Back Country Navigation Training Set for Evanston, Wyoming
Dick Blust is putting on his Back Country Navigation Course in Evanston, Wyoming (about an hour from Salt Lake City and Ogden), in May. Two options are available - a one-day course and a two-day course. Course content for the one-day course includes the following
Dick’s course is geared toward hunters. He has been training in Back Country Navigation for law enforcement, search and rescue, and outdoors people in general for nearly 20 years in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Washington.
The one-day course is complete and works extremely well as a stand-alone. Those who opt for the two-day course first attend the one-day course; the second day is devoted mostly to field exercises - Dick sets up basic scenarios using map, compass, and GPS, with class members divided up into teams. (These scenarios emphasize the fundamentals and are not strenuous - the idea here is to learn and experience navigation skills first-hand, not get a physical workout.)
Dick provides everything needed for the class, including a handout package, though he encourages everyone to bring note-taking materials. He also encourages people to bring their own GPSs, compasses, and maps, which are worked with as the day (or days) move along.
Once the class is complete (whether one- or two-day), Dick is available at any time via email or through the Rokslide website’s forums (he is signing up now as he was unaware of this great website) to answer any questions and has always made it a policy to respond to inquiries promptly and completely.
Cost is $75 for the one-day course and $150 for the two-day course. The one-day course will be presented on May 17, 2014, at the Uinta County Library, 701 Main Street, Evanston, Wyoming, beginning at 8:00 AM. The class will break for an hour at noon for lunch and will continue until about 5:00 PM or a bit later.
For those attending the two-day course, the class will meet outside the Uinta County Library the following Saturday, May 24, at 8:00 AM, and the class will convoy a short distance out of town from there for the field exercises, which last from four to six hours, depending on class size.
Class size is limited to a maximum of 15 on a first-come, first-served basis. For questions about the course and course content, contact Dick at [email protected]. I am coordinating the course here in Evanston for Dick; to sign up or get directions to the library, contact me at [email protected] .
Dick Blust is putting on his Back Country Navigation Course in Evanston, Wyoming (about an hour from Salt Lake City and Ogden), in May. Two options are available - a one-day course and a two-day course. Course content for the one-day course includes the following
- Topographic map reading and map interpretation
- Map scales
- Understanding and working with contour lines, slope, and relief
- Understanding and working with the Seven Terrain Features (Mountains/Hills, Ridges/Spurs, Saddles, Valleys/Draws, Cliffs, Depressions, and Ridgelines)
- Topographic maps and hydrography (water features)
- Topographic map symbols
- Understanding and using grid coordinate systems (Latitude-Longitude and Universal Transverse Mercator)
- Plotting coordinates using corner scales and protractors
- Using conventional USGS topographic maps
- Using MyTopo’s Terrain Navigator Pro mapping software
- Generating topographic "field maps" with Terrain Navigator Pro
- Transferring navigation information from your computer to your GPS(and vice versa) with Terrain Navigator Pro
- Compasses and direction finding
- Compasses and position plotting (triangulations)
- GPS - How to make it work for you
- Route planning
- Getting out of trouble and staying out of trouble (Staying Found)
- Selecting a compass
- Selecting a GPS
- Map, Compass, and GPS - Using all three in a comprehensive approach to back country navigation
- Baseline Navigation, using Baselines, Handrails, and Steering Marks
- The "Turn It On, Turn It Off" strategy for back country navigation
- Practicing your back country navigation skills, including Geocaching
Dick’s course is geared toward hunters. He has been training in Back Country Navigation for law enforcement, search and rescue, and outdoors people in general for nearly 20 years in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Washington.
The one-day course is complete and works extremely well as a stand-alone. Those who opt for the two-day course first attend the one-day course; the second day is devoted mostly to field exercises - Dick sets up basic scenarios using map, compass, and GPS, with class members divided up into teams. (These scenarios emphasize the fundamentals and are not strenuous - the idea here is to learn and experience navigation skills first-hand, not get a physical workout.)
Dick provides everything needed for the class, including a handout package, though he encourages everyone to bring note-taking materials. He also encourages people to bring their own GPSs, compasses, and maps, which are worked with as the day (or days) move along.
Once the class is complete (whether one- or two-day), Dick is available at any time via email or through the Rokslide website’s forums (he is signing up now as he was unaware of this great website) to answer any questions and has always made it a policy to respond to inquiries promptly and completely.
Cost is $75 for the one-day course and $150 for the two-day course. The one-day course will be presented on May 17, 2014, at the Uinta County Library, 701 Main Street, Evanston, Wyoming, beginning at 8:00 AM. The class will break for an hour at noon for lunch and will continue until about 5:00 PM or a bit later.
For those attending the two-day course, the class will meet outside the Uinta County Library the following Saturday, May 24, at 8:00 AM, and the class will convoy a short distance out of town from there for the field exercises, which last from four to six hours, depending on class size.
Class size is limited to a maximum of 15 on a first-come, first-served basis. For questions about the course and course content, contact Dick at [email protected]. I am coordinating the course here in Evanston for Dick; to sign up or get directions to the library, contact me at [email protected] .
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