Basic Navigation 101

If you are serious about survival and you don’t have navigation skill it’s time to put down your hand held GPS unit or smart phone and develop this critical real world navigation skill so you are able to take the lines, numbers and colors you see on your map and compass and be able to apply it to your environment.

 When a true SHTF scenario happens I recommend taking these steps to help you gain the Critical Edge to increase your chances of survival.

 Step 1: Situational Awareness

During a SHTF scenario in a highly populated urban jungle, Situational Awareness is going to be crucial if you want to survive. You are going to need to know where you are, what your resources are and what the dangers are around you.

You are going to need to have a sense of where the four cardinal directions are, either by instinct, Looking at your compass or map, or by using old-school navigation techniques (I.E. looking at the sun or the North Star in the sky).

I urge you to really develop your skills of situational awareness & stay alert in your everyday lives. You should become familiar with your surroundings and realize that they are navigation tools.

 Step 2: Asses the Situation

Don’t freak and dwell on the disaster or SHTF scenario that is making you GTFO. You are going to have to focus on what’s going on (again situational awareness) so you can figure the best direction that you’ll want to travel through the urban jungle of skyscrapers, streets and sidewalks.

Step 3: Get your Bearings
Now you are going to need to know your location, Destination and bearing. (The direction between two points).To determine your bearing you are going to place you compass on your map on a flat surface in relation to the environment around you.

Now you are going to evaluate your situation and set an objective.

Once you have formulated your game plan, Connect your starting point and your destination with a line, You can do this visually or physically on your map with a pencil.

 Step 4: Set the Declination

If you are a newbie to navigation then you are probably wondering “what the heck is declination?” Don’t stress out this is not rocket science. Its survival

Declination is the difference (expressed in degrees) between the geographic North pole (or true north) and the magnetic north pole (one of two focal points of earths magnetic field).The magnetic needle of every compass will point only to the magnetic North, Which is more than 600 miles from true north and continues to move farther away as the earths magnetic field shift’s.

You need to understand this concept because it’s the biggest mistake that amateurs make. Not understanding how to set the declination on their compass or they have no clue and haven’t even heard of it.

For example when you set the declination and it’s off by just 1 degree, you would be off course by almost 1,000 feet after you just hiked 10 miles. And if your declination is off by 10 degrees, you could find yourself about two miles off your chosen path. I doubt you want to hear your wife give you a smart reply when you tell her that you are lost and off course.

To set the declination, you will the azimuth ring by the correct number of degrees in the correct direction so that your compass’ orienting arrow points toward true north.

The degree of declination will depend on where you’re standing. The declination is bout 12 degrees east in Los Angeles, While its 13.5 degrees west in the Big Apple (New York City). Some maps will have the angles of declination on them; just make sure they are up to date. Because believe it or not, declination changes annually and even daily.

And assuming you still have internet service in a SHTF scenario you could check out this cool site called Google Search.

Step5: Repeat Step 4

You should always be in the habit to double check your bearing on your compass and map in relation to your environment, as the terrain could force you to adjust your planned direction of travel. Let’s say for instance your SHTF scenario happens to be a fertilizer plant explodes releasing toxic chemicals turning ever one into zombies and you need to GTFO? Now lets say that your safe rendezvous point is south of your starting point, but the plant is also south of you and the wind is traveling north? What if there’s bedlam (a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion) to the west? Your option at this moment is to initially head east then change you’re your bearing to eventually head south when it’s safe to do so.

 Just like any skill it has to be developed and mastered by practicing on a regular basis. Failing to practice your new found skill is the second biggest mistake that that newbie’s make. You have to realize that navigation is a skill and you have to be at ease with the gear.

 You should use every opportunity to practice your navigation skills in your daily life. Here is a short list of activities that will help you hone your navigation skills.

• Take a short hike
• Watch tutorials
• Go Geocaching with your family and use compasses to triangulate the prizes

 If you don’t have regular access to hiking trails and parks I want you to use your navigation skills at work. For example my wife has a map of San Diego underneath the glass of her desk which is a really cool office decoration and lets her do some reconnaissance during the day. She studies the map and then looks out the window to see how it translates to the real world.

 You can have all the best gear in the world and won’t be worth a dam unless you know what to do with it. Having a skill set is going to be the most valuable gear you can ever have and it will never fail you.

Thank you

Critical Edge