LANDNAV

By Redbeard Tactical
 Introduction

Landnavigation is a foundational branch of fieldcraft and soldiering in general. It describes the

ability to determine your location and other locations in the field, while also being able to find a
route to those locations and reach them. Landnav is a hardskill and is therefore measurable.

Landnav is based on terrain association and spatial thinking and other cognitive skills and is usually
(but not necessarily) supported by navigational aids like maps, compasses, GPS devices and
comparable items. Having the skills to utilize those items is also a manatory part of landnavigation.

We can only advise all servicemembers and responsbible citizens to train landnavigation as the
ability of knowing where you are and where to go is crucial by nature to our field of interest or
profession. Even if you dont plan to go into harms way, landnav can save your life or just make it
way easier.

In this guide we will cover the principles of landnav, the primary and secondary navigational aids
and their utilization.

We differentiate into the following three factors when it comes to landnavigation:

- Primary skills: can be described as your natural or trained sense for orienteering. Without those
you will get lost, no matter your tech.
- Primary tools: While not mandatory, they are crucial for navigating precisely in known and
especially unknown areas. Map and compass are imperative for professional orienteering.
-Secondary tools: Comfort items. Having them can speed up things a lot, but they arent mandatory

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 Getting started
1.1 Basic Kit
You dont really need to spend a fortune to get into landnav training.

We suggest the following items as a baseline:

-Baseplate compass (Silva, Suunto or comparable)
-MGRS/UTM paermap of your area (1:25k or 1:50k are fine scales for our purposes)
-Adhesive vinyl film for waterproofing and protecting your map (unprepared maps are hard to handle
and you cant erase your markings as easy)
-Binder clips for keeping your map folded
-Pen in hardness degree HB or similar
-Permanent fineliner (Non-permanent fineliners tend to wipe away by accident)
-Alcohol wipes for fineliner removal
-Eraser
-Analog quartz watch. Time and landnav are closely associated, the sun as a directional indicator is
just one example. With a rotating bezel the watch also serves as a makeshift compass.

With this basic kit you are ready to go.

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 2.1 Elements of a map
Pt. 1
Maps are mathematical determined presentations of the earth surface printed on a 2D surface. Due to
this being not a 100% reliable process and the fact that nature changes the landscape as soon as the
ink on the map has dried, a map is never completely accurate. Especially vegetation and water are
subject to constant change, manmade structures can appear or dissapear in less than a day. Geological
formations are our most reliable asset here.

The map can either be a topographic map, aerial or satellite photography or even a sketch.

A map sheet includes not only the topographic map itself, it contains a usually empty border frame
and a frame area containing additional information.

Examples

Sheet Name (A) – Name of the Mapsheet

Sheet Number (B) – Number of the Mapsheet
Declination (C) – Magnetic deviation of magnetig north (MN) to topographic north (TN) in degrees
Adjoining sectors (D) Shows maps that are next to your mapsheet

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 2.1 Elements of a map
Pt. 2
Furthermore map frames include the following items of importance:

Grid Refference Box (A): Important part of the map that tells you your location according to the
100.000m squares of and the Grid Zone Designator of the MGRS/UTM coordinate System. The map
containing multiple 100km square grids can happen, especially on larger maps. In this case all
squares are noted in the refference, but also on the map grid.

Scale (B): Usually includes your written map scale and a linear scale bar. Some maps include an
additional scale bar on the mapsheet itself while the scale is written under the mapsheet name.

Legend (C). Includes symbols and colors that are featured on the map to display vegetation,
buildings, paths, roads, rivers, structures and terrain types.

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 2.2 Reading a map
Scale of map
Your ability to read maps is your ability to interprete the drawings on it to your surroundings.

The first thing you need is a sense of scale. Scaling doesnt adheres to meters, inches or any other
measurement unit, its universal in nature. So a feature of a 1:25.000 map is 25.000 times as big as it
is pictured there, the same applies to measurement units. One centimeter on a 1:25000 map is 250m,
2 cm 500m and 4cm are 1000m and so on.

Of course you can always use your compasses or protractors scale, but the metric system helps a lot.

Its pretty easy to convert centimeters to kilometers on every scale, you just substract the last two
zeros of the scale.

Scale Measure on map Distance in terrain

1:15.000 1cm 150m
1:25.000 1cm 250m
1:50.000 1cm 500m

The metric scale is the worldwide standard system in landnavigation. Of course you can use a
calculator for inches to meters.

