Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS

Whether you’re a hiker, backpacker, kayaker, climber, or backcountry skier, this step-by-step handbook will help you find your way

Over 150 thousand copies sold

• Full-color maps to highlight real-life orientation methods and challenges
• Detailed descriptions and comparison charts of recommended tools, including personal locator beacons and satellite communicators
• Navigation exercises and practice problems
• Guidance for adapting skills and techniques for a wide range of outdoor activities

For nearly three decades, Wilderness Navigation has been the official textbook for outdoor education courses throughout the US as well as a trusted resource for adventurers all over the world. Authors and educators Bob Burns and Mike Burns describe essential tools and proven techniques for selecting and interpreting maps, taking and following compass bearings in the field, using an altimeter, and navigating with GPS using an app or dedicated device.

Bob Burns joined The Mountaineers Club in 1971. In 1972 he graduated from the Basic Climbing Course in the Everett branch. In 1975 he moved to Seattle, and graduated from The Mountaineers Snowshoe Course in 1974 and the Intermediate Climbing Course in 1976. He served on the Club’s Climbing Committee from 1975 to 1985, and on its Board of Trustees from 1986 through 1991. He has hiked, scrambled, climbed and snowshoed extensively in Washington, Oregon, and California, and is a longtime contributor to Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. He lives in Seattle.

Mike Burns has climbed, scrambled, and hiked extensively and has been teaching outdoor skills--navigation, climbing, or section hiking--for decades. He is a longtime contributor to Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills and has also written numerous articles for The Mountaineer and Climbing magazines. He lives in Seattle.