Suunto Blog

What equipment is needed to start orienteering? A map, a compass and sturdy shoes are the basic requirements. What’s the scale of an orienteering map usually? Maps are of scales 1:10000 or 1:15000, larger scales in urban events. That means that on the regular 1:10000 map 1 cm in the map depicts 100 m in the terrain. What advice can you give on the map symbols? Maps are drawn with same symbols worldwide and the colors on the map roughly resemble those you see in real life in front of you. Blue stands for water, white for normal forest, green for thick forest, black mostly for built objects and yellow depicts open areas. However, brown representing elevation contours is the most important color for navigation. How is an orienteering course presented on a map? Start from the purple triangle and follow the connecting lines to the numbered control circles. When you have reached the double circle you can stop running – you have reached the finish! How to hold a map? Fold the map so that you can point your thumb to your last known position. Make sure you can see the whole distance towards your next control. How to orient a map? Always keep the map oriented according to your direction of travel. This way you'll see the upcoming objects in the terrain as you move along your thumb on the map as you go. How to decide the best route to the next control point? Pick a route where you'll come across clear objects along the way all the way until the next control. It usually pays off to have a good plan and pick a route to suite ones navigational skills. Shortest is not always the safest way to find the control quickly... How to get the direction to the next control with a map and a compass? Place the compass' direction of travel line parallel to the control connecting line on your map. In the image above the line connects the start (marked with a triangle) with the first control (marked with a circle). Rotate the compass capsule so that the red orienting lines are aligned with the map meridians and pointing north. Keep the map horizontal while you turn yourself so that the compass north arrow and the map meridians pointing to the north line up. Now the line of travel points towards your next control! How to keep your direction? After getting the correct direction using the compass you should look up into the terrain and pick a distinguishable feature far ahead to aim for. Repeat glimpse at your compass often to make sure the map's meridians and your compass north arrow line up – and pick new features in the terrain to aim for. How do you know you are at the right control? Control description define the exact location of the control (e.g. on the northeast side of the southernmost boulder in the control circle). Code numbers found in the control descriptions reassure you're at the correct control. Bonus: How to run fast in the forest? Keeping your gaze constantly about 20 m in front of you making micro-routechoices through the terrain will help you smoothly glide across boulder fields and swamps alike. Orienteers develop a seventh sense to run fast through all kinds of environments while reading the map only through extensive training, so get out there! Learn more about Suunto compasses Meet the orienteer who runs a 2h 18m marathon Find your local orienteering organization through the International Orienteering Federation

Underwater photographer George Karbus is taking over @suuntodive starting tomorrow, May 26th. Make sure to follow! Who is George Karbus? I'm a wild ocean free soul photographer based on the west coast of Ireland. I love to dive in Ireland with our friendly bottlenose dolphin. Where else do you dive besides Ireland? I follow my favorite marine mammals around the world and have been diving in the Bahamas, Hawaii, Galapagos, Arctic Circle, Maldives, Azores and many more. I'm inspired by dolphin movements, energy, intelligence and social structure. Also the silence of the big blue inspires me. How would you describe your photography style? I always want to capture unleashed raw energy of Mother Nature and its excellence in beautiful light or dramatic clouds. I try to capture beauties of our fragile world and show everyone the real treasures of life. It may inspire people to live in harmony with nature. Follow @SuuntoDive and @georgekarbus to see more of George’s work. Check out also georgekarbusphotography.com and George Karbus Photography on Facebook. Main image: George Karbus captured Fernando Stalla diving waves in the Maldives.

