Basic Land Navigation: National Interagency Incident Management System

Navigating with a compass and map is an essential skill for many incident positions. Even with new technology, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, map and compass skills are still needed. Confidence with navigation skills comes with practice and proficiency. This confidence level often impacts how a person performs during a crisis – which can result in life or death decisions. Basic Land Navigation is an introduction to land navigation. It begins with a general overview of maps. Then it specifically addresses how to read topographic maps. Next it covers various types of geographic location systems, such as latitude/longitude and Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM). This is followed by basic instructions on using a compass and clinometer. Then a general overview of the Global Positioning System is presented.