Measuring distance on your map
Have you ever looked at a map and tried to figure out how long a track is or how high it climbs? Working this out will help you estimate the...
Heather Grady
Navigational tools
When a track is poorly defined or difficult to follow, you can utilise one of these handy navigational tools. Handrails A handrail is an identifiable linear feature that helps guide...
Leapfrogging with a compass
Walking on a bearing is simple in good visibility, but what happens when you travel in fog or terrain without landmarks? When walking a bearing, you can usually face the...
Aiming off
Aiming off is a useful navigation technique that involves intentionally aiming away from your final destination. If you’re walking off-track or in low-visibility conditions, you can walk on a bearing...
Boxing out
If you’re walking on a bearing you must go dead straight. So, what do you do if you meet an obstacle you can’t walk through? Sometimes while walking on a...
Navigating in grey-out conditions
Even if the forecast is good, conditions can change quickly. That’s why if you plan to tramp on the tops at any time of year you need to know how...
Navigating by stream
Rivers and streams are a useful navigational tool if you’ve been paying attention to the map and your location awareness. Trampers often count rivers and streams as a tool to...
Navigating through confirmation bias
Trampers tend to notice the geographic features that confirm their location while ignoring the features that confirm they are not where they think they are. Most trampers will have mistakenly...
Navigation on easy walks
Just because your trips are easy day or overnight walks, doesn’t mean you can neglect your navigation skills. Those who usually go on day walks or overnighters often feel they...
Track Markers
Track markers help identify the path you need to follow. However, there are a few tricks and tips you need to be aware of. The Department of Conservation uses orange...
Read the map before you tramp
Studying a map of an upcoming trip before leaving home will give you a good idea of the trip’s terrain and difficulty. If you were planning a walk to Smith...
Navigation: should I walk?
Learn how to study the map of your upcoming trip before you depart. You may be planning to walk to Rangiwahia Hut and considering whether to do the loop or...
Location, location, location
If you know your location on the track, you will know how far you have walked and how far it is to your destination. As you travel, take note of...
Check your sources
Before undertaking a tramping trip, it’s important to know everything you can about the route and the expected conditions. Just like a journalist might check their sources before publishing a...
You’re not always where you think you are
Trampers often incorrectly confirm their position because it’s where they believe they are. It’s called confirmation bias and can cause a lot of problems. Recently I witnessed two examples of...
Confirming your location with a map
It’s easy to follow a track and pay scant attention to navigation, but doing so runs the risk of inadvertently losing the track or taking a wrong turn, writes Heather...