Basic Land Navigation

Let’s pretend that the world is a safe place and Mother Nature is a wonderfully nurturing person, snuggling each of us to her bosom … okay … Let’s be real … Things happen in the outdoors but only mistakes get us hurt. Knowledge can not only get us around some of those mistakes but, in fact, could help you keep from getting there at all. 

One of those instances is getting lost. Most people stick to well-worn paths, never deviating from the route and this results in them missing some of the most enriching experiences they could have. However, that can only happen if you can find your way from here to there and back again. 

Most of us can’t do that and getting off the beaten path is a little scary. How about if we could de-mystify wilderness travel? Join us for some

The Beaver River Bushcraft’s Basic Land Navigation course will help you travel cross-country more easily and let you see more country than you normally could have. 

Training consists of what a compass is, how it works, and how to use it. What is a pace, what is your pace, and how do you use that. You’ll learn how to prepare a guaranteed escape route that will get you back home. How to shoot bearings, walk bearings, and travel a route to get where you want to be. We’ll also teach you how to make accurate sketches of your route and the area you travel through. You’ll be able to meet your friends for that campfire and still find your way back home. 

This course, once started, runs regardless of weather or season. Please dress appropriately for this. 

Course consists of several legs of short-distance walking. The land is wet by seasons and is mostly level with a few bogs and seeps, no big hills to climb on the terrain, just in your mind and abilities. 

Flying insects are plentiful and aggressive, please prepare for that. This a preparatory course only and will help make you less concerned about being off the beaten track. It will not make you an expert with a map or GPS.

Equipment necessary for this course are:

• a notebook and writing instruments
• appropriate clothing to season and terrain
• sunscreen (year-round)
• insect repellent method of your choice (no, you can’t build a smoky fire)