How to Navigate Without the Crutch of Technology
TRAVELLING WITH SMARTPHONES, GPS DEVICES, AND CONSTANT NETWORK AVAILABILITY IS THE NORM NOWADAYS. BUT WITH TEEMING NET ACCESS ON OUR NEXT-GEN DEVICES, WE SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW TO NAVIGATE ON OUR OWN, THE SELF-RELIANCE IS ALL BUT GONE, AND THE THRILL OF EXPLORATION IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN, ESPECIALLY IN CITIES.
SO WHY NOT GO OLD-SCHOOL FOR A CHANGE, AND GIVE TECHNOLOGY-LESS TRAVEL A TRY? HERE ARE ALL THE ESSENTIALS YOU NEED FOR THE ROAD, ROUTING 20TH-CENTURY STYLE:
1. BUY A PAPER MAP
SERIOUSLY, GO FIND A PAPER MAP OF YOUR CITY AND KEEP IT IN YOUR GLOVE COMPARTMENT AT ALL TIMES. YOU DON’T NEED TO BUY AN ATLAS OR ANYTHING; JUST A SIMPLE FOLD-OUT MAP OF THE FREEWAYS AND DOWNTOWN AREA AND CAN DO WONDERS FOR YOUR NAV SKILLS IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLES OF THE CITY.
2. FIGURE OUT WEATHER-RELATED CLUES
THE WIND BLOWS EVEN IN THE CITY, AND WHILE IT CAN DO SO FROM ANY DIRECTION, THERE ARE USUALLY PATTERNS THAT LEAVE THEIR STAMP ON LANDMARKS, BOTH URBAN AND NATURAL. FOR INSTANCE, RAIN TENDS TO HIT A BUILDING FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE PREVAILING WIND. LEARN THESE CUES SO YOU AREN’T STRANDED IN THE DOWNPOUR, OR STUCK IN A STORM.
3. FLOW OF PEDESTRIANS
IF YOU ARE TRYING TO GET FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER, STUDY THE FLOW OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. BY FOLLOWING A CROWD IN THE LATE AFTERNOON, YOU WILL END UP REACHING A METRO STATION OR SOME OTHER TRANSPORT HUB. IN THE MORNING, WALK AGAINST THE FLOW OF THE CROWD TO LOCATE THESE PLACES.
4. RAISE YOUR EYES TO THE ROOFTOPS
MOVE OVER SUN NAVIGATION, USE SATELLITE DISHES TO NAVIGATE. THESE DISHES POINT TOWARD GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITES, WHICH REMAIN OVER THE SAME POINT ON THE EARTH’S SURFACE—USUALLY THE EQUATOR. ALTHOUGH THIS WILL VARY SLIGHTLY FROM CITY TO CITY, THOSE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE ALMOST ALWAYS POINT SOUTHWARDS.
5. FLOW OF RIVERS
KNOW THE DIRECTION A RIVER FLOWS THROUGH YOUR CITY. DOES IT FLOW NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, OR WEST? IS THE FLOW FROM HIGHER GROUND TO LOWER GROUND? DO THESE RIVERS FLOW TO THE SEA OR TO OTHER RIVERS? AFTER YOU FIND THE ANSWERS, IT’S MUCH EASIER TO DECIDE THE DIRECTION OF THE ROUTES YOU FOLLOW.
6. POLE STAR TO THE RESCUE
SOMETIMES, IT IS BETTER TO STICK TO THE BASICS. THE POLE STAR IS A VISUAL CUE USED BY VOYAGERS SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL. IF LOST DURING LATE HOURS, SIMPLY LOOK AT THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY – FOLLOWING IT WOULD MEAN HEADING TO THE NORTH.
