Today, I hope to show you a few new techniques for folding a topo map, or any map for that matter. These are universal and can be used on any map.

I’ll even show you a great way to take an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper and turn it into a simple booklet to access information more efficiently.

Why is Folding Important?

Most topo maps are quite large and in the case of the example map I use throughout this article, can measure 24″ x 29″ or larger. Not exactly pocket sized.

While there’s not necessarily a “wrong” way to fold a map, there are some methods that will allow you faster access to different “quadrants” of information on your map.

With minimal refolding you’ll be able to fold up the necessary information to the forefront for quick reference.

Folding vs. Cutting

The first thing to decide, is if you’re comfortable cutting your map. Topographic Maps can be expensive and you’ll more than likely want to make it last as long as possible.

Personally, I feel cutting the map isn’t necessary, but I do see the benefit in it. While I’ll do my best to explain folding and cutting through the words and photos in this article, it may help you out to watch this video we’ve put together first.

Steps for Folding a Map

Through folding, you’ll be creating 16 quadrants with your Topographic Map. On this particular example map in the photos, each quadrant measures roughly 6″ x 7″.

First off, something I feel really helps when folding a map is to always crease one side, then flip it over and crease it on the opposite side too. This creates a deeper crease which, in my opinion, makes the map fold easier.

by ITS Tactical

As mentioned, since you’re creasing both sides, the side that’s up doesn’t really matter. The first fold you’ll make is to the very center. Crease the map so that it’s split in half. Next, with the map split in half, bring the bottom up so that the bottom edge is touching the crease you just made in the middle. Doing the exact same thing to the top, (the next step) will divide your map into four creased sections.

by ITS Tactical

Now simply duplicate this same method running lengthwise. Find the middle, crease it and then fold up the bottom and the top to the middle. You’ll now be left with those 16 quadrants I mentioned earlier. I personally like to now z-fold the map so that the first four quadrants (top of the map) are visible. Then z-fold it again so A is on the top.

Looking at the photo below, what will be visible are quadrants A, B, E and F. I’ll now explain that funky lettering system.

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Each of the 16 quadrants on map in the photos you’ll see below is labeled from left to right (A-Q) A thru Q actually equals 17 not 16, but the letter I is eliminated to avoid confusion.

The lettered quadrants will be important when I describe how to cut your map and how it folds afterward.

Cutting Your Map

Now that you have everything folded up, let me explain what putting a cut in your map will allow you to do. By taking an X-Acto Knife, (my preferred method) or a pair of scissors, cut the horizontal crease line that runs between quadrants D, G, K and N.

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This may seem a bit unorthodox at first, but here’s where it pays off. Grab the map and pull up on the middle vertical crease, allowing the left and right sides of the map to remain flat.

You should now be holding the vertical middle crease and be looking at A, C, J and L running from top to bottom on the left side and F, H, O and Q running from top to bottom on the right side.

by ITS Tactical

Now simply allow the top of that middle section you’re holding to fold to the left (B and D drops on top of A and C). The lower middle section folds in the opposite direction to the right (N and P drops on top of O and Q).

The last step is to fold the map in half so that you’re now looking at A, B, C and D.

by ITS Tactical

What you’re now left with is a four quadrant folded map that will allow you to quickly flip to the next four quadrants by “turning the page.” Try it. You’ll now be easily looking at E, F, G and H. Now turn the map to the other side. You’re now staring at J, K, L and M. Turn the page again and you’re staring at N, O, P and Q.

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by ITS Tactical

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by ITS Tactical

You’ve now accessed the whole map, four quadrants at a time, very quickly. You can even now glue the map together at the corners (A to L, C to J, F to Q and H to O. The only problem with gluing it is that while you’ll still be able to pull it out to half a map, you’ll never be able to view the whole map at once. This can be particularly troublesome if you need to draw a line that bridges the horizontal mid-point of the map.

Again, cutting isn’t necessary and just another option. There’s one last thing I’d like to describe and that’s a neat trick you can use to turn a 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper into a booklet for quick reference.

Making a Booklet

Interestingly enough, now that you know how to fold a larger Topographic Map, this is a piece of cake.It uses the same concept as the topo map, but folds a sheet of paper into eight quadrants instead of 16.

by ITS Tactical

This is beneficial because with the folds we’ll make you can view everything on one side of a piece of paper by simply flipping the pages.

Just like before, I find it easier to crease both sides, so it doesn’t quite matter which side you start on. Start with a fold in the middle lengthwise, followed by a fold in the middle crosswise. Now pull up the bottom edge to the middle crease you just made, creasing again. Repeat the step with the top, pulling it to the middle and creasing.

You’re now left with a “W” shape. Make a simple cut to the W along the center fold, stopping before you get to the next fold line on each side.

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

Now just simply ensure the side you want to display in your booklet is facing out as you fold the piece of paper lengthwise again. This gives you a booklet with four sections.

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We found this pretty handy during the Muster to give out to the staff with a copy of the schedule on one side and a quick-reference map on the other.

Notes

Again, there’s no right or wrong way to fold a map, but there are some methods that will help you access information quicker than others.

Hopefully you’ve learned a few new techniques for folding a map and even a piece of paper!

US Forest Service maps are great, but don’t always reveal as much about the terrain as Google Maps can. Here we will use Skynet’s Google’s eyes to help us find a nice off-the-beaten-path campsite.

