Navigation and Trip Planning
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How to Interpret Satellite Imagery for Backcountry Navigation using Hillmap.com
Satellite imagery is a powerful source of information for planning backcountry routes but it takes practice to interpret what you’re…
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How to Plan an Off-Trail Hike with Caltopo
Off Trail Hiking exercises your mind and body differently than hiking on trails that others have defined and built for…
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Hiking Navigation Gear List
I carry a variety of navigation tools and devices on my hikes and backpacking trips because I’ve never found once that’s…
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Backcountry Navigation with Incomplete or Out-of-Date Maps
It's important to understand the limitations of incomplete or out-of-date maps for backcountry navigation since so many mapping applications, GPS…
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Shakedown Hikes Aren’t Just for Backpacking Beginners
Shakedown hikes and backpacking trips are the best way you can train yourself to become a confident backpacker or day hiker.…
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Planning a Hike: Sunrise and Sunset Times
No matter how fast you hike, the distance you can walk in a day is largely a function of the…
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Distance Discrepancies Between Digital Mapping Tools, Paper Maps, and Guidebooks
Have you ever noticed that the distances computed by digital mapping tools are substantially different from paper maps and guidebooks…
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The Digital Map Conundrum
Have you ever noticed how incomplete and out of date digital maps are when it comes to hiking trails? At…
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What is Height of Land?
The navigation term Height of Land is a phrase you’ll often encounter when reading hiking trip reports, trail descriptions, or…
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Aiming Off – A Compass Navigation Technique
Aiming off is a cross-country navigation technique for finding a destination like a shelter or a landmark that is located…
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Bushwhacking in Northern New Hampshire – Tips for Navigating Off Road and Off Trail
“Better bring your passport,” said Kris, “in case we get stopped by the border patrol.” Good idea. We were headed…
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Topographic Maps and Route Visualization
Some people can read a topographic map and visualize what the landscape should look like based on the shape of…
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A Taste for Bushwhacking by Steve Smith
As I remember it, my first bushwhack in the New England woods was a fiasco. I was working at the…
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Navigating Without a Compass
Most people don’t know how to use a compass to navigate and while it’s a very useful skill to have,…
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