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Thumbing the map

Thumbing Map

Thumbing Map
Credit: Charlie Sproson

Last edited: Sun 15 Oct 2017

You've already learnt how to fold the map, so it's not flapping around and it's orientated! Now you need to keep your thumb exactly where you are on the map at all times...

Top navigators use a technique known as "thumbing the map". This is holding the map so that your thumb is next to your current position. Then when you next look you can instantly focus in on the right place.

Folding the map means you can't easily refer to the map key anymore, so you're going to have to learn the colours and symbols used on orienteering maps.

Richard Sansbury

  • Skilling Up- Hints and Tips for Improvement #5, from QuOnicle 152, January 2014

More on this subject

How to Keep Track of Where You Are, by Paul Kirtley