Land Navigation Basics: How to Baseline?

dr1665

Adventurist
My brother, JP, has a great idea for an Adventurist Life story. He and I try our hand at land navigation, then take a training course and go back out to see how the knowledge changes the experience.

My questions for the experienced:

1. How do we baseline our skills? I'm thinking a 2-3 day hike in the woods; maybe drive to a campsite, then set off on foot to hike a loop to a couple landmarks we saw on Google maps. All under the umbrella of linked repeaters for emergency radio contact if necessary, of course.

2. Where might a couple phoenecians of limited means find this kind of training? Maybe there's a guide on the area up for a little horse trading?

3. What do you think would make for the most meaningful story, here? We know we're going to learn something valuable. We know we're going to have fun. How can we make this little project something remarkable for folks who weren't there with us?

Thanks!
 
That sounds like a neat idea!

Just "spit-ballin'" here, but my recommendations by the numbers...

1. Brilliant - a multi-day hike! I recommend the Donner Pass, about 9 miles West of Truckee, CA. Now is the perfect time to perform that trek, but do it without a radio or satellite communications - that's for sissies and removes all the challenge.

2. Training in Land Navigation. Easy. Enlist in the Army. Request to be assigned to the Infantry branch. The training is FREE and they will even PAY YOU to take it - no kidding!

3. Well, it hasn't been done since the winter of 1846, but it would be novel to repeat those events chronicled by the Donner Party. Cannibalism, but using some modern preparation techniques and recipes. I'm thinking a Jet Boil and some Snow Peak kit here... sort of a modern camping gear thing. That would be fun AND remarkable! A couple of pithy remarks like, "the new white meat," and "tastes like chicken" would add to the humor.

You're welcome and Happy New Year!
 
Oh my...I love it. :jump:



I was planning to do a skills piece at some point on this, but now I think we'd be better off getting together and running through the basics then wrapping the piece up as Tango suggests.
 
gZSwxhthJcDobMgiRuCIXifMo-xxou-FQb_8qA2zQRKe2StG2lmOqb2dL7QQefdKsA8uc6tThF_UZa32pxHToRc=s0

Maybe, after doing the Donner Party reenactment, we could take up futbol and book a flight to Santiago one summer?

In all seriousness, how might we go about this? Up your neck of the woods, @Chazz Layne ? Hike a lap around Mingus in the dark? JP and I are doing this.
 
I feel if you can get from minimum of 4 to a max of about 8 people interested we can do this.
Camping in my big back yard with views of Mingus Mtn. is available too.
 
I know I have 3 right now. Give me a while to run the idea past a couple others. I will PM you directly, sir. Thank you. This sounds awesome.
 
Back
Top Bottom