This guide established the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required to navigate in the wilderness using a GPS receiver.

Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee F32 on Search and Rescue, this guide was withdrawn in December 2013.

3.1 This guide establishes the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required to navigate in the wilderness using a GPS receiver. A person trained to this guide is an endorsed Level I GPS Wilderness Navigator (GPS-IW Endorsed).

3.1.1 Every person who is identified as an endorsed Level I GPS Wilderness Navigator shall have met the requirements of this guide.

3.2 This guide is only the first level of training for GPS Wilderness Navigators, and only establishes the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required for a person to navigate with a GPS receiver in a wilderness environment. No other advanced skills are included or implied.

3.3 In addition to meeting the requirements of this guide, an endorsed Level I GPS Wilderness Navigator shall also be adequately trained to travel and work in a wilderness environment.

3.4 Depending on the regulations or policies of the AHJ, additional knowledge, skills, or abilities may be required before a person who meets the requirements in this guide may navigate in a wilderness environment.

3.4.1 Nothing in this guide precludes an AHJ from adding additional requirements for its own members.

3.5 This guide by itself is not a complete training document. It only specifies the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of an endorsed Level I GPS Wilderness Navigator. This guide may, however, be used in the development of, or as part of, a complete training document or program.

3.6 Though this guide establishes only minimum training, it does not imply that an endorsed Level I GPS Wilderness Navigator is a “trainee,” “probationary,” or other similar term member of an organization. The AHJ is responsible for determining the requirements and qualifications for member or employee ratings.

3.7 This guide can be used to evaluate a document to determine if its content meets the necessary topics for training a Level I GPS Wilderness Navigator. Likewise, the guide can be used to evaluate an existing training program to see if it meets the requirements of this guide.

3.8 The information in the following sections are not presented in any particular order and do not represent a training sequence.

3.9 Except where a physical skill or ability must be shown, the AHJ is responsible for determining the best way to evaluate a person’s knowledge, skill, and ability. This may be by written exam, oral exam, demonstration, or some combination of the three.

1.1 This guide establishes the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required to navigate in the wilderness using a GPS receiver.

1.1.1 The information in this guide is for navigation on land, off-road, wherever GPS signals can be received.

1.1.2 This guide does not define the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for navigating by GPS on roads, in urban areas, on the water, or in the air.

1.2 A person who meets the requirements in this guide is only prepared to navigate with a GPS receiver. Further training in wilderness travel and survival is required for users to operate in a wilderness environment.

1.3 This guide does not imply that a GPS receiver is an alternative to navigating with map and compass. Use of map and compass is strongly recommended as a backup for GPS navigation.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.