Guerrilla Navigation – Learn the Basics because Murphy is Watching, by GuerrillaLogistician
Reference 9A – Manuvering
Among the multitude of skills that you will need to know, regardless of how the world turns out, navigation will always be important. Modern navigation for most relies on computer technology, GPS, and servers. For most of you reading this, many will remember printing out maps, and those in the military may know how to read a compass and map. Modern submarine technology relies on many devices to understand where it is going. From sensitive Electro gyroscopic positioning systems and GPS systems to computerized and print-out charts, they have the world at their fingertips. Yet somehow, these marvels of the unseen depths still have accidents. During the First and Second World War, this was not an option, and the reality is that most of our technology relies on the Internet, so you may have to go back to maps, compasses, and even draw your navigation aids.
This won’t be a discussion or deep dive into the subject because there are too many excellent classes and too much detail for one article. What I will say is whatever options you have available, remember a few key points. If it connects to the Internet through a cellular service or wifi, it can be tracked as quickly as you can find your position. Modern cell phones even come with GPS and satellite communication for emergency use. Again, this is an article I won’t touch on because others do a far better job with it. We will discuss the things that you as a person should be keeping in your pack.
Article on a submarine hitting an undersea mountain
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2022/03/02/heres-the-damage-the-submarine-connecticut-sustained-when-it-hit-an-undersea-mountain/People can travel long distances using rafts coming up from Cuba to guys taking on physical and mental endurance challenges.
https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/kayaking-from-florida-to-the-bahamas-faster-than-anyone-again-20160303

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Conrad_Wise_Chapman_-_Submarine_Torpedo_Boat_H.L._Hunley,_Dec._6,_1863.jpg
Many moons ago, I had a friend who was in the military. He had gotten the idea that he could navigate himself from the coast of Florida to the nearest Caribbean Island. I won’t go into significant detail to protect his privacy; let’s just say he had a sail, foot, and paddle-powered Hobbie kayak across this stretch of ocean, approximately 50 miles. This feat is possible and has been done several times, although my friend had an excessive payload beyond his own weight. I won’t bore you with the details, but he took an old waterproof Garmin GPS and a newer model, which both had been used by myself or other people in the military. We’d use these civilian models, beating them up and submerging them for long durations in both salt water and fresh water. Before this little jaunt across the ocean, I can tell you for a fact that if either one died, the other would survive.
I also knew that you should have a compass anytime you go anywhere. Maybe it’s a heavy military one or, maybe it’s a small escape and evasion model. He refused to bring a compass, sighting the backup GPS and extra weight. After constant badgering, we found him a small one he could mount on his kayak out of the way. Due to apparent complications with this kayak and overbearing it with too much gear, my friend made it over the horizon before his kayak decided it didn’t want to be a surface vessel any longer. Like the old Civil War submarine the HL Hunley, this kayak sank below the surface but didn’t go crashing to the bottom. A Hobbie kayak is a rugged little craft, even if the operator has made horrible mistakes and ignored leaks. The closed cell foam and sure determination kept the little craft from being lost, his sail the only thing above the water. His expedition was cut short, and both GPSs died, not because of battery loss but because these waterproof devices somehow had gotten damaged enough to leak water. The trusty little compass probably saved him from randomly paddling off to his death. Regardless his trip back was extra difficult and several boats ignored him to continue fishing.
There are several great compasses in the market, and I won’t directly point at one, but I will say that if you have the money, definitely purchase a tritium compass and always have a backup. One of the other most needed things is a good protractor with your map. While you may not always have an official map, a handy protractor with a map can tell you where you are and where things are relative to you. If you want to learn more about how to use a protractor, YouTube has what you need.