READERS COMMENTS

I never trust the compass reading that the other scout dad gives me. He keeps forgetting that his hydration pack valve has a magnetic clip on it. He hasn't given me the correct reading on the first or secont try in over a year! LOL
Posted: Sep 03, 2009 BrianM

With the advent of cell phones, gps, plb's and other electronic toys map and compass skills are deteriorating or may never even be learned. I learned how to use compasses decades ago using an editon of "Be an Expert with Map and Compass" which is still in print, and then had those skills refined in the US Army and two different forestry colleges. Military people and foresters are the kind of folks who spend lots of time nnavigating around the outdoors and their lives depend on their map and compass skills. Hanging out with people who do orienteering or geocaching is also a good way to pick up these skills. I feel that topo map and compass knowledge are two of the most critical and important skills for anyone who ventures outdoors. I even carry two compasses with me, in case one gets lost or broken. You don't need expensive ones; I have always had fairly good use with Silvas that cost under $20.
Posted: Aug 31, 2009 Rich Taber

Drop the compass and get a good topo map. Land Navigation by Terrain Association. Find a promanant land feature and direct yourself off of that.

Heck with the pantyhose! Men's dress sock under smartwool socks. 25 miles a day for 4 days with that and only one hot spot. USMC!
Posted: Aug 31, 2009 Scott

The areas that truly require GPS are those where a compass just won't work, like a lava bed (lava is often magnetic). I live in New Mexico, and often travel in the Grants Malpais lava bed.

As many have mentioned in Backpacker, the best place to use a GPS is in an area where you can see most of the sky, so your GPS can find several GPS satellites and give you a good location.
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 Pat

The areas that truly require GPS are those where a compass just won't work, like a lava bed (lava is often magnetic). I live in New Mexico, and often travel in the Grants Malpais lava bed.

As many have mentioned in Backpacker, the best place to use a GPS is in an area where you can see most of the sky, so your GPS can find several GPS satellites and give you a good location.
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 Pat

dont forget the following mnemonics:
Timid (true) Can (compass)
Virgins (variation) Dead (declination)
Make (magnetic) Men (magnetic)
Dull (declination) Vote (variation)
Companions (compass) Twice (true)
Add Whiskey (west) add Elections (East)

works even if you are not politically correct (Note: variation is error inherent to the measuring device).
Posted: Jul 13, 2009 frank

I calculate how long I travel Adam West (or as I call it: True West) then I subtract 4 from the original number. If I reach Kanye West, I know I've gone to far off course and I usually turn around.
Posted: Jul 06, 2009 Barry Bama

I agree with WayneB. The moment you start to wonder in the direction you FEEL is right is the moment you get yourself even more lost. If you don't know for sure which way to go then don't move! It's good to be in-tune with nature Donald, but you can't always trust your head.
Posted: Apr 30, 2009 Jake

I don't like the "East is Least, West is Best" type navigation memory aids because I find that confusing. Here is how I remember things:

East declination = + (positive)
West declination = - (negative)

True Bearing = Magnetic Bearing + ( one of the above declinations, positive East or negative West)

TB = MB plus ( declination, E is pos, W is neg )


Magnetic Bearing = True Bearing - (pos East or neg West declination)

MB = TB - ( declination, E is pos, W is neg)

These are easier for me.
Posted: Apr 02, 2009 Terry

A penciled in line of travelis also useful as you hike around obstacles
Posted: Mar 12, 2009 GMAN

Declination Best set uisng the notation on Topographic maps for the area vs. standard bar chart for the world
Posted: Mar 12, 2009 GMAN

Sometime ago I sent a comment to someone at Backpacker regarding your solution for using Declination. It seemed almost impossible to find the right contact.

Your declination solution was wrong in the magazine and is still incorrect on this website. However your marketing department is able to flood my inbox with Backpacker Ads.

& now the real solution. You should tell your readers the entire rhyme & then they will be able to solve their declination equation

Declination Least = Magnetic Track is Least
Declination West = Magnetic Track is Best

Darrel
Posted: Feb 19, 2009 Darrel Newman

Sometime ago I sent a comment to someone at Backpacker regarding your solution for using Declination. It seemed almost impossible to find the right contact.

