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 Suunto M3 D/L and can get from Amazon for $30-40. My backup compass is a
Brunton OSS 30B 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.
Topic: Proper use of a compass (Read 960 times)
