Compass?

[kenl]

I have not seen a compass on many gear lists. Is it a necessary item on a thru hike, or is the trail marked well enough that it's a chore to stray from the trail?
Thanks

[rhjanes]

I have a small Thermometer/compass. Hangs around on my pack. Weighs like 2 grams. probably not that accurate. However I am also an Orienteer and carry like just the "compass" from one of my orienteering ones, which I'd broken the base plate on.

[Kerosene]

A map is much more valuable than a compass, but the combination gives you a fighting chance to get yourself "un-lost". I bring a combination mini compass/thermometer that I clip to a zipper pull on my pack at a weight penalty of 1 oz. I wouldn't want to use this compass for orienteering, but it is a simple emergency backup. It is difficult to get lost, but it is certainly not impossible. Note that Inchworm apparently wandered off trail and got lost in Maine in 2013 (although it isn't entirely clear what happened to keep her from returning to the trail route). I've run across hikers hiking in the wrong direction, and there are sections with very poor blazing where it isn't obvious which way to go. All that said, I've probably pulled out my mini-compass twice in my 30+ section hikes whereas I've used my map to get a better sense of my location many, many times (including the top of Mt. Moosilauke in a cloudbank with nightfall rapidly approaching where a wrong turn would've resulted in a very wet night on a steep hillside). You will see a lot of gear lists with emergency whistles. A small one doesn't cost much in weight, but IMHO a rock banged against your cookpot has a better chance of being heard (the next time you're in the deep woods and there is any wind note that high-pitched sounds can get lost in the racket). For my JMT hike this September, I will be bringing this miniature signaling mirror (http://gossamergear.com/mini-signal-mirror.html), which will have a lot more applicability out there than on the AT's green tunnel.

[nsherry61]

There are plenty of stories of people hiking the AT without a compass. . . it's well marked, there are lots of other people around . . . There are probably also lots of people that are deathly allergic to bee stings that don't always carry their epi-pen with them, and haven't died yet.

I guess I would suggest that if you aren't sure whether you should bring a compass with you or not, you probably shouldn't be backpacking beyond your backyard.
Always, at least take a little button compass with you (actually a button compass is all I carry most of the time), because, if you've been out in the back-country long enough and often enough, you will, at some point, get turned around, and a compass can save your life.

[nsherry61]

. . . For my JMT hike this September, I will be bringing this miniature signaling mirror, which will have a lot more applicability out there than on the AT's green tunnel.
Yeah, but you can't find that tick on your butt with a whistle or a cooking pot. ;-)

[4eyedbuzzard]

I carry a small button compass, more out of habit than necessity most of the time. If you don't carry a maps as well, though, its usefulness is very limited. If you don't have a compass, you can approximate direction with a wristwatch (or even make a replica of a watch face with paper/pencil or even sticks) as follows: You must have a working analog watch, or if using a replica know the time of day and set the "hour hand" at the correct time. Then rotate the "watch" and point the hour hand at the sun. South will be roughly midway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock. For example, if it is 8 am, you point the hour hand which is at 8 o'clock toward the sun. South will be approximately at 10 o'clock (halfway between 8 and 12).

Often the trail is so worn you forget to look for blazes, you just get rolling along the well worn path, and sometimes you can accidently follow a "false trail". If you haven't seen a blaze in a few hundred feet or so, stop, turn around, and see if there is a blaze going in the opposite direction. If not, you can investigate ahead a bit if the trail still seems to be right, but be ready to backtrack and retrace your steps until you see a blaze going the opposite direction. Look for any possible trail intersections where you may have taken a wrong turn, or to see if you missed a double blaze somewhere and didn't turn. The higher blaze mark will mark the direction which the trail turns.

DO NOT PANIC if you get "turned around". DO NOT leave the trail you are on, even if it seems to be the wrong one, and start bushwhacking. You got there on a worn path. You should be able to calmly find your way back to the correct path.

[Puddlefish]

I use a basic Suunto A-30 that weighs 1 oz without the neck cord and clip. I'm also several types of colorblind, and tend to miss a lot of blazes that are obvious to most people. A bit of snow can make white blazes disappear as well.

[Slo-go'en]

A compass is not of much use on the AT. There are no really big, open places on the AT which you have to navigate across. The few open areas you do cross have a well defined path beaten into the ground. For the most part, your walking along a path in the woods with trees all around you.