Scouting for Free Campsites

This article is Android-centric and relies on Android’s turn-by-turn navigation features. Hopefully the ITS staff, most of whom run Apple iOS devices, will be able to chime in with advice on what works well on iPhones. The tech tips herein also assume you have linked up your Android phone with your Google account. Chances are you did this the first time you powered up your phone. If your Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, etc. are the same as when you go to www.gmail.com on your desktop/laptop computer, your Android phone is properly linked to your Google account.

Here’s a step by step on how to search for free campsites from the comfort of your home/office using Google Maps, linking that data to your phone, and finally using Android phone’s turn-by-turn navigation to get you there.

Find the general area where you want to go. In Google Maps, the light green areas are National Parks (NPS), National Forests (USFS) and other public including city and state parks. Keep in mind Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land is not always in green but it is legal to disperse camp there.

National Parks and National Forests often border each other and it may be difficult to discern where the borders are from within Google Maps. In the example above, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are the green and indiscernible from the neighboring Sequoia, Sierra and Inyo National Forests. In these cases, you can download the map from the respective National Parks (the US Forest Service district maps are difficult to find online) and cross reference the roads to see where the boundary between the NPS and USFS may lay.

Look for roads that you think you may want to camp near. Forest service roads, the ones with a series of numbers, a letter and then more numbers (such as 5S43,) are typically good bets. Keep in mind you’ll have to zoom in a bit to see many of these roads. Go between satellite view to check if the road is likely a no-go, as private residences like a radio tower, etc., may still exist on public lands and the road will have a high probability of being gated and locked. Also, if it’s in the winter or spring and snow is still present in your area, the roads may be gated and locked, as they’re often not plowed or otherwise maintained. Don’t rely on Google satellite view to indicate presence of snow as the images may be dated.

Scrolling around a bit near a trailhead at 9,000 feet. I want to camp high to acclimate for the hike to 13,000 feet and get an early start. This looks like a good spot!

Now for the tricky part. Marking and saving a location in Google Maps is a bit counterintuitive and could stand to be a little more user friendly. Google updates user interface and features on the fly without notice, so keep in mind the instructions here may change slightly over time. Once you have some places you want to scout, here’s how to ‘star’ it to save the coordinates to your Google account.

• Right click on the area you want to mark
• Click “what’s here” on the drop down menu

You may want to “star” a few more prospective campsites just in case that one is not available. It may be occupied, gated off, or impossible to negotiate terrain to physically access.

Now, review the list of spots you’ve starred in Google Maps by hitting this link: https://www.google.com/bookmarks/ This page can be hard to find from your Google Dashboard, so bookmark it as something like “Google Maps Starred Places.”

Your locations will be named with their respective lat/long coordinates, but it’s better to rename them with sensible nicknames. I find naming them in the order I want to scout them works well. For example, Camp 1, Camp 2 and so on.

Google Maps for Android has an offline mode, but I’ve found it to be somewhat flaky and I don’t trust it completely. However, it doesn’t hurt to have the area saved locally. The maps average at about 70 Mb, so do it while you’re still at home or within WiFi range, as we all know the providers are getting stingy with data these days.

That’s it from the computer side. Now get the rest of your gear packed up (pro tip: don’t forget the toilet paper.)

When you’re ready to hit the road, just grab your phone, go to the Maps app and then to “My Places” to see if your spots are there yet. You could also go to “Navigation” then “Starred Places.”  If you just starred the locations from your desktop a minute ago, it may take a moment to propagate.

Click on the first camp you wish to navigate to, in this case it’s “395 high camp 1.” You can see on the screenshot that the second star, “395 high camp 2”, is a half mile away.

Click on the little gray arrow to begin navigation. In this case, immediately to the left of “Onion Valley Rd.”

Stupid LA traffic…  From here, this should take you to your destination. All this said, it’s best to have a backup plan in case your GPS goes down, especially since this is dependent on a data connection.

We dig our GPS and high tech gizmos for best case scenario, but are firm believers in having a firm foundation in analog navigation. That’s out of the scope of this article, but we have an ITS LandNav 101 archive on the topic if you’d like to brush up.

Good luck, happy camping and remember to leave no trace!

Those weird looking boxes that surveyors are looking through are called Theodolites and are used to measure vertical and horizontal angles. They’re also the instruments responsible for  geodetic surveys since the 1800s. They tell you where you are and the location of what you are looking at (by measuring angles and using formulas.) I’ll stop right there and admit my math skills are horrible and I’m not going to pretend to know much about geometry.

This is where the magic of the iPhone jumps in and helps us knuckle-draggers out. The math voodoo is done for you and gives you quick, accurate information that you can now send via SMS message or email to all your co-workers and friends.

Theodolite History

by ITS Tactical While looking up information on theodolites I found the instruments used in the 1800s weighed up to 200 pounds and had to be pulled on special carts via horse or mule. The professional theodolites used today are roughly 9 pounds, use computers for calculations and can utilize GPS technology. You can now make pretty accurate measurements and calculations on your smart phone which would blow the minds of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.

What do famous American presidents have to do with theodolites you ask? The founders of our country were extraordinary men and were practitioners in all things manly. While science has become popular (this week) with the landing of the rover Curiosity on Mars, I highly doubt anyone in  office could calculate setting up the  LZ on the red planet. Our fore fathers had a real grasp on things and helped build this country by practicing  skills other than politics.

