[pct-l] Navigation. Which Compass skills are needed?

Sun Feb 13 17:16:35 CST 2011

someone messaged me and said i had ignored the OP's question,  i will answer 
directly,

"Q: "Hi every body I was wandering which skills with the compass do I need 
>> to find my way and navigate on the trail?"

i had seen this, but in the existing thread,  my server delayed the original 
messages...so i thought it was part of the greater message ken sent...

what skills with a compass do you NEED?   ... none.  any 20 ish dollar compass 
will be more than sufficient.  you don't need an expensive orienteering one.

that said,  you might want some basic map reading skills,  or rely on a digital 
version, like the new garmin Dakota 20.  not to hijack your question, but i 
think it's worth a second look.  i can talk about details if you'd like.  map 
reading skills are a life skill worth learning...  but specifically for the 
PCT,  you could get by without them.  since the question was specific do do you 
NEED them, i would say no ; )

my humble opine,
~Paul

________________________________
From: Gerry Zamora <gerry0625 at gmail.com>
To: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
Cc: Ken Murray <kmurray at pol.net>; . <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Sun, February 13, 2011 5:59:25 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Navigation. Which Compass skills are needed?

Last time I checked the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Oh if all 
else fails flush a toilet and see if it goes clockwise or counter clockwise then 
hike accordingly.
Gerry0625 
On Feb 13, 2011 1:27 PM, "Paul Robison" <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I could not disagree more...
> 
> I use a brunton tdcl (60$) at work and am skilled in orienteering ... It is a 
>good skill to know, even though we use WAAS to verify our location before I use 
>a radar...
> 
> On the pct, I found compass orienteering to be difficult, cumbersome, and not 
>worth the time.  Is is generally obvious when you are on the trail or not,  and 
>between halfmiles maps and yogis guide, the crossigs of roads etc are well 
>explained.  Also for less experienced orienteers finding a good feature to 
>identify is difficult in places because the peaks really can look the same... 
>Not that you cant do it, but it's time consuming, and for what... Yu're not 
>finding your way 'to the next peak' your going along a trail... A trail that is 
>typically obvious and well maintained.
> 
> When I came across a fellow thru hiker last year who had his gps,  he turned it 
>on and said 'we're here, 2.7 miles to water and 4 miles from camp...3hrs 22 
>minutes till sunset.'. I was sold...
> 
> I'll be hiking with a garmin Dakota this year, and a cheapo compass for 
>emergency backup, but never to find the trail direction itself
> 
> ~Paul
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPod
> 
> On 2011-02-13, at 1:45 PM, Ken Murray <kmurray at pol.net> wrote:
> 
>> Q: "Hi every body I was wandering which skills whith the compass do I need 
>> to find my way and navigate on the trail?
>> I use the wilderness press hand books.
>> Thanks for helping out Julian"
>> 
>> A: "Any simple compass with a base plate. Adjustable declination is nice to
>> have. You don't need a sighting mirror."
>> 
>> As you can see, Julian, here on the PCT, we don't worry much about having any 
>>skills, 
>>
>> we just focus on having the *right* equipement, so we look good!  :)
>> 
>> First, I generally think of "map and compass skills" as a package.  I would 
>>start off
>> by saying that you really need to know how to read a map.  I guess even more 
>>basic is
>> that you need to HAVE a map. 
>> 
>> You need to be able to find north, and so orient yourself, and a map.
>> You need to be able to find yourself on a map, given views to landmarks.
>> So, you need to be able to accurately determine angle to any visible 
landmark.
>> 
>> You need to develop the sense, by looking at a map,  of the direction that you 
>>will be
>> hiking for the next hour, and the approximate time it will take you to get to 

>> obvious features, such as a stream crossing.  Experienced people can often time 
>>it
>> within minutes.
>> 
>> As you might guess, I am not of the school of hiking all day, then trying to 
>>figure 
>>
>> things out.  I prefer to remain continuously oriented, so that I know in a very 
>>short 
>>
>> time if I am moving in a wrong direction, or in a situation where I need to pay 
>>close
>> attention instead of just enjoying the view.  It becomes second nature after 
>>awhile, 
>>
>> so that you don't really have to think about it much.  You get to the point 
>>where you
>> will subconsciously think "I should be seeing a rounded peak to the NNW in 
>>about 10 minutes, 
>>
>> and a hanging valley to the ENE in about 20 min", as you move along. 
>> 
>> It is really worthwhile to take a nav course, particularly one that involves 
>> "on the ground" practice.  Sierra Club in many areas offer such, at low/no 
>>cost.
>> The one in Los Angeles/Orange Co is outstanding. 
>> 
>> In some areas, like the High Sierra, you barely need anything.  The PCT is a 
>>freeway among
>> trails, with few side trails, except near roads.  In other places, there are so 
>>many 
>>
>> false trails, direction may be most important, as you'll never figure out which 
>>dirt
>> path among many is actually the trail (thanks, ORV!)
>> 
>> Oh, and as for gear, I think declination adjustment is worth it--saves you a 
>>lot 
>>
>> of calculating, with a chance of error when you are tired, and I prefer the 
>>models
>> that DO have a mirror.  The mirror is double functioning as a rescue signaling 
>>device, 
>>
>> and they generally fit into a lid that fits over the compass, which helps keep 
>>dirt out 
>>
>> of the mechanism.  You CAN get by with a very basic model, but you'll 
>> spend a lot more time figuring out what you need to know.
>>  However, your mileage may vary, as they say.
>> 
>> I've been happy with a Silva guide 426, which is high quality but 
>>inexpensive($20), has all the 
>>
>> bells and whistles.  I'd avoid the "military" stuff, which tends to be junk. 
>>Suunto and 
>>
>> Brunton also make reliably good models. 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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