6 Reasons to Know How
From cave paintings, ancient manuscripts, and on to the 21st century, people have created and used maps as essential tools to explain and navigate their way through the world. With their longitudes and latitudes, as well as myriad lines crisscrossing miles of ground, encompassing mountains, valleys, and more, maps have been guiding the curious traveler for thousands of years. From enabling the discovery of new trails, to helping travelers plan their next pit stop, maps are crucial tools connecting the known and unknown for many generations of explorers, and you. With the increasing popularity of GPS devices and cellphone navigation apps, you could be forgiven for thinking that the days of old-school, hard-copy paper maps are numbered. You would, however, be mistaken. In a world where technology reigns supreme, the skill of map reading is one that every outdoors person should have in their repertoire. Below, we highlight the six most important reasons why you should learn how to use a map. 1 - Safety First The most obvious and practical reason. A map is a visual resource crammed with information about the area we’re exploring. The information tells us about water sources, potential campsites, viewpoints, cliffs, and more. By becoming a skilled map-reader, you’ll be able to find the former and avoid the latter, even in poor visibility. Fun fact: Around 50% of Search and Rescue call outs 16
VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 4 2021
are because someone got lost. Learning to read a map will lower your risk of getting lost in the first place, will help you find your way again if it does happen, or—worst-case scenario—at the very least be able to tell rescue teams where you are should things go wrong. 2 - Maps are a Passport To New Adventures While learning to read a map is certainly useful when following a marked and established trail, where it is most beneficial is when you want to satisfy your thirst for more serious adventure and take your trips off-trail. Map skills are enablers. The skill of map reading empowers you take your adventures in the backcountry further, letting you head into remote locations that you wouldn’t dream of venturing into without ample competency with your topos. 3 - Maps give you Self-confidence And Peace Of Mind Not only do maps let you find your way to new and exciting areas, learning to read a map can also provide a boost to your confidence both on the trail and before leaving the house. While pre-trip butterflies are a good thing, it’s much better to head off with faith and confidence in your abilities and know that if anything goes wrong it’s not going to be because you got lost. Honing your navigation talents and gaining confidence in your abilities is not only good for you, but also for those riding with you and the folks back home. Your confidence will spread to your riding partners. Your spouse and family members will feel a whole lot better about you venturing into the wild knowing that you have the requisite smarts to do so. 4 - A Map is More Than A Backup Sh*t happens. It’s one of the most popular sayings of our times and maybe never more applicable than when talking about trips in the backcountry. With so many variables to account for, it’s almost expected that over the duration of a few days on the trails something will go wrong. A counterpoint to that, however, is less sh*t happens if you know how to read a map. Mechanical devices will fail and electronic ones will die. Cell phones lose signal and batteries run low. In such circumstances, you’re on your own, and getting out of that situation will often depend on your ability to use a map, especially if you’ve headed off-trail. While GPS devices, and navigation apps on HorseNRanchMag.com
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