I need to up my compass navigation skills

[left field]

Which are more or less nonexistent. Any preferred books, videos, courses out there?

Thanks.

[DirtTime]

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2019 by Rob...

[dbHunterNY]

pretty straight forward but don't have any references. learned back in boy scouts decades ago. our scout master was in the Army and that was his wheel house.  if you take a coarse it'll teach you tips and tricks that a manual won't teach you. like when entering to from a roadway check out the utility pole numbers where you're heading out and if they go up or down in a particular direction. that way when you come back screwy and maybe just up the road from your start point, you'll know which way to start walking the road to get back.

[DirtTime]

3 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

pretty straight forward but don't have any references. learned back in boy scouts decades ago. our scout master was in the Army and that was his wheel house.  if you take a coarse it'll teach you tips and tricks that a manual won't teach you. like when entering to from a roadway check out the utility pole numbers where you're heading out and if they go up or down in a particular direction. that way when you come back screwy and maybe just up the road from your start point, you'll know which way to start walking the road to get back.

Interesting about the utility poles. Never really thought of that.

 

I have also been in areas where there aren't any poles, many areas when you get on some of the back roads you can go a long time with seeing a house or poles.

[NFA-ADK]

Was really big on Navigation with compass for many years.  Other thing to use as a reference is the sun!  Rises in the east and sets in the west.  (Winter hunting it is always on the southern side at sunset.)  Here are some other tips.  Good luck its always good info and will make navigation much easier.  

Navigation Tips:

Star navigation is a great skill to have in the case of an emergency. Many people are interested in knowing how to navigate using the stars, moon and the sun but feel that will be too hard. However, this article will give you a few easy-to-use tips that will be practical and useful in an emergency.

Stars and Constellations
Pole Stars. Polaris, also known as the North Star or Polar Star, is one of the brightest stars in the sky and never moves within one degree of true north. To find Polaris, first find the Big Dipper - part of the Ursa Major constellation. The two stars that form the right side of the dipper’s cup when lined up point directly to Polaris. Interestingly, the distance between the Big Dipper and Polaris is roughly equal to your current latitude.

Star navigationCassiopeia. Many star navigators will also recommend that you find the constellation Cassiopeia in the sky. This will allow you to double check the Polaris star. The North Star sits right between Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper. Cassiopeia is shaped like a rough W.

Orion’s Belt. Orion’s Belt is a helpful constellation to locate in order to help you navigate your way south. The belt roughly runs east to west. However, to determine south, follow the sword that hangs from Orion’s Belt. If you follow this belt, it will point you directly south.

Star Movements. At night, stars will rise in the east and set in the west. If you’re disoriented, place two sticks into the ground about 2-3 feet apart. Line up the edges of the two sticks with a bright star that you can track. Follow the path of the star for 15-30 minutes and you’ll be able to determine which way you’re facing.

- How would you survive in your car for 48 hours? - 

The Moon 
The moon rises in the east. That means that at midnight, it will be in the south and then set in the west. However, the angle of the moon’s orbit is less reliable than other objects in order to help you navigate.

You can however, use a crescent moon to navigate. If you draw an imaginary line down the side of the crescent moon (from tip to tip), that line will point you south. If the moon rises before sunset, the illuminated side of the moon will face west. If the moon rises after midnight, the bright side will face east.

The Sun 
Setting and Rising. We all know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. However, due to the tilt of the earth, the direction might not lead you in a true east or true west direction. The sun rises and sets closest to east-west during the equinoxes (March and September). During the summer, the sun will rise in a more northeasterly direction and set in the north-western direction. During the winter, the sun will rise in the southeast and set in the south west.

- How to find water in the wild - 

Using a Watch. Hold your watch horizontal and level to the ground. Point the hour hand directly towards the sun. The imaginary line that sits between the hour hand and the 12 o’clock mark will run north to south. By using the shadow test above, you’ll be able to determine which way is east and west and navigate as you wish.

Shadows. Place a stick in the ground and mark where the shadow of the stick is on the ground. Wait about 15-30 minutes and place another rock where the shadow has moved. If you line up those two rocks it will point roughly east to west.

