This weekend im gonna finally take the time to learn to use a compass properly, as there is far more to it than simply N.S.E.W.
Im gonna head into some familiar territory with topo and compass in hand and learn triangulation as well as the basics so that if the skills are ever required to find my way in or out, ill be ready.
With GPS readily available im sure a compass is considered old school, but if properly used it might be a good skill to learn, not only that, it might be fun.
Any other compass users out there? :campfire:
Remember. . . North Is Not Always North (Exactly)
chuckc
I do, and enjoy it. I really learned military, and have continued to practice through the years. The LL Beand near me did a basic compass course for free which I attended. It's pretty basic, but worth the time to get a foundation. They did a nice job.
I love my GPS and think it's invaluable for many applications, but it will walk you right off a cliff.
Learning to read a map and compass is still an essential outdoor skill.
I prefer map and compass over gps. As posted above, be sure you know the appropriate declination adjustment between true and magnetic north for your longitude. USGS quads include them and many compasses have a tiny adjustment screw to "set it and forget it" for that location.
Have fun!
I started hunting when I moved to West Virginia. I quickly learned not to go into the wood without a compass. Once you walk over a ridge or two covered in rhododendron and laurel you can get turned around pretty quick. I never hunt or scout without one.
There is a book called 'Basic essentials: Map and compass'
Its cheap, easy to follow and a good place to start.
Photo copy a section of your topo and sit at the kitchen table running through all sorts of scenarios. Use colored pencils also, that way you dont get confused with crossing lines.
I dont own a GPS, just common sense and a compass.
Have yet to get lost.
I learned in the Army back before GPS and found out that you can be VERY accurate with it and a topo map. Gotta spend alittle time, but well worth the effort!
Have fun with it and good luck!
What's a GPS? :bigsmyl: Compass and a map are all I've used for the past 50 years. Probably too late to change now.
Hunting the deep swamps as I do you learn a compass is the tool to have. I carry two in case I think one is telling a lie.....RC
I learned how in the scouts and its a skill that has stayed with me. The batteries never go dead on a map and compass ;)
I just have to say, Im impressed with the number of you that know how to use a compass, and use it right. :thumbsup:
I have used a compass and topo for the past 45 years but about 7 years ago, going into a new territory, I was advised to get a gps. I do find that the addition of a gps is beneficial if nothing else for altitude. I have my topos printed with UTM coordinates which I think are easier and a bit faster when your gps is set up for them.
Compass and topo orienteering are a skill that everyone should learn and THEN see what a gps can add to the experience. Being able to find your way back to camp with just a compass could save your life.
Marine Corps and Army artillery school over 40 years ago pounded that skill into me. I have a GPS but use a map and orienteer my hunting area. Good on you for taking it on!
This is a site I have sent many folks to. http://www.landnavigation.org/Pages/default.aspx
Call me a modernist, but I sure do like marking feed trees and getting back to them by way of the CLEANEST AND QUIETEST ROUTE in the early morning - with just the light of the GPS if I can.
That being said, I will NEVER leave the camp without a compass and I know enough to get me out of a place it, but my GPS is my first line of defense.
I figure if the tool is there YOU IT!
I always carry two compasses plus a back up!
Lot's of stories about why one needs to have and know how to use a compass, but here is a fun one.
Hunting in the Eagle Cap Wilderness one Fall, I got into a timbered basin after sundown and could not figure my way out. Turns out that it had an abundance of magnetite that affected my compass(es) and in the dark I could not see any landmarks that were on the map so I ended up hunkering down until the sky began to lighten as the sun started to rise in the East....
It was an ADVENTURE!
Keep the wind in your face!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
This is something I would like to learn as well.
I use a GPS to mark tree stands,trails, ect. 15 yrs of hunting the same hilly terrains don't call for a compass, but I do know how to use one for when I hunt large or unfamiliar tracts of land. An essential skill for serious outdoorsman.Being lost is no fun, and could even prove fatal.Go prepared.
The compass is all I know as I don't have a GPS unit. Here in Nova Scotia, it's the law when hunting to carry a knife, waterproof matches and a compass. Perhaps future regs will mention the GPS.
I always have 2-3 compasses on board. Real good Silva model with lanyard and plate, ball compass clipped on my jacket and one in the top of my waterproof match case.
And of course, they're all useless if you don't know how to use them...
I use one all the time however my landscape makes it impossible to triangulate. If lost you just have to head in a general direction of say a creek or ridge to locate your self. Does any one know how to tell time with a compass. I have forgotten.
I have forgotten Many ways you could use the compass including telling time. I remember you had to look at the horizon.
