Navigation Lesson Part 3: Using a Compass

 

Click here to check out Andy’s video on how to use a compass.

 

So many people today do not know how to drive cross-country using basic tools like a road map. They now depend on high-tech GPS units to find their way around, even in their own hometown, and are at a great disadvantage if they do not have a way to access the GPS for directions.

Hikers use GPS too. I know it is easier to navigate that way, but whenever you’re hiking, no matter what kind of tech you have, it’s always a good idea to have a manual compass as a backup.

The next part of my NAVIGATION series is called “How to Use a Compass.” Here’s what you need to know….

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First, you need to understand that a compass does not work like a GPS, pointing your way home. It only points in a northward direction giving you a frame of reference. What you do with that information is where your skills and knowledge come into play. You can follow a straight line course or you can “orient” your map (make it align with north and south).

Next, decide on a direction to follow then set your compass up as follows (this assumes you’re using a base-plate-style compass (as pictured below) and no map…we are just trying to get back to civilization here.

1. Hold the compass flat so the needle spins freely.

 

2. Point the baseplate arrow by facing the direction you want to travel.

 

3. Turn the rotating dial of the compass until the red end of the compass needle (the North seeking end) is aligned over the red arrow (or box) just under the needle. One way to remember this is the old memory saying: “Put the red in the shed.”

 

NOTE: Different compasses have different markings, so be familiar with your compass. Also make sure you you’re not using the compass near metal, including jewelry, knives, cell phones, etc. These can cause irregularities.

 

At this point, you should now be able to read the compass heading in-line with the base-plate arrow for the direction you want to travel. The picture below shows we need to follow the base plate arrow set up for a 190 degree course:

 

Orienting a base-plate compass

NOTE: It may seem like a minor detail, but it’s important to record your compass heading somewhere (preferably on paper) so that you can reference it later, in case your compass needs to be reset due to accidental movement. Information can be hard to remember especially in times of stress. We cannot allow ourselves to hike miles off course due to sloppy technique. Driving your vehicle several miles off course is one thing, but hiking several miles though rough terrain for nothing is a huge waste of energy and time that is very precious when covering ground on foot.

Make sure your compass dial stays in the right position throughout the trek.

 

Once you have your course set, the next thing to do is to sight your first landmark.

 

Sighting your first landmark – the “over” technique

While holding the compass flat, and turning your body until the “red is in the shed” (compass is now oriented), you can do what’s called “sighting over” the compass and pick a landmark. I usually hold the compass steady and lower my head to sight over the compass. I have even been known to sight along the side to target certain landmarks.

NOTE: Be sure not to rotate the compass when moving your head for sighting. In fact, it’s a good idea to check the needle to ensure it is still in place. Your accuracy in navigation depends on how carefully you execute these procedures. A few degrees off on the compass can mean a mile off from your destination.

 

Sighting a landmark – the “side” technique

 

Next, hike to the landmark. Then hold your compass (which I keep tied to my neck by a 4-foot parachute cord), ensure your course dial is still set properly, sight another landmark and then hike there.

Continue repeating this process to follow a straight line course.

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My next blog post is the final one in this series. It will have some more information on the keys to successful navigation: a good map and a quality compass. Until then, be prepared and keep alive.

 

Your friend in self-sufficiency,

 

Andy Savage
“The Mountain Man”

Andy is an outdoorsman who has traveled the globe. He’s been all across the US several times over, down in the wilds of South America, and all throughout Europe. Here he is featured in front of the Swiss Alps.

This blog post is an account of the author. Situations differ and are contingent on the abilities of each individual person involved, as well as unforeseen circumstances.  The author and/or his associates are not liable for any injuries, loss, or damages incurred due to the use of such information. Such content is for general, informational and entertainment purposes only.

Navigation Lesson – Part 2: Methods of Navigating

Greetings Friends! Thanks for stopping by.

So, in my first blog post in this series, I shared a story where I navigated up a mountain in a torrential storm and severe lightning, then back down again in the dark. The gal who was with me picked up several valuable lessons on that hike. I want you to do the same here (minus the deadly lightning, of course), so in this post, I will be discussing some methods for navigating on hikes to get you home if needed.

1. If hiking in hills or mountains, follow valleys downhill, which should eventually lead you to running water. Then follow the water till you find civilization.

 

2. Follow a “straight line course” with a compass. Make an educated guess by considering what you may know of the area, lay of the land, the direction you’re wanting to travel, or roads you know of.

 

Whatever direction you decide on, follow it in a straight-line course using your compass. I’ll be talking about compasses in next week’s blog post.

Young Andy hiking in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado

WARNING: It’s best to hike with BOTH A MAP AND A COMPASS, especially if it’s unfamiliar territory (I’ll be talking about maps more in future blog posts, as well as in my first book).

