Navigating without GPS: the vital return of the map and compass

In a survival situation or technological disruption, the lack of GPS signal, mobile connection, or simply battery power can turn a simple outing into a real challenge. However, knowing how to orient yourself remains one of the most fundamental (and yet most forgotten) skills of our generation. In this article, we guide you through the choice and use of paper maps: topographic, road, or evacuation, helping you understand the scales, uses, reliable brands, and the benefit of combining this with a compass and a little know-how. WildTactic helps you become independent again... with concrete tools!

A forgotten skill… but vital

Between the advent of GPS in the early 2000s and the explosion of smartphones starting in 2007, paper mapping was gradually relegated to oblivion. By 2024, more than 92% of users will be navigating exclusively through apps (source: Statista, 2023). As a result, natural navigation and map orientation skills have drastically declined among civilian populations.

However, knowing how to read a map and find your way without technology is a fundamental survival skill . In the context of a collapse of mobile networks (natural disaster, cyberattack, conflict), it only takes a few hours without GPS for you to lose all your bearings. A study conducted by the Royal Geographical Society (UK, 2019) shows that nearly 70% of adults under 40 are unable to orient a paper map correctly without assistance.

In the natural environment, poor orientation can be costly:

• A 1 km detour in difficult terrain can represent an additional 30 to 45 minutes of walking and resource use.
• A 15° loss of orientation on an azimuth of 1 km takes you 260 meters off your target.
• In dense forest or in the mountains, this margin can cause you to miss a water point, a shelter or a road.

📌 In survival, orientation is not an option: it is a question of efficiency, safety, and sometimes life or death.

Map scale: how to choose wisely?

The scale of a map is the ratio between an actual distance on the ground and its representation on paper. For example, a scale of 1:25,000 means that 1 cm on the map equals 250 m on the ground. The smaller the number, the more detailed the map, but the smaller the area it covers.

Here is a complete table of the most useful scales in survival:

Ladder	Covered area	Detail	Typical use
1:25,000	10 x 10 km	Very fine (1 cm = 250 m)	Hiking, fine orientation, very detailed relief
1:50,000	20 x 20 km	Average detail (1cm = 500m)	Local navigation, villages, marked trails
1:75,000	30 x 30 km	Detailed but less precise	Multi-day walking itinerary
1:100,000	40 x 40 km	General view, major elements	Regional crossings, main landmarks
1:250,000	100 x 100 km	Very wide (1cm = 2.5km)	Evacuation route, main road, general orientation

1:>250,000

Country or region

Strategic planning

Fallback plan, global analysis

🎯 Concrete example: to travel a 15 km mountain range, a 1:25,000 map is ideal. To organize an evacuation over 200 km, a 1:250,000 map is essential.

It is recommended to have two types of cards in any 72-hour or evacuation kit :

1. A proximity map (1:25,000 or 1:50,000) to help you find your way around the immediate area.
2. A wide coverage map (1:250,000 or even 1:500,000) to define a withdrawal strategy, find road axes, major rivers, or railway lines.

Which cards to buy? The best brands

The quality of a map makes all the difference in the field. It must be legible, up-to-date, durable, and well-designed. Here are the brands favored by professionals, rescue teams, and hikers:

• IGN (Belgium and France) : ultra-detailed maps, perfect for terrain navigation.
  🔎 Scales 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 recommended.
• Michelin (International) : exceptional clarity, suitable for speed reading.
  📍 Excellent in 1:200,000 for road evacuation.
• Kompass : Suitable for hiking, evacuation, and bushcraft in Central Europe. Durable maps, often laminated.
• Freytag & Berndt : a benchmark for Eastern European countries. Long-lasting.
• OS Maps (UK) , USGS (USA) : reliable options for English-speaking areas, often free or downloadable.

🛡️ WildTactic Tip: Choose laminated versions or store your cards in a waterproof case. A misplaced fold or a soaked card can cost you dearly.

Map + Compass = complete autonomy

Having a map is good. Knowing how to use it with a compass is a way to become self-sufficient. One without the other limits your orientation abilities. Together, they form a complete navigation system, independent of any technology.

The map gives you a view of the terrain.
The compass shows you the direction to follow.
By combining the two, you are able to locate, orient yourself and move efficiently in any environment.

With a compass with a transparent base (such as the Silva Ranger), you can:

• Orient the map correctly with respect to magnetic north (not to be confused with geographic north!).
• Plot an azimuth (direction angle) on your map.
• Follow a reliable path , even in unfamiliar terrain or without visual references.

In summary: what to put in your navigation kit