Nomads Pierre Bouchard and Janick Lemieux have cycled all over the world, covering an equivalent distance of four loops of the planet. In this second instalment of our three part series*, we asked them about daily life on the road. © nomadesxnomades.comCycling from Quebec to Miami in the summer of '89 was Canadian Pierre Bouchard’s first long distance tour. He calls the 4000 km journey his “L’initiation” into bicycle touring. “I came back hooked and convinced that the bicycle is the ultimate conveyance for overland journeys,” he says. “The reasons are many: the autonomy and freedom it provides, the fact it’s an environmentally sound means of transportation, it keeps one very fit, and provides a very intimate connection with our surroundings, whether landscapes, flora, fauna or humans!” Since his “L’initation”, Pierre and his partner Janick have cycled through more than 60 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania and Africa. They have mastered of the art of continental bicycle touring. We asked them about their daily life on the road. Click for the first part of the series! © nomadesxnomades.com How has bicycle touring changed since ’89? There’s been many changes, especially the improvement of the equipment to travel on bikes. From outdoor and camping innovations to bikes specifically designed and crafted to haul all the necessities to roam continents. Lately, with the advent of fatbikes, a whole realm of wild and remote terrain has become accessible. © nomadesxnomades.comWhat does an average day on the road look like for you? Unless we're in hot deserts, we're slow risers. I usually get up first and ignite the stove to prepare hot drinks and porridge. We then start to pack up, a process that takes a couple of hours before we then hit the road. Depending on conditions and how scenic the landscape is, we cover anywhere between 40 to 120 km a day, averaging about 80 km. On expedition, taking the time to hike-trek-climb, write and immerse ourselves, we cruise about 1,000 km per month. © nomadesxnomades.comHow much do your bikes and gear weigh? Janick carries about 25 to 30 kg and I carry between 40 and 45 kg. It fluctuates with the amount of water and goods we need to carry. We're no minimalists. As this is a form of nomadism, our way of life, we'd rather make ourselves comfortable and ready to face any eventuality. © nomadesxnomades.comHow do you navigate and keep track of your daily efforts? On the road, our Suunto Ambit 3 Peaks play the role of dashboards and control panels. They record our daily pedal strokes and tons of useful data like altitude profiles, ambient temperature. For sketchy passages, like crossing into Ethiopia from Kenya via the Lower Omo River Valley and Turkana Lake over shifting desert tracks, we used our Ambits to navigate, having loaded them with the .gpx route a fellow bike traveller previously recorded and passed along over e-mail. With the impressive battery life, along with our Goal Zero solar power charger, we managed to keep them going for the last 600 days spent on the road, from the onset of our NOMADS² cycling odyssey. © nomadesxnomades.comHave you ever had a problem with your bicycles in the middle nowhere? Of course! We always carry all the tools needed to open and adjust each of the components and carry crucial spare parts: tires, tubes, spokes, cables, drive train parts (chain, cassette and chain rings), brake pads. Breaking a rim is the only mechanical breakdown that can bring our caravan to a halt; we either have to walk or wait for assistance in order to move on! © nomadesxnomades.comIs finding food and water sometimes difficult? Yes indeed! Thinking of our panniers as pantries, we always store and carry extra food. We spend a lot of time and effort getting info about the stretches of road ahead, especially with regards to availability of food and water. If we can collect water along the way we can usually last about seven to eight days without resupplying. If we need to carry our water, up to 30 litres between the two of us, we can last out there some three to four days – unless we’re in Sudan during July and both need to drink 10-12 litres a day! © nomadesxnomades.comAny advice for someone doing his or her first bicycle tour? Make sure your bike is well adjusted to your body (seat, handlebars and seat post). Prioritize simplicity, sturdiness and durability. Don't hesitate to invest in high-quality carrier racks, generally made out of steel (chromoly). And most importantly, planning is great but set a departure date and ready or not, go – it'll all work out! Trust the road! *Stay tuned for our third instalment about the Nomads, and find out which countries in the world are the most cycling-friendly!

