Alternative to Hiking with a Compass: Wilderness Navigation with a Digital Camera

Backpack in the wilderness without a compass? We carry one every trip. Mary is very good at map reading with a compass. I am not (it is that whole spatial relation thing). I feel comfortable with my innate sense of direction but realize it is not infallible. I know this because I got lost once. I found an item I already carry every trip could have saved me a couple of tense days in the wilderness. We backpackers love gear that has multiple applications.

Contour lines on maps are easy. North and the rest of directions are simple once the declination is set on the compass. Following a compass course can be intimidating and then there is getting a back bearing. A compass is valuable item when backpacking, no doubt. I use a different method when I leave base camp or bushwhack in unfamiliar territory.

A digital camera is essential gear for most backpackers these days. They want photographs to show others where they went and what they saw. Sitting on the couch at home they can relive the experiences through images and words. The digital camera is an asset to navigation, too.

"Take the time to turn around and see where you have been." I read that somewhere (paraphrased of course) and have made it a habit when backpacking or hiking in unfamiliar territory. Landmarks easily recognized going north may look different or could be hidden when going south. It is important to know what the trail will look like on the way back.

Use a digital camera to record the terrain and landmarks that can lead you home. Stop, turn and take a photo of your back trail or of a prominent feature of the landscape. You will sometimes get a bonus photograph of some critter. Experience has shown that animals waiting for hikers to pass by will step out on the trail behind them. Refer to the pictures on the digital screen if you are unsure on the hike back. Do not try this with a regular film camera because there are not any photo stores in the wilderness. Polaroids would work but the cameras and film is so heavy. Delete the pictures you do not need from the camera file when you return.

Being concerned with getting lost keeps many folks off wilderness trails and from exploring beyond them. Using a digital camera as a navigation tool in the wilderness works. It will build the good habit of taking a look behind you on the trail. You will see things you may have missed.