2019-02-01_Popular_Science

POPSCI.COM•SPRING 2019 by Stan Horaczek / photograph by Sam Kaplan

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Pencil

Savvy wanderers anno-

tate their guide—say, by

adding an X to mark their

destination for the day—

to make it even more

useful. A mechanical

pencil such as the Zebra

M-701 stays sharp, its

stainless- steel case

won’t corrode in mois-

ture, and textured

knurling helps you grip it.

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Compass

Use the transparent

Suunto A-30 compass

to orient the map so it’s

lined up with magnetic

north. Then, measure-

ments on its side will help

you interpret the scale so

you can fi gure out that

the 1 inch of paper be-

tween you and a lake is a

really freakin’ long walk

in the real world.

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Maps

Regional outfi ts like

Outdoor Trail Maps

in Colorado or the

Appalachian Mountain

Club in the Northeast

provide local details, such

as trail routes. They also

have standard carto-

graphic info like elevation,

GPS coordinates, and the

topographical lines that

show terrain contours.

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Sleeve

Thanks to a zip closure

with heat-welded seams,

the Sea to Summit TPU

translucent envelope will

protect your precious

chart in water up to 33

feet deep. The 12-by-

8.3-inch thermo plastic

urethane case is also

freeze- proof, so it won’t

crack. Eyelets provide a

way to lash it down.

GPS WILL LEAD YOU AROUND THE PAVED PARTS OF THE WORLD,

but tapping on a smartphone screen won’t always work in the wilderness. For

backcountry adventures, you’ll need to be comfortable going analog. These

tools won’t give you turn-by-turn directions out of the woods, but taking them

along could save you from shacking up with a bear for the rest of your days.

TOOLBOX

DON’T BE

DIRECTIONLESS

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