If you can’t figure out where you are (or where you’re going), your career as a motorcyclist isn’t going to last long. Being able to navigate is a crucial skill for any outdoor enthusiast, but most of these days tend to let our technology do the heavy lifting, turning to smartphone mapping applications, GPS devices, and other electronic navigational gear.
Don’t get me wrong. This technology certainly has a place. In fact, we sell a ton of the best GPS and satellite messengers right here at Moto Camp Nerd, and an electronic navigational tool should definitely be your go-to.
But electronics are not bombproof. They can break, get wet, run out of charge, or just act downright wonky sometimes. If you spend enough time in the wilderness, sooner or later, you will need to navigate the old-fashioned way. In this article, I’ll go over the basic tools for analog wilderness navigation—a map and compass—and teach you how to use them. But first, let’s talk a bit about the technology that is available for wilderness navigation, and the differences between it.
The Tech: Satellite Messengers vs. Beacons vs. Navigational Devices and More
There are a variety of electronic navigation tools on the market today. The first one is (duh) your phone. We’re all familiar with Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, and other smartphone map apps. For wilderness travel, options include Strava, Gaia GPS, BackCountry Navigator, AllTrails… the list goes on, and on, and on.
For alpine navigation and travel, I’m particularly fond of the augmented reality tool PeakVisor, who I work with on occasion. In addition to serving as a traditional mapping tool, PeakVisor turns your phone into a lens to view the wilderness around you, identifying mountain ranges, high points, routes, and other features through your camera.
Beyond your smartphone, you can also use dedicated navigational devices. These fall into several categories.
There are navigational screens, like the Garmin zūmo XT2, which works offline with downloaded maps, but won’t be able to connect to SOS and satellite resources in the backcountry directly. There are also satellite messengers, like the ever-popular Garmin inReach Mini (my personal favorite), which allow you to communicate with family, friends, and emergency services, and allow others to track your location, but don’t have maps on the device, so can’t be used for navigation.
There are beacons, which can allow others to track you and may have a built-in SOS button to call for help in case of an emergency, but have no messaging or navigational capability. There are also hybrid messenger-beacons like the ZOLEO. This device has an SOS and check-in button, but beyond this, no dedicated interface. It must be used in conjunction with a smartphone for messaging and other tools. (This can cause problems, like this story I covered for Outside Online about two climbers trapped in the Himalaya during a first ascent. Their ZOLEO had power, but their phones had died, so the device was nothing more than a beacon.)
There are also full-fledged satellite navigational devices, like the Garmin Montana 700i, which come with screens so you can actually see where you’re going. These devices incorporate all the features discussed above, but they don’t come cheap!
NOTE: Satellite tech isn’t legal everywhere. Just last week I wrote about a Canadian ultrarunner who was arrested in India simply for possessing a Garmin inReach satellite messenger. Do your research. In addition to India, nations that ban satellite messengers include but are not limited to: Afghanistan, Ukrainian Crimea, Cuba, Georgia, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Russia.
The Old-School Tools: Your Compass and Map
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s dive into the old-school, analog navigation gear: a compass and a map. Simple tools, but many don’t know how to use them properly, or to their fullest potential. Here’s what you need to know.
Compass
Most compasses used for navigation are known as “baseplate compasses.” These feature a rotating bezel with degree markings, a clear baseplate, a magnetic needle that points north, a rotating orienting arrow on the bezel, and a fixed “direction of travel” arrow. Baseplate compasses also have at least one straight edge for taking a bearing and transferring it to the map. Many have a small ruler along the edge, too, so you can measure distance per your map’s scale.
A standard baseplate compass
Bearing: Bearings are directions measured in degrees from north (0° to 360°), with yourself placed at the center of a giant circle. You use bearings to set a course or identify the direction of a landmark. For example, a given landmark might be 90° from your location, or due east. 180° would be south, and 270° west. This system is analogous to the clockhand speak used in action movie military parlance, (Captain, I’ve got bogies at one o’clock!) but more precise.
Declination: Also known as “magnetic variance,” this is the slight difference between true north and magnetic north. Depending on where you are in the world, this will vary slightly. Local maps will indicate the declination for the area, and you'll need to adjust your compass accordingly.
