Why Learn Land Navigation with a Map & Compass??

A basic question for a technique considered outdated by some….Why learn analog land navigation? After all, almost every cell phone has some level of GPS capability in it, and dedicated GPS units are fairly affordable and common place.

I could begin by saying the GPS satellites are owned by military forces (US and Russian) and those forces can turn a GPS signal off to all receivers not equipped with military chips. Why would they do that you ask? Well the main reason would be to limit any opposition force from relying on technology needing a GPS to function: Drones, guidance software, GPS receivers, friendly force tracking software/application, etc. At least neither country is currently engaged in conflict and the cold war is over…

The fact that our military is currently relearning how to function in an environment with GPS capabilities should give you an idea for their mindset, as they continuously had been seeking to replace lack of skill with equipment.

I am a fan of map and compass navigation because I feel like it is easier to navigate this way then with a GPS only. This may be because I learned before GPS was really an option or because I have received quite a bit of training in it as a technique, so I may be biased. I would also be lying to you if I said I never use a GPS, I use the OnX app on my phone a fair bit and am a big fan.

As we talked about with the study of the Home Guard and specifically the Scouts & Rangers the first listed tasks and skills are: patrolling, land navigation, and movement techniques. The need to cover ground and not get lost are at the top of the list for tasks to be learned and mastered.

While it might not be as cool as learning about some of the flashier skill sets, navigation is certainly one I consider worth learning, whether you are driving yourself around on a trip, hiking, hunting, or worst case scenario of be pressed into a Home Guard type situation where a fight has come to our shores.

The second video is up on the Outpost 95 YouTube page, continuing in the series on Land Navigation, this one discusses how to see terrain features on your topo map. I hope you check it out and if its of value you like and subscribe.

-Joe