Inventory - Navigation

Treasure. Loot. Quest Items. This is the fourth post in a series I'm attempting outlining my current armaments for the warmer months. When God was giving out brains, you thought he said trains, and responded "I don't need a ride".

Trails in the mountains are usually marked with what's called a blaze, a small paint mark on a tree or rock to help hikers on the journey. If you're out in the open or can't see a blaze you should be looking for a cairn, a pile of rocks filling the void when there aren't trees to paint on. I don't care who you are, nobody has some sixth sense telling them which way is North, nobody is a natural, and unless you've been there before you are most definitely lost. North is a good place to start though, at least your heart was in the right place. Its the thought that counts.

A compass will tell you if the white spots you've been following are sending you deeper into the woods or out towards the road. Mine is based on what the military uses, not as accurate, but plenty useful for maneuvering well marked hiking trails. I'm that guy pouring over a map on his lunch break, so usually I know where things are going to lead, but it's nice to have if I take a wrong turn.

Speaking of maps, let me introduce you to my sacred texts. The AMC White Mountain guide is really all you'll ever need, gets you 6 topo maps and a guide to every trail in the whites. Its the hiker's bible. I find a trail on the map, check the index, and I'm off at 5am the next morning, that simple. The Southern New Hampshire guide is a smaller book with smaller trails, only 1 map but great for days its just me and the wife/dog. Plenty of smaller trail ideas that may come in handy during winter. The yellow book was written by legendary Australian adventurer Harold Gatty. It expands upon a survival field guide he wrote that became standard issue for Army Air Force life rafts in World War 2. This book teaches how to get North & South from the world around you, Sun, Stars, Wind, you name it. Charles Lindbergh called Gatty "the Prince of Navigators", the guy was a living legend, and this yellow book is a culmination of his life's work.

In my experience the best tool I'll ever have outdoors is my dog's nose. Zelda is always close by, can carry her own gear, and never, ever forgets where she's been. If I can't find my way on a trail I just give the leash a little slack, and like magic she's found her way along, sniffing where other hikers have past by earlier in the day. Recognizing how your dog reacts to his/her surroundings is a vital asset in the wilderness. She'll find her way back to the car if pointed in the right direction, she'll alert me of other hikers on the trail, and her posture completely changes if she's been on a trail more then once, letting me know if we've some how managed a circle in the woods.