Compasses have saved my keester more than once. its amazing how simple and reliable they can be.
i would take a compass in woods before a GPS...especially if unfamiliar woods. I never use a compass without a GPS with me either...
First thing I do is go into my Delorme computer program and download sat imagery or quads of the area in question. Once on property I orient my map and compass to north taking into account any magnetic deviation if going into a large area.
I let my GPS sync up and use it for most part especially in open terrain but if the really, thick, overgrown swamps here in south...I end up having to use compass as the walking is too slow when you are slogging through a swamp knee deep in black water and cypress knees with constant turns to watch a GPS. They will lose signal sometimes in very thick canopy...and take some movement before the compass portion works correctly.....so a compass is a life saver...literally.
Dont have to triangulate position using terrain features if you do your work and use the compass correctly...makes it easier to find your spot but if you start off it helps to remember a couple things:
- ensure your compass is accurate...with another compass or a known direction based on GPS, compass, or surveyor marks. Compass' can be bad and give poor readings....always compare two or three together to see if you get same reading. Keep them spaced apart though...as any metal or other magnetic sources will affect indication.
- get a good 1:50 or 1:24 topo....learn how to read contour elevations and elevation points and identify sheer cliffs versus rolling hills...even in supposed flat terrain there is some deviation.
- practice with your compass and GPS around back yard or a public park first...very important to know how to use your equipment BEFORE you need to. Consider doing a GEOCACHING event or two to learn GPS use and also compare it to your compass...some people that helps.
- When starting on journey I look for direction I want to had, terrain obstacles, etc...then I make short destinations....as soon as I enter the unfamiliar terrain I pick a visible landmark...tree, hill, pond, deadfall, telephone pole, etc...that is in the same line or general line as your DESIRED direction of travel. Follow that terrain feature so you are heads up looking around and being aware of your surroundings. When you get to it....stop, check chart, confirm direction...take another reading to your next point and find a terrain feature to focus and direct your travel. Do it again. make your trip a bunch of small short trips to visible points...never orienteer blind (heads down the entire way only by compass especially at night...as you will need to watch your surroundings to prevent walking into any hazards). Your navigation will be much more accurate with many small destinations along the way and counting your paces to match up against the chart distance legend
- If hunting a block of woods that are not a long distance but unfamiliar....I take a reading looking into the general direction of travel I want and then note direction to any hard or soft ball roads, rivers, creeks, homesteads, etc. That way in an emergency I dont have to find my way through 5 miles of dark woods to get to my truck...might be easier to walk 200 meters out to a road then take the long way around to my truck to get me home quicker in that situation...so always have a safety route out to the nearest line of communication rather than slogging back through whatever you spent the last 10 hours fighting to get where you are. LOL
- dont cheap out on compasses....the little bow-clothing-zipper versions are good for survival or emergencies...but not for 99% of the other times. Get a good one...I like Suunto for all around use and accuracy but spent years using military style lensatic. My normal compass in my haversack is the Suunto M3 DL (http://www.opticsplanet.com/suunto-compasses-m3-series-with-bezel-rings-and-navigation.html) Suunto M3 D/L and can get from Amazon for $30-40. My backup compass is a Brunton OSS 30B (http://www.opticsplanet.com/brunton-o-s-s-30b-tool-free-outdoor-compass-w-clinometer-scale-ca.html) Brunton OSS 30B that also has declination and scale and such...just not as precise as the Suunto in my opinion but is only $19.
On recent trip to swamps of Georgia I found myself in swamp chasing hogs....spent most of day in swamp going round and round from high ground to high ground. Compass and GPS guiding me back to camp after hours of tiring slogging in knee high muck and water before dark. Compass batteries died and had no extras so focused solely on compass for final leg of journey....but compass was more accurate with the slow going in swamp and to get me home in that case. Glow in dark bezel indicators...flashlight...topo map and be prepared to spend the night in wilderness and you will be fine. Though I dont recommend traveling at night in unfamiliar territory especially with significant terrain elevations nearby or even old abandon wells or mines in low terrain.
Learn how to use a compass and topo map and you can go anywhere...
Optics Planet and Amazon both usually have good pricing on compasses...but do some research and decide for yourself what you need and what you can afford. I recommend one with ability to use lanyard, with contoured edges and rotating bezel at minimum.
There are far more expensive compasses out there...get what you are comfortable with but for basic orienteering or backcountry excursions I dont think you can go wrong with a Suunto...and in the big scheme of things...$40 is nothing and is cheap to me...actually the $19 I paid for my Brunton was almost a reason to ignore it...but needed a second backup compass as my military issued lensatic died on me and was not reliable after 15 years. Spend $30-60 on a good compass and learn how to use it. Many companies offer free tutorials and the Boy Scouts have a good tutorial as well....or a military service survival manual will have it as well.