For more information on the history of theodolites you can check out the NOAA website which happens to be celebrating 200 years of science, service and stewardship. They have a great write up which you can find here:  An Angular Point of View: A Photo Collection Illustrating the History of Theodolites at the National Geodetic Survey

Hunter Research and Technology LLC

by ITS Tactical With my limited knowledge about theodolites I wouldn’t have given them much thought if Soldier Systems hadn’t posted information about the HRT iPhone app on their Facebook time-line. The capabilities of this app looked intriguing so I linked over to the HRT apps page to check it out.

Our friends at Soldier Systems made some good points on how the theodolite app could be used in “tactical” applications. As I browsed the HRT page they clearly honed in on those tactical  applications as they list them along with other traditional uses such as  surveyors, geologists, and architects. They included  navigation,  outdoor sports, hiking, boating, hunting, photography, military personnel, competitive sportsmen and search and rescue workers. Clearly they see the potential in these fields and have a pulse on how technology can assist them.

by ITS Tactical As HRT says on their page the uses are really endless if you think outside the box. Are you setting up  a new Geocache? It’s really no problem with this app as you will have all the required information to upload to the website.

In the past I would figure out the location, take some photos for reference, figure out the  GPS coordinates  using another mapping app, and then have to save this in different spots on my phone. Now I can take a photo or screen-shot with all that information and instantly email it to myself for use later. The email has the screen shot and all the data from the theodolite. It also has links to open the location in Google Maps and Google Earth. Pretty trick!

Features

So what can the theodolite app do? Since there are a bunch of capabilities, I’m going to simply paste them from the HRT site and they are as follows:

Ability to take geo-stamped and geo-tagged photos, screenshots, and movies from the app, with 2X and 4X zoom, buffered background image saves, plus an option to write custom notes on photos and movies. Integrated map with standard, satellite, and hybrid views, compass rose, and bearings. Manage location markers on the map and share with other users via SMS text messaging or e-mail. Optical-mechanical gyro/accelerometer calibration. Zero angle reference mode. A-B survey calculator for height, distance, heading, triangulation, position, and angles. Data logging. E-mail data export with KML. System-wide clipboard integration. Percent grade display. Six different optical rangefinders. Mils. Night vision lens filters. MGRS, UTM, and six lat/lon formats.

Theodolite works on any iPhone or 4th generation iPod Touch with OS 4.1 or later.
Compass requires iPhone 3GS, 4, or 4S. iPhone 4 or 4S, or iPod Touch 4 required for gyro and Retina Display support.

If you can’t figure out a way to use a few of those capabilities you should probably give up your iPhone. While some may have no use to you at the moment its great to know you have them at your disposal.

The “A-B” calculator will quickly help you make pretty complex (for me anyway) calculations such as  Distance/Heading,  Height from A-B Elevation Angles,  Distance from A-B Elevation Angles,  Distance and Height from A-B Elevation Angles,  A-B Delta Angles, and  Point C from A-B Triangulation. HRT supplies a nice reference page to help you navigate between all these features and gives you other helpful information on using the theodolite.

In the example photos below I used the C from A-B triangulation to determine the unknown location of a building. I simply pointed the camera at the unknown building and marked it A. I then move to a different location and pointed at the same building marking it B. Using the Calc feature it figures out that location and even tells you the distance between the different locations. I then used the mail option and emailed all this information to myself. Upon opening the email you are provided with a link in Google with that location which was very accurate.

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

In the next example I was able to use the A-B calculator to measure the distance to the base of this structure as well as it’s height. There are several ways to do this but the best one (in my opinion) is using the height of the iPhone. You know how tall you are and can use the phone at your height to factor in the known distance. For a better explanation of this take a look at the  reference page.

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

For night use there are several options for dimming the “lens” (screen) which is a huge help. I was able to use this feature last night and the contrast from the regular iPhone screen dimmed down all the way and the app is a big difference. You can toggle between red, green, gray and blue.

by ITS Tactical

I think the big plus is the ease of use and speed in which you can transmit information to others. I can see this being very helpful in SAR and police applications where getting information to everyone can be a challenge. Being able to SMS and email all the data at once is pretty awesome. This is of course dependent on cellular coverage and a good signal.

As of this writing iTunes has the theodolite app  (version 3.0) at an introduction price of $3.99, which in my opinion is well worth it. I will add the app will eat up a good amount of battery life on your phone so make sure you have a charging source with you.

The video took some time to render but the photos were pretty quick. My phone did ask me to do the figure 8 a few times to reset the compass, but it wasn’t a big deal (other then looking like I was waving at strangers in the park). If you look at the other photos in our Flickr account you may see some unusual numbers (like altitude). I cant account for those as the app is new to me and I probably didn’t set something up correctly. That’s something to keep in mind and verifying the information would be in order for a time when accuracy is very important.

If you get the theodolite app, we’d love to hear back about your use of it in the comments below. Have a use totally outside anything mentioned here? Let us know!

I slammed it against a ladder about a month ago, causing the bezel and the compass to separate from the carrier and go flying across our warehouse here at ITS HQ. I tried to superglue the clipper back together again, but for some reason, either the superglue reacted strangely with the compass and caused the liquid to discolor and leak out, or there was a hairline fracture from the impact that I didn’t catch.

Either way, I went on an internet search to find a replacement, or even see if I could find a vendor that still had the Suunto Clipper in stock.

Brunton Watchband Slider Compass

The first compass I came across that looked halfway decent was the Brunton Watchband Slider Compass. I had seen some other “cheaper” options, but went with a name brand, hoping that they’d live up to the quality of the Suunto Clipper.

