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There are many ways to find your bearing in the wild. One of the fastest, easiest ways to make a compass requires a needle or pin, a leaf (or a cork) and some standing water.
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In the vast wilderness, it does not take but a second to become disoriented in your location. Once this has occurred, finding your way home becomes seemingly impossible. While getting lost in the wild is never a fun experience, the adv…
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While using a satellite navigation system to find your way around the city or while hiking may be convenient, having a compass and map can provide a reliable and inexpensive alternative in case of technical difficulties with electronic…
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The Brunton compass differs from most other compass designs only in how it prevents needle oscillation. The design uses magnetic induction damping instead of putting the needle in a capsule of fluid. Otherwise it is similar enough to a…
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According to the Friends of Yosemite Search and Rescue, a non-profit that supports the efforts of Yosemite National Park's search and rescue team, more than 60% of the rescues made every year are to help hikers. Many of these hikers l…
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There is no more essential item for a wilderness expedition than a compass. Compasses help orient the traveler. Without one it is easy to walk in circles, change direction without knowing it and, ultimately, get lost. Knowing how to…
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Maps are key equipment in any expedition. Providing spatial representation of an area from a bird's-eye view, a map often makes the difference between being lost and getting home. Knowing how to read a map and take a bearing are vital…
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While many outdoor enthusiasts travel along established paths, an opportunity, need or desire may come to leave the comfort of the trail and head into back country. All that is needed to accomplish this is a map, a compass and the skil…
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Being aware of altitude change when navigating with a map, especially in untrailed back country, can be critical to knowing your position and destination. The Silva Ranger 515 CL, CLQ and Explorer Pro compasses have a small arrow dang…
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Proper use of a compass is a basic but essential skill in backcountry hiking, which often involves getting off marked trails. The lensatic compass, the kind of compass frequently used by military outfits around the world, works much as…
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The lensatic compass--also called a military compass--is a precision instrument that when used with a topographical map can guide the adventurous off marked trails into wilderness areas with confidence. The lensatic compass is used to…
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A magnetic compass uses the earth's magnetic field to align its needle to face north. The needle is magnetized and points to magnetic north, which is different than true (geographic) north.
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A compass and map are good to have when hiking through the wilderness to avoid getting lost, but you need to know how to use them. The Suunto MCA Compass has a sighting mirror that locks open at various angles: 60, 120 and 180 degrees.…
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Learning to navigate on land with a compass is knowledge any wilderness hiker or backpacker needs for survival. Although a GPS might be easier to navigate with, a compass will never run out of battery power or lose its signal due to cl…
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When you install a compass into a boat, various metal parts---sometimes even the screws used to mount the compass---might cause it to deviate from the real magnetic readings. In an extreme example, your compass could read 90 or more de…
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