#map and compass

[preppers-will]

A Few Ways To Determine Your Direction Without A Compass

Here are a dozen useful methods to determine your direction without relying on a compass or other navigation tool. These techniques can be u

[pattylittledistance]

When As It Is said ‘with my headphones on / same damn song / playing on repeat the whole night long’ I felt that

[pcttrailsidereader]

A Different Kind of Record

There are numerous records associated with the PCT. The most obvious is the FKT or fastest known time. Then there is the variation of FKT* or fastest known time without support. In addition there are such things as the 'Oregon challenge' which is based on how fast hikers can walk the length of the Oregon PCT.

My partners and I have joked about our SKT or slowest known time in reference to how long it took us to complete the PCT and more importantly how we approach each day on the trail. Our style is not to crush miles but to more generally embrace them. We don't necessarily approach any of our hikes with the thought of setting specific records. Our goal is to simply enjoy our time together as that establishes a different kind of record. A record of yet another memorable time together.

Our lives today are absolutely saturated with technology. In 2022, an app monitoring firm found that people across the world were spending an average of 4.8 hours per day on mobile apps. Studies on digital addiction and screen time published by the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Pew Research Center reveal a lack of choice when it comes to our phones and the places they take us: sites designed, often explicitly, to tether us by the eyeballs to our screens. The impacts can be devastating to our mental health and wellbeing, and may be tied to rising rates of depression and anxiety. 

On the other hand part of the conversation around technology centers on those who have accessed technology in the past generally were those who possessed the financial resources to pursue it. Over the past few decades as computers and later cell phones got more than a hand hold in people's lives technology began to spread its influence. With this spread came inherent privilege. The people who were welcoming technology into their lives could also afford it. As time has passed, affordability became less an obstacle and technology more a tool for a majority of people. But we are not going to further that discussion here as this point of view only sets up where I am going next.

I am sure we can agree technology does offer people many benefits. One appears to be a connection to others. Technology can also provide a link to safety. In the hiking world it provides route guidance and a modicum of connection to others and for potential rescue.

One of my hiking partners has shared that every so often he takes a technology break. He unplugs for a day and experiences life without the 'assistance' of technology. In other words, no phone, no computer. Unplugging gives Jim space for less interrupted reflection. I have admired his determination to free himself from technology even for a day.  

Given the various potential challenges or aka. 'records' that have emerged since the numbers of hikers has continually increased over the decades a different kind of record comes to mind. Consider this a 'throwback' record. How about an attempt to hike all or part of the PCT without technology? You know, paper maps and printed guides...even access to a compass (a former techno marvel). I admit that Halfmile's and later Guthooks and now Far Out have proven useful to me on the PCT. I wonder what a PCT experience would be without actively accessing phone or earbuds but instead fully seeing and hearing the world around me. No online blogs but a pencil and paper journal if one was so inclined. I don't think it would be dis-qualifier to bring a Garmin or similar device in case of emergency as that could be prudent.

To me this could be every bit as meaningful a record as how fast someone(s) walked a section or the whole length of the PCT. It raises some great questions too. Such as, what did it feel like to not be technologically connected? Was it scarier without technology? Was your confidence lifted over time as a result of unplugging? Did going without technology enhance or take away from your overall experience and if so, in what ways? How hard was it to hike unplugged?

In a time when so much of what people do or attempt to do is synonymous with being an extreme sport maybe a throwback record of unplugging is just another extreme form. I don't know to be honest but I do find it intriguing. Back when my partners and I started hiking sections of the PCT we were unplugged as there was nothing to plug into. For example the ski area parking lot at Stevens Pass still had a pay phone that we actively accessed for contact with friends and family. That was technology but it was stationary and now there is no trace of it there or many other places. We checked in, providing someone answered on the other end, and then walked on. Ignorance beyond the trail was some kind of bliss. We had maps and a guidebook to show us the way.

As I write this and read it back I sound ancient. I am not too ancient but just wondering how this might be for someone in the first third of the 21st century? Does it have any appeal? Is it even necessary? To be fair, is it necessary to go as fast as possible between Campo and the Canadian border or from the Oregon-California border to the Columbia River? Isn't the most necessary challenge making your hike the most memorable experience you can plugged or unplugged? It is all a great challenge if to do nothing else but to simply imagine.

Thoreau and Whitman unplugged

[geektechsailor]

F141 Vermilion Bay Area (Hard Copy) Fishing Map (With GPS)

An inshore saltwater two-sided fishing map of Vermilion Bay, Cote Blanche Bay, Marsh Island and many, many coastal bayous, marshes and small

I’m updating my printed charts for S/V “Mon Nèg” Batteriea and Electronics should never be trusted. Paper charts, hand bearing compass, straight edge and a marker should always be onboard. That solar powered GPS watch is nice to have as a backup too. What have you done today to prepare?

[preppers-will]

Land Navigation Using a Map and a compass

Using a map and compass takes practice, but with a few practice sessions in the field, you will develop confidence in your ability to navigate the wilds.

[netbros]

How to protect yourself on hiking trails

How to protect yourself on hiking trails

Alarming headlines about missing hikers, or worse, can trigger panic about trail safety and the risks of exploring remote areas.

The potential for danger exists no matter where you are, but the best way to guard against it is to be prepared and alert.

Here are some tips for how to stay safe while hiking in remote areas, culled from the National Park Service and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

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[mountainjourney]

Sierra Designs Presents The Andrew Skurka Instructional Series: Map and Compass Part 1

Sierra Designs Presents The Andrew Skurka Instructional Series: Map and Compass Part 1

Navigation is a key component to safe wilderness travel. Learning how to use a map and compass is a skill that everyone needs to master. This useful video from Sierra Designs is a must watch for every mountain enthusiast who spends time in the backcountry hiking, backpacking, skiing, or any other activity.

Are you ready to watch The Andrew Skurka Instructional Series – Map and Compass Part 1 |…

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[keepthelightson]