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I was wrong. The Brunton is simply glued to a rubber watchband slider and I knew the first knock it took would send it flying. Sure enough, the other day my wrist hit up against a display at a store and the liquid filled compass sailed into the sunset.

One of the inherent issues with the small liquid-filled watch compasses is if they take a good hit, they’ll develop an air bubble. This air bubble can lead to the compass becoming inaccurate, due to the bubble pressing the dial down in a direction it shouldn’t. After retrieving the Brunton, I noticed an air bubble had formed as well. Instead of gluing this one back together, I’m on a mission again to find an alternative, as the Brunton doesn’t warrant an attempt at repair. It’s an inherently poor design.

Watch compasses aren’t the most accurate devices in the world, but for backup purposes I really like having one around.  As you might have read in my review of my G-Shock Watch and Suunto Clipper, they’re also prone to becoming demagnetized easily if you wear a wedding ring on your wrist band as I commonly did before I realized it was causing an issue. When I was working out, I’d put my wedding ring on my watch to prevent losing it.

So again, I’m on the hunt for a new watch compass. Anyone have ideas on what I should try next?

“There’s always sign.”

Sign is the physical evidence of any disturbance of the environment left behind by animals, humans or objects. The detection of this sign is called sign cutting. A person (or animal) cannot traverse ground without leaving some sort of telltale sign. This sign is what we’re trying to find and track.

When most people think of tracking, they usually think of following footprints. But a trained tracker looks for more. He looks for kicked-over rocks, soil depressions, clothing fibers, changes in vegetation, changes in the environment, ambient noise or lack thereof, etc. Basically, the tracker looks for the disturbance — the sign — left behind by the person or persons being tracked.

Origin

Sign cutting and tracking has been around for millennia. It is a natural extension of hunting, both animals and people. On our continent, Native Americans perfected the art of sign cutting tracking both men and animals. To this day, there are special units of Native American law enforcement trackers protecting this nation. Many other rescue and law enforcement entities in the United States use tracking to locate people. Today, the tradition of tracking persons for law enforcement purposes is usually associated with the men and women of the United States Border Patrol.

The U.S. Border Patrol currently trains its agents in sign cutting, and even after the adoption of modern technology, sign cutting remains one of the most effective tools at its disposal to locate persons and gather intelligence. Sensors and cameras can be fooled and rendered ineffective, but as one of our seasoned agents likes to say: “The sign never lies.”

In this article, I will touch upon the basics of sign cutting. I have to admit that I am by no means a master in this field. I do, however, use it on a daily basis as an enforcement tool. I take responsibility for mistakes in this article.

Applications

Sign cutting and the tracking of persons have multiple uses. These uses include, but are not limited to:

• Search & Rescue / Missing Person
• Perimeter / Property Security
• Intelligence Gathering
• Locating & Interdicting Subjects for Law Enforcement or military operations.

Who Are You Tracking

When you are sign cutting, it is important to identify your target. Are you looking for a lost or missing person? If not, are you looking for poachers or criminals? Your target determines what other precautions are needed. If it’s a lost child or hiker, consider bringing food, water and an emergency blanket along to assist a person exposed to the elements.

If you’re tracking poachers or criminals, then you have to factor in your security. Poachers and criminals do not want to be found, and will sometimes attempt to hide their sign or improvise countermeasures to avoid detection. For this scenario, it is advised never to track alone. At a minimum, communications gear (cell phone, radio) is advised, in addition to some form of self protection.

Sign Cutting Tools

Sign cutting and tracking actually require very little as far as gear goes. At the very least, you want to have a good flashlight and spare batteries, even when working during daylight hours. Tracking operations can drag for hours in some areas, and what began as a morning look-see can easily become a night tracking operation.

Before you go spend some serious cash on your tracking torch, consider the following: Modern LED flashlights with bazillion-candlepower ratings are actually not as effective as a plain old incandescent bulb flashlight. The brighter, whiter beam of the LED flashlights tends to wash out most footprints and other details. A regular incandescent bulb flashlight allows for more contrast when viewing the sign at night. Of course, if you are following sign at night, you should have two flashlights. Two is one, one is none.

When you cut for sign from a vehicle, you want to have a spotlight, or cutting light. As with the flashlights, avoid the ones that can be seen from Venus. You want to keep it at a low angle, for better contrast. This might make your arm go numb from hanging it from your car or truck window, but nothing says you can’t tape it to a stick to make the task more comfortable for you.

Since tracking operations can drag for hours, you should bring basic sustenance items with you. Water, some food, a first aid kit, extra batteries, communications gear and anything else you might need for the next few hours. This I where you want to keep it light. Adjust your load depending on your needs. That cool pack or tricked out rifle can get really heavy after a few hours.

Sign Interpretation and Tracking

As mentioned before, tracking involves following footprints, among other sign. Footprints give you an idea of who you’re following. You must be able to read the footprints.

The size of the footprint usually determines if you’re following a man (larger, wider footprint), a woman (smaller, narrower footprint), or a child (small print). The number of footprints also lets you know how many you are following.

The type of sole helps you stay on track when crossing other footprints, and helps you identify the person being tracked. The sole can be anything from a running W, a cowboy boot (plain with separate heel), a work boot or Vibram-type lug sole, a cross-trainer or Chuck Taylor or a waffle pattern (Mr. Peanut), among others.

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

The depression of the footprint can tell you if the person is large/heavy or if he or she is carrying a heavy load. The angle or dig determines the direction. When all you have is toe digs (half-moon shapes), then the person was running. When a person walks backwards, the dig is towards the heel.

