Free downloads from across this website are listed first followed by many other excellent free resources then suggested books
Free downloads from Better Orienteering
Skills Matrix
Better Orienteering Summary
This summary contains the key graphics that are across the Better Orienteering website in one document. It is a web-linked pdf document that links back to the corresponding sections on betterorienteering.org when you click on headings or diagrams. It should be used together with this website. The skills, concepts, routines, and strategies that are in the summary are discussed in more detail on the website.
Note that the most recent version of Better Orienteering Summary is available to download here. Large file size (9MB)
The summary in overview layout:
You can also download the key diagrams and downloads individually below for easy reference
New to Orienteering some tips
(These tips are scaled for easy reading on a smartphone screen)
Basic navigation routine
Skills Tool Kit
How well am I orienteering?
Some questions to help you diagnose how well you are orienteering
Race Analysis table
Better Orienteering Navigation Model
Map reading and visualisation diagrams
Other Free Resources
Cool Awesome and Educational
Göran Andersson (2020) Cool, Awesome, Educational Orienteering at school ages 6-15
This is an excellent introduction to orienteering with lots of illustrations and exercises to try.
See http://www.byorienteering.se/ for how to order copies
An example page reproduced here with permission:
And a version aimed at adults:
Göran Andersson (2017) Cool, Awesome, Educational – Orienteering in Simple English (28 pages) available to view for free at issuu see below
https://issuu.com/byorienteering/docs/orienteering_in_simple_english_emit
This introductory guide is a translation of an introduction first published in Swedish. It covers the basics of orienteering and map reading and includes many helpful exercises to work through. The exercises are suitable to work through on your own or use in teaching orienteering. Very well illustrated with Swedish map examples.
Orienteering Canada – All about orienteering
All about orienteering, is a very convenient quick overview.
http://www.orienteering.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/AllAboutOrienteering_OrienteeringCanada.pdf
Orienteering Canada has many helpful resources for learning and coaching orienteering that are worth exploring. http://www.orienteering.ca/
IOF leaflet Go orienteering
Cunning Running
An article about orienteering for Juniors (on Orienteering Canada’s website)
Click to access YesMagazine_Orienteering.pdf
Orienteering New Zealand introductory leaflet
Click to access NZOF_Orienteering_Brochure.pdf
Berkshire Orienteering Club ‘Know Your Sport’ leaflets
Berkshire Orienteering Club have produced a series of over 20 leaflets on a range of orienteering topics. They were produced by David Jukes Editor of the BKO Newsletter, with additional writing (attributed) by Dave Rogers.
So what is orienteering? An Index to the Know Your Sport Leaflets with web links back to the individual downloads.
Some of the leaflets teach skills such as, “March 2016: Vegetation – From Yellow to White to Green”, others give helpful information on topics relevant to orienteering, such as, “January 2019: Trail-O”. They are available as pdf downloads from the What is orienteering? section of Berkshire Orienteering Club website.
The Know Your Sport pdf leaflets include:
The Little Book of Orienteering Techniques
Jean Cory-Wright (2000) ‘The Little Book of Orienteering Techniques’
The original short booklet is free to download. It gives another take on a range of basic skills and techniques. See:
http://papo.org.nz/news/the-little-book-of-orienteering-techniques/
Updated 2019 edition in colour available for purchase:
https://www.orienteering.org.nz/news/fundraiser-little-book-orienteering-techniques/
Books
As of 2019 the following books are easily available.
Carol McNeil (2010) ‘Orienteering: skills, techniques, training’, The Crowood Press Ltd 128 pages
A comprehensive introduction by one of the best orienteers Britain has ever produced. Carol has been involved with every aspect of the sport. Thoroughly recommended.
Charles Ferguson and Robert Turbyfill (2013) ‘Discovering orienteering’, Human Kinetics 196 pages
A large book with lots of detail across orienteering, not just navigation.
Bjorn Kjellstrom (1994) ‘Be Expert with Map and Compass’, 3rd edition 258 pages
A classic book. It is long, and thorough and covers more than just navigation for orienteering races. If you love maps and navigation you it is worth having a look at this book at some point.
Many used copies are available. It can be viewed for free at issuu.com
https://issuu.com/gv913313/docs/compass_mapreading
Gueorgiou, Michel (2019) ‘The winning eye’
available in the UK from Harveymaps
This detailed book by the father of the most successful orienteer ever, Thierry Gueorgiou, is aimed at successful experienced orienteers wanting to take their map reading to another level. If the material on Better Orienteering is all familiar to you then this book may be of interest in taking your skills development further.
Magazines
There are many magazines published by orienteering associations around the world, just a couple are linked here.
COmag special edition
The French Orienteering Association produced a special edition of their magazine on the retirement of Thierry Gueorgiou from top level competition, avaliable as a download from the IOF. It reviews his orienteering career and development as a map reader, with some useful insights into his technique.
Download at:
https://orienteering.sport/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/COMag-HS-Thierry-EN.pdf
There have been quite a few good books on orienteering techniques that are now out of print or hard to get hold of. Hence one of the reasons for creating this short guide to help people get Better at Orienteering.
Not surprisingly there is a lot of excellent material on orienteering in other languages such as Swedish and Finnish. Hopefully more of this material will make it into English.
IOF Magazine – Orienteering World
IOF release back editions of Orienteering World as free pdf downloads. The current edition requires a donation to access it. Orienteering news and stories from around the world.
https://orienteering.sport/iof/communication/publications/orienteering-world/
One of the big stories of 2018 and 2019 is the incredible success of Tove Alexandersson, who seems to win most races she enters, being top in foot orienteering and ski-o.
Articles about Better Orienteering Website
CompassSport article on Better Orienteering
Skogsport article (in Swedish)
A translation into English of the Skogssport article is here:
Better Orienteering 