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 2.2 Reading a map
Direction of Travel
Besides a sense ofscale, a sense of direction is crucial when working with a map. If you walk
according to a map while looking at it, always try to point the maps north to the true north. You can
use a wrist mounted button compass or the sun for doing so.

This way you are always facing the same direction in the map as you face in terrain. Practice this.

Figure on top: You are moving on the blue path from south to north. Your map faces the right
direction as the path faces north.

You plan to take the junction in the east.

Figure two: Once you move on the junction in the eastern direction, the east of the map points
forward and north points north.

This way left and right on the map stay left and right in terrain. This is also imperative during halts
for orientation.

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 2.3 Reading a map
Heights and Elevation
Now that you have a sense for scale and direction, you need a sense for heights. Heights can be
crucial for orientation and if you dont have a more handy shaded relief type map, you have to work
with height lines.

There are primary and intermediate elevation lines, both are light brown but primary elevation lines
are bold and usually feature the elevation in meters. If there is a height difference of 200m between
two primary elevation lines and three intermediate are between those, each room between the every
elevation line covers 50m. Therefore elevation lines in close proximity to each other mean a steeper
elevation.

Black heights are either designated elevations like peaks or hills that stand out of the elevation
pattern or belong to characteristic points in the terrain like small settlements on hilltops and are
usually marked by an X or a dot.

In the illustration on the left you see designated elevations (encircled blue) and primary elevation
lines (marked blue) with their accompanying intermediate elevation lines.

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 2.4 Reading a map
Terrain asscociation
When associating data from a map to your surroundings its important to focus on the necessary. Always go
from far to near and from big to small.

The most important features are:

Linear Features: Literal and horizontal terrain that you will cross or move along. Roads, rivers, forest edges
and cliffs are great examples.
We divide those into:
-Catching lines: Those are horizontal to your direction of travel. Usually you employ those as a confirmation
of your route or as an indicator for direction change.
-Guiding lines: Linear features that move along your route, you follow them for a certain distances or until
you reach a catching line.

Point Features: Small but very recognizeable terrain features that allow you to tell your position on the map
immediately. Large buildings, peaksy small lakes but also junctions and crossings are great examples.

Area Features: Terrain types that cover a large area, can either be employed from distance or as a rough
indicator of your position. Forests, heights, swamplands or settlements are examples for this.

The illustration on the left shows us rivers being used catching and guiding lines, a peak being used as point
feature and a cliff being used as an area feature.

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 2.5 Reading a map
MGRS – Grid Zone designator
The military standard for topographic map grids is the military grid refference system (MGRS), grid
systems allow you to receive and transfer exact position coordinates.

The MGRS grid is always built in an universal fashion and always starts with the Grid Zone
Designnator (GZD)

Grid Zone Designator: Splits the world into several large rectangles. The GZD consists of two
numbers and one character (example: 32U).

While it is rare, it can happen that a map (especially in large scale operations) includes more than one
GZD, therefore always try to include your GZD. You should find your GZD in the grid refference
box in the frame of your map. If you cant find it, evaluate your GZD using the internet or an atlas
and note it to your map.

Not including a GZD can lead to serious communivation and navigation errors.

Illustration on the left depicts our search for GZD 18T.

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 2.6 Reading a map
MGRS – The 100.000m Square
Now that we have a very rough estimate on our position in the world with the GZD, we need a more
precise estimate on the area we are in. The two letters in a MGRS coordinate are the so called
100.000m square. This square, or a number of squares usually make up a state or region.

The 100.000m square gets added following the GZD

For example manhattan is located in 18T WL.

If your map includes multiple 100.000m squares, all are listed in the the grid refference box and a
change is also noted in the grid on the map.

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 2.7 Reading a map
MGRS – The 1000m Square Grid
The core for evaluating your position is the 1000 m square grid, which is the core of the MGRS
system for our purposes.

Those are the four to 10 numbers that follow the 100.000m letters.

Those numbers are always split into two blocks, the so called eastings and northings. Eastings go
from left to right and northings go from the top to the bottom.

Every grid on a map usually equals a kilometer, therefore the first and the second number of the
eastings and northings give you a useful indicator. After that, use a ruler or scaling tool to add the
missing meters. Now you can tell and understand positions on a map.

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 2.8 Reading a map
Conclusion
Even without a compass you can do lots when knowing how to read and handle a map, at least when
you have a good line of sight, you can orientate pretty easy with two or more terrain features.

