Your in the Boonies but you have your comehomepuss.

[fredaevans]

Wish it were that easy ....

Short distances not a real issue but in a marine enviroment it is a big deal. One degree off over 100 miles is a hell of an error.

How Does a Compass Work?

Everything in a 'boat' that's metal will toss off the reading so (annually) we had to 'swing ship' running points to points (knew what the reading should be off the chart) and move the compensating magnets a bit here to there.

Boots on the ground ... no such luck. For your future reference the word 'lost' is a four letter word.

fae

 

[tcorfey]

Kind of a funny story (but not at the time),

My friend used to commercial fish Salmon back in the 60's out of a San Francisco on 26 foot Monterey double ender with a single cylinder diesel. Top speed on that boat was about 7 knots. Anyway one day he brought his brother out with them and they were fishing about 30 miles out. Once they filled the boat with Salmon and were headed back in my friend took a bearing and marked the compass heading for the Golden Gate in San Francisco. Knowing it would take them several hours to get in he then took a nap and left his brother at the helm with explicit instructions to keep the boat on that compass heading and then wake him when he saw land. When his brother woke him my friend looked around and said what the ???## are we doing at Point Reyes? Which is over 20-30 miles north of where they should be. Then he looked at the helm and saw that his brother had placed an am radio on the dash next to the compass. As he removed the radio he watched the compass swing back several degrees.

Turns out the magnets on the radios speaker had altered the compass heading enough to send them way up the coast. Needless to say my buddy was not pleased with his brother that day.

 

[Hirdy]

Well, at least your buddy's brother was awake ...

Cheers,
Graeme

 

[ia_trouter]

As we a always said in the Army Field Artillery....

"Ah close enough, what's a few degrees (mils) and a little powder error?"

Infantrymen never appreciated that joke like we did. Nor did the cabin owner near Camp Grayling, Michigan.

 

[rodteague]

Timely post Fred. Land navigation with a compass is becoming a lost art; with gps and cell phones in nearly everyones reach. . FWIW I NEVER go anywhere without a compass. I have a small Maxpedition fanny pack that has a old Leatherman PS1; a folding knife; bic lighter; tactical light w/ extra batteries; master pad-lock(don't ask ) 50 ft of paracord and a small sighting compass w/ mirror for back azimuth. Depending on whether I'm CCW I may throw my colt commander in w/ extra mag for good measure. Kind of a mini BOB. I consider the compass to be one of the most important items. Because, you can be prepared for just about anything, but if you can'y find your way back home, it may be all in vain.

Regards

Rod

 

[GrtLksMarlin]

(Lost?) "...been fearsome confused for a month or two, but I ain't never been lost!" Henry Frapp

Unfortunately the above quote supposedly of Daniel Boone's ranges from the above to "...bewildered for three days." What's the actual quote? My guess is no one knows...

Well maybe Fred might have spoke with him so he might :shades:

B.E.F.

---------- Post added at 01:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 AM ----------

For the record, I rarely use a compass on land (areas I travel to). A good topo map can be an amazing tool, one that beats GPS all to blazes due to helping you see a better way.

B.E.F.

 

[fredaevans]

Timely post Fred. Land navigation with a compass is becoming a lost art; with gps and cell phones in nearly everyones reach. . FWIW I NEVER go anywhere without a compass. I have a small Maxpedition fanny pack that has a old Leatherman PS1; a folding knife; bic lighter; tactical light w/ extra batteries; master pad-lock(don't ask ) 50 ft of paracord and a small sighting compass w/ mirror for back azimuth. Depending on whether I'm CCW I may throw my colt commander in w/ extra mag for good measure. Kind of a mini BOB. I consider the compass to be one of the most important items. Because, you can be prepared for just about anything, but if you can'y find your way back home, it may be all in vain.

Regards

Rod

Good list above but no firearm here. That aside to the above add:

a goodly amount of fire starters
a hand ax,
one of those 'survival blankets,'
a couple gallons of distilled, or tap water (if you use tap water change that out frequently!),
two days worth of freeze dry foods,
a small pot to cook in,
a one burner camp stove.

The camp stoves I like use white gas rather than propane. Fuel goes into a metal water container (they seal tight), fill up the stove tank if-when needed.

All this stuff sounds like a lot but a large plastic laundry basket will hold everything including 'goodies' of local choice. (Me? Snicker's Candy Bars:thmbup

All of the above is good but you want a GOOD First Aid kit!!! Not one of those toys folks usually get at WallyWorld. Where to buy those? Check out REI, they are all about the 'out doors' when it comes to choices.

fae

 

[rodteague]

Fred

All good stuff and couldn't agree more. I keep most of those things in my truck box; plus a few others. Coleman cat propane heater and a large tarp; a really nice first aid kit in a 50 cal ammo can that my oldest son made for one of his scout projects. You've reminded me that I need to go through it and get rid and replace any items that have expired. I have a LL Bean turkey/deer hunting pack that I keep other items such as a Kershaw folding pruning saw, gerber gator fixed blade knife and assundry other items. I also keep a pair of neoprene camo wellingtons in the box for deer hunting; but they sure come in handy when I have to dig the truck out of mud and snow. Oh, almost forgot, A US milsurp WWII folding shovel to do the digging! The list could get lengthy. BTW instead of a laundry basket, I use a medium sized Action Packer that fills a little over 1/3 of my truck box. This sounds like we need another thread for survival tips both in the field and on the road

Regards

Rod

 

[rsagebrush]

As a mapmaker for 35 years in geology a compass was an absolute necessity for field work. I used a Brunton pocket transit and nothing else comes close to that instrument with an accuracy of .5 degrees, but you learn to make an error every time in the opposite direction on every reading and usually come spot on, usually. Mounted on a Tripod the unit is almost as good as a transit.

Well with GPS all the above has been relegated to a lost art but people outdoorsmen should always acquire the above skill.

My favorite GPS unit of all time was and is a Garmin 60 CSX which on WAAS was as accurate as a 20K Trimble unit.

But I love my Brunton, batteries not necessary.

 

[lil_ol_angler_me]

geeeez guys you going fishing or looking for a Northwest Passage....all those skills I developed in the Rangers makes me somewhat more self sufficient, but I do carry a small Garmin plotting GPS (left over from my saltwater charter guiding day) it plots a path andnI can if need be just back track or plot a path back to my starting point

 

[Bigfly]

I come from the time before gps..
and spent a lot of time in the back country, so I love my compass...
but, after that recomendation, I may upgrade...

But my knowledge didn't translate to water...
Not sure I've told this here, but a decade ago I stayed late on the far side of a large lake.
Darkness came early when clouds blew in. Suddenly in total darkness.....
water-sky-land were all black....
Waves 2-3 ft. in a twelve ft boat and no idea where home is.....
Noticed a glow on the horizon, which I realized was Reno city light, 20 mi. Away. But it was a heading....
Made it back from the dark side and water that claimed a man the next day...never left home without a compass again...land or sea.

Jim

 

[rodteague]

geeeez guys you going fishing or looking for a Northwest Passage....all those skills I developed in the Rangers makes me somewhat more self sufficient, but I do carry a small Garmin plotting GPS (left over from my saltwater charter guiding day) it plots a path andnI can if need be just back track or plot a path back to my starting point

I guess with your ranger training you'll whittle a shovel with your pen knife......and catch your food with snares, woven from the hair on your back It's not much gear for a big truck box; and comes in handy when your stranded. I have excellent survival skills as well; but it makes no sense in being unprepared and have to "Rambo" it when you don't have too.

Regards

Rod