Land Navigation Courses

logo nav

Confidently navigate your way through the outdoors! If you are interested in any of the following intentions, we have the training for you:  navigation-courses

 

  • volunteering with a search and rescue team
  • fine tuning your current navigational skills
  • testing for army special forces assessment & selection (SFAS) qualification course, officer candidate school (OCS), or any other elite forces training
  • adventure racing
  • go hiking or hunting without getting disoriented
  • and/or you simply don't want to get lost in the woods

Over the last 30 years, the Lead Instructor, Rob Speiden, has traveled on countless expeditions for recreation, as an outdoor adventure leader, and as a search and rescue team leader looking for lost persons.  All of our instructors are experienced in using conventional map and compass as well as ancient natural navigation techniques (sun, moon, stars, etc) and new technologies (GPS, Mytopo Terrain Navigator Pro, etc) for orienteering and land navigation. We continue teaching these skills to anyone interested in becoming comfortably familiar with tools and techniques essential for safe, enjoyable and confident short or long-range outings.

Natural Awareness Tracking School offers first-class presentations to you and your group covering the following topics:

  • Orienteering, Lensatic or Hybrid Compass selection and use
  • Map reading of USGS Topographic and other maps
  • Map scales of 1:24,000, 1:25,000, 1:50,000 or any others
  • Day & Night Land Navigation by ded-reckoning and terrain association
  • Route Planning for short or long-range operations
  • Adjusting for Declination anywhere in the world
  • Triangulation (section & resection / modified resection)
  • UTM, USNG, MGRS and Lat/Long coordinate systems plotting
  • How to use these skills in the field for day/night hikes or long-range outings

PDF for Sponsoring a Navigation Course

PDF for Customizing a One-on-One Course

Intermediate Land Navigation

 

art-land-navCourse Description

We will pick up where we left off in the Basic Land Navigation class. After a classroom review, the majority of the two-day course will be spent outside with practical field exercises to improve your ability to use topographic maps in conjunction with a compass. The combination of these resources and the skills taught in this course will give you a confident boost in your navigational skills regardless of the reasons you might find yourself off-trail.  

  • Use compass to determine and plot bearing or azimuth on a map
  • Section / resection & triangulation
  • Plotting MGRS / USNG / UTM coordinates
  • Route planning and execution by ded reckoning and terrain association
  • Day & Night Land Navigation exercises

The majority of class time is spent outside putting to use the concepts you learn in professionally presented classroom sessions. We will have a good time while practicing map and compass techniques for navigating accurately on and off-trail.

Notes

  • Target Audience: S.A.R. volunteers, Military operators (O.C.S., W.O.C.S., SFAS and other elite forces selection candidates, Law Enforcement professionals, Outdoor Enthusiasts, Hunters, you
  • Class Time : Course will start at 9am on Saturday and end at 4pm on Sunday
  • Required material: Flashlight, outdoor clothing (compass & grid plotter optional) Eye protection recommended for night navigation
  • Course Fee: $160
  • NEXT CLASSTBD  in Christiansburg, Virginia

PDF Course Flyer

PDF for Sponsoring a Navigation Course

 

"The Land Navigation and Orienteering Course was excellent. As an Instructor myself it was a great opportunity to work in an unfamiliar territory on such an intensive course. I was impressed with how well the class was designed and the fact that we spent so little time in the classroom. I wanted to improve my skills and increase my proficiency. Your class far exceeded my expectations. I plan on coming back again just because it was so much fun. Thanks for a great class!"
Randall B. - Appalachian Professional Tracking Group, Inc.