 

This is the link: https://www.thereadystore.com/survival-tips/6425/how-to-navigate-using-the-stars-sun-and-moon/

 

[left field]

Thanks, all. I really want to get my map skills up to speed as well.

I did learn all this in scouts but that was years ago. I should probably dig out my 1973 Canadian Scout Handbook. It was chock full of great advice like Hygiene: girls appreciate a clean young man so be sure to wash daily, comb your hair, brush your teeth three times a day, and clean and press your clothing before a date.

I've put that to great use over the years.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I got a compass this weekend and my neighbor who is a scout leader gave me a ten minute crash course. Just the basics but enough to get me out of the woods if need be. Set a heading, pick a landmark in that direction, go to it and repeat

[dbHunterNY]

1 hour ago, Rob... said:

Interesting about the utility poles. Never really thought of that.

 

I have also been in areas where there aren't any poles, many areas when you get on some of the back roads you can go a long time with seeing a house or poles.

that's true but if i were him i wouldn't go out in the absolute sticks to learn. baby steps.  there's Forest Ranger rescues in the "higlights" email blasts every week.

[dbHunterNY]

also it's probably most important to do a little research to know what's in the area and around you. if you get turned around you might still find a peak, river/creek, or something else that'd tell you which way to go without even looking a map or compass that you may or may not still have on you.

[DirtTime]

11 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

that's true but if i were him i wouldn't go out in the absolute sticks to learn. baby steps.  there's Forest Ranger rescues in the "higlights" email blasts every week.

Agree 1000% on starting off in a smaller area, or even your own land.

7 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

also it's probably most important to do a little research to know what's in the area and around you. if you get turned around you might still find a peak, river/creek, or something else that'd tell you which way to go without even looking a map or compass that you may or may not still have on you.

Agree with this as well. When I was a kid trying to learn this stuff there was no internet, and you paid top dollar for topo maps, and or maps of the area.

[NFA-ADK]

Came out of the woods many nights wondering which way was the right way back to the truck.  GPS took all the guess work out of that but every once in a while I will forget the GPS, rare now a days.   

I have used mountains as a guild but that only works in day light.  Navigating at night is a whole different world.  Be careful if you do this by compass.  Compass is always my failsafe especially when getting out of the woods but GPS allows me to mark locations and makes navigation back to those spots so much easier.  I never really liked using stars, moon or even the sun due to cloud cover issues.  But it helps when you are not sure!

PS:  If you are starting to try navigation with compass I would recommend going to a location you can not get lost in!  EX:  Location that has roads on all 4 sides that is less than a mile long or even smaller to start off with like stated above.  Having someone who is more experience is also helpful and a GPS is even better!

If you want to test your skills on LI let me know I am always up for a hike! 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

3 hours ago, NFA-ADK said:

Orion’s Belt. Orion’s Belt is a helpful constellation to locate in order to help you navigate your way south. The belt roughly runs east to west. However, to determine south, follow the sword that hangs from Orion’s Belt. If you follow this belt, it will point you directly south.

 

Be careful becasue  he travels across the sky. He comes up int he east laying down and when upright he is south, he then lays back down in the west.  Best specific "south" is when he is upright and it's right under his knife. 

[rachunter]

I’m a gps guy theses days. Still carry two compasses with me,but trust my gps more. I find it hard to find landmarks in the distance here in NY. I can get in and out ok with a compass but not as exact as a gps.
If you want this book to read shoot me an address and you can have it.


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[nyslowhand]

Now-a-days the GPS is probably the go to "on foot" nav aide. Day or night, doesn't matter to a GPS. Key benefit of using a GPS is their ability to set a back-track route or way points, getting you out of the woods in the same place you entered.

Using a compass with a USGS topo map is a lost art any more with the lower cost, mapping software & highly functional GPSs available! I used them for several years navigating a 9K acre state forest. Only problem I encountered was the topo maps were so detailed, it took 4X of them to cover the 9K acre forest.

Not sure I'd rely on a compass solely when entering an unknown area. They'll keep you from getting lost, but they have their limitations w/o any obvious landmarks in the area you're navigating. Us flatlanders can appreciate this a little more.