Terrain & Enviornment

Depending on the terrain, a person may leave clear footprints or no footprints at all. Hard-packed terrain, and areas with good drainage, makes it difficult for a person to leave clearly defined footprints. This is when you look for other sign. Are there scrapes on the soil, similar to scrapes by coarse sandpaper? Are there rocks kicked over, with the moist (darker) area exposed? Is the vegetation disturbed in any way — broken branches, snapped twigs, crushed or stomped plants and leaves?

Another form of sign is clothing fibers stuck to vegetation. Don’t limit yourself to specific forms of sign. You always want to look for other disturbances. In the early morning, if you look at the vegetation from an angle (towards the sun), is the dew disturbed in any way? Did it rain earlier? Disturbances on moist terrain stand out because the color or shine changes. Fresh prints on moist soil are not as ‘shiny’ as the rest of the soil.

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

The freshness of the sign or prints helps determine time. Are the prints sharp and very detailed? You might try stepping next to the print, and comparing it to yours. Does it look just as sharp? Usually, sharper prints are fresh, laid within an hour. Keep in mind that prints can look fresher or older than they are based on a number of factors. Prints in low areas and washes usually look fresher than they are, while prints exposed to rain and wind will look older.

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

If you’re protecting a ranch or any other property, it is a good idea to walk it to determine how long it takes to traverse the area. When you find sign, this helps you determine whether to get out and track the sign on foot or trying to leapfrog the sign and cutting for it at another location, once you have determined a direction of travel. People sometimes guide off structures or natural terrain features, making it easier to determine the person’s travel route. Get to know the ranchers and property owners in the vicinity. They know the area and can provide invaluable intelligence.

Being familiar with the environment helps in many ways. Insects and animals help too. Are the crickets chirping away at night as they normally do? If they stopped, this usually indicates the presence of animals or people. Animals can indicate the presence of humans by their reaction. Most people think about barking dogs as an indicator, but other animals can also help you detect a disturbance.

One of our best trackers, a former Marine we call The General, was once on the trail of a group of illegal aliens at night when he lost their sign in a pasture. After walking for a few minutes in the direction the group was traveling, he came upon an open field with fresh sign for cattle, but the cows had moved about fifty yards away. He knew from experience that cows don’t usually move at night. They like to hang out in the same spot. The only reason for the herd to move was to avoid something: the group. The General was able to reacquire the sign on the other side of the field where the cows had been, and eventually found the group. Know your environment.

by ITS Tactical

Conclusion

There are tracking courses currently offered in many areas if you’re interested in learning this skill. There’s also a ton of information available in books and the web, but this is a skill that has to be practiced outdoors. This is the only way to understand it and gain experience to become proficient at it.

The U.S. Border Patrol sometimes provides sign cutting and tracking courses to law enforcement and search and rescue agencies, as well as civilians. We also assist other agencies with tracking operations when called. If you live in a border state, contact your nearest Border Patrol sector HQ for more information.

As with any skill, practice and patience makes for a better tracker. Good luck.

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please welcome  José J. Soto as a contributor on ITS Tactical. José has been a U.S. Border Patrol agent for 15 years and previously served for six years as a U.S. Army Infantryman. We’re looking forward to more of José’s expertise here on ITS Tactical.

If you’re not  familiar  with Geocaching or  don’t  know what travel bugs are please check out our Introduction  to Geocaching article. Mike does a great job of giving you the basics about getting started. If you are a seasoned Geocacher then you know how much fun it can be to help travel bugs along their way.

Both Travel Bugs will be launched from the UDT/SEAL Museum in Ft Pierce Florida. We started a cache named  In Memory Of Our Fallen (GC37M7X ), which is  right outside the  entrance  to the Museum and also the inscription on the ITS Tactical brick at the UDT/SEAL Museum.

by ITS Tactical

 We have included some cool swag to start the cache off right and the photo above is of the actual container you’ll find. While we have a few ITS related items, we  definitely  don’t want this to come across as “commercial” in any way. There are very specific rules about not commercializing caches.

As seen in the photo we have included things for kids to trade and this really that is what Geocaching is all about. Getting out there with your family and spending time outside doing something fun. So hit the trails  with your friends and family and enjoy Geocaching. If you come across one of our Travel Bugs make sure to let us know. We want to hear your story!

Mission #1

The first Travel Bug’s (TB48NJ4) mission is to get to the beach at Coronado in San Diego California. There is a cache named  Double Bubble Trouble  (GC1BR4C) which should provide views of the SEAL training area. It would be great to see some photos of the TB near the obstacle course!

Mission #2

This Travel Bug’s (  TB48NJ6 ) mission is to travel to the Virginia beach area.  The cache is named Redwing (GCHTEZ) which is near Dam Neck road. While not near the beach this should be a cool spot to end this journey as there is a POW Memorial at the park. It would be great to get a photo of the TB at the memorial.

UDT/SEAL Museum

by ITS TacticalIf you ever get a chance to visit the Museum make sure go. Let them know ITS Tactical sent you and ask where our memorial brick is located. They do an excellent job of showing the history of the Under Water Demolition Teams and current Navy SEALs.

The sacrifice and courage that these young men undertook in the early days of the UDTs and still to this day will make you proud to be an American. All that’s needed to see what our current SEALs are able to  achieve, is to walk around the Maersk Alabama’s lifeboat. You can’t  truly  grasp the perfect shots these snipers took until you see it for yourself.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments below!