If you are lacking line of sight, move to another position that allows for a better view.

In the example on the left we estimate our own position based on three facts.

-Time: It is 1300, so the sun is perfectly in the south and so we can evaluate north and position our
map.

-Point Feature: The mountain in front of is in the northwest, confirming our estimation.

-Linear Feature: The river is a catching line, its bend is a point feature allowing us to get an alomst
exact location.

-Distance: We are next to the riverbend, therefore its approx 1,5km to the hilltop as we can use the
1km squaregrids to estimate distance.

Using the MGRS grid we are now able to transmit our location.

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 3.1 Pacecounting
Stride length
Knowing your stride length will allow you to know which distance you have walked without the aid
of electronic devices. This is not only useful to measure your performance, but is extremely helpful
when orientating with a limited line of sight. When you know your starting point and have to move
through a dense forest along a river and know you have to leave the river to the east once you have
marched one km to reach the release point, knowing your pace is the only reliable method aside from
electronic devices.

Knowing your distance traveled is also an excellent control measure.

While you can measure your double step length (every time your left/right feet touches the ground)
with a measuring tape it is more feasible to walk 100m in terrain and measure the amount of double
steps you need to cover 100m.

Do this on a road at day, at night and in heavy terrain at day and night. Repeat each variant three
times and calculate the average pace for each style of time and terrain. Note those.

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 3.2 Pacecounting
Using a Pacecounter
You can either buy or make a „ranger style“ pacecounter. All you need to make those are 13 beads or
cordlocks and a string of paracord.

The beads are divided by a simple knot into one group of four and one group of four beads. The 9
beads represent 100m each, while each of the four beads represents 1km.

When you have performed the number of steps you evaluated for 100m pull down one of the 9 beads.
Repeat this process until all beads are down. After walking additional 100m you pull down of of the
1000m beads and reset the 100m beads.

This way you can measure your distance and marching pace in a pretty precise way. While it isnt as
reliable as an electronic device is a simple, proven and lightweight way of pacecounting.

Attach the pacecounter to the shoulder strap of your pack or LBE.

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 4.1 Compasses
Basic principles
A compass is an instrument to measure you alignment to the magnetic north. It is common belief that the
magnetic north is the northpole, but due to magnetic fields of either humanmade or natural origin the
magnetic north differs from map to map. This is called magnetic deviation, the process of declination solves
this issue and is covered in a later chapter. You can find declination values in the declination table on your
map.

Also keep in mind that when either in the northern or southern hemisphere, you need a compass that is suited
for it.

Besides the obvious north, west, east and south, a compasses bezel is divided into either degrees or mills.
This allows you to determine exact directions and opens manyfold possibilities.

A compass allows for:

- Showing you your current direction of travel
- Triangulating your position from terrain to map*
- Shooting a bearing from terrain to map*
- Shooting a bearing from map to terrain*
- Marching according to a bearing from map to terrain*
* Divided into close and long range orientation

And is therefore a valuable and versatile piece of navigation equipment that you need to understand and
master.

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 4.1 Compasses
Compass Types
There are four basic compass types that have pros and cons in different fields of application.

Button type compass

Not suited decent good excellent
Direction of travel X
Terrain to map X
Map to terrain X
Marching to a bearing X
Long range capable NO

The button type compass can grant you a quick check of your direction without pulling out your
primary compass. In conjuction with terrain association you can do a lot with them. Its a perfect
backup, nothing else.

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 4.1 Compasses
Compass Types

Baseplate compass
Not suited decent good excellent
Direction of travel X
Terrain to map X
Map to terrain X
Marching to a bearing X
Long range capable NO

The baseplate compass excells in working on a map and in close range orientation, as it can only
shoot a bearing from the hip it is not suited for long range orientation. Its easy operation makes it the
perfect compass for starters and even professionals use it for mapwork and at close range

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 4.1 Compasses
Compass Types

Mirrored compass
Not suited decent good excellent
Direction of travel X
Terrain to map X
Map to terrain X
Marching to a bearing X
Long range capable YES

The mirrored compass is the most versatile of all compass types, its basically a baseplate compass
with a mirror and sights attached to it. This way you can read the degrees while aiming for a target
far away. While it is not as good when working on maps as a baseplate compass is, it is still suitable
depending on the type.

