Requirement

6. Navigation, and one part of it that has to happen on a trek

Required Often forgotten

Three parts. Two are indoor work and the middle one is not, which is exactly how the middle one gets missed.

Note. Requirement 6(b) offers a choice: map and compass on the ground, or a GPS receiver used to place yourself on a topographic map and on the ground. Either way it is the same step on the same trek, and nothing else on the badge changes, which is why this page does not ask you which one you will use. 6(a) still asks you to read a topographic map whichever you pick.

What this is made of

6(a). Read a topographic map
6(b). Fix your position at three locations, WHILE ON A TREK
6(c). How to stay found, and what to do if you are not

Where this step comes from

Backpacking Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-09-19), Requirement 6

Notes and warnings

What this is made of

Where this step comes from