“When we’re kids, we know that down is south and up is north. Where a compass points is where Santa lives, and it’s at the top of the map. Life is simple. But when we become men (and women), start doing land nav, and put away childish things, it gets a little more complicated.”
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip: 6 Reasons Not to Trust Your GPS
“Those who are new to the woods and believe that wilderness skills can be hacked like everything else are especially susceptible to this fallacy. But some things can't be shortcut. Some things, the old-fashioned, difficult, inefficient and time-consuming way is still the way to do it. Land nav is one of those things.”
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 3/12 - Counting Your Pace
“There is no ‘hack’ to getting your pace count right. There are best practices, followed by lots of practicing. Go out and find a place to lay out a 100-meter course, and get to it. What if you’re not military or SAR? Is this relevant to you? Absolutely.”
Read moreSeven Steps to Staying Found
In July 2013, 66-year-old Geraldine Largay, a long-distance section hiker on the Appalachian Trail, was scheduled to meet her husband for a food pickup in Redington Township, Maine, before continuing her hike. She never showed up. Two years later, her remains were discovered by a surveying crew.... She was half a mile from the trail.
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