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 4.1 Compasses
Compass Types

Lensatic Compass
Not suited decent good excellent
Direction of travel X
Terrain to map X
Map to terrain X
Marching to a bearing X
Long range capable YES (EXCELLENT LONG RANGE CAPABILITIES)

The lensatic compass features a magnification lens in place of a mirror which enables to precisely
read the exact bearing of an object you aim for. The degrees indicator also isnt placed on its bezel but
on a plate that rotates with the magnetic needle. This makes it the best compass for long range
orientation, but makes working with a map a bit of a hassle. In combination with a baseplate compass
it is an excellent solution. Its very dedicated sights also allow for the most precise shooting of
bearings.

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 4.2 Compasses
Compass Components
For the sake of keeping this simple, short and effective, we will talk about the components of the
baseplate compass here. There are some minor deviations in lensatic type compasses and the addition
of components like the mirror, sights and lens. But if you understand a baseplate compass you will
understand all others

A: Front with ruler in either mm or inch

B: Rotatable bezel with general directions and degrees or mills.
C: Direction of travel.
D: Compass edge with scale
E: Index line
F: Orienteering arrow (Moves with bezel)
G: Orienting lines
H: Magnetic needle (always points to the magnetic north independently)

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 4.3 Compasses
Preparing a compass
Preparing your compass is pretty easy. Aside from the button type compass, all compasses come with
a lanyard. While most of them have a handy scale, they are unsuited for work in the field. Remoce it
and replace it with a piece of 1m long, decored paracord.

Tie one end of the paracord to the compass, using a secure knot of your choice.

Add a carbine hitch knot to the other end of the paracord. This way you can lanyard the compass to
your kit, but also to your wrist or wear it like a necklace.

Keep the compass in a pouch or pocket that is easily accessible and free of electronic or magnetic
devices.

Inspect your compass for bubbles before you go out. Small bubbles have minor effect. Big bubbles
can be very annoying.

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 4.4 Compasses
Handling a compass
When you move with a compass, put your elbow at hip height as an index line. Your fingers should
be placed under the compass while your thumb applies pressure to the edge at the area of the
direction of travel. When you are holding a map and a compass, the thumb applies pressure from the
top and your fingers apply pressure from the bottom to keep one hand free.

The direction of travel always points forward.

The compass shouldnt come into close proximity to metallic or magnetic objects, as this can create
major deviations.

When you have your compass in the right hand, sling your rifle to the left. If you are using a pencil,
hold it in the other hand than the compass. Dont orientate inside of structures made out of steel
concrete or on engine hoods (unless you are doing MAP TO TERRAIN work).

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 4.5 Compasses
Determining Direction of Travel
Determining your direction of travel and aligning your map to the north is the most basic and
essential skillset you should have with a compass.

To do so, check the area for possible sources of magnetic disturbance, pull out your compass and
hold it at hip height. If available point your compass towards an object in close proximity.

Your magnetic needle will now point to the magnetic north.

Now you turn your bezel until the orientieering arrow aligns with the magnetic needle and you know
in which direction or azimuth any object around you is roughly located.

If you wish to turn your map to the north, untighten your grip and rotate the map sepperately from
the compass until the maps nothern edge points to the north.

When you want to turn in a certain direction, turn your whole body including your feet and stay at
the same spot.

Please keep in mind that you may also have to consider declination which will be covered at the end
of this chapter.

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 4.6 Compasses
Creating a bearing from map to terrain
A bearing created from your map allows you to move into the exact direction of an object that you
dont see yet.

Its however absolutely necessary that you know your destinations location on the map and are either
aware of your location or determine it in front of creating the bearing.

To create the bearing:

1. Connect starting and release point on the map with the edge of your compass and draw a line. The
direction of travel points to your destination.

2. Turn the orienting lines of your compass so that they align with your maps grid.

3. Check and note the number that is now below your compasses index line as this is your bearing.

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 4.7 Compasses
Marching according to a bearing
Now that you have your bearing, stay in place and dont readjust the compass.

[Link] around yourself until the magnetic needle is in the orienteering arrow.

2. Look for an object like a tree that is in the direction of travel of your compass, the magnetic needle
has to stay inside the orienting arrow all the time.

3. Move towards the object and repeat the process until you have reached your destination.

A mirrored or lensatic compass will allow you to aim on objectives at further distances compared to a
baseplate compass, this is where those systems really shine.

