Learning bushcraft/ trekking/ gps

[Newprospect]

Hi All just wondering , what the go to books , websites etc would be to learn about moving around bush land in Victoria to start with. Not confident to try this just yet and wouldnt mind some help. Cheers :Y:

 

[UnderEmployedGeo]

What do you want to know exactly? Navigation? Prospecting? How to set up a camp? What are you wanting to do?

 

[Newprospect]

What do you want to know exactly? Navigation? Prospecting? How to set up a camp? What are you wanting to do?

Looking to learn navigation old school and modern. Setting up camp as well. Totally new to prospecting as well .

 

[Nightjar]

You can read how I navigated before the modern day gadgets.

Post #346
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/advice-on-gps-units.35463/post-598880

 

[Newprospect]

You can read how I navigated before the modern day gadgets.

Post #346: https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/advice-on-gps-units.35463/post-598880

Cheers

 

[guipago]

Another option is to join an orienteering club to learn the ropes, Paddy Pallin or Kathmandu might know clubs in your area or just google it, without knowing your exact aims like walking & panning/detecting an area, driving into an area, bit hard to advise, even if you just take your GPS & walk known walking paths & identify features on a map will help.

 

[user 12139]

probably the best thing you could learn is how to determine North, South, East & West without a compass or any modern day gadget.

Tip: search google for doing this with an analog wrist watch.

Once you master the watch trick you won't even need a watch... SO LONG as you know what direction you headed off in the first place. I cant emphasise this enough, way to many people just wonder off without taking note beforehand. A quick orientation that takes 5 secs may save YOUR LIFE!

They use to teach this at school, doubt they do these days with all the bloody tech crap available. People today rely to heavily on tech crap and in most cases this is the very reason they get lost when it fails.

I've never been lost in my 60 years... and I've had to walk 25 km in 45 deg heat in the outback when my whoopie broke down on the Durham Downs Station in SW QLD. The fella I was with panicked, with the heat and likelihood of the scenario turning into a serious disaster he was a bloody handful! We covered that 25 km in just over 4hrs., with 1 orange and about 1 litre of water between us, not a bad effort in my book.

Another Tip: If its night time then the same principle applies using a different reference

Ask a black fella how they navigate, they mastered it

 

[UnderEmployedGeo]

What do you want to know exactly? Navigation? Prospecting? How to set up a camp? What are you wanting to do?

Looking to learn navigation old school and modern. Setting up camp as well. Totally new to prospecting as well .

You probably have come to the right place... plenty of us here would know a bit about all those things.

As for navigation, which is a potentially life-saving skill, apart from learning how to determine north from the sun's position and south from the stars at night, the next step is to learn how to read maps well.

If you can read a map, especially a topographic map (which shows contours) and you have a compass, you can pinpoint your location quite precisely depending on the conditions (using triangulation - you do need some hills or landmarks around to look at).

This looks like an interesting video series: https://youtu.be/hmKBrQpZ6U8

Setting up camp is very much dependent on what you want it to look like - a swag? A tent? A towed camper or van? etc...

As for prospecting, well, yeah, a lot to learn on this forum, youtube is great for finding prospecting videos - you can lose hours watching these, but if a style of prospecting catches your imagination, look in to that for a while - find out what you need, get the gear and go for it!

 

[condor22]

If they are of any use to you and they should be, I have 2 PDF docs....

Survival 1.3 MB &

GA7194 Map Reading approx 1 MB - This one covers how to read a map, navigate using a compass, GPS and more.....

PM me with your email addy and I'll send them to you.

 

[Newprospect]

Another option is to join an orienteering club to learn the ropes, Paddy Pallin or Kathmandu might know clubs in your area or just google it, without knowing your exact aims like walking & panning/detecting an area, driving into an area, bit hard to advise, even if you just take your GPS & walk known walking paths & identify features on a map will help.

Thanks.

 

[Newprospect]

probably the best thing you could learn is how to determine North, South, East & West without a compass or any modern day gadget.

Tip: search google for doing this with an analog wrist watch.

Once you master the watch trick you won't even need a watch... SO LONG as you know what direction you headed off in the first place. I cant emphasise this enough, way to many people just wonder off without taking note beforehand. A quick orientation that takes 5 secs may save YOUR LIFE!

They use to teach this at school, doubt they do these days with all the bloody tech crap available. People today rely to heavily on tech crap and in most cases this is the very reason they get lost when it fails.