I made the mistake of relying on "someone else to bring the compass" on an elk hunt in the Mtns of Northern CO. Never again.
We thought we knew enough to take a shortcut. A very interesting story but too long to tell now. Suffice to say we took the shortcut at noon and should have been back to camp by 1:00 or so. Literally by the grace of God we walked out to a road got picked up by a guy and he drove us back to camp. I think it was about 10:30. I could not hardly put one foot in front of the other.
The only amusing thing about this story was when he asked us where we were camped we couldn't even tell him cause we did not know where we were. When he asked where we were hunting, we told him a certain named park. He said " you guys were in ------ Park and you walked out to here? I am impressed".
They don't need batteries. You can get away with a relatively cheap Silva too.
I would feel slap 'nekkid' without one. I love gps and all the cool nav apps and use them alot for work. However, I always have a compass and took the time long ago to become very proficient in land navigation. Good land nav skills should be part of every outdoorsy tool box. Learn to read a map, too! It amazes me how many people are graduating with degrees in outdoor professions who do not know how to read a map. Maps are awesome assets to any outdoor ventures.
A good compass with sighting mirror is a must have in my pack for work, hunt, or fish. I love tech, but old school doesn't run out of batteries or satellite signal.
I love this thread. I once "tested" a GPS when I was in the army back in 1992. Then it was heavier than a PRC-77 radio and took about 20 minutes to relay the coordinates back to you. I never did go back, despite how portable they are now. I have yet to get lost in the woods, although I have from time to time found myself geographically embarrassed. Knowing how to read a map and use a compass are skills every hunter needs to possess.
Funny story. I took a buddy out hunting last year for the first time. He busted out his iPhone when I asked to see his compass. I thought it was a joke, but it turns out he was serious. He only got lost 3 times that day haha.
My compass is attached to my GPS with a long piece of raw hide. I get a reading where I want to go with my GPS and then turn it off and use compass to get there.
Have a nice GPS and use it often....but the Army spent a lot of time and energy to teach me map, compass and terrain orientation skills so I still carry one of each and end up using them often.
After 40 years of wandering the Adirondacks you learn to trust a compass early on. I have a GPS and it is a great tool, but I always carry at least 3 compass and a map. I have had all 3 out on a log to make sure they were not playing games with my head....they weren't...lol!
For several years, I've been on a personal crusade to stamp out the use of lensatic compasses by hunters and others going into the woods. They're great when you jarheads want to call in mortar fire, but the orienteering style compass is far superior for non-military applications: Orienteering compass (http://tinyurl.com/pbh4fwo)
Here's a link to my free two-page guide to some tips for navigating with map and compass:
Page 1 (http://home.metrocast.net/~charlesek/Map_and_Compass_Navigation_Page_1.pdf)
Page 2 (http://home.metrocast.net/~charlesek/Map_and_Compass_Navigation_Page_2.pdf)
Here's some excellent advice from a long-time wilderness navigator that I know:
"Terrain Association, Observational Navigation, Map and Compass" by Paul Repak (http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/nava.php)
I use compass and GPS and intend to transition to GPS. My son and I took a GPS class at REI a few years ago, one of the attendees was a bona fide GPS expert and pioneer from long ago. He arrived late and had got lost using his GPS-not judging; just sayin'! LOL
I started serious with a compass in search and rescue on the Kenai Peninsula at age 13. With a little practice you will be downright amazingly accurate w/ a good topo map.
Most places I hunt you don't need either one but a compass comes along when in a new spot or a couple real thick areas I hint sometimes. It is nice to do a quick check so as not to get too far off if you get turned around. I must say a GPS is handy for finding stands in the dark in new hunting areas.
I have never really learned to navigate with a compass. Always wanted to and plan to if I ever go to hunt an area with large tracks of land and few roads. I think it would be a fun thing to do with the kids as they get a little older.
This is a great backup to GPS. For a beginner, a good place to start is the Boy Scout field manual (very simple). Also, there are many outdoor skills books and military manuals that will be helpful. Back in the day when I ran a Scout troop, map & compass training was an important part of our program. These skills still come in handy sometimes. Don't concentrate solely on the compass itself; become familiar with reading the map properly.
I bought a course from eidsvolling on a St Jude Auction. I sure learned a lot...but I sure could use a refresher Charles ;) tippit
QuoteOriginally posted by shirikahn:
I started serious with a compass in search and rescue on the Kenai Peninsula at age 13. With a little practice you will be downright amazingly accurate w/ a good topo map.
