Unchained Preppers

General Category => Security & Survival => Topic started by: crudos on August 29, 2013, 01:31:21 PM

Title: How to Use a Compass
Post by: crudos on August 29, 2013, 01:31:21 PM

Screw GPS, do it the old-fashioned way. Some basic how-to's on ye olde compass.  :popcorn:

http://ht.ly/obtHm (http://ht.ly/obtHm)

My compass, have had it for years....

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: APX808 on August 29, 2013, 01:54:05 PM

I think everyone should be able to use both systems, both GPS and compass.

You need to be very focused in land navigation using compass, so you can't count on the guy doing the land navigation in your team, besides you need a light and spreading paper maps in the field, maybe even under the rain, that sucks.

GPS make life way easier, that being said, you need to know what to do if that precious little silicon box gets broken. 

Next month I'll start a land navigation course in my local mountain club, hopefully I'll be able to practice and learn something new.

BTW: Using a GPS isn't as straightforward, creating routes, moving waypoints from google earth to the GPS and vice versa can get very complicated.

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: USMC0331 on August 29, 2013, 08:56:32 PM

A compass is passive, a GPS is active like adding an IR beam to your NV's, seems like a good idea until it is not!

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: APX808 on August 29, 2013, 09:06:46 PM

Sorry DVC but how is a GPS active? A GPS is just a radio receiver.

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: USMC0331 on August 29, 2013, 09:41:50 PM

APX808, my bad. I was thinking of my iPhone GPS.  The worst that could happen is the .gov adjust the civilian signal to be misrepresentation I suppose or shut it off totally.

I carry an old Garmin Vista for confirmation on my map, but stick to a Lensatic and 7.5 map for my primary.  It's a perishable skill.

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: USMC0331 on August 30, 2013, 03:23:57 AM

http://www.landnavigation.org/Pages/default.aspx (http://www.landnavigation.org/Pages/default.aspx)
Best source I've ever found

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: crudos on August 30, 2013, 08:21:02 AM

Thanks Jim, looks like an awesome site to bookmark.  :thumbsUp:

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: APX808 on August 30, 2013, 08:25:25 AM

Jim that looks like the better land nav website I had seen, it's fantastic.

I suggest you to go to the updated version at http://landnavigation.weebly.com (http://landnavigation.weebly.com)

The downloads don't work well, at least for me, at the url Jim posted

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: USMC0331 on August 30, 2013, 09:43:15 PM

I put a link to it and a copy of the PDF I made from all the PPT slides on my website. If anyone wants a "book" they can print out from the site.  It does not include the 4.a section on navigating without a compass.

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: JohnyMac on August 31, 2013, 07:28:48 AM

Like everyone else, I have a hand held GPS. With that said, the only time I use it is to "mark" a location, e.g. deer stand, dead deer to bring the tractor back to, etc. Navigating in the woods, I use a topo map and a compass.

Now my brother on the other hand (I can say this as I don't know when the last time was he signed on to UP so he will never read this statement and get all Butthurt) couldn't find his ass in the woods without a GPS! He has one of those GPS's that actually have the topo map loaded in them.  :facepalm:

Well each to their own.  ;)

Title: Re: How to Use a Compass
Post by: RONSERESURPLUS on September 02, 2013, 03:30:28 PM

cool i will check out!

ron