My brother and his wife have joined me in the second ever Gear Junkie Treasure Hunt taking place in Roanoke, Virginia. It’s quite a drive from Washington, DC but it sure is scenic this time of year and the weather was absolutely perfect.

2nd Annual Gear Junkie Treasure Hunt

The Treasure Hunt is most similar to a beginner adventure race. There were 25 hidden flags with special pin punches for your ‘passport’ to prove their discovery. Also, this year they included a bit of trivia for some checkpoints in addition to the punches.

photo © Gear Junkie

There was an incredible amount of gear this year totaling over $40,000. Some of the high end items included a Specialized Carve Pro 29′er mountain bike, Raleigh Revenio 3.0 road bike, Necky Rip 12 kayak, at least 5 handheld GPS units from Delorme and Magellan, and Benchmade Griptilian knives.

While officially there are no teams because you can’t combine points, I recommend going with friends and family for a more enjoyable experience. My brother and I seem to get on the same wavelength and once we ‘sync up’ we operate like a well oiled machine. The miles melted away as we snagged more and more checkpoints.

photo © Gear Junkie

At the end of the day we covered 10.6 miles in just under 3 hours. The terrain included city streets, hiking trails and everything in between. Nestled among nearby rolling hills and the rising Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke is an ideal location for a scenic romp through the Fall foliage.

The ‘Circus’ provided us with some much needed rest and relaxation after the race while we waited for the rest of the heats to finish.  They also allowed people to camp out in tents and if they do this again next year, I’ll be sure to setup camp!

Now I use my iPhone as my primary Geocaching tool. I can search for caches based on my location, find and photograph them, and log my visit all from that one device. The official app only costs $10 and is a great way to get introduced to the hobby. If you get serious about it, you may want to add a better GPS device to your kit.

Caches range from the super easy where you just drive up in you car, to the all day multiple caches that require you finding them in order and frequently involve stream crossings and rough terrain.

Getting Started

• Make an account on Geocaching.com
• Buy or borrow a handheld GPS or purchase the iPhone app.
• Find caches nearby and go!

It’s really that easy!

What to Bring With You

• Pen or pencil
  • For logging your visit or taking notes. Not all caches have a writing tool with them.
• Scrap paper or notebook
  • A cache may be flooded so you can replace the log with a new one or you may just want to leave a message.
• Flashlight
  • Even though it may be sunny, you might need to search dark spaces.
• Multi-tool or small tool kit
  • You’d be surprised at how many times a set of long tweezers has come in handy.
• Any collectibles to exchange
  • If you take something from the cache, be sure to leave something of equal or greater value.
• Bug spray
• Camera
• Notes of the cache you are hunting for.
  • You can print them from the site before you go out. Some cachers keep a 3 ring binder to organize the caches and notes.

Types of Caches

There are over 10 types of caches but the most common are the ‘traditional.’ The coordinates usually point to the exact location and they are either easy to find or involve just a little searching (no trivia).

• Traditional
• Multi-cache
• Mystery/Puzzle
• Letterbox Hybrid
• Locationless/Reverse
• Moving/Travelling
• Virtual
• Earthcache
• Webcam
• Event Cache
• Wherigo Cache

Terminology

There is practically a whole library of slang and abbreviations for Geocaching but here are the most common. Some of these may be posted on your log/report online or even on the cache notes itself.

• Muggle – Non geocacher
• BYOP – Bring your own pen/pencil (cache is too small to store one)
• DNF – Did not find.
• FTF – First to find
• TFTC – Thanks for the cache
• TN / LN / SL – Took Nothing, Left Nothing, Signed Log

Mindset

When I started Geocaching, I noticed something changing. I was looking at things differently, often wondering if it would make a good hiding place. While you usually have the coordinates for the cache, it’s not always in that exact spot. You have to start changing your mindset.

I’m not the only one that now sees things differently because of Geocaching though. Sergeant Kent “Doc” Byrd, a member of an EOD unit in the Army, says his skills in Geocaching help keep him safe while on duty.

Oh and if you’re feeling particularly adventurous… you’ll notice that some caches are much harder to reach than others. Like the one you’ll need to SCUBA dive to or the one on the International Space Station. Good luck!

Are you a Geocacher already? If so, friend us up here on Geocaching.com! You have to have an account to view that page or you can search for us under the username ‘ITS Tactical‘. Happy hunting!

The LandNav series has reached its zenith; we’re now at the point where we are ready to learn how to use the map and compass together to maneuver.

In one sense, maneuvering with the map and compass is rather elementary since the compass is effectively employed as a protractor and ruler.

The straight sides of the compass’ base plate are used as a ruler to connect points and measure distances. This, in fact, is the first step in maneuvering from point A to point B with the map and compass.

Putting it Together

Step 1: Use the compass edge (or ruler) to draw a line from your starting point to your destination.

The 360 ° represented by the compass bezel serves as a protractor. We use this protractor, in conjunction with the arrows on the base plate to obtain a heading that needs to be traveled to reach the destination.

Step 2: With the direction-of-travel arrow pointing to the destination, turn the compass bezel until the orienting arrows are pointing north and aligned parallel with the nearest north-south meridian.In the photo below, an exaggerated north-south line has been added- look closely and you can see the light pencil lines used in practice.

Often the map will not include the north-south lines in the map body. Using a straight edge aligned with the map border, you only need to draw one north-south line that is within the bezel of your compass so that you can effectively obtain the heading.

