NavList:

Hi Folks – a new topic.

We are all on this forum – trained military Navigators – marine or aeronautical – or civilian sailors with significant navigational experience – civilian aeronautical hours under their belts – and if I have missed anyone – any seriously interested party with a decent understanding of Navigation.

The scenario that kicked started this thought process – a 1st year medical student wanders off to take photos during a hike with his friends in Kosciuszko Park  - and gets lost for 13 days ending up 13 kms from where he got lost – but stumbled on a mountain hut and found a muesli bar and some berries. (an idiot news reader made the statement that his training likely helped him select the berries to eat – really – idiot – both of them – since when does medical students get tuition on survival – yes – military survival).

The country he got lost in – summer luckily – if Winter he would be dead – he was just Lucky!!!
 
How well is the general population with the basic understanding of NSWE – because their car tells them that on the dash or their smart phone tells them – how well is the general population able to "Navigate" themselves out of a situation (let us leave – lost at sea – lost in the air out of the argument – those situations are well catered for on this forum) – I am talking suddenly lost whilst hiking (and let us be kind – they have a map in their knapsack) – likely they don’t – and their mobile (has lost connection to the network but has a compass rose on board).

Your car GPS has gone dead – and you are in the middle of a city – say London – and you have a map book – but no mobile phone help – just a map book – and to be kind your mobile has a compass rose.

You are doing an outback 4WD drive through NSW desert – and you have a generic map book – no SatNav GPS but a compass in your 4WD.

You are doing a big walk through Paris – and GPS phone dies – you have a map of Paris in your bag – a basic one with only major routes on it – i.e. a tourist one – but your mobile phone has a compass rose. And there is low fog and you can’t see Eiffel Tower.

How well can the general population Navigate themselves out of the situation.

Footnote: I think we rely on SatNav too much and our well earned skills are evaporating or simply are now never taught because we have just been seduced into modern automatic navigation systems.

Ask anyone person who would not have a clue on the basics of navigation whether they could find their way through a city and most would answer – yes. Give them a map book and say – navigate – and I bet you they cannot.

Food for thought. Just want to see if the forum has similar thoughts.
PS – yes I can navigate on land if dropped into the bush on a dark night without reference to the stars – with a map, wet compass and a light.

Regards
Howard G