Maps and Direction
September 24, 2010, Submitted by: Ken TweetIf you don’t already know, learn how to use a compass and to read a map. Map reading is a very basic and essential skill that will help you during normal life and may save your life during a survival situation. Maps and survival go hand in hand. Keep maps in your car at all times. Do not solely depend upon a GPS gadget.
I love maps, all kinds of maps. I can still remember some of my first experiences many years ago learning how to use a compass and to read street maps and topographical maps. I became instantly hooked with the prospect of navigating through the woods using only a compass and a topo map. Looking at the lay of the land, the hills and valleys while facing different directions and then looking at the map to determine your probable location… what fun it was.
A map will be mostly useless unless you know your direction. Although a compass will indicate direction, here are a few tips to determine direction without a compass.
Find your direction during the daytime. Knowing that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west is the basis of determining a direction during day time. Any time during the day, place a stick upright into the ground and mark the spot of the tip of the shadow cast by the stick. Wait about 15 minutes and add a mark at the new spot of the tip of the shadow. A straight line between the two spots will be your approximate east-west line, the west end being the first marked spot.
Find your direction during the nighttime. If you can find the north star (Polaris) at night (northern hemisphere only), you will know the direction to “true north”. The north star is not the brightest one out there (some people unknowingly assume this), but if you can find the Big Dipper, locate the two stars at the outer edge of the cup. An imaginary line between these two stars will point towards the last star at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. This is the north star, Polaris.
Keep maps in your car. You most definitely should keep maps in your car and/or in your 72 hour emergency kit, which should also be in your car. Do not solely rely on GPS to guide you because that system could potentially go down in addition to the fact that a GPS receiver requires power to run. Don’t get me wrong, GPS is a fantastic tool, a nice luxury item to include in your preps or kit.
I keep several maps in each one of our cars. A map of the USA and a map of California. I believe that everyone should have at least two maps (road atlas style) in their car, a map of their country or wide region (e.g. USA) and a state map or localized region. A road atlas style is so much better than a fold out map. They are typically filled with many pages of street and topographical information at a good “scale” which makes for a nicely detailed view of terrain, rivers, and lakes. They will also include blow-up map views of the major metropolitan areas. There are several popular companies that produce these maps including DeLorme, Benchmark Maps, and Rand McNally.
After you purchase your maps, keep them in the car, not in your house!
Country Maps
A List of the Best Country Maps. Chosen for top quality, Road Atlas style maps with highest reviews and popularity.
United States, Canada, and Mexico (Rand McNally 2011 Road Atlas)
Mexico Road Atlas (English and Spanish Edition)
Europe (2010 Collins Road Atlas)
Britain (2011 Collins Big Road Atlas)
France (Michelin Tourist & Motoring Atlas)
Spain and Portugal (Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas)
Italy (Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas)
Germany / Austria / Benelux / Switzerland / Czech Republic (Michelin Atlas)
USA State Maps
A List of the Best State Maps. Chosen for top quality, Road Atlas style maps with highest reviews and popularity.
Colorado Road & Recreation Atlas
Connecticut / Rhode Island Atlas and Gazetteer
Delaware Delaware Atlas & Gazetteer
District of Columbia Atlas & Gazetteer
Hawaii Rand McNally Road Atlas
Idaho Benchmark Road & Recreation Atlas
Maryland Delaware Atlas & Gazetteer
Massachusetts Atlas & Gazetteer
Montana Road & Recreation Atlas
Nevada Road & Recreation Atlas
New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer
New Mexico Road & Recreation Atlas
North Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer
North Dakota Atlas & Gazetteer
Oregon Road & Recreation Atlas
Pennsylvania Atlas and Gazetteer
Rhode Island / Connecticut Atlas and Gazetteer
North Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer
South Dakota Atlas & Gazetteer
Washington Road & Recreation Atlas
West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer
Wyoming Road and Recreation Atlas
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