One thing you do have to pay attention to is which direction to go when exiting a side trail to a shelter. A lot of them have a N-S sign at the junction, but not all of them. At the point the shelter trail meets the AT, the AT might be going E-W not N-S so a compass doesn't help there. Just remember if you turned right to go to the shelter, you turn right again when exiting.

[4eyedbuzzard]

A compass is not of much use on the AT. There are no really big, open places on the AT which you have to navigate across. The few open areas you do cross have a well defined path beaten into the ground. For the most part, your walking along a path in the woods with trees all around you.

One thing you do have to pay attention to is which direction to go when exiting a side trail to a shelter. A lot of them have a N-S sign at the junction, but not all of them. At the point the shelter trail meets the AT, the AT might be going E-W not N-S so a compass doesn't help there. Just remember if you turned right to go to the shelter, you turn right again when exiting.Yep. ^^^This^^^. And also pay close attention when going off to get water on a path (or even the privy especially at night) if it is out of sight of the shelter or your camp area. More people get turned around doing these things than you can imagine. And you are generally then without your pack and other gear.

[firesign]

I have not seen a compass on many gear lists. Is it a necessary item on a thru hike, or is the trail marked well enough that it's a chore to stray from the trail?
Thanks

A compass only orientates you, I.e. which way am I pointing? Without following a map a compass is pretty useless. The AT heads NSEW so having a compass is pretty useless without a map also.
However, you do not need a map on the AT (except Whites) because it is so well blazed. Other may disagree. Only serious Stoners get lost on the AT - God Bless them))*

*I do not advocate the use of drugs legal or otherwise.

[bemental]

I guess I would suggest that if you aren't sure whether you should bring a compass with you or not, you probably shouldn't be backpacking beyond your backyard.


Ignorant and unnecessary. As if suggesting that a lack of orienteering skills means you can't safely enjoy backpacking.

[rafe]

I have not seen a compass on many gear lists. Is it a necessary item on a thru hike, or is the trail marked well enough that it's a chore to stray from the trail?
Thanks

On the AT, it's one of those things I carry and hope I don't have to use. I've taken many wrong turns but (knock wood) haven't gotten seriously lost.

[colorado_rob]

I found a small, 0.7 ounce Silva compass useful a couple/few times along the AT. I never found I needed a map in 2187 miles, but a compass, yes.

Assuming you know which general way you're heading, and you get off the trail for a night or whatever, it sure is handy the next morning in some cases. Yep, I did get directionally confused a couple times. Unlike out west where you can see the sky, and even on cloudy days usually tell where the sun is (and hence, know where east/west/north/south are....), on the AT many times I had no clue. Yep, glad I had a compass a few times.

[Gambit McCrae]

I guess I would suggest that if you aren't sure whether you should bring a compass with you or not, you probably shouldn't be backpacking beyond your backyard.\.

.....


Ignorant and unnecessary. As if suggesting that a lack of orienteering skills means you can't safely enjoy backpacking.
+1

I am not a troll but this is, I agree, one of the most ignorant comments I have ever read on here.. Including many of my own...
People with ZERO backpacking experience can walk just the same..and make it all the way..


What if he is an orienteering hobbyist? And wanted to practice while on the trail? :mad:

[4eyedbuzzard]

Yeah, a map is highly recommended in the Whites due to so many intersecting trails, and because the weather can change very quickly and force you off the ridgeline and the AT down a side trail. They (maps) are also good if you want to backcountry camp since you need to get below tree line to do so. Lots of day hikers will usually be out in good weather, but few will have maps to share. On the plus side, the AT is well marked throughout the Whites, but you have to pay close attention to the rock cairns when above treeline, especially if it's foggy. In the "good old days" the AT was often only marked by the local trail names that it was routed over - 32 different local trail names from Hanover to the Mahoosucs.

[Cheyou]

Yes burton ball pin compass .

Thom

[jimmyjam]

Yes burton ball pin compass .

Thom

+1 on the burton compass. I pin mine to my hip belt so a quick glance down gives me a general sense of direction. Actually pretty useful in towns witb a town map.

[lonehiker]

I've carried a compass, albeit smaller and smaller, for 35+ plus years. Have had to use it on a handful of occasions. I get a chuckle when I read that someone thinks a map is more useful than a compass or that a compass is more useful than a map. They are equally important and each has it's place. For instance, I bushwack a lot, and if you are in deep timber a map is, at least temporarily, useless. But the compass allows you to keep your bearing. Likewise I have been in open terrain where it is easy to navigate with only a map using terrain association.

