 19D/DM and got out 
EDIT: It is just easier for me to stick w/ what I know.....and I know it well lol |
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I am used to the Army navigation and I was curious if someone offers the military style maps for every state with grid identifiers like "Whiskey Tango 12345678" Hope that makes sense. makes sense... don't know of a place off the top of my head. Yea Recent: OEF 9, did my time as a 19D/DM and got out
EDIT: It is just easier for me to stick w/ what I know.....and I know it well lol nothing wrong with it if it works. the .mil way is what i use now too. IM sent |
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I am used to the Army navigation and I was curious if someone offers the military style maps for every state with grid identifiers like "Whiskey Tango 12345678" Hope that makes sense. I imagine the military has them..... So they are probably available. Military maps are usually either 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 scale. The easiest maps to get are USGS topographical maps, but they are 1:24,000. |
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My vote goes for a Silva Compass... I would pick whichever one suites your needs:
http://www.silvacompass.com/ I have had some of their old basic models for years and recently upgraded to a Silva Guide model and really like it. I really like the idea of having a mirror with the compass in a survival situation. I guess what I have had for the past several years would be a predecessor to the "Polaris" model. YMMV |
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Links to a good compass? This thread in the Gear forum should be relevant to your interests. |
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I am used to the Army navigation and I was curious if someone offers the military style maps for every state with grid identifiers like "Whiskey Tango 12345678" Hope that makes sense. I imagine the military has them..... So they are probably available. Military maps are usually either 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 scale. The easiest maps to get are USGS topographical maps, but they are 1:24,000. Do you know of a site? |
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close but no cigar...thanks for the help though If it's "no cigar" for you because they're 1:24k instead of 1:25k.... Best course of action is to use the 1:24k USGS maps (as I linked) and grab a protractor from Maptools.com. They also stock these at REI by the way. You'll be good to go for about $6-7 plus whatever it costs you to print out the maps yourself. IMO there's no point in trying to find MGRS maps when the USGS UTM-based system is so widely available. Standard UTM notation is easier to understand anyway since there's no converting between the alpha-characters and numerical figures. (FWIW, MGRS is just UTM with the first few numbers replaced by a 2-character grid zone designator and 2-character 100k meter square identifier.) And nobody outside of the military uses MGRS, so you'll speak a more universal language with UTM –– that's what SAR crews, hiking maps, etc are using. ETA: I just saw that the latest "US Topo" maps (free from the USGS link above) now have a selectable sat image layer. With all layers turned on in Acrobat Reader, you get sat superimposed with the traditional topo/grid/street info. Pretty great stuff for "free" (tax dollars of course). |
Your link has helped alot and I 'perciate it!
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close but no cigar...thanks for the help though If it's "no cigar" for you because they're 1:24k instead of 1:25k.... Best course of action is to use the 1:24k USGS maps (as I linked) and grab a protractor from Maptools.com. They also stock these at REI by the way. You'll be good to go for about $6-7 plus whatever it costs you to print out the maps yourself. IMO there's no point in trying to find MGRS maps when the USGS UTM-based system is so widely available. Standard UTM notation is easier to understand anyway since there's no converting between the alpha-characters and numerical figures. (FWIW, MGRS is just UTM with the first few numbers replaced by a 2-character grid zone designator and 2-character 100k meter square identifier.) And nobody outside of the military uses MGRS, so you'll speak a more universal language with UTM –– that's what SAR crews, hiking maps, etc are using. ETA: I just saw that the latest "US Topo" maps (free from the USGS link above) now have a selectable sat image layer. With all layers turned on in Acrobat Reader, you get sat superimposed with the traditional topo/grid/street info. Pretty great stuff for "free" (tax dollars of course). Thanks! |