Compasses just aren’t that useful

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kepPNW
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Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by kepPNW » July 7th, 2016, 8:20 am

Cite: http://www.columbian.com/news/2016/jul/ ... ion-tools/
Steve McClure wrote:It’s heresy to say it out loud, but compasses just aren’t that useful. Most experienced wilderness wanderers I know rarely take their compass out of their pack.
Yep. In my last 250 hikes, I haven't had to refer to a compass once. (Have you?)

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kaltbluter
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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by kaltbluter » July 7th, 2016, 8:32 am

I still use a compass. Especially when I'm off trail in thick brushy forest where I can't see the horizon or sky.

Lurch
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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by Lurch » July 7th, 2016, 8:50 am

For a supposed "expert" there seems to be a lot of bad or misguided information in there...

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AAdamsPDX
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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by AAdamsPDX » July 7th, 2016, 9:18 am

I wouldn't say I've "had" to use a compass. But I've certainly used one and I'm glad to have the tool along for the ride.

The time I found it most useful was when I was practicing offtrail techniques without GPS: a skill I want to keep fresh for times when it might be needed. I've also used it when I've lost the trail in blowdown and wanted to sight a path straight forward in the direction of the trail as shown on the map. Just a precaution, but I always figure the one time I don't take precautions is the time I'll really wish I had!

Again, could just use the GPS on my phone but I'm old fashioned and would rather not rely on it unless I have to!
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kepPNW
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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by kepPNW » July 7th, 2016, 9:23 am

kaltbluter wrote:I still use a compass. Especially when I'm off trail in thick brushy forest where I can't see the horizon or sky.
Seriously? Why?
Lurch wrote:For a supposed "expert" there seems to be a lot of bad or misguided information in there...
Anything in particular?
AAdamsPDX wrote:Again, could just use the GPS on my phone but I'm old fashioned and would rather not rely on it unless I have to!
A friend of mine's kid is rebuilding an old Windows 2000 machine, just to get a better understanding of how things work. Nothing wrong with that!
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aiwetir
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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by aiwetir » July 7th, 2016, 10:08 am

Not that useful until it is, like in a whiteout. In wildlife biology in the past, they were very useful and I've worn out a few compasses, but honestly, outside of the very specific navigation applications I've used them for, and peak finding, I've only ever used a compass once because I was on flat land. Topography means more.

The only normal use I found was if I were on a rounded hill without a well defined ridge or draw, I'd use a compass to get me back to the car faster, and that's usually only for going downhill, a rounded hill will have a peak if you are parked at the top.

There's kinda a funny story around the one time I needed a compass. I was walking along the edge of a stand of trees that was flagged for a timber sale and I was very casually following the flags north back to the rig. At some point the flags stopped and I just kept going.

Eventually I didn't get to the car and I pulled out my aerial photo or topo and saw that I'd run into a road if I kept going north. Well still no road. I pull the compass out and much to my chagrin, I'm going directly south, not SSW or SSE, but directly 180° from what I thought. Now I know you have to trust your compass, but there was a lot of rock around so I decided to move a ways and see if it changed. Didn't.

It was really hard to turn around, but I did and I'm here to tell about it because of that. Well it wasn't that dramatic, but when I realized my mistake, I went to radio the guys I was working with and noticed my radio was gone, I panicked at that point because my line of communication was gone. I became lost. Because being lost only happens when you panic. That's the one time I got lost too.
Last edited by aiwetir on July 7th, 2016, 10:14 am, edited 2 times in total.
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kaltbluter
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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by kaltbluter » July 7th, 2016, 10:11 am

kepPNW wrote:
kaltbluter wrote:I still use a compass. Especially when I'm off trail in thick brushy forest where I can't see the horizon or sky.
Seriously? Why?
I have a hard time keeping on the correct heading when I can't see anything but trees (think coast range). It's surprisingly easy start following contours or game trails and end up going off course.

A compass is small and easy to glance at every few minutes for course corrections.

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Koda
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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by Koda » July 7th, 2016, 10:12 am

kepPNW wrote:Cite: http://www.columbian.com/news/2016/jul/ ... ion-tools/
Steve McClure wrote:It’s heresy to say it out loud, but compasses just aren’t that useful. Most experienced wilderness wanderers I know rarely take their compass out of their pack.
Yep. In my last 250 hikes, I haven't had to refer to a compass once. (Have you?)

Discuss! :D
if you've used your GPS youve used 'a' compass...

;)
lightweight, cheap, strong... pick 2

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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by Lurch » July 7th, 2016, 10:17 am

kepPNW wrote:
Lurch wrote:For a supposed "expert" there seems to be a lot of bad or misguided information in there...
Anything in particular?
Well the first two things for his answer of which navigational tools to bring are a Map and Compass.. so it seems a little hypocritical to then claim they're not useful.

To claim that no one is teaching the full set is just false, and reeks of marketing talk. The whole article smells like marketing more than content, and that's probably what turned me off too it. There are plenty of places that teach a whole suite of navigational skills and tools, especially when you're talking about professional wilderness folk.

His answer to 'Can you rely too much on technology' completely dodges the point of the question. Realistically all those tools should be used in conjunction.

If you're only staying on trail than your navigational needs are minimal, but if you're doing off trail or backcountry travel covering large distances your navigational skillset needs to increase. I don't preach map and compass over GPS. In reality we will naturally use a GPS more, it's better at a *lot* of things. But proper navigation relies on using all your tools in your toolbelt. You *can* navigate purely with a map, purely with a compass, purely with a GPS. You're going to navigate best by using all 3 together. To scrap two of them and remove all redundancy to the system is extremely unwise.

Digital maps are awesome, I love having a tablet with high res quads of the whole gorge, it's a good alternative, but that's not a substitute for an actual paper map that doesn't require batteries.

I would honestly say the main problem with people currently is that they *pack* a map and compass because that's what they've been told to do, but they've never been taught how to use them, and never trained with them in a realistic situation.

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Koda
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Re: Compasses just aren’t that useful

Post by Koda » July 7th, 2016, 10:23 am

what I dont like about the article is it seems to me to suggest that by embracing modern technology that we no longer need the old technology, map and compass.


Im not a professional, but it seems to me that you cant teach someone how to use a gps without teaching them how to use a map and compass... otherwise they can just read the gps instruction manual. Would that be a correct statement?
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