Your declination solution was wrong in the magazine and is still incorrect on this website. However your marketing department is able to flood my inbox with Backpacker Ads.

& now the real solution. You should tell your readers the entire rhyme & then they will be able to solve their declination equation

Declination Least = Magnetic Track is Least
Declination West = Magnetic Track is Best

Darrel
Posted: Feb 19, 2009 Darrel Newman

Sometime ago I sent a comment to someone at Backpacker regarding your solution for using Declination. It seemed almost impossible to find the right contact.

Your declination solution was wrong in the magazine and is still incorrect on this website. However your marketing department is able to flood my inbox with Backpacker Ads.

& now the real solution. You should tell your readers the entire rhyme & then they will be able to solve their declination equation

Declination Least = Magnetic Track is Least
Declination West = Magnetic Track is Best

Darrel
Posted: Feb 19, 2009 Darrel Newman

GPS is like bringing a TV camping. To many people starting to depend on them. Not Good.
Posted: Feb 17, 2009 Dyrt

the rage this year in gloves and mittens is to put magnet's in the gloves - mittens to hold flaps on the gloves back. if you take a compass reading wearing any of these gloves-mittens. it could create a huge error. better check gloves etc.
the velcro worked fine. i can't understand this. maybe good magnet sells man
Posted: Feb 07, 2009 Ron Lyttle

Another way to get around an object and keep your bearings is to turn at a 90 degree angle to your route, count your steps till you can clear the barrier then count the same number of steps back to put you back on your original route.
DonaldJ. "trust your mind"? Really? Probably thousands of people have died using that same mind set. I spent over 20 years in the Army and we were taught to always trust our equipment. Your compass don't care if it's dark or light, cold or wet or 115 degrees. Just take precautions when using it. Count your blessings son. You were very lucky that time.
Posted: Jan 23, 2009 WayneB

Thanks D!
Posted: Jan 15, 2009 George

Yes: East is Least and West is Best, but you need to add or subtract from True to get Magnetic, not the other way around...
Posted: Jan 15, 2009 George

The most important item in navigating, is to trust your mind...

One time I was on a hunting trip, with a rifle, but not intending to harm anything... I was just playing "hunter".. and the gun was there in case a hungry bear or cougar took a bead on me... I took a compass reading at the car, then wandered off into the woods, that way.. crossing two creeks, knowing it's very bad to cross two creeks, and deeper and deeper into the wild.. till there were no bearings.. just dense forest and the same weeds everywhere... The sun heated up the snow, and it became slush.. and I was soaked... I sat on a huge rock, in the sun to warm up... A wild mink slithered through the grass, looking like it was swimming... It paused ten feet from me, stood and two, and did a lightning quick wave of its right paw.. so fast that it wasn't obvious... Its paw went up, then it was done before I could see movement... I did a lightning quick wave.. and it approached, and placed its paws on my boot.. and made soft sounds... She stared deep into my eyes, and I went momentarily unconscious... When I woke, she was fifty feet away from me, slithering through the grass...

I warmed up, and decided it was time to take a reading to the car.. is when the rifle strap slipped to my elbow, and the compass needle did a 180...

There I stood, wondering which arm the rifle was hanging from when I took the reading at the car...
Was the rifle on the left..? Was the rifle on my right..? Was it at my back..? Was it beside me..? Each position gave a different compass reading... Oops! I is in big doodoo, thinks I...

I set all m y equipment down on a rock.. and stepped twenty feet from the gun.. and took a reading.. but it didn't feel right... I figure if it don't feel right, when you're in the bush, Don't do it...

I closed my eyes, and held out my hand open like it had an eye in the palm, facing outward... I slowly moved my hand around as I paced in a 360 circle... When it felt like my hand was pointing at the car, I took that compass reading, and came out of the forest right beside the car...

Trust yourself... Trust your feelings... Be like the animals...

Always take your start compass reading away from any ferrous metal... Then load up... And take the reading again.. and write it down, with a tiny sketch... Look into the sky... Where is the sun..? What does it smell like where you are..?
What time is it..? What color is the dirt there..? What types of vegetation are there..?

Ideally you would have a remote horn beeper car-starter...

Trust your mind...
Posted: Jan 15, 2009 DonaldJ

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