Land Navigation Handbook: The Sierra Club Guide to Map, Compass and GPS

Sooner or later any outdoor enthusiast will need more than trail markers for guidance. This best-selling manual - now thoroughly revised and updated - is designed for anyone who wants to chart a course in the wilderness: hiker, backpacker, snowshoer, skier, fisherman, or hunter. Step by step, it teaches the skills that enable you to answer the vital questions: Where am I now? Which way do I head to reach my destination? How far is it? And how long will it take me to get there?

Starting with the basics of interpreting maps and orienting by compass, the proceeds clearly through the more advanced mysteries of land navigation: measuring distances and estimating travel times; determining and adjusting for local declination around the globe; using an altimeter to add the dimension of height to one's position; and navigation by means of sun and stars. In updating the late W. S. Kal's text, coauthor Clyde Soles focuses on the latest developments in technology and equipment. Readers learn, for example, that through digital mapping software, one can order the exact area desired, at any scale, and print it on waterproof paper. Soles also surveys the popular handheld GPS units and instructs in their use, and provides an overview of marine navigation for the growing sport of sea kayaking. Visuals include a full-color foldout topographic map for reference and practice, plus dozens of helpful drawings and photographs.

Though much has changed, one thing certainly hasn't: The new edition of Land Navigation Handbook retains the solid information, spirit, and lively humor that made it a classic among outdoorspeople everywhere.