But to answer the OP question, you can get away with hiking the AT without a map or a compass although I personally think it prudent to carry both.

[nsherry61]

. . . I guess I would suggest that if you aren't sure whether you should bring a compass with you or not, you probably shouldn't be backpacking beyond your backyard . . .

Ignorant and unnecessary. As if suggesting that a lack of orienteering skills means you can't safely enjoy backpacking.
I'm at a bit of a loss as to how suggesting that a person, that is uncertain about whether or not to take basic safety/navigation equipment on a long distance hike, has some learning to do before they take off into unfamiliar territory, is "ignorant".
And, I would suggest that, if a person does not have the tools to know which direction they are walking, they are being careless.
And, I would strongly suggest that any person that heads off on a long distance backpacking trip without basic navigation skills IS being irresponsible.

There are many people that would suggest you should not do any hike anywhere of any distance without all the ten essentials all the time, of which a map & compass is one (or are two of them depending on which version you tout). I completely disagree with the idea of the ten essentials being essential all the time.

I think the idea and concept of the ten essentials is great. I think the real world applicability of them is flawed. I don't take extra anything or a map or a compass on many day hikes because I know the area and know my skills, and I have no desire to pack along 10 lbs of gear that I will not use on a known trail with good weather prediction and good cell phone coverage.

But, back to the point. In my judgement, it is quite foolish to head off into any area you are unfamiliar with without basic navigation tools: knowledge of the terrain (which can be a map) and a reliable orientation tool like a compass (some might consider a smart-phone or GPS reliable - I won't get into that here).

If that is ignorant of me to suggest, I guess that, in your eyes, I am ignorant.

[Mouser999]

I always have a small compass on my watch band. For a "just in case"

[Lyle]

I always carry map and compass, no matter where I hike. In section hiking from Springer to Manchester Center, VT on the AT, I have used the compass 3 times. Was it absolutely necessary? No. Was it handy to have? Yes.

[rafe]

Point is, a compass weighs next-to-nothing, and carrying one just seems to make sense. Odds are you will never really need it, but if you do, it could be a life saver. IMO, it's for peace of mind. Just like some other stuff I carry -- band-aids, Moleskin, gauze, needle and thread, extra bits of duct tape, Iodine pills, etc.

[Casey & Gina]

We each have one of these clipped on to our sternum straps:

http://www.suunto.com/en-US/Products/Compasses/Suunto-Clipper/Suunto-Clipper-LB-NH-Compass/

Weighs virtually nothing, won't fall off, and it's there just in case. Probably something cheaper would work just as well. In trips along the AT after stopping for some time, we have wandered back to the trail only to be in disagreement as to which way we were going. The compass fixes that. The last thing I want us to do is be hiking separate directions thinking the other of us is just a little behind or ahead.

[swisscross]

We each have one of these clipped on to our sternum straps:

http://www.suunto.com/en-US/Products/Compasses/Suunto-Clipper/Suunto-Clipper-LB-NH-Compass/

Weighs virtually nothing, won't fall off, and it's there just in case. Probably something cheaper would work just as well. In trips along the AT after stopping for some time, we have wandered back to the trail only to be in disagreement as to which way we were going. The compass fixes that. The last thing I want us to do is be hiking separate directions thinking the other of us is just a little behind or ahead.

I have one of these on my pack strap and use it quite often.

[Harrison Bergeron]

If you never get lost, you'll never need it on the AT. But read the thread on "inchworm" for an example of what can happen if you get lost. I understand she was found a few hundred yards from the trail, but I have no idea if she was carrying a compass or knew how to use it.

I can tell you this -- on much of the trail you could stand 20 feet away in the bush and not know the trail was there if there's not a blaze in sight.

I was hiking a trail in Texas once and suddenly realized I hadn't seen a blaze in a while when the trail seemed to disappear. I'd apparently missed a turn and had been following a deer trail for at least 15 minutes since I'd seen a blaze (half a mile!). When I turned around and headed back the way I came, after a few minutes the trail petered out in that direction, too. I dug out my compass and discovered I wasn't even going the right general direction, but if I continued bushwhacking south, I should intercept the real trail eventually. Man, that's a bad feeling -- you're a day's walk from anywhere and you look around and the forest in every direction looks exactly the same. In Texas, there aren't even any hills to find on a map. But there was nothing else to do, so I picked out a tree and hiked to it and kept doing that until I crossed the trail. I didn't even see it until I actually stepped onto it. I followed it back to see how I'd gotten off the trail and discovered that the blaze indicating the turn was buried under a blow down.