I've never been lost in my 60 years... and I've had to walk 25 km in 45 deg heat in the outback when my whoopie broke down on the Durham Downs Station in SW QLD. The fella I was with panicked, with the heat and likelihood of the scenario turning into a serious disaster he was a bloody handful! We covered that 25 km in just over 4hrs., with 1 orange and about 1 litre of water between us, not a bad effort in my book.

Another Tip: If its night time then the same principle applies using a different reference

Ask a black fella how they navigate, they mastered it

thanks for the info and glad you got through your ordeal alive , cheers again..

 

[Newprospect]

What do you want to know exactly? Navigation? Prospecting? How to set up a camp? What are you wanting to do?

Looking to learn navigation old school and modern. Setting up camp as well. Totally new to prospecting as well .

You probably have come to the right place... plenty of us here would know a bit about all those things.

As for navigation, which is a potentially life-saving skill, apart from learning how to determine north from the sun's position and south from the stars at night, the next step is to learn how to read maps well.

If you can read a map, especially a topographic map (which shows contours) and you have a compass, you can pinpoint your location quite precisely depending on the conditions (using triangulation - you do need some hills or landmarks around to look at).

This looks like an interesting video series: https://youtu.be/hmKBrQpZ6U8

Setting up camp is very much dependent on what you want it to look like - a swag? A tent? A towed camper or van? etc...

As for prospecting, well, yeah, a lot to learn on this forum, youtube is great for finding prospecting videos - you can lose hours watching these, but if a style of prospecting catches your imagination, look in to that for a while - find out what you need, get the gear and go for it!

Thanks very much..

 

[user 12139]

nice to have maps, clear sight, precipitation, distinct landmarks ect to orientate against but historically for the misfortunate a good portion of these have failed them. The moment the sun and stars fail me will have also failed you and everyone else on earth

Orientation from the get go is your benchmark regardless how you navigate, I'm glad I learnt NSEW

Less to carry

 

[Newprospect]

nice to have maps, clear sight, precipitation, distinct landmarks ect to orientate against but historically for the misfortunate a good portion of these have failed them. The moment the sun and stars fail me will have also failed you and everyone else on earth

Orientation from the get go is your benchmark regardless how you navigate, I'm glad I learnt NSEW

Less to carry

Yes I thought it would be good to have this education and understanding.

 

[user 12139]

very easy to learn Newprospect and beauty is it becomes second nature before you realise

 

[David-Karratha]

Theres lots of ways to do this, but one of the best, is to start easy and then progress from there.

Joining a club of some description is really useful - youll typically be with others, and not only will you learn from your own mistakes, but youll get to learn from others.

Some options would be:
4wd clubs - most will have a few overnight or multi-day camps a few times a year. Most clubs are a collection of gear-nuts, youll get to see pretty much every camping and 4wd gadget thats available on the market.

Hiking or Bushwalking clubs. Theyll have group activities, which will be more geared towards carrying your stuff in your pack.

Rogaining clubs (https://rogaine.asn.au/ ). This is a great sport (which suits everyone from 10-100 years) thatll teach you how to navigate using a map & compass. Its huge fun, it suits kids and adults, and 12 & 24 hour rogaines typically include camping overnight (and night navigation).

Ive also attached a useful file (from the WA Police) which contains a wealth of information. The best trick I can suggest, is to learn from others, otherwise sometimes your first life-saving lesson could be your last.

Have fun out there. Its australia; having fun outside in the bush is a national requirement.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/22207/1639305903_aids_to_survival.pdf

 

[Newprospect]

Theres lots of ways to do this, but one of the best, is to start easy and then progress from there.

Joining a club of some description is really useful - youll typically be with others, and not only will you learn from your own mistakes, but youll get to learn from others.

Some options would be:
4wd clubs - most will have a few overnight or multi-day camps a few times a year. Most clubs are a collection of gear-nuts, youll get to see pretty much every camping and 4wd gadget thats available on the market.

Hiking or Bushwalking clubs. Theyll have group activities, which will be more geared towards carrying your stuff in your pack.

Rogaining clubs (https://rogaine.asn.au/ ). This is a great sport (which suits everyone from 10-100 years) thatll teach you how to navigate using a map & compass. Its huge fun, it suits kids and adults, and 12 & 24 hour rogaines typically include camping overnight (and night navigation).

Ive also attached a useful file (from the WA Police) which contains a wealth of information. The best trick I can suggest, is to learn from others, otherwise sometimes your first life-saving lesson could be your last.

Have fun out there. Its australia; having fun outside in the bush is a national requirement.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/22207/1639305903_aids_to_survival.pdf

Thanks very much for this info I will definitely be looking . Thanks