The key prerequisites for step #2 include orienting your map and accounting for declination–both of which were covered in previous articles in the series. Once the compass’ orienting arrows are both pointing north and aligned parallel with the nearest north-south meridian, read the heading from the bezel at the little white triangle between the two red orienting arrows. This is the heading, or azimuth, that you’d need to travel from the origin to reach the destination.

Warning: Ensure that your compass is pointing from the start to the destination. If you place your compass at your destination and point backwards, your readings will be opposite what they should, and you’ll actually travel away from your destination!

Azimuth

Formally, an azimuth is defined as a horizontal angle measured clockwise from a north base line. A back azimuth is always 180 ° away from the azimuth, and it is how you “find your way home” back to your starting point. If you azimuth is 180 ° or less, then you always add 180 ° for your back azimuth; otherwise subtract 180 °. For example, if your azimuth was 74 °, then your back azimuth would be (74 + 180), 254 °. In contrast, if you azimuth was 337 °, then your back azimuth would be (337 — 180), 157 °.

If you need to estimate the distance between the two points, one inch on a 1:24,000 scale map is 2,000 feet. Measure the inches between the two points, then multiply by 2,000 to get the distance. Alternatively, the scale at the bottom margin of the topo map can be used to obtain the distance using other units of measure, e.g. meters.

Often the distance is greater than the length of the compass base plate. A common way to measure distance, especially if there are obstacles in the way that must be navigated, is to use the lanyard on the compass. The string is extremely malleable, and easy to create 90 ° turns.

Practical

Let’s put this into a practical exercise. Say that we are interested in visiting cemeteries to read the old headstones. We are presently at Bethel Church Cemetery (4955/9420), and we want to shoot an azimuth to our next cemetery, Allen Cemetery (5250/9510).

After drawing our line, we get our heading of 74 °. At the cemetery, we hold the compass flat, extended slightly out from our chest and turn our body until the compass needle is “boxed” inside of the orienting arrow. Wearing a huge metal belt buckle, or if your pack has a lot of metal on it, you may wish to remove that gear so that you obtain an accurate heading. Look up on the horizon and try to find a distant landmark to aim towards. This can be more difficult in flat terrain. Proceed to walk in that direction toward your destination.

Before we set off, we look over the path and realize that our heading has us going straight through a small body of water–unacceptable! What we will have to do is maneuver around the obstacle. We can do this by choosing a 90 ° heading off of our original azimuth for a fixed distance, get around the width obstacle, then continue parallel to our original azimuth until we are past the length of the obstacle. Once past the obstacle, we turn back 90 ° until we join our original track line–turning 90 ° once more, then continuing on our original track. For illustrative purposes, I choose the southerly route (a greater distance, but equally effective) around the pond (see photo above).

Pace Count

In the field, the most effective way to measure around small obstacles like this pond is to measure your distance by counting your stride, known as a pace count or tally count. Even if you have no idea just how much ground you cover between paces, so long as you accurately count your paces out, then match that pace count back after making your turns–you’ll end up on the same track line from where you started out.

Formally, one step is the distance one covers when measured from one foot to the other foot. A stride, in contrast, is the distance between two steps. Stated differently, a stride is the distance between where the left foot strikes the ground and the next time that the left foot strikes the ground. The measure of your stride is known as a pace or tally.

One thing to consider is that your pace will vary based on many factors- going up hill versus down hill, morning treks versus late afternoon treks where you’re tired from spending the day on the trail, etc. No easy solutions exist to these problems; spending time on the trail and practicing will help you refine your ability to estimate distance covered.

Keeping a tally count doesn’t involve high-tech solutions. Common trail approaches include grabbing a string and tying a knot every 100 strides, or grabbing a handful of pebbles and moving a pebble from the left pocket to the right pocket every 100 strides.

More information about how to calculate your pace count can be found in this ITS article from the archives.

Waypoints

On longer treks, the journey will often include waypoints. A waypoint is an intermediate destination. For example, if the pond was actually a respectably sized lake, and our journey was planned for 3 days, we would break up the journey into waypoints. The first waypoint might represent where we are stopping for lunch, with the next waypoint representing where we’ll have dinner and setup camp for the evening.

Rarely is an overall trek in the backcountry as simple as navigating from point A to point B, yet in practice every piece of the journey is just that simple. Today, the marvel of handheld GPS devices makes backcountry navigation simpler, but not foolproof. Batteries die, devices are lost, dropped in the river, etc. Having the skill to resort to a compass and map is critical on a backcountry adventure. Unfortunately, this skill is highly perishable–so get out in the backcountry, leave your GPS in your pack, and practice navigating the old fashioned way with a map and compass!

In its essence, the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) system divides up the globe into small, manageable segments. Rarely is someone going to set out and hike from Oregon to Maine and most planned adventures, even when spending a week in the backcountry, won’t require more than a handful of quads.

Latitude and longitude is obviously a very valid way of referencing your position on the globe, but most recreational outdoorsmen have moved on to UTM. Likewise, the military uses MGRS, another type of globe grid system, in lieu of latitude and longitude. MGRS is a topic which will be covered in-depth in the future.

Dividing the World

UTM divides the world into 60 north-south zones, each 6 ° wide in longitude. The zones are numbered consecutively, Zone 1 through Zone 60. Based on this width, the entire US is represented with just 10 zones, Zone 10 on the west coast through Zone 19 on the east coast.

