compass?

[10-K]

I also thought that someday I might wonder a hundred yards off the rail to find a nice remote camping site. I would hate to have a "senior moment" the next morning and have no clue which way to go to get back to the trail. Having a compass would be reassuring.

I take a stick and lay it close to my tent pointing in the direction of the trail.

The best campsites you can't see from the trail for sure.

[coach lou]

And I thought I was the only one with rocks on the brain.I too have a piece of lodestone,but carry it in my pocket until the doctors told me not to,bad for the,well you no.I told him I was trying to have a kid with a strong moral compass.It worked.

but yes HB57 is right,stroke a needle an float it on a lief in a puddle and you've got got yourself a compass.but don't keep it in your pocket,Ouch!

My 28 yr old son, reminds once and a while of the time I taught him map and compass. There is a boulder between speck pond and Mahoosic arm, on the most unbelievably clear blue sky day, you could see for 100 miles, 360*, we sat and talked about lat. & long., orienting map, how the compass works, why it works. The whole nine. It's wonderful, 'cause he has his mothers no-memory, but he may have that piece of lodestone 'cause he has my sense of direction.

[hikerboy57]

the view from the old speck firetower was one of the most memorable ive seen.

[coach lou]

the view from the old speck firetower was one of the most memorable ive seen.

He was 11, he wouldn't go all the way up!

[hikerboy57]

He was 11, he wouldn't go all the way up!

i dont blame him. until you've climbed up, it does look really high.
but it was worth it. i did grafton loop last year and the mahoosucs the yr before.
your suggestion is a good one. at the tower at bear mtn, they have a 360 deg "map" which names the peaks and landmarks that you see.along with map and compass, an excellent primer on orienteering.
by the way. stopping every once in a while to check out terrain and landmarks is more important than the map , if you know how to use a compass.reading a map itself can be a bit deceptive. a 100 ft elevation line doesnt always indicate the 200 ft of elevation gain and loss between pt A and pt B. getting the feel of the lay of the land is important in figuring out where you are on the map. not so importasnt on the AT, but if you like to bushwack, or when yu finally find that class A campsite, itd be nice to know how to get back to the trail. 10k points astick. i would probably have to ask"now which stick was it?

[rocketsocks]

Ya know,I rarely get to places where you can get all those fine views for shooting bearings like, "That mountain top over there,and there the fire tower,so we must be here"more like "shoot the wing wall of a dam,and walk 1/4 mile(or about 6oo paces) in that direction on this 268 Degrees,and we should come to the road near the bridge"But yes orienteering in a valley with high flanking sides is always awesome.

[coach lou]

i dont blame him. until you've climbed up, it does look really high.
but it was worth it. i did grafton loop last year and the mahoosucs the yr before.
your suggestion is a good one. at the tower at bear mtn, they have a 360 deg "map" which names the peaks and landmarks that you see.along with map and compass, an excellent primer on orienteering.
by the way. stopping every once in a while to check out terrain and landmarks is more important than the map , if you know how to use a compass.reading a map itself can be a bit deceptive. a 100 ft elevation line doesnt always indicate the 200 ft of elevation gain and loss between pt A and pt B. getting the feel of the lay of the land is important in figuring out where you are on the map. not so importasnt on the AT, but if you like to bushwack, or when yu finally find that class A campsite, itd be nice to know how to get back to the trail. 10k points astick. i would probably have to ask"now which stick was it?

I agree, I've said in an earlier thread on this subject, you can't walk around for 2 hrs. whip out your map and compass, wave it around, jump up and down and viola, here I am! Orient map and you, walk, watch terrain, make mental notes, check direction....repeat. Ah, wait 'till someone starts a thread about finding your way by the stars.....I've taught myself the nite sky also. I just have never had the opportunity to learn how to use a sextant. I hope I don't kick 10-Ks stick when I got up in the middle of the nite to pee!

[hikerboy57]

i can just imagine waking up in the am thinking"now which stick was it?"

[Derek81pci]

"You don't need a compass until you NEEEEED a compass." -Me

I always carry one but I've honestly never used it unless I've been bored to death and pull it out to fiddle around. I always carry one and it's nice to know it is there if I NEED it.

[10-K]

i can just imagine waking up in the am thinking"now which stick was it?"

You deserve to get lost if you can't keep up with a stick.

[hikerboy57]

You deserve to get lost if you can't keep up with a stick.

Ive actually tried to get lost several times to test myself but then i see the stick and it always points me in the right direction.

[Odd Man Out]

I take a stick and lay it close to my tent pointing in the direction of the trail. The best campsites you can't see from the trail for sure.

Yea, but what if you can't find a stick????

[Whack-a-mole]

Back in Feb we were at a shelter a little short of Unicoi Gap, and another hiker named Rocketman got violently sick. We ended up calling 911 and EMS was sent out. A simple map and compass helped us co-ordinate with the EMS members to bring them up the nearest forest service road so they could get to us by the easiest way. Sure it could have been done without, but it sure sped things up and let us know exactly where we were, and what we would have to do to get out in a worst case scenario. To be honest, I use my compass very very little, and you almost never need it, but when you need it, you need it bad. It is only a couple ounces. Just put it in there and forget about the weight.

[hikehunter]

A compass is like insurance good to have it and not need it; than to need it and not have it.

[Another Kevin]

at the tower at bear mtn, they have a 360 deg "map" which names the peaks and landmarks that you see.along with map and compass, an excellent primer on orienteering.

Do they ever open that any more? The last few times I've been up there, even on a summer weeked the tower was locked up.