SURVIVAL STORE

Students using maps and compasses during a 3-day navigation course in the Colorado wilderness, led by expert instructors from The Survival University.
Two people in sun hats examine a map and point across a sunlit field during a navigation exercise.
Smiling woman in hiking gear holds up a map while standing in a grassy field with hills behind her.
A group of people sit in chairs on a grassy hillside listening to an outdoor instructor near several folding tables and pine trees.
An instructor teaches a young student how to use a compass while overlooking a forested mountain landscape.
A person in a blue jacket uses a compass to take a bearing while standing on a grassy overlook above a pine forest.
A pile of military-style compasses sits beside a declination conversion chart from the Department of the Army on a plastic table.
Two men in sunglasses study a topographic map using compasses and a pen at an outdoor navigation class.
Two people mark a topographic map on a table using a compass, with navigation tools nearby.
Man in camo hat uses lensatic compass during a navigation class, surrounded by others in an outdoor setting.
A group of people in the forest use compasses and maps while navigating with their dogs.

Land Navigation: Map & Compass Skills for the Backcountry

$495.00

Afraid of getting lost in the woods? Does the thought of using a map and compass stress you out? Let us help you banish that fear and uncertainty! Our Land Navigation 101 course will teach you how to use these basic tools to plot courses into the backcountry, and how to plot courses back out again.

Our Land Navigation I Course is designed to teach students to confidently navigate the outdoors.

July 9-11 2027

Click ‘Book Now’ to view and select your preferred date.

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Description

Land Navigation: Map & Compass Skills for the Backcountry

Master the Art of Navigation with a Map, Compass, and Confidence

Do you worry about getting lost in the woods? Does using a map and compass feel confusing or intimidating? You’re not alone—and this course is here to change that. Our Land Navigation 101 course is designed to eliminate the fear of getting lost and replace it with real-world skills, hands-on training, and true backcountry confidence.

This intensive 30-hour wilderness navigation course teaches you how to read topographic maps, use both orienteering and lensatic compasses, and apply terrain association to travel through the backcountry—without ever needing a GPS. Whether you’re a hiker, hunter, search and rescue volunteer, or backcountry adventurer, this course gives you the tools to navigate like a pro.

What You’ll Learn in This Land Navigation Course

  • Topographic Map Reading
    Learn to interpret map legends, terrain features, contour lines, relief shading, grid systems, UTM coordinates, and more.

  • Compass Selection & Use
    Understand the differences between orienteering compasses and lensatic compasses, and how to shoot accurate azimuths and bearings with both.

  • Terrain Association
    Develop the ability to read and match terrain in real life to what you see on the map, including ridges, spurs, saddles, valleys, and reentrants.

  • Route Planning & Field Navigation
    Practice plotting and following your own routes, measuring distance using your pace count, and navigating with safety bearings, back azimuths, and guide rails.

  • Hands-On Map & Compass Exercises
    Apply your skills immediately on our 1,100-acre training site, with real terrain challenges and navigation exercises—including elements that simulate orienteering and even basic geocaching scenarios.

  • Advanced Navigation Techniques
    Learn how to navigate using triangulation, dead reckoning, and nighttime navigation under limited light.

What’s the Difference Between Land Navigation and Orienteering?

Orienteering is a timed sport that involves navigating between checkpoints using a map and compass. This course, while incorporating some orienteering-style challenges, focuses on the real-world application of navigation in wilderness settings—no time limits, no competitions—just solid skills to get you in and out of the backcountry safely and confidently.

Why Take a Map & Compass Navigation Course?

Learning land navigation opens up the outdoors in a way that GPS can’t. Whether you’re searching for remote hunting spots, hiking off-trail, or curious about geocaching, this class gives you the tools to explore beyond the beaten path—and return safely.

Who Should Take This Course?

  • Hikers, backpackers, and trail explorers

  • Hunters and anglers venturing off-grid

  • SAR and emergency personnel

  • Military service members and civilians preparing for self-reliance

  • Orienteering beginners who want foundational map and compass skills

  • Advanced orienteering competitors looking to sharpen terrain association and improve speed and accuracy in real-world environments

  • Anyone who wants to go beyond GPS and navigate with confidence

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will:

  • Navigate confidently using a topographic map, compass, and protractor

  • Identify and interpret terrain features in real environments

  • Plan and follow routes with terrain-based navigation strategies

  • Use back azimuths, triangulation, and pacing in practical field conditions

  • Understand the difference between GPS navigation, orienteering, and traditional map-and-compass travel

  • Move through the wilderness independently—day or night, with or without trails

Course Overview

  • Course: Land Navigation: Map & Compass Skills for the Backcountry
  • Duration: 3 days
  • Location: TSU Mountain Camp near Cripple Creek, Colorado
  • Class starts: 8:00 AM.
  • Class ends: 5:00 PM.
  • Required arrival for check-in: 7:00 AM, one hour before class starts.

