[Trapper John]

Originally Posted by AspiringWarrior

Hey guys, I'm pretty green at map/compass/terrain association land nav. I'm extremely proficient with GPS but have minimal experience with low-tech methods. I need to hammer on this weakness.

From my very limited previous training, the basic land nav training format seemed to go something like this: get first grid, plot grid, verify with an instructor, plot azimuth and distance, proceed to grid, get next grid, rinse, repeat. There seemed to be pretty extensive prior set-up work on the course by the instructors before the students showed up.

This brings me to a critical question: is training significantly more effective if *someone else* sets up the course before I run it, or could I set up my own courses and still train just as effectively? How important is it that I have no prior idea where the points are?

I want to be a land nav monster by the time I show up to selection. Is training on my own every weekend the right path towards that outcome (supplemented by out-of-pocket-funded civilian classes when available), or is there a better way?

If memory serves there are orienteering clubs in your AO. I would recommend you seek out an experienced partner that is willing to mentor you and participate in club events as much as possible. That shouldn't cost much, it will provide great experience and is fun.