NAVIGATE OFF-TRAIL

Step 1: Adjust for declination
Declination is simply the difference between magnetic north (where the compass needle points) and true north (the North Pole, and the direction maps are oriented). To navigate accurately, just check the margin of your map for the declination (12 degrees east, for instance) and adjust your compass accordingly (most have a simple dial). No dial? No problem. If the declination is east, subtract the degrees from the magnetic north bearing to get the true bearing; if it's west, add the degrees (easy mnemonic device: East is least, west is best).

Step 2: Orient your map
Lay the straight edge of your compass on the map so that its true north bearing is parallel to the map's true north grid lines. Rotate the map and compass together until the compass points due north.

Step 3: Take a bearing
Let's say your destination is a spectacular lakeside campsite two miles off the beaten path. You can see it on your map–but not from the trail. To get there, lay the straight edge of your compass base plate on the map so it connects your present location with the lake. Turn the compass housing until its meridian lines match the north-south lines on the map (make sure the arrow is pointing to the top of the map, or you'll be 180 degrees off). The direction indicated at the compass's direction of travel arrow is the route you need to take to reach the lake.

Step 4: Navigate around obstacles
In the real world, obstacles like canyons and cliffs can get in the way of your straight line bearing. Here's how to go around without getting off track: With your compass in hand, sight an object–like a tree or boulder–that is beyond the obstacle and lies on the straight line to your destination. Hike to that object by the easiest route, then resume traveling along your original bearing.
From : Backpacker Magazine

How To Speak GPS

Common GPS terms you should know.
from : Backpacker Magazine
by: Mike Lanza

Backtrack: A function that allows you to retrace the route you traveled if you stored waypoints as you went along.

Bearing: Your direction of travel between two points, measured in degrees relative to true or magnetic north. Bearing ranges from 0 to 360 degrees.

Coordinates: A set of letters (indicating direction) and numbers (indicating latitude and longitude) that describe a position on the surface of the Earth.

Course Over Ground (COG): The direction in which the GPS receiver has been taken.

Cross-Track Error (XTE): Sometimes called the "course deviation indicator," this number represents the amount of perpendicular distance you have wandered from your programmed route.

GoTo: A basic function of any GPS unit, GoTo directs you to a chosen waypoint or destination, usually by showing on the unit's display an arrow that points in the direction the user is to go.

Route: A course of travel linking two or more waypoints selected by the user.

Speed Over Ground (SOG): The speed at which the user of a GPS receiver is traveling.

Universal Transverse Mercator: An alternative coordinate system that divides the Earth's surface into a flat grid of 60 zones, each zone 6 degrees wide, instead of using the traditional longitude/latitude system. UTM currently is used mostly by "serious" navigators and cartographers, but it's becoming more common because, once learned, it's simple to use.

Velocity Made Good: A numerical value that shows the rate at which the user of a GPS receiver is nearing a destination waypoint.

Waypoint: Also called a landmark, a waypoint is a precise position on the Earth identified by a set of coordinates. All GPS receivers let you name waypoints, and many allow you to label them with icons for landmarks such as campsites and overlooks, and then link multiple waypoints to create a route. GPS units typically store at least 500 waypoints.

Understanding GPS

Using your GPS is easier than you think.
from : Backpacker Magazine
by: Mike Lanza

HOW IT WORKS
The Global Positioning System (GPS) consists of 24 satellites orbiting the Earth every 12 hours and transmitting a sequence of numbers back to its surface.

The system was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Handheld GPS receivers pick up the satellites' signals.

Standard recreational GPS receivers have 12 channels, meaning that they can track up to 12 satellites at once. Reception from three satellites triangulates a "fix" on your location, giving your precise position on Earth in longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates. Reception from four satellites is required to calculate altitude. A receiver's "view" of the satellites can be blocked by dense foliage, terrain, buildings, or even thick fog.

USING IT
A GPS unit, like a good pair of boots, is something you appreciate only by using it. Get out the instruction manual, power it up, and hit the trail. Before setting off for the great unknown, though, take it on a few test trips in familiar areas. Use it on a weekend backpacking trip or on short walks around your neighborhood. Purposely get "lost" and let the GPS help you find your way home. Or have a GPS-savvy friend create a route for you to follow.