TIP: Declination varies over time. Check your map's revision date or consult the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Map
A compass is little use without a map. The best maps are waterproof, rip and tear-proof, and topographic, meaning they don’t just show you horizontal distance, they also use contour lines to illustrate elevation, revealing hills, valleys, bluffs, and other vertical terrain variations. We’ll cover “How to Read a Topographic Map” below.
A topographic map showing the route from Everest Base Camp (left confluence of trails) to the summit of Everest (8,848m) via the standard Nepal-side route up the South Col. CREDIT: PeakVisor
Scale: All maps have different scales, indicating the relationship between distance on the map and distance on the ground. 1:24,000 is a common scale, meaning 1 inch on the map equals 24,000 inches (2,000 feet) in real life. Familiarize yourself with your map’s scale to ensure you understand how distance is portrayed on the map.
Legend: Maps use standardized symbols to represent terrain features like trails, roads, man made structures, waterways, and vegetation. These symbols will be identified in the map key, or “legend.” Familiarize yourself with your map’s legend before you head out. Every map will use slightly different symbols, but many are common across all maps. For example, blue usually means water, green means forest, and red or black lines indicate types of roads.
Getting Started: Before You Hit the Trails
If you wait until you’ve ridden 50 miles down a backcountry trail, your phone is dead, and your GPS is busted to start worrying about navigating by hand, you’ve handicapped yourself pretty hard. Plan ahead.
Identify key landmarks along your route (known as “attack points” in orienteering parlance) that will be easy to find and can be used as stepping stones to reach your actual objectives (“control points”). These might be human-made landmarks, large bodies of water, roads, or sharp variances in elevation. Also consider terrain, vegetation, and obstacles you might encounter. Analyze weather reports and dress accordingly. Map out water sources to refill your water, and be sure to bring a water pump or other purification system.
In short, make sure you know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, how long it should take, and what you can look for to guide you along the way.
Essential Skills: Reading & Orienting Your Map, Taking & Following Bearings
Now that we’ve gotten the groundwork out of the way, let’s talk about how to use our tools.
How to Read a Topographic Map
Topographic maps are no different from any other map, save for their contour lines. So, in addition to the scale and legend discussed above, we have to learn how to read contour lines. Contour lines connect points of equal elevation—every point along a contour line is the exact same elevation, and two different contour lines will never intersect. When two lines are close together, they indicate a steep slope. Widely spaced lines signify a gentle gradient. Closed loops represent either hills or depressions.
Contour Interval: This is the difference in elevation between adjacent contour lines. This information is usually in the map legend. (It might be 50 feet, for example.) Knowing the contour interval helps you determine the steepness of the terrain and estimate elevation changes.
Index Contours: Every few contour lines, one is bolder and labeled with the elevation. These are known as “index contours” and provide a point of reference to help identify specific elevations and gauge overall terrain quickly.
A topographic map, with contour lines showing the prominence of three peaks near Great Pond Mountain, Maine
4 Rules of Contour Lines
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Contour lines connect points of equal elevation, so every point on a single contour line represents the exact same elevation.
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Contour lines never cross or split. They may come very close to each other (representing a steep incline), but may never touch or cross. They also do not break apart. One contour line stays one contour line until it reaches the edge of your map (or circles back to “loop” with itself).
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By definition, contour lines separate higher elevation from lower elevation. This means that using an index line, it is always possible to find the “uphill” direction on one side of a contour and the “downhill” direction on the other.
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Closely spaced contours indicate a steep slope, whereas contours that are spaced far apart indicate a gentle slope. This is because each contour line represents a new elevation.
Orienting Your Map
The first step in navigation with a map and compass is orienting yourself. It’s pretty simple. Orienting your map involves matching north on your map with north on your compass.
First, place your compass squarely on your map with the direction of travel arrow matching “north” on the map (e.g. pointing towards the top of the map). Rotate the compass housing until its orienting arrow points the same way.
Now, rotate the map and compass together in your hands until the magnetic needle aligns with the top of the map (which should also be “north” on the compass housing and the direction of travel arrow). “North” is now the same across the board. Your map is terrain-oriented!
