Posted: 11/2/2009 6:56:53 PM EDT
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I'm slowly trying to learn new outdoors skills. I've decided it's time to learn to use a compass. I missed that day in gym class in middle school, and I don't commonly find myself in a scenario where I actually need one. Sure I can do some basic things, but does anyone have any websites or books or other recommendations for learning this skill?
Thanks. NH |
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Quoted:
I'm slowly trying to learn new outdoors skills. I've decided it's time to learn to use a compass. I missed that day in gym class in middle school, and I don't commonly find myself in a scenario where I actually need one. Sure I can do some basic things, but does anyone have any websites or books or other recommendations for learning this skill? Thanks. NH The army orienteering field manual and the land navigation manual are excellent. |
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Hey brother,
1. Don't be intimidated even though this can get very technical. 2. Approach it methodically. 3. Notice that there are more links at the top of the article page to more information on that website. 4. This is not the only thing, this is just another piece of a puzzle. http://www.kifaru.net/navigate1.htm |
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Not to discount the .mil and BSA suggestions - both are excellent - but the book Be Expert With Map and Compass is also an excellent choice and has been one of the go-to sources for years. I have a copy that is close to 30 years old.
edit: rephrased part for clarity |
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Download PowerPoint show from here:
http://landnavigation.org/default.aspx Download PDF field manual here: http://www.uvm.edu/~goldbar/FM3_25.26.pdf |
| +1 on the "be expert with map and compass", but I've also found another good book "Wilderness Navigation, finding your way using Map, Compass, Altimeter, & GPS" by Bob & Mike Burns. It covers the same information in the other book but I think it does a better job covering grid coordinates and covers GPS also. I got mine for $12.95 at Barnes & Noble. |
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You can also download very nice USGS maps for free on the USGS website. They are in PDF format and print very nice if you have a good printer. Or you could have them printed in large format somewhere?
Anyways....I thought I would pass on the tip. I keep waterproof paper copies in my bag along with a digital PDF copy of maps on my phone of my local area.....and I try and do the same when I travel. |
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One more note.....thought I might move this to a new thread.
I would LOVE to see someone put together a collection of all the USGS maps for the entire country for download in one click. It would be huge, but it would be SOOOO worth it! Then just have some kind of hot linked pdf indicator file or something to find the maps you need? Or maybe stich all the maps together into a bigger map? |
| This is one of the most concise navigation articles I've read. http://www.kifaru.net/navigate1.htm |
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Quoted:
Not to discount the .mil and BSA suggestions - both are excellent - but the book Be Expert With Map and Compass is also an excellent choice and has been one of the go-to sources for years. I have a copy that is close to 30 years old. edit: rephrased part for clarity This book is what I recommend. I participate in orienteering meets, navigated for my team when I was doing amateur adventure racing, navigate for recreation doing solo backcountry stuff, work with geospatial technology and am a GISP (geographic information system professional). This book is EXCELLENT. |
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NH, You may want to try looking here for a local orienteering club.
http://www.us.orienteering.org/ We have a local club that has monthly meets at a State park just a few minutes away from my home. Several courses are established for different skill levels and beginners are welcome. The beginners' course my wife and daughter participate in is about a 2.5 km course with about ten checkpoints. It can be completed in about ninety minutes. You don't have to run it, you can walk it and be competitive. It's a fun,inexpensive way to practice your orienteering skills. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Not to discount the .mil and BSA suggestions - both are excellent - but the book Be Expert With Map and Compass is also an excellent choice and has been one of the go-to sources for years. I have a copy that is close to 30 years old. edit: rephrased part for clarity This book is what I recommend. I participate in orienteering meets, navigated for my team when I was doing amateur adventure racing, navigate for recreation doing solo backcountry stuff, work with geospatial technology and am a GISP (geographic information system professional). This book is EXCELLENT. This. Getting out in the woods and doing it is the only way to get good at it. I've been doing adventure racing for 5 years. Different styles. The night time ones are my favorite. We have one comming up in a coupld weeks. Orienteering is usually a relatively short course. You might cover 3-5 miles and take 1 -2 hours. Rogaining (freestyle land nav) usually is a lot bigger scale. Usually 12+ hours using a PAR time i.e. you have a time limit to go out and collect as many checkpoints as possible. Get back late and lose major points. It is great for building skills of route planning, pacing, pace counting, using orienteering techniques like stoppers, handrails, purposeful off shooting. You just cannot beat experience. |
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This looks like a good website, as someone has previously mentioned: http://landnavigation.org/default.aspx
But most importantly, get out and practice! A lot of state parks have existing orienteering courses and suggested routes at different skill levels. I'm actually headed to one here in Central Texas tomorrow for the second time. |
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The BSA books are a good way to start, usually geared more for beginners. FM 3-25.26 is also a very good source.
Watch out for just any website you Google, there is alot of bad information out there. You need to stay with sites recommended by people that know what they are doing. Here is an Army study guide I found that may be of some use. http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/land_navigation_map_reading/index.shtml |
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Make sure you get CURRENT maps, it's amazing how many things change, like a new bridge or major road.... Ideally a relatively current google earth shot of the area and then a good topo with roads and such well marked.
Navigating built up areas is very different from more wild areas but you have the advantage of more easily pinpointing your location generally. Personally I prefer the clear plastic bodies style compass common in the scouts, but triangulating your location exactly is tougher, as is pinpointing a good aiming point for travel. They're more suited for "I'm roughly here and want to go there, I'll worry about the exact location once I'm there." |
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Quoted:
Not to discount the .mil and BSA suggestions - both are excellent - but the book Be Expert With Map and Compass is also an excellent choice and has been one of the go-to sources for years. I have a copy that is close to 30 years old. edit: rephrased part for clarity THIS |
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Quoted: this.Quoted: Go to the local Boy Scout office and purchase the Orienteering Merit Badge handbook. Seriously. I'll second this one. If you are new to it,,read and complete that book! then you can go gearfag.net or whatever that link is and read about using rulers, and protractors ,GPS's,utm,adc,xyz,data matrix, and all that advanced shit later.though i am sure they have a 80$ compass pouch for sale on that site  |
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Ive started teaching my fiancee via Video game..... go ahead and laugh .
ARMA has very large maps that are easy to get lost in and a fairly realistic topo map along with a lenstatic compass that you can use in game and in map mode . Along with the real tools and books it really help to explain things to her. We spent a hour in the game last night she was catching on pretty well. Her son is wheel chair bound for the most part so we cant just go out on hikes on the weekend so I do what I can with what I can. Oh for those who want to try it with ARMA you are going to need this mod RVN Compass mod .... Improved game compass Use the editor and open the placement variable way up and turn GPS off . |