Wilderness Navigation Video Series

Even in the modern era of GPS use, the skills of reading a topographic map and using a compass remain a fundamental part of your outdoor tool kit.

All backcountry travelers - hikers, backpackers, climbers, skiers, hunters, mountain bikers, ATV riders and snowmobilers - should master some of the core skills. 

Like learning any hands-on skill, map and compass is a "better show than a tell". Many people struggle to learn how to use a compass trying to read about it from a book; I certainly did!

But you can learn the basics easily in a few minutes when you see it demonstrated correctly.

The Columbia River Orienteering Club, based in Portland Oregon, has a Youtube series of wilderness navigation instruction videos. These cover all of the core skills of reading a topographic map, using map and compass together, using digital tools such as CalTopo mapping software and the Gaia GPS phone app, as well as pre trip planning. Watch them for free and at your own pace.