Need advice on good Land Navigation books.

C Bryant

C Bryant

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I had a natural science teacher in high school who was big in to wilderness navigation and taught his classes how to use a map and compass. Well it has been 12+ years since I took that class and I have lost most of the knowledge I had about map and compass navigation as almost anywhere I go I follow well defined trails.

I want to relearn some lost skills and need some recommendations for good books on the subject. Maybe even a decent compass recommendation too, as I dug up my orienteering compass to discover all of the fluid as gone. Not looking to be the next orienteering master, I just want some good basic knowledge to accurately and confidently use a topo map and compass.

I was looking at Be Expert with Map and Compass: The Complete Orienteering Handbook by Bjorn Kjellstrom, but among the good reviews it has there were quite a few saying the book is a bit outdated. Plus it seem heavily geared toward the sport of orienteering, which is not quite what I'm looking for.

Another book I have my eye on is Finding Your Way Without Map or Compass by Harold Gatty. The complete opposite topic from map and compass navigation, but looks like a good read.

So...... what do you got?
 
Be Expert with Map and Compass: The Complete Orienteering Handbook by Bjorn Kjellstrom is my favorite. I have the 1976 version that does not cover triangulation from terrain-to-map. Just be sure to reverse the "East is least West is best" rule if going from terrain-to-map.
I have had Boy Scout and other instruction and this was by far the best for me teaching myself.
It is not overly heavy on orientation IMO but there is nothing really wrong with that anyway if you want to be expert with map and compass.
 
Thanks guys, I guess I'll pick up the book. I was also thinking of getting the US Army Handbook on Map Reading and Land Navigation.

heyoka- Thanks for that link
 
Silva Ranger is my compass of choice. There are other good ones as well. Make sure though that any compass you get has a baseplate and is not just a round compass. It is the baseplate and the orienteering lines inside the compass housing that are the key to using the map and compass together.
 
Just keep in mind that when you transition between a civilian and military book that you are going to be dealing with geocord vs. mils.
 
Here's the one that I started with, Basic Essentials Map and Compass by Cliff Jacobson.
Easy to follow and covers dang near everything.

What ever you get just practice, practice, practice.:thumbup:
 
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