KIT ME OUT FOR
Unless you’re a whizz at finding your way using only the sun, moon and stars, here’s the gear you’ll need!
A GPS RECEIVER Built for use in the outdoors, this kit is more durable and weatherproof than a phone – but we recommend you carry a map and compass to use alongside it. Pictured: Garmin eTrex 25 £210 B WALKING POLE Can be used to find north on sunny days and to determine the angle of a slope. Who knew?! Pictured: Leki Albula Lite Poles £90 (pair) C CHINAGRAPH PENCIL This will make a waterproof mark on a map (which can easily be removed). It’s wise to draw your path on your map as you go, whenever a bearing is taken. Pictured: Royal Sovereign Chinagraph Marking Pencil £7.55 (for 12) D VIEWRANGER Track your progress on a route with the new ViewRanger app – perhaps on the Apple Watch? Pictured: app £free ; Apple Watch 2 from £269 E COMPASS BINOCULARS Flashy for normal nav but useful when undertaking say search & rescue, or in extreme environments. Pictured: Steiner Navigator Pro 7x50c £335 F TOGGLES Keep track of distance when ‘pacing’. Attach 10 toggles to a length of cord on your pack. For every 100m walked move one toggle from top to bottom. Pictured: Lowe Alpine Cord Locks (x5) £4.50 G GRID REFERENCE TOOL Great for determining your exact location (especially useful if you need to call Mountain Rescue...). Pictured: Shaven Raspberry Map Romer Scale Grid Reference Tool £2.99 H MAP An absolute navigation essential. Use a map case (pictured Silva Carry Dry M30 £12.60) for weather protection and to stop your map being blown away. Pictured: OS Explorer £varies I PARACORD A lost map or compass could see you lost. Append them to your person with paracord to prevent this. Pictured: US 550 Paracord £6 J ALTIMETER In tricky conditions an altimeter can help determine your position on a ridge or featureless hillside. Pictured: Suunto Ambit3 Vertical £365 K POWERBANK Useful if you’re out on the hill for a prolonged period to keep those essential devices juiced up. Pictured: PowerTraveller Mini-G £110 L OS MAPS PHONE APP Helpful to use alongside a map and compass. You can load Trail’s routes to follow on the OS app, as well as plot routes and record where you’ve been. Pictured: OS Maps £24/free to Trail subscribers M WATCH Handy for telling the time on the hill! But an analogue watch face can also be used to find north and south should you find yourself with no compass or GPS. Pictured: Swatch Once Again £32 N HEADTORCH If you get caught out in the dark, use your loaf! Clearly see the path as well as the map with a noggin-mounted source of illumination. Pictured: Black Diamond Revolt £70 O STOPWATCH Time how long it takes you to walk a certain leg of a walk, then using the timing card (see below) estimate how far you’ve walked on the map. Especially useful when navigating in the dark. Pictured: Casio Stopwatch £40 P COMPASS The other absolute essential on the hill. Ensure yours has a base plate with adequate graphics for taking a bearing, plus a ruler and scales for measuring distance on the map. Pictured: Suunto M3 NH £30 Q TIMING CARD Work out your pace over 100m (see item S, page 109) and you can use this card to help navigate and determine distance when the weather is closed in. Pictured: Shaven Raspberry Navigation Timing Card £1.99 R PHONE CASE If using a smartphone to navigate, weather- and shockproof it. All your eggs are in one basket, which is risky when you may need it to call for help. Pictured: Lifeproof FRE £70 S NAVIGATION MANUAL The book to have if you’re teaching yourself how to navigate – whether you’ve never done it before or you’re looking to learn more advanced techniques.
Ultimate Navigation Manual Lyle Brotherton £12