[left field]

Will a GPS survive an EMP?

This is less about using the compass and map to navigate as it is just knowing how to use them.

rac, I will take you up on that as I am more of a book learner. Thanks.

[turkeyfeathers]

I use Transit road as focal point. Most north n south road of certain mileage in US I’m told. East n west easy from there. 

[Jeremy K]

31 minutes ago, left field said:

Will a GPS survive an EMP?

This is less about using the compass and map to navigate as it is just knowing how to use them.

rac, I will take you up on that as I am more of a book learner. Thanks.

Will a compass work after an EMP attack ? 

[coonhunter]

A compass is a coonhunter's best friend. For years, that is all I used to get back to my vehicle in the dark. Sometimes I would be way in there, but a compass would always get me back to the road I entered on. As long as you had some sort of landmark, like a pond, hill, field, or even a logging road, i could come out reasonably close to my car.

Once the handhelds came out, and I finally took the time to figure one out, I switched to that, but still always had a ball compass on my coat for back up.

[left field]

8 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

Will a compass work after an EMP attack ? 

The jury seems to be out on that.

[Jeremy K]

2 minutes ago, left field said:

The jury seems to be out on that.

Is that a yes or a no ?

[Larry]

The easy-est way would be if want a book is try to find a Boy Scout hand book. I have a SF book on Land Navigation from the old days. You can always google it. If you really want to learn land navigation there are clubs around that do land navigation Orienteering USA https://orienteeringusa.org/

[left field]

1 hour ago, Jeremy K said:

Is that a yes or a no ?

It seems more of a no one knows. But in the event of a nuclear attack I'd probably rather have a compass than a GPS.

The least of my problems. My challenge will be getting the hell off Manhattan if they close the bridges and tunnels. The plan is to fight my way to the Hudson then inflatable kayak up to Canada with my trusty compass leading the way.

[The_Real_TCIII]

25 minutes ago, left field said:

It seems more of a no one knows. But in the event of a nuclear attack I'd probably rather have a compass than a GPS.

The least of my problems. My challenge will be getting the hell off Manhattan if they close the bridges and tunnels. The plan is to fight my way to the Hudson then inflatable kayak up to Canada with my trusty compass leading the way.

Will you be stopping at Biz's house for provisions?

[Hunter007]

27 minutes ago, left field said:

It seems more of a no one knows. But in the event of a nuclear attack I'd probably rather have a compass than a GPS.

The least of my problems. My challenge will be getting the hell off Manhattan if they close the bridges and tunnels. The plan is to fight my way to the Hudson then inflatable kayak up to Canada with my trusty compass leading the way.

It depends if the explosion is close enough to a navigation satellite  to effect it you could have problems. Compass is going to work,  maybe for a few seconds it may be affected but not after the initial explosion ,  It will work .

Here is a Over over-simplification of how to use a compass with a map  step 1 put Compass near or on the Northline arrow  of that map , depending if you have cheap or good good compass. Step 2   turn  with the map and compass togather until compass north is aligned with the north on the map . That will give you the orientation of everything on that map. In relation to the direction you are facing. 

For example road on your map is on top and north arrow on map  is pointing same direction as that road on the map  

And there is a river at bottom of map  that you want to walk to from that road .  Do what I said above. And walk the opposite direction in my example which will be south .

Then to keep walking  in same direction you keep checking the compass . And use  landmarks  off in the distance  in that direction to help you stay on course .

Full disclaimer I'm NO expert !! Take my  advice at your own risk .

 

[dbHunterNY]

with nukes going off we're all screwed with wind currents that'll carry RAM across the landscape. probably equally screwed from everything like utilities and municipalities being destroyed. you head a general direction i guess but you're still screwed if you happen to be in the wrong place.  unless you're in a specially designed concrete and dirt bunker with special ventilation (that still has to be maintained) and a TLD on your chest with the means to read it and replace it the odds are against you. lol dooms day preppers are funny, despite their intentions and effort are admirable.  i suppose it wouldn't hurt though to know how to read a compass and map when the time comes.