Taking and Following Bearings
Once your map is oriented, you’ll need to take bearings to figure out where to go. As we discussed above, a bearing is simply a precise way to describe a direction using the 360 degrees of a circle. Due north is 0°, east is 90°, south is 180°, and west is 270°. So instead of saying, “Head southwest,” you might say “Head 250° southwest,” to be more precise.
First, (keeping your map oriented north) point the direction of travel arrow on your compass toward your destination. Then, rotate the bezel until the orienting arrow aligns with the magnetic needle again. Read the bearing where the direction of travel arrow intersects the bezel. This will be a number in degrees. You have your bearing!
Once you have determined your bearing, you simply need to follow it. If you keep your bezel rotated where the bearing intersects the direction of travel arrow, all you have to do is walk while maintaining the alignment between the bezel’s orienting arrow and the magnetic needle pointing north.
I’m Lost, What Now?
If you're lost, try to identify two prominent landmarks around you, such as man-made structures, waterways or bodies of water, or dramatic elevation variances (e.g. cliffs, gullies, hills).
Once you find these landmarks in the real world, look for them on your map, and then take a bearing from your position to each landmark. Draw lines on your map corresponding to these bearings. The point where the two lines intersect is your approximate location.
For example, if you’re facing due north, and there is a rocky outcropping at 300° (to your left) and a small pond at 30° (to your right), you should be able to find both those landmarks on your map and create an acute triangle, drawing inwards from both points to find your general location.
No Map? No Compass? Learn Natural Navigational Tools
Stars: Experienced astronomers can also navigate using constellations. This isn’t a surefire method, as you’ll need a clear night sky, with low light pollution and minimal obstructions from forest canopies. Constellation positions also change based on season and hemisphere.
However, in North America, you can always rely on Polaris (better known as the “North Star”) to find north, as it lies less than 1° away from the north celestial pole. Finding this star is pretty easy. The two outermost stars of the recognizable Big Dipper (Ursa Major) point directly to it. Essentially, Polaris is just above the upper corner of the Dipper’s ladle. EarthSky explains this method in detail.
Landmarks: Cliffs, buildings, roads, fences, waterways, and other easily identifiable landmarks are key to easy navigation. If you see one or two landmarks near you, you can usually find these on a map and figure out where you are. (See “I’m Lost, What Now?”)
Trees: While less reliable than some other methods, trees can also help you navigate, particularly if you’re in dense forest with no sky visibility or landmarks. Tree branches usually grow in the direction that receives the most sun, which, in North America, is south.
If all the trees around you have most of their branches on one side, you can assume that direction is south. The same is true for plants. They typically grow with the densest vegetation (leaves, flowers, fruits, vines, etc.) facing south.
Moss: Moss can grow just about anywhere firm, from rocks to trees, but it prefers to grow facing north because of the darker, more humid environment. If you see moss growing on the same side of a number of rocks and tree trunks, it’s probably facing north.
Ants: Like plants and trees, ant colonies also like to face south to be exposed to maximum sunlight to provide them with better heat and insulation for their colony. Searching the bases of trees for ant colonies can give you a clue as to which direction is south.
None of these tips is a surefire bet on its own, but you can often combine several methods to become reasonably certain as to your direction. For example, if you see ant colonies and fruit-bearing vines all on the same side of trees, and moss growing facing the opposite direction on rocks and trees as well, you can assume you’re looking at south and north, respectively.
Conclusion
As you become a more experienced navigator, you can explore more advanced navigational techniques, such as orienting based on an aspect of slope, or “aiming off,” where you intentionally deviate from your intended bearing to avoid obstacles or difficult terrain. Wilderness navigation is about as complex and multifaceted a field as you can imagine. There is no end to the skills you can learn.
But for now, try to bring a map and compass with you as a backup whenever you head out on two wheels, and don’t rely entirely on your Garmin or smartphone. Every now and then, practice with your compass, judge elevation via contour lines, and do some orienting and taking of bearings. You’d be surprised how quickly you can grow comfortable with these tools, and how rewarding it can be to navigate by hand.
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