If you dont have any suitable objects because you are in the desert or in a deep forest. Just move
slowly and make sure that the needle stays inside the orienting arrow all the time. Its a pretty tedious,
nut effective last resort option to do so.

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 4.7 Compasses
Projecting Bearings from terrain to map
Sometimes you know your location, but you are unsure of the exact location of an object on the map
that you see in terrain.

To do so, you can shoot a bearing to that object and basically reverse the process we talked about
before.

1: Target the object.

2: Align magnetic needle with orienteering arrow.
3: Note bearing.
4: Get back to the map and turn the compass on top of it until the magnetic needle is in the
orienteering arrow again.
5: The object that aligns with the bearing on the map, or is closest to it is the object you are looking
for.

The illustration on the left shows this done with two different compasses. A lensatic compass for
shooting the bearing and a baseplate compass to project the bearing to the map. Note that you have to
turn the baseplate compass to the bearing you determined using the lensatic one.

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 4.8 Compasses
Triangulation
Besides terrain association, there is only one way to get your exact location on your map.
Triangulation is a method where you shoot multiple bearings (at least three) to three individual
objects. The only downside is that you need to know the objects position on the map and a good field
of view.

After you did shoot and note the three bearings, you align your compasses edge with the objects
(note: keep a correct direction of travel) on the map and draw lines into from them to your general
direction.

After doing so you either get an X, which shows your exact location or a triangle.

This trianle is also called failure triangle and indicates that your posistion is somewhere in this
triangle.

NOTE: You can triangulate your own position using only two objects when drawing a line to the
north or south over a big part of the map.

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 4.9 Compasses
Declination
You can adjust declination by either using a declination adjustment on your compass, using a
declination scale or using mathematic calculation according to your declination sheet on your map.

For declination adjustment, check your compasses manual (most compasses dont have a fixed
adjustment)

The scale on your compass should be also pretty self explaining.

If you have no declination scale, add declination to the east and substract declination to the west.

When using bearings from a map, we add western degrees and substract eastern degrees.

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 5.1 GPS
How a GPS device works
A GPS device works not very different from how you traingulate your position with a compass. But
instead of three terrain features it traingulates your position with at least three of the currently 31
GPS satellites in the orbit.

Making it possible to get your exact position on the planet.

However, GPS devices arent failureproof and therefore prone to getting wrong signals due to
reflections, especially in rocky terrain. Therefore a GPS device has always to be doublechecked
when in alpine environment or deep jungle.

If you manage to take this into account, a preprogrammed GPS device is a quick and secure way to
get to your destination.

If you have to deviate from your preprogrammed route for some reason, the device will again require
you to read maps and terrain. Its most often faster to use a map and a compass than to replot a
detailed route on yor device. So it is no substitute to the skills we covered before.

Also make sure you get a device that features a visible antenna, othwerwise your smartphone will be
just as precise in most cases.
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5.1 GPS
Preparing a GPS Device
Dont make the mistake of getting a GPS device and not preparing it. This isnt a car navigation system or smartphone,
even if it was, you propably want to move far away from roads and paths.

Therefore you need to set waypoints that detail your route. If your GPS can display maps, make sure to get some. Most
GPS devices work with the so called *.IMG format. You can download *.IMG files and simply put them in your GPS
device.

Plot routes on your desktop PC or laptop, make sure to try out your GPS and be aware of the fact it is another skill you
have to maintain.

Other necessary steps:

1.: Make sure to calibrate your device whenever you go out.

2.: Make sure to turn on the declutter function in your map menu to make maps more readable.
3.: Keep the map detail level only as high as necessary
4. Many devices feature an „expedition“ mode that only refreshes the device when necessary, turn it on when you do
simple routes.
5. Keep at least one set of spare batteries for each day with you.

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 6.1 Additional items
Protractor
A protractor is a handy tool that allows you to shoot bearings on a map really fast. Keep it in your
admin pouch if navigation or mission planning is one of your primary occupations.

Using it is really easy, place it on your location on the map, pull the small lanyard attached to it
tightly to your destination and your bearing is right where the lanyard crosses the scale.

Its not a necessary tool and makes stuff way easier. Most protractors feature an integrated scaling tool
or at least a scaled ruler.

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 6.2 Additional items
Scaling tool
A scaling tool is handy for those who have to measure distances pretty often or need to get very exact
coordinates.

Scaling tools are available for multiple map scales and often feature ways to measure bends and
curves.

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