Absolutely.....a fella that's good with a map and compass and who knows the declination of the area will be spot on!
Make sure you understand declination and how it changes as you move around the country and learn how to orientate the map and compass. I have a Silva Ranger (older model) and a late model Sunto. Brunton bought Silva Ranger and the new one I bought from REI a couple years ago was made in Indonesia. It was defective right out of the packaging. When I tried to set the declination I discovered the needle wasn't spinning freely. I returned it and got the Sunto (made in Finland) nice compass. Both go with me, one around my neck one in the pack.
Always check your cardinal directions before leaving camp if in a new area or you've set up camp in the dark. I have a story but just do it. Sometimes what you think is North isn't.
58
QuoteOriginally posted by tippit:
I bought a course from eidsvolling on a St Jude Auction. I sure learned a lot...but I sure could use a refresher Charles ;) tippit
PM sent.
I always pack 2 compasses with me at all times. I also carry a GPS and use it but I found that once I have the general direction needed to go via the GPS, the compass gets me there quicker and easier. I have also been in areas where a GPS has a hard time getting locked-on due to obstructions. A compass never has this issue but can be thrown off by any metallic or iron element close by it. I learned long ago it is good to have both a back-up and a 2nd reference.
One thing that some posters have hinted at but haven't stated is the need to practice. Navigation is like any other skill - you get rusty if you don't use it. Best to find out that you're getting rusty in the local park, not when you're the woods.
I have been brushing up on my compass skills also. I learned in the Army, and a map and comapasscan be as accurate as any GPS.
I saw some strange stuff on a partners GPS in Idaho last year. More than once a compass saved the day....
GPS is great for marking special waypoints, but you can also do that on a topo map...
I have had real issues in heavy woods getting a satellite signal making the GPS as useful as a moon rock...
The big problem I have with GPS is walking past my intended destination and suddenly the little arrow points behind me...and walking with your head down looking at the device instead of watching where you're going...
I have none of these issues with a compass.
It's really hard to get good and lost around most of Indiana. But I always have a map and 2 compasses along with my GPS. I use them for efficiency's sake more than to keep from getting lost.
Even out west, it's hard to get truly lost if you have a good idea of the lay of the land and have plenty of time :) But there is no way I'd even go down a trail to take a crap without my map, compass and GPS (and bow).
All I use when hunting is a compass and a map.
All I use when hunting is a compass and a map. I hate relying on something that can fail (Technology is not very good if batteries die or electronic get wet). I also carry a back up compass for the just in case factor.
I served in the Marine Corps for 10 years as and infantryman and in a Recon Battalion. I mastered the use of Land Navigation then and in jungles and deserts. As TraditionalGuy experianced, back in 90 we got one of the first gps unit's which was big and bulky. I would always test it's direction with my lensetic compass and found the compass to be reliable, besides the gps ate through batteries, and that's alot of weight. I am sure the technology improved greatly. Since 86, I have carried a lensatic compass and never been lost. Advice, don't go cheap on the compass and stay away from liquid filled. This is an investment of a lifetime and depending could decided how long that is. Take you compass outside to back yard or a park, and orientate yourself to it, and get confidance it's correct (don't want to be in a thickect and have doubts, this has eliminated alot of guys from selection). After you become confident in that it is correct, go to one of the site's that the other member's said and study land nav. Now you don't have to be in the middle of a jungle to learn it or on a mountain top. Most of the training takes place in an area as a park, print off a satelite map or topo of the park, then use it and compass to master the skill on small level. Then you can stretch out and go into bigger areas. Remember, that a compass is effected by metal, so put down weapon or metal and stand 6' away to ensure not to throw off azmith (downfall of alot of butter bars). This is a skill you will have for a lifetime, so what you put into it like all traditional hunting is what you will get out.
When I'm scouting a new area of Corps land, I bring a map and compass, saves a lot of time. I make notes and revisons to my map as I go.
I learned navigation from flying a single engine Cessna back in 1989. Navigating on foot is the same thing, without the crosswind corrections.
That GPS is convenient, but since us regular guys don't control it, it might not ALWAYS be there for us...
Just got back to my office from a road trip. On the way back, my car GPS had a brain fart, showed my car in the middle of nothing (not even a road), the wrong map for the area, kept recycling, can't tell you how many times I heard " recalculating". I really needed it during the next several miles as I had only a small clue as to where I was and the next turn.
They don't always work perfectly.
ChuckC
Plus the GPS can't tell you that you're about to walk off a cliff, or into the world's worst nasty tangled wash....but a map and compass can...