Believe me, it can happen easier than you'd imagine, although its less likely on the AT because there are so many other people on the trail. But I would never go into the woods without a compass of some sort.

[rafe]

I have one of these on my pack strap and use it quite often.

I do the same. But I'm thinking, I often drop my pack and head into the woods a ways to honor nature's call. Those are some of the occasions where it's possible to get lost -- and I wouldn't have my compass to help. So maybe the smart thing is to have it on your person. Just a thought...

[TexasBob]

Silva Starter is one I like that weighs 0.7 ounces. I keep it in my hip belt pouch, always handy but not often used.

33623

[Feral Bill]

Always carry one, seldom use it. See post #25 for why it's in my gear.

[MuddyWaters]

I always have two. One on watchstrap, other in pack for real use should it be necessary.

It seldom is necessary, and a few times I wanted to know location, I couldnt shoot a bearing , cant see defined landmarks over lower ridges, etc.

The one on the watchstrap is useful at a glance to confirm where you are on a map by direction of the trail you are on and intersecting trail directions. Not so much on AT as out west where there is no blazing and sometimes no signage either.

[Traveler]

Compass and map should precede water and a means to start a fire as basic equipment in backpacking and hiking long distances. Its fundamental equipment that requires no power, only the knowledge in how to use them together, which is not hard to learn. Is it necessary to have on the AT? As some have pointed out the trail is pretty well established in open areas, except when it isn't due to a snowfall, darkness, or heavy fog/rain that limits visibility.

Trail craft includes several fundamental things, the compass and map are at the top of that list.

[Slo-go'en]

[QUOTE=Traveler;2041349 As some have pointed out the trail is pretty well established in open areas, except when it isn't due to a snowfall, darkness, or heavy fog/rain that limits visibility. [/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, a compass isn't of any help in finding exactly where the trail re-enters the woods or where the small twists and turns in the trail are which don't show up on a map.

It's more important to learn how to read the little "signs" which keep you on the trail, but that takes experience. A common error is missing a sudden and unexpected turn in the trail and when that happens, you need to be able to realize something no longer "feels" or "looks" right and turn back before going too far.

[Puddlefish]

Unfortunately, a compass isn't of any help in finding exactly where the trail re-enters the woods or where the small twists and turns in the trail are which don't show up on a map.

It's more important to learn how to read the little "signs" which keep you on the trail, but that takes experience. A common error is missing a sudden and unexpected turn in the trail and when that happens, you need to be able to realize something no longer "feels" or "looks" right and turn back before going too far.

I'm often doing this, even on familiar trails. I tend to clear the trail of any fallen sticks and branches, so that no one turns an ankle or rolls over it. If I find that suddenly I'm clearing too many in a row, chances are I've left the trail. Noticing that the trail got all squishy suddenly can also be a good indicator that I missed a turn.

There are a few local trails where I'm one of maybe three people who might use them in a year, and certain portions of that trail such as a long rocky stretch can fade quickly. Two or three trails come together at or around certain points. Some trails have passed from one trail organization to another, and there can still be antique outdated blazes left on re-routed sections. These are usually the places I'll pull out the map and compass, not so much to get back on the trail, but to choose the right trail.

Obviously the AT will be better marked and traveled, but I still may want to wander down some side trails.

[Another Kevin]

I bring compass and map. Always. The compass I'm using at the moment is a K&R Alpin (http://www.kandrusa.com/Compass_Products.html). The Brunton I had been using got a bubble in it, and that's not the first time that's happened to me with ones from Brunton and Silva. The quality went downhill when they both decided to switch their manufacturing to Malaysia.

I also carry a little notebook, and often even when my hike doesn't involve bushwhacking, I make notes about the compass bearing back to the trail, or the compass bearing to the tree where I've hung my food. For cathole trips I just leave the back azimuth set in the bezel.

About a third of my hikes involve at least some bushwhacking, and a good many others are on trails that don't see a lot of maintenance. Some of the wilderness trails around here, you might see a blaze only every quarter mile or so. They're maybe more "routes" than "trails." Map and compass are part of the basic skill set for those.

I think that I might find many stretches of the A-T a bit, uhm, almost urban for my taste. The very idea that you could navigate a trail by the blazing alone is foreign to me.