Compass?
Did any Appalachian Trail hiker actually carry a compass with them?
Most of us that know how to read a map carry one.
Last edited by Sarcasm the elf; 01-14-2014 at 20:02.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
i carry one mostly just for coordinating with map to pick out surrounding peaks when taking a break or in the evening, but i could use it to navigate also
I always carry a very small one - about the size of a nickle, weighs 5 grams. And a map of where I'm hiking.
A map or list of trail name changes through the Whites is all you need. The rest of the trail has white blazes. Compasses are fun for bushwhacks and helpful if you get lost and have a map of the area you are lost in.
Since Earl Shaffer hiked the trail in 1948? Yeah, I imagine one or two might have.Originally Posted by skinnbones
Me no care, me here free beer. Tap keg, please?
I always carry a compass and watch on the AT, but seldom any map. My watch is essential for estimating my position, in combination with AWOL's guide, which has the elevation profile and landmark descriptions. The compass is indispensable when someone gives me bad directions back to the trail.
Small compass on the watchstrap
A compass is a lot less usefull in the trees, than out in the open with landmarks visible.
Suunto-Clipper-LBNH-Gallery-img1.jpg
What????????????
Pain is a by-product of a good time.
LOl !
My I-phone has one, so I guess I can say it doesn't weigh anything!
HighLiner
2000 Miler
That's my primary use of map and compass as well. I like looking around and identifying landmarks. I've never been remotely lost on the AT but at one ounce, a compass isn't a big burden to carry.
HST/JMT August 2016
TMB/Alps Sept 2015
PCT Mile 0-857 - Apr/May 2015
Foothills Trail Feb 2015
Colorado Trail Aug 2014
AT: Rockfish Gap to Boiling Springs 2014
John Muir Trail Aug/Sept 2013
I had compass, appropriate map, and a watch at all times. I liked them and found them to be helpful (on occasion). Most don't.
A human that cannot find north without a compass, in the Eastern U S mountains, can still hike the AT, even though it cannot distinguish a burro from a burrow.
My iPhone has a compass as well as my ABC watch (Suunto Core). I rarely needed to ever look at it. There was a few occasions where I feared I had gotten turned around and was heading the wrong way.
Fear ridges that are depicted as flat lines on a profile map.
If you can see landmarks, and shoot bearings, a baseplate compass can show you precisely where you ARE on a map.
In the woods, a compass will not tell you where you ARE, because you cant see anything most of the time, and on much of the AT the surrounding hills and ridges are unremarkable anyway.
It is reduced to a tool that shows you directions. To make use of it, you need to already have a fairly good idea of where you are on a map.
Simple compass with a baseplate - yes. Most often I used it to determine if I was going to be able to see a sunrise. I would bring it again. It can be a valuable tool. Chances are good that it won't be needed. I know how to use it and like to have it.
An app on my iPhone will tell me exactly where the sun will rise/set for any time of the year. I often set up my tent accordingly.Simple compass with a baseplate - yes. Most often I used it to determine if I was going to be able to see a sunrise
Fear ridges that are depicted as flat lines on a profile map.
Nope, once I leave home and get on the trail I care less about what direction I am headed in.
At any moment in time you could be going in any of the 4 directions and stiil going NOBO or SOBO
If nothing else, carry a small one to tell which way to go in the morning when you break camp.
Especially in CO where it's OK to get baked before starting the days walk.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote