Though you might guess that it should be the other way around, it is a fact that most seasoned hikers use maps to navigate their way along trails and through wilderness areas while novice hikers believe that maps are they can simply 'wing it'. The novice frequently assumes that there is no need to go through the hard work of learning map reading and that he will be okay if he stays on well used trails. Sorry to say, that is not the case.



You can get seriously lost even close to clearly marked trails and straying a few yards off the trail into heavy woodland has caught out more than one beginner. Without the benefit of the sun, stars or recognizable geographical markers it is all too easy to get turned around and to end up walking even farther from the trail and getting yourself well and truly lost in next to no time.

Now in the example given above a map alone would not necessarily help you out of that particular wood. But, you will generally come across another trail which joins your original trail and a good map would help you to easily find your way back to your starting point.

Okay, so where should you start?

Get hold of an up-to-date map which covers the area which you intend to hike in and start by studying it at home in a relaxed environment. Naturally you will not be in a position to match the map to the features you see, but it will certainly assist you in learning and understanding the symbols used on the map.

Every map has a legend (which you will find differs a liitle from one publisher to the next) and you should familiarize yourself with the symbols. You also have to understand the scale of the map which will be printed on it somewhere as something like 1 inch = 1 mile.

Remember though that distance is only one part of the equation and that 1 inch representing 1 mile on flat ground is a very different thing from 1 inch representing 1 mile over an area including a steep and winding path up the side of a 1,500 foot cliff.

To account for the latter, you will have to think about altitude which is shown on the map as a series of curved lines that, if 'stretched out', would make a circle. The distance between adjacent curved lines around some natural feature like a hill indicates the steepness of the terrain. Usually you will find that there are numbers printed beside the lines to help you. These lines are referred to as contour lines and the closer the lines are to one another the steeper the terrain.

Next, you need to study the longitude lines and latitude lines. Longitude lines showing North and South run 'up and down' the map from the top to the bottom while latitude lines which show East and West run 'right and left'.

In daylight you can use the sun together with natural features to orient the map so that it is lined up with the ground which you are hiking over. Remember that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West so that at the start of the day facing the sun will have you heading in an Easterly direction. By the same token, late in the day facing the setting sun will have you hiking more or less West.

Once the sun has gone down you can use the stars and you will generally be able to see the sky reasonably well as most wilderness areas are far away from the glow of city lights. One of the great joys of hiking is to be able to walk out under the stars and familiarizing yourself with such formations as Orion and the Big Dipper as well as the North Star.