Also, ALWAYS GIVE OTHER PEOPLE YOUR HIKING ITINERARY. At least one person (family member, friend, or an official like a park ranger) should be notified when and where you’ll be hiking, your route, and any alternate routes you might take. Even if you’ve hiked that route a hundred times before, EVEN IF YOU’RE GOING IN A GROUP, you need to give your hiking itinerary to someone. Should a worst case scenario arise, you want search-and-rescue to be able to find you ASAP.

Speaking of which, it’s always a good idea to hike with AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON. Yes, I have hiked by myself before, but that was when I was young and immature. There is too much potential to get hurt in the wild. If you have a chance, check out the story of the guy who had to saw off his arm because it got caught under a boulder. A hiking companion could have helped him get free or gone for help (either might have saved his arm). A costly lesson learned.

Andy and Cesar on a hike in East Tennessee. “Cesar makes a good hiking buddy,” says Andy.

3. Another method for navigation is following a “straight line” course WITHOUT a compass. It’s important to be able to do this so you don’t walk in circles.

 

To follow a straight-line course without a compass:

1. Look in the distance for two objects in a row: one, two.
2. Hike to the first; just before you reach it, use the same two landmarks to sight a third landmark (make sure it’s also in-line).
3. Keep going. Before passing the very next landmark, sight another one and repeat the above procedure.

Continue this process in a straight line (as straight as you can manage) until you arrive at civilization.

 

4. Use the sun, moon and constellations as a reference point to hike in a “fairly” straight line. Remember to take into account that these objects move across the sky as the day or night progresses, so you’ll need to make adjustments to accommodate. This method will not be as accurate as using a compass, but it will at least help keep you from walking in circles. Be aware that your orientation will be different in the southern hemisphere.

 

For night hiking, the North Star (Polaris) remains stationary in the sky, so it’s a great star to use as a guide. Also watch for areas of the sky where it appears to be brighter from light pollution, which means there’s probably a city nearby.

 

Night shot from Andy’s property

 

5. Concerning the old navigation tale that moss grows on the north side of trees, rocks, etc., I have found too many variations to cite this as fact. I’ve even found moss growing all the way around the base of a tree.

 

Moss grows where there is moisture. This condition can be affected by many variables other than sunshine. I don’t feel it is an accurate method to use for determining which direction is north.

 

If you can get your bearings and are able to navigate to a road or running water (river, creek, stream), you can then follow either of those to civilization. Civilization always needs both things (roads and a water source) for infrastructure, so if you find either when lost in the wilderness, you have found your road map home.

 

In next week’s blog post, I’ll be showing you how to use a compass. Until then, have fun, stay safe, and KEEP ALIVE.

 

Your friend in self-sufficiency,

 

Andy Savage
“The Mountain Man”

Andy is an outdoorsman who loves hiking, camping, and putting his physical abilities to the test. He averages 100 miles per month hiking in the mountains of East Tennessee and has found himself in more than a few precarious situations while navigating the rugged terrain of the land. His first book on self-sufficiency and survival is set to be published this winter. 

This blog post is an account of the author. Situations differ and are contingent on the abilities of each individual person involved, as well as unforeseen circumstances.  The author and/or his associates are not liable for any injuries, loss, or damages incurred due to the use of such information. Such content is for general, informational and entertainment purposes only.

Navigation Lesson – Part 1

Hello Friends! Glad you are back!

A female companion of mine wanted to know what it was like to hike way up into the mountains, so I planned a 14-mile roundtrip for us. What I didn’t know was that, on the way up, we would go through one of the scariest lightning storms I’ve ever experienced.

The hike had been pretty straightforward till the storm rolled in. After that, lightning began striking all around us. The flashes were so close we had to crouch down on the trail and wait till the storm passed. After all there was nowhere to hide and we didn’t have much of a choice. All we could think of at the moment was dying. As we held hands, foreheads touching to comfort one another, I looked down and saw streams of water rushing down the trail, creating a river under our feet (water is very conductive for electricity, for those who didn’t already know that).

Thankfully we made it through.

When the worse was over and we headed for the top of the mountain, we came across a trail shelter. I decided it would be best for both of us to take a break, start a fire, dry some of our gear, eat lunch, and rest before we continued. Even just a cup of hot tea by a fire would be enjoyable at that point, and I took the opportunity to give my companion an impromptu lesson on starting a fire when the wood is wet.

Needless to say we were exhausted, having hiked several miles uphill in the rain and having nearly been stuck by lightning. After a bite to eat, we decided to squeeze in a quick cat-nap. The nap turned into quite the snooze, so by the time we left the trail shelter it was nearly dark.

We had a few options before us on the trek back to civilization. I chose a path I had hiked before, thinking it would be a breeze to navigate; but ten years had passed since I’d last been down it, and the forest had since overgrown and covered the trail. Fallen trees were a problem, too, as were ditches where the road had been washed away.

