[PnP] Re: Navigation Woes

[Alex Koponen]

It is hard to place myself in the position of someone NOT having the 
skills I have. Born and raised in Alaska I have also done enough hiking 
and camping to have tired of it. I have never studied navigation as such 
(I certainly don't know spherical trig.) but have picked up enough 
tricks of the trade to be able to go cross-country fairly well. I might 
not be able to cross 100 miles of wilderness without getting lost but I 
suspect I could if there were decent reference points visible.

South of my house is the Alaska Range. Large mountains (5,000+ meters) 
that tell you which way is south if you can see them. They are 70+ miles 
away and I can see them quite well. If your vision is blocked by hills 
you need only get to a ridgeline to see the shape of nearby hills and 
ridges...this should tell you where you are if you are even mildly 
familiar with the area. If lost, one can follow water downstream and you 
will eventually get to a settlement in all but the least settled areas 
on this planet.

It is hard for me to imagine being some city dweller that has no clue 
how to tell direction in the wilderness. But yeah, I suspect that I have 
a better survival skill in hills and forests thatn many city dwellers.

Perhaps using 10 x survival skill would work as well?