Navigation training for selection
By Deepak Shukla · Historical account and source-led commentary
Map-and-compass competence can be a valuable civilian outdoor skill, but I did not attempt SAS selection and cannot claim to know how individual selection candidates are judged on navigation. Learn in suitable environments with qualified instruction, check conditions and tell somebody your plans. Avoid solo night navigation or load-carrying challenges staged to mimic selection.
Why it decides days
Being able to orient a map, follow a safe route and respond to changing conditions makes outdoor activities more manageable. Those are general navigation skills, not inside information about military assessments. The Army's own material is the appropriate source for the requirements of its selection stages.
Build competency before increasing difficulty
Begin in familiar, legally accessible terrain, preferably with an experienced instructor or walking group. Learn to check weather, daylight, route length and emergency options. Do not deliberately navigate exhausted, at night, alone or in hazardous weather as a test of determination.
Use instruction and safe feedback
An instructor or competent walking partner can identify errors and help you learn how to make sound decisions. Independence in navigation should develop gradually, with appropriate safeguards. Skill-building is not improved by avoidable isolation or injury risk.
Do not combine new risks all at once
If you are new to navigation, terrain walking or carrying additional weight, avoid introducing all three challenges simultaneously. Build foundations and seek qualified guidance before anything demanding. Check the Army's current publicly available requirements directly rather than inventing a selection simulation.
A note on accuracy
Entry criteria, standards and selection dates are set by the Army and change over time. Take anything current from the Army's own UK Special Forces Reserve pages; take everything below as one applicant's experience.
Sources and current requirements
My experience dates from 2014–2016. Eligibility, fitness standards and the selection process change, so for anything current use the Army's own pages:
- British Army Jobs — SAS Reserve role, entry requirements, selection and locations
- British Army — UK Special Forces Reserve overview and recruiting contact
- British Army — 21 and 23 Special Air Service Reserve
- Soldier magazine (October 2025) — SAS Reserve recruiting feature
Checked 15 October 2026. The Army Jobs listing and the October 2025 Soldier article use different age wording — ask the recruiting unit rather than picking the convenient figure.
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