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Read about the book Natural Navigation at The Next Challenge blog by Tim Moss. Tim took a course with Tristan Gooley the author of Natural Navigation:
- On an east-west running path in the northern hemisphere, you’ll find more puddles and dips on the southern side as it invariably gets less sunlight.
- You can sometimes get a gauge of north and south by putting a hand on different sides of a rock to see which has been warmed more by the sun.
- In winter, the sun goes from south east to south west. In the summer it goes from north east to north west in a much bigger arc. Pretty basic but my sunrise/sunset navigation would have been a long way off before I knew that.
Read the full post here
This put two new books on my reading list:
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Finding Your Way Without Map or Compass A reprint first published in the 1950’s. “Immensely useful, highly instructive manual for would-be explorers, hikers, bikers, scouts, sailors, survivalists – anyone who enjoys exploring the outdoors. Today’s adventurers will learn how to find their way in the wilderness, in towns, in the desert, in snow-covered areas – even on the ocean – by observing birds, animals, weather patterns, vegetation, shifting sands, patterns of snow fields, and the positions of the sun, moon and stars. Clearly, precisely and graphically explained by one of the world’s great navigators.” Available at Amazon  Preveiw on Google Books |
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The Natural Navigator: A Watchful Explorer’s Guide to a Nearly Forgotten Skill “Before GPS, before the compass, and even before cartography, humankind was navigating. A windswept tree, the depth of a puddle, or a trill of birdsong could point the way home—and, for the alert traveler, they still can…… Enriched by helpful illustrations, and filled with navigational anecdotes collected across centuries, continents, and cultures, The Natural Navigator proves that anyone with a curious mind can still find south by looking at the moon—and find adventure in their own backyard.” Available at Amazon |
In our area, the south-facing side of the ridges have less vegetation because they are drier. Generally, the sunny side is grassy and the shady side has shrubs and trees. This is quite clear on topo maps or aerial photos.
I read a book on hiking in the UK, and their basic navigation includes rather advanced topics, like finding a bothy (hut) on the moors in heavy fog. The book is “Hill Walking: The Official Handbook of the Mountain Leader and Walking Group Leader Schemes”. The navigation chapter is excellent, clear and comprehensive, but still to the point. The entire book is very good — I wish there was a similar leader-oriented book for the US. We have books on leadership or outdoor skills, but not both. The NOLS Wilderness Guide is close.
I found “Hill Walking” at Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hill-Walking-Official-Handbook-Mountain/dp/0954151100/
Hope you enjoy!
Happy navigating,
Tristan