As it turned out, we were actually on an abandoned logging road, which narrowed more and more the farther we hiked. At one point the road disappeared completely. We put on our headlamps and searched for it, but to no avail. I then decided to turn this into another training session. The whole trip was a training session.

Pulling out a topographic map of the area, I pointed out the shelter we’d stopped in earlier. Then I showed her that if we used a compass and headed north, there was no way we would fail to intersect a large river that we could then follow to my vehicle.

With compass out and hung around my neck, we continued our trek. It was too dark to see, so we used our headlamps (spare batteries are a good thing to bring on hikes, by the way). Still, even with that lighting, the hike was treacherous. The terrain was rough, the valley twisted and turned, and it was near impossible to see where we were stepping due to all the foliage and darkness. Imagine feeling your way through dense vegetation one step at a time, climbing over or under fallen trees, through eroded ditches…sometimes the only place to walk was in the slippery creek.

The best I could do was check the compass and keep going.

As we hiked, I pointed out to my companion that we were headed through a large valley with a small creek running downhill. Small sources of water can be a great guide, because they run into bigger sources of water, then bigger, and finally civilization.

Seven miles through dense forest, in the dark with only headlamps to light the way, took hours—like being stuck on a highway in a snowstorm and just creeping along inches at a time wondering, Will this ever end?

I must commend my date, as I really believe most people would have panicked. She must have totally trusted me as she kept her focus the whole time. It is important to keep one’s composure and to use logic when in difficult situations.  Panic is your enemy.

Hours later, we finally hit the river and then hiked the last stretch to my vehicle. As we climbed in, I turned to my date and casually said, “Another easy day at the office.” (That’s something my dad used to say after a big ordeal. And this hike was quite the ordeal!)

Stay tuned for part two of this blog. In it, I’ll explain a couple of the methods we could have used for getting back to civilization that night. Until then, stay safe and hike smart.

 

Your friend in self-sufficiency,

 

Andy Savage
“The Mountain Man”

Andy is an author, blogger, and self-sufficiency expert. He is the proud owner of a Belgian Malinois named Cesar, and the duo live together on 21 acres in the mountains of East Tennessee. When they’re not busy working on the property (Cesar does more playing), they enjoy hiking, fishing and camping in the great outdoors. Cesar enjoys chasing wild turkey, deer, squirrels, and rabbits.

 

This blog post is an account of the author. Situations differ and are contingent on the abilities of each individual person involved, as well as unforeseen circumstances.  The author and/or his associates are not liable for any injuries, loss, or damages incurred due to the use of such information. Such content is for general, informational and entertainment purposes only.

 

Are You Prepared?

I am amazed at all the disasters unfolding around our country and the world. Every time I turn around a town is being evacuated due to flooding or because of some train car that has derailed and is spewing toxic gases.

From snowstorms that paralyze entire states to earthquakes that destroy people’s homes…forest fires that consume thousands of acres, mudslides that bury everything in their paths…tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes…the possibilities are endless, and predicting where a disaster will strike next is impossible.

Most of us think, It will never happen to me. Or worse, the thought never enters our minds, which causes us to be totally blindsided when a major event occurs. And if that wasn’t bad enough, we now have ISIS Terrorists! Coming to a Neighborhood Near You!

Friends, we have got to be ready. Our nation is going from bad to worse, and the greed of politicians has made us even more vulnerable by plunging us into overwhelming national debt that has us teetering on the brink of economic collapse.

I cannot sit by and watch good-willed people who are unprepared for catastrophe. That’s why I am putting my experience into action through this blog and several other writing projects on a multitude of self-sufficiency topics.

These guides won’t just be “FOR EXPERTS ONLY.” I will indeed post advanced material from time to time; but even if you have no experience with self-sufficiency or what some have labeled “doomsday prepping,” many of the projects I’m putting together will include life-sustaining basics that everyone should know and most anyone can afford, even those on a restricted budget.

I hope you never have to use a single piece of advice in this blog, that your life is good and prosperous, without the turmoil of this world…but should disaster strike or hard times come your way, I hope this blog and the advice herein brings you peace of mind and preparedness of life.

And so the journey begins….

 

Your friend in self-sufficiency,

Andy Savage
“The Mountain Man”

This blog post is an account of the author. Situations differ and are contingent on the abilities of each individual person involved, as well as unforeseen circumstances.  The author and/or his associates are not liable for any injuries, loss, or damages incurred due to the use of such information. Such content is for general, informational and entertainment purposes only.

Andy is an author, blogger, and self-sufficiency expert who practices what he “preaches.” In extreme situations, his mantra is keep alive, and he is always seeking out the knowledge to prepare. He is the proud owner of a Belgian Malinois named Cesar and lives on 21 acres in the mountains of East Tennessee.

 

Stock photos courtesy of pexels.com