UTM coordinates are two-dimensional and they are referred to as an easting and a northing. Northing values originate at the equator and count up from zero as one heads north. Heading south, the equator is assigned an arbitrary northing value of 10,000,000 meters–simply to avoid negative numbers when heading south of the equator.

Northing numbers are found on a map’s left and right margins, Easting values are found on the map’s top and bottom margins. Easting values originate from a central meridian drawn through the middle of each zone; they are assigned the value of 500,000. Any location west of this meridian is a value less than 500,000; east has a value greater than 500,000.

All USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle maps, 1:24,000 scale, include UTM ticks around the map margin. The tick lines are indicated at intervals of 1,000 meters, typically using the color blue. The full UTM meter value is displayed for the ticks nearest the southeast and northwest corners of the map.

Referencing the Huntsville quad’s northwest corner, we can see a northing value of ³⁴04⁰⁰⁰ meters, and an easting value of ²49⁰⁰⁰ meters. Based on the easting, we can tell that we are west of the Zone 15 meridian because we are counting up towards 500,000 meters.

The rest of the map uses only 4 digits to represent the UTM location. The first 2 superscript numbers in the northing, for example 34, represent the 1,000,000 and 100,000-meter grids. The last two numbers represent the 10,000 and 1,000-meter grids. Therefore, ³⁴04 on our quad means 3,404,000 meters north of the equator.

Plotting

Navigating against the UTM grid requires an interpolator, commonly known as a plotter. My personal preference is either the MadAthelete.com UTM plotter, available at Amazon.com for the meager price of $7.50, or this Grid Scale Reader, which is marginally larger. The purpose of the interpolator is to allow you to easily break the 1,000-meter grid down into 100-meter chunks.

UTM coordinates are always presented Easting/Northing. In other words, we form our UTM coordinates by starting from the left hand side of the map, working right, then moving upward from the bottom of the map to the point of interest. The common phrase to remember is read-right-up. Now, let’s see this in practice.

We want to rendezvous at the Bethel Church Cemetery so we can jump on the nearby hiking trail. Starting at the left side of the map, we navigate towards the east to the cemetery. Using a straight edge, we can mark the closest easting position–in this case ²49. We move the interpolator into position moving from the left side of the map towards the east as well. The result is a reading of 49550.

Next, we repeat the process to retrieve the northing value. Using a straight edge, we mark a horizontal line from which we can measure the northing–the closest northing is ³³94. We slide the interpolator up, obtaining the reading of 94200.   We would give the UTM grid as 4955/9420. Collectively, the 8-digits of accuracy represent a point to within 100 square meters, a measurement that is usually more than adequate for most land navigation requirements. The photo shows how the interpolator helped me determine the granular reading.

You’ll notice that the easting/northing reading usually omits the superscript values. If you are passing these coordinates to recipients who may not have any idea where on the globe you are, you would want to give them a full reading that includes the zone and 10-digits, something like, “Zone 14, 49550 94200.” The 10-digit reading describes a point to within 1 meter.

Magnetic Declination

Knowing that we like to go off-trail, we decide grab our map and trusty compass for the trek. The first thing we need to do to prepare for our hike is to lookup the declination for the area. Using the app on my iPhone that we setup previously, I punch in the zip code of the area I’m heading to (because I know it off the top of my head, and I don’t know the lat/long off the top of my head). NOAA reports that the declination is 3 ° 21′ E, changing by 0 ° 7′ W per year . Armed with this data, I set out to update my compass.

My personal preference is the Suunto M3; it includes a mechanical declination adjustment capability. Flipping over my compass, I adjust it from its default setting of 0 ° to approximately 3 ° E. The compass helps take the guess work out of which way to turn, labeling one side “E Decl” and the other side “W Decl” for me. Gently, I turn the gears so that I line up as reasonably close as I can to 3 ° 21′ E. Now, I can make my heading calculations on the map using the default grid lines of true north, yet know that when I shoot an azimuth with my compass in the field I’ll be heading the correct direction.

Orientation

Once I get out to the cemetery, I need to orient my map.   I do this by following a couple of steps:

1. Lay out my map on a flat surface, not the hood of your truck! Remember, your compass doesn’t behave well around large metals objects!
2. I turn my declination-adjusted compass bezel to due North.
3. Find an adequate reference line, lining up the orienting lines–the red parallel lines running in the middle of the bezel–with north-south meridians on the map. On your map it should be easy to notice how the direction of travel arrows are all parallel with the meridian lines or ticks–it is difficult to see that in my photo due to the photographic angle.
4. Finally, turn both the map and the compass together until the compass needle is “boxed” inside of the orienting arrow. Some people refer to this as red in the shed.

It’s worth nothing at this point one of the subtle challenges of using the Brunton 8096-AR compass that I pointed out in last weeks compass selection article. That compass lacks the orienting lines, making this process much more challenging than it need be.

At this point, we are ready to mark our starting location on the map, and begin the decision process of figuring out where to go on our hike. That’s where we’ll pick up next time, as we talk about shooting azimuths, identifying waypoints, tally counting, and more.

Notes

For the truly motivated, the LandNav series uses the Sam Houston National Forest as the training grounds for most of our cartographic adventures. If you’d like to download a PDF of the topo map we’re using to follow along, it’s the Huntsville 7.5 x 7.5 1997 map. It has an alternate ID of TTX1823, ISBN 978-0-607-93473-1. A printed version can be purchased from the USGS Store for $8.