View Full Version : compass?
I'm going to a map and compass class next week. How many of you carry a compass, and do I have to spend a bit of money for one. For a thru hike, weight is of course an issue.
Odd Man Out
06-08-2012, 12:30
If I have a map, I have a compass. The cheapest ones point north, which is good enough for me. Like this:
http://www.thecompassstore.com/starter.html
Buffalo Skipper
06-08-2012, 12:34
I am partial to Brunton. As a scout leader, I am frequently using maps and compasses with scouts outside of backpacking experiences.
My favorite orienteering compass is the Brunton 8096-AR. It weighs 1.7 oz, but the base plate is a little big, and I do not always like it for backpacking.
Brunton 8096-AR
16222
My other compass is the Brunton 7DNL a very basic, no frills unit. It has a smaller base plate, and fits nicely in my pack's hip-belt pocket. It weighs only 0.9 oz.
Brunton 7DNL
16223
rocketsocks
06-08-2012, 12:54
I have several compasses,a little cheap key chain type with temp,compass,and windchill chart on the back,lenstatic,and a very expensive geologic compass that measures strike and dip of anticlines,and synclines and is primarily used for structural mapping of geologic features(this I do for fun).By far the old army lenstatic compass that my father gave me is by far my favorite.Do you need a compass,and should you take a class.That's up to you,however I am bias,many here will hike with out one,and yes you could do that,the trail I'm told is well marked.Taking a class will give you greater understanding of some of the techniques used for obtaining a proper bearing,again I'm bias,but it certainly couldn't hurt to get some instruction,I have,and it's fun.cheers and happy navigating.
when it comes to buying a compass,you pretty much get what you pay for,more features,better construction,finer degree of bearing,but they all work.
Hikes in Rain
06-08-2012, 12:59
Base priced Silva for me. More compass than I probably need, even at, what, $7 or so? Good for you for learning how to use a map and compass! Might save your life, or just open some doors for exploration. It's all good.
coach lou
06-08-2012, 13:44
I don't carry one when I hike here in Ct. If i'm in new territory for me, I carry one. I've missed a turn here and there, poorly marked relocation. It does'nt weigh that much, but it helps a ton when you need it..............................Suunto!
Moose2001
06-08-2012, 13:50
The only place on the AT I ever felt like I needed a compass was in the Whites (Mizpah Hut to the other side of Madison Hut). If you get fogged in on that ridgeline, it can be nasty trying to find you way! Otherwise, just follow the white blazes and you can't really get lost.
Less than an ounce, great! Thanks
Thanks to all for your replies.
I carry one whenever I hike a new area. They are not expensive.
I'm going to a map and compass class next week. How many of you carry a compass, and do I have to spend a bit of money for one. For a thru hike, weight is of course an issue.
Bone up before your class by watching this 7 part basic compass/map navigation tutorial given by the Green Mountain Club on their YouTube channel. It's really all you need to know......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p584IPVf0-w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p584IPVf0-w
BTW, you don't really need a compass on an AT thru-hike, a guidebook will do. However, I've come to enjoy playing around with a map and compass on hikes as more of a curiosity.
Pedaling Fool
06-08-2012, 14:59
I always carry a compass and map, but I'm not partial to any brand compass, nor even a pricey compass. One thing you must be careful of is when you unintentionally walk off the AT and get lost, a compass and map may not help if you're clueless of where you were when you walked off and in what direction the AT was headed; just because you're headed in a NOBO (or SOBO) direction doesn't mean you're actually walking in that direction, the AT goes in all directions at various points.
I mostly use my map and compass for bushwhacking, which I like to do, but I have used it when I've wondered off the trail, but that always requires a little guessing, unless you got a good landmark.
Silva here......
I have been glad I had a compass a few times on the AT - not because I didn't know where I was but because I had a nagging feeling I was hiking in the wrong direction (like wondering if you forgot to turn the stove off...) - a quick check of the compass solved the problem.
hikerboy57
06-08-2012, 15:56
theyre so light theres really no reason not to carry a compass, but not really necessary on the AT. bring it for the whites, just in case.
you an also magnetize a needle put it on a leaf floating in a water cup to get n/s buts its prettty crude and doesnt allow for declination
rocketsocks
06-08-2012, 15:57
There are several places on the trail where the trail leeds you in the near oppisite direction ex. Hawk Mountain PA between the pinnicle and Eckville shelter,for about a half mile you are heading West north west,instead of the East north east,you'd been traveling if headed NOBO.
coach lou
06-08-2012, 15:58
theyre so light theres really no reason not to carry a compass, but not really necessary on the AT. bring it for the whites, just in case.
you an also magnetize a needle put it on a leaf floating in a water cup to get n/s buts its prettty crude and doesnt allow for declination
As I said, I bring one..... but I have a piece of lodestone in my forehead!
Odd Man Out
06-08-2012, 16:08
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.
hikerboy57
06-08-2012, 16:10
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 heard a commercial on the radio on the way into work this morning about a pill that helps prevent memory loss, but for the life of me, i cant remeber what its called!
bring the compass
rocketsocks
06-08-2012, 16:16
As I said, I bring one..... but I have a piece of lodestone in my forehead!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!
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
06-08-2012, 17:17
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
06-08-2012, 17:24
the view from the old speck firetower was one of the most memorable ive seen.
coach lou
06-08-2012, 17:33
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
06-08-2012, 17:50
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
06-08-2012, 17:58
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
06-08-2012, 18:02
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
06-08-2012, 18:09
i can just imagine waking up in the am thinking"now which stick was it?":)
Derek81pci
06-08-2012, 18:25
"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.
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
06-08-2012, 20:23
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
06-08-2012, 21:07
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???? :p
Whack-a-mole
06-08-2012, 22:39
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
06-08-2012, 22:51
A compass is like insurance good to have it and not need it; than to need it and not have it.
Another Kevin
06-09-2012, 12:39
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.