Kimmo Ohtonen, a journalist at the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, took part in a Finnish charity event called “Red Nose Day” and rode his bike from Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle to Tampere in the south of Finland. During the five days he managed to raise 72.603 euros for the children in the developing countries. Kimmo tracked his entire journey with his Suunto Ambit 3 Peak. He even wore the heart rate belt while sleeping and showering. The entire five-day-ride was tracked as a single file without pausing the recording or recharging the battery. To make this possible Kimmo had optimized his watch settings: he set the GPS accuracy to ‘ok’ and the recording interval to 60 seconds.  See Kimmo's 108-hour cycling move Learn more about optimizing your Ambit’s battery life Click here to see special deals on Suunto Ambit3 watches   Images by: Sebastian Dannberg  

Suunto ambassadors Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg moved to Norway for one reason – the wild places. Kilian and Emelie are living near Romsdal in Norway. © Kilian JornetAfter living at the base of the Mont Blanc massif for many years, mountain athletes and couple Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg have moved to Norway. Chamonix was their training base for five years. From there Kilian prepared for and carried out some his fastest known time projects. For Emelie, Chamonix provided the ideal base to gather experience in training and competition. It had one downside – it’s too busy for the solitude-loving couple. © Kilian Jornet“It really is a paradise up here,” Kilian says about Norway. “It's pretty wild and there aren’t many people around. We can access the mountains and the fjords right from the house. “The mountains are very steep, with very technical terrain. It’s good for skiing, climbing and for running in summer.”Click to see Kilian's favorite training routes! © Kilian JornetComing from Sweden, Emelie always wanted to return to the north. Like Kilian, she enjoys the feeling of being alone in wide-open spaces. “Every now and then while we lived down in Chamonix I really missed the wild nature, and rougher conditions we have here,” she says. “We decided to move up here because we found a really good house to live that’s convenient for travel and close to the mountains. “It can rain for weeks up here and have really harsh conditions, which makes it more challenging finding the motivation to go out and train, but I really like the conditions as well. That’s how I became the athlete that I am. It feels really good to be back in the north.”Click to see Emelie's favorite trail running routes!© Kilian JornetAfter his best ski mountaineering season, Kilian has been enjoying climbing and skiing in the local mountains. He plans to compete in two trail running races over summer, the Zegama marathon in Spain this coming weekend and the Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run in the US in July. His main focus, however, is going to the Himalayas to prepare for a fastest known time attempt on Everest. Emelie is recovering from a serious knee injury and hopes to compete again soon. Lead image: © Kilian Jornet

In the second installment of our “Community” series, we travel to Barcelona, Spain, to connect with a unique group of open-water swimmers whose explorations are made in the mystery of the sea. The popularity of open-water swimming has increased considerably over the last decade. The real catalyst for growth in the sport is its close-knit community of swimmers and the connection they share for exploring wild open waters. The sea is an unpredictable, and at times tempestuous environment to navigate, asserts David Campà. He is the technical director of Marnaton, an organization that coordinates open-water swims and races in a number of stunning locations along Spain’s picturesque coastline. Its mission is to build awareness for the sport and encourage water enthusiasts of all ages and abilities to join the burgeoning open-water community. Last year more than 4000 participants joined the four open water races Marnaton organized through the spring and summer seasons. The races range from 2 km to 7 km and always include a challenge for kids. While open-water swimming seems like an individual sport, the reality is quite the opposite. As Campà describes, “unlike any other sport, open-water swims are never the same. The fog, waves, wind, currents and marine life come into play to draw a new route every time.” The sea is an unpredictable domain and swimming buddies are vital. There is an inherent vulnerability to the individual swimmer that necessitates partnership and always will, regardless of experience. It is the manifestations of nature that forge the most immediate bonds amongst swimmers. At any particular moment they are at the whim of the sea, and the elements. The sea doesn’t care if it is a race or the first swim of the year. The open water is the wilderness, a realm that requires consideration and preparation, and depends intrinsically on camaraderie. Rarely are challenges and fears overcome, personal bests achieved or the unprecedented experienced without community. Oftentimes its influence is intangible and emotional, and almost without exception its impact transformational.   Read also RUNNING WITH A COMMON GOAL SIX USEFUL TIPS FOR SWIM-RUNNING 8 TIPS FOR OPEN WATER SWIMMING