who actually knows how to use a map and compass

[220yotekiller]

l was on the best gear for 100 dollars thread and elkduds had a picture up of a map and compass. my questian is who still uses a compass... l can read any topo map and l always have one for the unit that l am hunting in in case my gps dies on me.
l grew up in the outdoors and l was always taught how to use ether a map or if you didn't have one you got by using landmarks and sense of direction. l have never been truly lost, confused and worried yes but l always made it back. so who uses compasses still and for that matter how do you use one.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

LOL, map....compass...never....I use my phone

 

[MADGRZ]

I'm interested in hearing what others have to say. I had one experience climbing Chief Mountain in Glacier Park where a midday fog rolled in and visibility went to nothing. I ended up summiting and then on the hike out took the wrong drainage, and after an hour or two realized nothing looked familiar and had no idea where I was. There was no way to see any landmarks or know which direction I was heading because of the dense fog. I'm not sure that GPS would work in that dense of fog? If I had a compass I could have at least picked a direction and stuck to it.

 

[Scott85]

I use to could, give me a few and I might could again.

 

[elkduds]

l was on the best gear for 100 dollars thread and elkduds had a picture up of a map and compass. my questian is who still uses a compass... l can read any topo map and l always have one for the unit that l am hunting in in case my gps dies on me.
l grew up in the outdoors and l was always taught how to use ether a map or if you didn't have one you got by using landmarks and sense of direction. l have never been truly lost, confused and worried yes but l always made it back. so who uses compasses still and for that matter how do you use one.

I do. Mostly depend on the map because terrain in the mountains around here is typically an easy match for a topo map. Down in a canyon, during foggy weather, those are for the compass and map. Before geocaching there was a sport and skill called orienteering: navigating across unfamiliar terrain to a series of checkpoints via different compass headings. Like sailing from island to island w no GPS.

 

[44hunter45]

Still keep one in my pack. They don't run out of battery. I got turned around in the Selway in 1986. I could see two peaks which I knew and was able to shoot lines and stick a dot on my topo to tell me where I was.

 

[Caseknife]

Silva Ranger compass that I have had for 50 years is always in my pack. Got it when I went through Explorer Search and Rescue when I was 12. We learned to navigate by compass and leapfrogging with a partner, had to find markers on trees half to a mile distance. If we didn't find it, we failed that leg.

There is a certain area where we hunt that you might have your compass in your hand in the afternoon, we call it the Jungle. It is a ridge north/south oriented that on the north end it fans out and the timber is pretty thick. If you try to follow the main ridge to the north, you will find yourself swinging around to the south if you are not careful. When you hit the creek and it is going the wrong direction, you know it will be a long time before you get to camp.

Using map and compass is definitely a lost skill, but one that can save your ass if you know how to navigate. Yep, the batteries never go dead, just have to set the declination if you are in new country.

 

[Newenglander]

l was on the best gear for 100 dollars thread and elkduds had a picture up of a map and compass. my questian is who still uses a compass... l can read any topo map and l always have one for the unit that l am hunting in in case my gps dies on me.
l grew up in the outdoors and l was always taught how to use ether a map or if you didn't have one you got by using landmarks and sense of direction. l have never been truly lost, confused and worried yes but l always made it back. so who uses compasses still and for that matter how do you use one.

Technology ruined old school navigation

 

[Newenglander]

Ageed..but I do love my onx! Lol

 

[gouch]

There are some cell towers and radio antennae on a hill that I can see from my house. Just today I was trying to locate them on Google Earth in order to measure a distance, but I was having trouble locating the hill, so I took out my compass to get a bearing. It turned out I was looking way to far south. Seems like I am always finding a use for that old compass. Before the fire I had probably 50 to 60 maps I used all the time. I keep telling myself to start replacing them, but I never seem to get around to it.

 

[jrabq]

Compass and paper maps are how the old farts, including me, used to navigate. I still carry a compass in my pack, but rarely use it, it's there for emergencies. Still use paper maps on occasion, but confess I've gravitated to GPS and my phone in most cases.

 

[FairWeather]

I carry a compass with me, though I don’t generally carry a map. I figure out a panic azimuth and just keep that in mind in case of emergency. Haven’t had to actually use a compass and map since the last land navigation course I ran in the army, and that was 2013.

As to how, it’s not hard. Look up land navigation, or orienteering, on YouTube and I’m sure there’s plenty how-to videos. Basically, you need to figure out your pace for a set distance, plot your path from point A to point B on a map the same way you would use the line distance tool on OnX, use a protractor to find the azimuth for those lines, then use your compass to follow the route you laid out.

It’s stressful and full of second guessing, but I’ve usually ended up close to where I meant to be.

 

[Farmerj]

I keep a compass handy. For some locations, I’ve gotten the USGS topo maps. Sheyenne national grasslands and most of SE ND.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I rate it right up there with fire building, practice every year.

 

[hank4elk]

I learned from my Dad who was a skipper & navigator. Still have his American Practical Navigator book from WWII. Navigating the land is much easier than open seas.
Have a huge collection of topo maps. Some from the 1800's. Several compass's . I do have a Garmin & onx, but I still carry a map & compass.
Someday I might turn on the GPS on my cell, but I doubt it...

 

[marksjeep]

I still carry paper maps, especially in new areas. For new areas I use mytopo to print custom maps. Compass is always in my pack. We still teach map and compass to scouts in orienteering, but also include gps and cell devices. These are basic foundational skills that can save your butt.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I carry one and know how to use it. I have about zero trust in batteries.

 

[Firedude]

I used mine just a week ago. Walking through the dense trees by the river to go duck hunting and the fog rolled in. It's not like you only need it in a life or death situation. I just glanced periodically to make sure I was headed the right direction when I couldn't see more than 20 feet. Everything looks the same and it's easy to get turned off course.

We bought my nephew a good compass and a cheap clip on one when he started hiking seriously. He asked why and held up his phone. I said, "Why would you ever bet your life on something that runs on batteries or breaks as easy as a cell phone. How many times have you dropped a phone and broke it?" He carries the compass.

I also like using it in the dark instead of my phone. Mine is glow in the dark. So I hit it with my light to "charge" it up. It saves my night vision unlike staring at my phone.

 

[NR_Hunter]

I've got the Silva Ranger in my pack at all times. At one point I new how to use it with a map, get an azimuth and all that stuff but that was over a decade ago. Now I just keep mental note of which direction a road or river would be and have that kinda be my "handrail." If bad comes to bad, in theory, I can use the compass to head in a single direction to find my handrail which will at least get me out of the woods if I get totally turned around.

 

[MarvB]

Still carry my old Silva Ranger in my pack from my forest service days. Still adjust the declination to wherever I’m hunting. Always will carry as a backup, phones/batteries will die and last year my spare pack couldn’t transfer a charge (but I was familiar with the country so twernt a prob).