Global Positioning System (GPS) units are a real boon to hikers, hunters and campers. However, a wise woodsman knows that technology has a perverse way of breaking down when you need it the most. Batteries run down, heavy cloud cover blocks satellite signals and, sometimes, plain old bad luck strikes. We're not saying you shouldn't use a GPS—far from it! What we're saying is that you should cover your bases by learning how to read and use a topographical map, then be sure to keep one handy.

Topographical maps don't look like road maps. They're drawn with a series of lines, called "contour lines." These lines represent slope and elevation. The closer together the lines, the steeper the slope. Lines that are further apart indicate shallower or flat slopes. In valleys or along streams, the contour lines will form a "v" shape. The sharp end of the "v" will point uphill like an arrow. Forested areas are marked with green, water is marked with blue and urban areas are marked with red. It's important to look at the scale of the map as you're reading it. A common standard is that 1 inch equals 2,000 feet.

Topo maps are easy to get. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is, as their mission statement says, "An unbiased, multi-disciplinary science organization that focuses on biology, geography, geology, geospatial information and water...dedicated to the timely, relevant and impartial study of the landscape, our natural resources and the natural hazards that threaten us." If you go to their website at www.usgs.gov and click on "Maps, imagery and publications," you can select an area and download a topo map of it for free, or you can buy maps that USGS will print for you.