What Navigational Tools Do You Use?

[OakAshandThorn]

Compass and map - I have a basic Silva - nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. I mainly use both to go orienteering in the park (900 acres ) across the street - http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/rde...%20041022b.pdf

NEVER rely on a GPS unless you have the above tools with you (and know how to use them)!! The batteries could fail, you could drop it and break it, or the circuitry could just give up, etc. And, in any case, it's quite empowering knowing that, with map and compass, you can go anywhere and look after yourself.

[OakAshandThorn]

What measurement method do people use - degrees or mils?

I suspect those with military training, or had to navigate over proper large areas, probably use mils.

For my needs I use degrees, but occasionally thought about going over to mils.

I prefer degrees .

[FishyFolk]

What measurement method do people use - degrees or mils?

I suspect those with military training, or had to navigate over proper large areas, probably use mils.

For my needs I use degrees, but occasionally thought about going over to mils.

I was trained to use either one. And only use degrees in my civillian life. I hardly ever have the compass out anyway, as the land here is so full of features that I orient the map from them 9 out of ten times.

[Silverback]

I was trained to use either one. And only use degrees in my civillian life. I hardly ever have the compass out anyway, as the land here is so full of features that I orient the map from them 9 out of ten times.

Likewise.....

[Martin]

I can't imagine a scenario where, whilst walking, you would need any finer gradation than one degree. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that compasses marked in mils are only marked every five mils, or so, anyway?

Martin

[sam_acw]

I don't know about the mills issue - isn't the idea that they correspond to real distance better than degrees - i.e. 1 mil is equivalent to a yard at a mile (almost certainly wrong but it's something along those lines)?

I'm particularly interested in compass work as there's lots of forest here so you can't see many features. It's so easy to get turned around when you stop to look at something - though of course with the snow at the moment you can backtrack out fairly easily.

[Tigger004]

Sorry guys but I used to always use a fairly basic Sylva, I still take it and a good map (not forgetting a magnifying glass these days), But mainly use a Garmin Oregon 550t with the full country in OS landranger scale, and the world in good Terrain topo maps.
I have an etrex which I no longer use, the os mapping is excellent on the oregon, good in the car too.
pricey, but recently in the mountains of Italy where nothing was familiar it performed exceptionally well and keeps allsorts of useful and interesting data. Having said all that I never rely on it soley

[Silverback]

I can't imagine a scenario where, whilst walking, you would need any finer gradation than one degree. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that compasses marked in mils are only marked every five mils, or so, anyway?

Martin

The mils system isnt for walking its for gun laying and other military things. Those of us who can use both generally have some kind of ground based military background and thats why we learned. If I remember rightly there are 18. Something mils to one degree making a 5 mil per graduation compass still way more accurate than degrees anyway.

Sam yes youre right its about accuracy at a distance, as someone who has to navigate in forests a lot the best method I have found is pacing and compass bearings, even my fancy Satmap wont work under dense canopy. The particular problem I have is making sure I have covered the area I have been tasked to search and giving a percentage coverage. Accurate navigation is of the utmost importance as lives may potentially be at risk.

[ian c]

I was trained to use mills and still have my old issue compass and protractor, i do have a Garmin wrist GPS that is in my pack if i pack it as i will say i only used it when on ops.

[AdrianRose]

I have been studying natural navigation for quite a while now and although I am by no means an expert, I can with a high degree of accuracy orient myself in a "generalised" correct direction.

This is done by using the sun,stars, my watch, moss/lichen growth, tree shape etc etc.

However for any degree of accuracy I use a Silva sighting compass. This is my current user:



Ade.