Training Format

There will be a significant amount of hiking.  Wear comfortable shoes.

Before You Arrive

Arrival and Directions

Colorado campus driving directions

Arrive by 7:00 AM for check-in. Class begins at 8:00 AM. Plan your drive so you are at the meeting location one hour before instruction begins.

Course Arrangements

Students enrolled in this course may remain on the training property overnight during the scheduled program. Students staying on the property provide their own shelter and sleeping equipment, using tents, tarps, hammocks, or primitive field shelters. Use of the training property overnight is limited to enrolled students and authorized program participants. Campsites are not independently rented or offered to the general public.

Students who prefer to stay off site can choose from multiple hotels and Airbnb rentals in the surrounding area. Cripple Creek is approximately a 15-minute drive from our location, and Woodland Park is approximately 30 minutes away. Students are responsible for arranging their own lodging and making reservations directly with their chosen provider. Please call or email us before the course if you have questions about overnight arrangements.

Facilities

  • Sanitation/Hygiene: A portable restroom and potable water will be provided at main camp.

Food and Water

Water will be provided but students will need to bring their own food. We recommend quick field expedient meals such as freeze dried hiking meals or MRE’s. They can quickly be made at our primitive camps and won’t slow down the learning process. However, students may bring any food that they wish to cook over the campfire or on their own personal camp stove.

Food can be purchased locally at nearby facilities. Walmart and several local eateries are within a reasonable driving distance.

  • Food for all days of the course (backpacking meals, MREs, etc.)

What to Bring

We do not provide students with gear unless they have purchased it from us ahead of time. Not much gear is needed for our courses, though good equipment does speed the learning process up greatly! Gear does not have to be purchased from our store to attend the course, but we recommend survival gear of equivalent quality.

This is a hands-on field course with both day and night navigation components. Be prepared for hiking, mapwork, backcountry camping, and exposure to the elements. All gear must be carried in by the participant.

Navigation Tools

  • Orienteering Compass or Military-Style Lensatic Compass
    (Recommended: Suunto MC-2DLIN or Cammenga Tritium H3)
  • Ultra-Fine Point Permanent Map Markers
    (Staedtler Lumocolor or equivalent)
  • Protractor (UTM-compatible 1:24,000 Scale)
  • Notepad and pencil (weather-resistant preferred)
  • Optional: Baseplate magnifier or lens for fine map detail

Personal Gear

  • Fixed-blade knife
    (Full tang, bushcraft-style, no serrated edge)
  • Small backpack or daypack
    (Comfortable for carrying essentials across terrain)
  • Outdoor clothing
    (Layered and weather-appropriate; NO cotton)
  • Sturdy hiking boots or trail shoes (broken in)
  • Poncho or rain gear
  • Sunscreen and sunglasses
  • Headlamp (with extra batteries)
  • Single-walled metal canteen (for boiling water if needed)
  • Cooking pot and utensils

Camping Equipment

  • Tent, tarp, or bivy shelter
  • Sleeping bag (rated for the season)
  • Sleeping pad or ground mat
  • Camp Chair (optional)
  • Personal hygiene kit (toothbrush, biodegradable soap, TP, etc.)
  • Trash bag (Leave No Trace)

Optional but Useful

  • Pace beads or ranger beads (for distance tracking)
  • Extra map case or ziplock for waterproofing maps
  • Gaiters (for brushy or wet terrain)
  • Gloves (lightweight for mapwork or warmth at night)
  • Bug spray or head net

Clothing and Weather

Warm outdoor clothing, warm gloves and hat, outdoor boots and wool socks. Cotton clothing is highly discouraged in the mountains! Wool will keep you warm even when wet and synthetics will dry faster. Layers are important in Colorado. You will want a water wicking base layer, an insulating mid layer, and a waterproof breathable outer shell. Check out our Clothes Layering Basics if you are unsure of what to wear.

Check Recommended Items List for more details!

If it is still not clear what gear is needed for our survival courses, then we have assembled a complete kit that is still high quality but for a budget friendly price. All the items in this kit were hand selected by our instructors to be the best bushcraft tools on a budget. This survival kit is a useful starter kit that can be used in all of our courses. These are all must have tools at a good price. It’s a great survival kit, bug out kit, go bag, or use it as a solid foundation to build a kit that perfectly fits your needs. With this kit and our training anybody can survive like a king in almost any environment!

Course Notes

RECOMMENDED READING

Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS (Mountaineers Outdoor Basics) BY Bob Burns

Due to the different levels of prior experience and knowledge among students in each class, individual outcomes may vary. Weather conditions can also be a factor in changing class content slightly. Nonetheless, our instructors will always endeavor to be as accommodating and consistent as circumstances will allow to ensure students get the best training experience and value for money.

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