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AdminPermalink Reply by Ryan Hunt on August 3, 2010 at 12:38

Great topic John

Last year I got pretty good at advanced compass work when I joined the Auckland LandSAR for a short time, but I had to stop due to study commitments and so have gotten rusty.

When you really nail compass skills, going off track even in darkness becomes a lot less intimidating. I have a basic silva compass (which has a loop of paracord with a metal whistle attached), which paired with a good map and the correct knowledge is all you really need.

I experiemented with ranger beads and found them very useful, much more reliable on the flat than on a slope I found. (wiki article and instructable). Once you experiment and get a grasp on how many paces you take to walk 100m, using the ranger beads really helps you judge how far you have walked which your intuition is more than often very bad at!

To try to hone my compass and ranger bead skills, I tried to to use dead reconing (wiki article) to walk in a large square and return to my original postition. It was in thick bush with no landmarks, and it was really hard. i got better at it but it was still very challanging as errors accumulate.

I don't have a GPS as I don't often go on long distance tramps, but I think they are a great (and potentially lifesaving) safety asset.

The problem is with a GPS, and to some extent even a compass, is that they can fail. Like you said a GPS often struggles to get a fix, or the battery runs out. You may drop a compass or lose it or it could lead you the wrong way becasue you forget that you have a machete on your side (true story!). Thats why I think the most essential thing to really have is the basic skills and logical thinking that require nothing at all.

What are these? Well to start with, look around you! keep track of landmarks passing you and which side of that peak you passed on. Sometimes the most simple observations can help you get out of the "where the hell am I" situation. If you know that you crossed the river in the morning with the sun to your right and that ridge to your left, you are halfway there. Even if something happens to your map being observant of your surroundings can get you home.

I really need to learn navigation techniques using the sun, plant growth, etc. I think these are also really important, and should be practised often to stay sharp.

Like I said I'm very rusty on these so I need to work on these as well, and reading about them online or in a book really doesnt stick them in your head. Practise practise practise is the only thing to really retain them long term, because in a stressful situation like being lost makes things very hard unless they are truely cemented in your brain.

What about you John?

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NewbiePermalink Reply by Talbert de Jong on August 3, 2010 at 17:17

I Mainly use compass and map but I find my phones' gps is great backup/ addition.

In my kit I carry my Sony Ericson C903 Which I use for Navigating when I'm not sure of my position on my map. Seems to get a lock on satilites pretty quick .
For the BUSH I like the multifuntionality of my c903 for: Its GPS , Awsome 5mp camera ( all I'll ever need), Radio (weather), its small and light, and I can make (emergency) calls when needed.
Free software for the Bush I got of the net: comprehensive First aid guide and a Compass ( it uses position of sun or moon)
I keep it in a waterproof bag and a small hardcase camera bag with a full spare batery.
I have downloaded a free GPS program called Trekbuddy.
If You have a phone that can handle it, I can highly recomend getting it! http://www.trekbuddy.net/forum/
It Uses Google earth or other maps, and you can create your own map or atlas with a simple program on your computer.

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