The Natural Navigator

[Trunks]

Whilst reading the paper today i saw an ad for this book:

The Natural Navigator by Tristan Gooley

I am just wondering if anyone here has read this book and could rate it for me?

For any other interested parties, i have pasted the spiel from Amazon:

Product Description

Starting with a simple question - 'Which way am I looking?' - Tristan Gooley blends natural science, myth, folklore and the history of travel to introduce you to the rare and ancient art of finding your way using nature's own sign-posts, from the feel of a rock to the look of the moon. With Tristan's help, you'll learn why some trees grow the way they do and how they can help you find your way in the countryside. You'll discover how it's possible to find North simply by looking at a puddle and how natural signs can be used to navigate on the open ocean and in the heart of the city. Wonderfully detailed and full of fascinating stories, this is a glorious exploration of a rediscovered art.

About the Author

Tristan Gooley set up his natural navigation school, The Natural Navigator, after studying and practising the art for over ten years. His passion for the subject stems from hands-on experience. He has led expeditions in five continents, climbed mountains in Europe, Africa and Asia, sailed across oceans and piloted small aircraft to Africa and the Arctic. He is the only living person to have both flown and sailed solo across the Atlantic. Tristan is a Fellow of both the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Royal Geographical Society and is the Vice Chairman of Trailfinders. He lives with his wife and two sons in West Sussex.

 

[Toadflax]

There's been one or two threads that mention this book, so it was a bit of pot luck as to which one I chose to reply to.

I finished reading this book a couple of weeks ago, and it was certainly an interesting read. Quite a lot of the techniques mentioned are obvious when they are explained, but things that you'd possibly never think of yourself. There's a fair bit about maritime navigation which, though interesting, is unlikely to be of use to me.

For most of us, I'd see it as an interesting addition to our methods of navigation, but not as a replacement. If nothing else, it adds yet more interest to being outdoors over and above all the things I do when I'm out walking like plant and tree ID, animal tracks, what bushcrafty resources can I find.

I've subsequently got a copy of the Gatty book, but haven't read that yet.

And it does work. I used what I'd learned when I was in Ypres last week to orientate myself using the vertically mounted street map in the car park where we ended up, to take myself straight into the town centre.


Geoff

 

[Kerne]

I bought a copy of this off the man himself at the outdoor show. He was a very personable chap who even told me it would be cheaper to go home and buy it off Amazon! I have already read the Gatty book (following a recommendation on his website) and found it excellent. Tristan Gooley's book is well worth the read and provides excellent contextual information and the background to why this stuff works. Gatty's book is a bit more immediately useful in the field (I enjoyed them both). I would love to go on one of his courses as I think being able to use the stuff in the field while learning about it would be more useful. Thanks to both books, I am getting pretty good at estimating direction by trees and the sun. And it is dead easy to find SE in towns now that I know to look out for satellite dishes!

 

[Toadflax]

With the clear evenings we've been having, I've been trying out his moon phase/time of day method in the back garden (whilst ignoring the fact that I know where North is!). However, good practice for when I don't know where North is and Polaris isn't visible.


Geoff

 

[Pandabean]

I am also in the middle of reading this book, just skipped most of the "At sea" stuff as its not really going to be useful to me. But so far its a damn good read and I have tried a few of the techniques out and they appear to work, if they don't then its usually down to me. The chapters on the moon and the sun were really good as well and I have been trying for the last few nights to work out direction etc from them.

Goolerys book seems to focus on the UK which is pretty good.

I have also read Gatty's book and that focuses more on the world and more dominantly on the Pacific area where he lived for a quite a while, there are a few references to Britain in it if I remember rightlt. It is also a good read with a lot of good techniques.

However I did find them differing from each other when it comes to the Star Clock, Gatty has a way and Gooley has another, so I have no idea what is right. Perhaps both and since times have moved on another way has been found.

But overall I would definately recommend them if the subject interests you.