The hiker arrived at the trailhead and was getting ready to start out on his journey. He powered up the GPS to mark his location and brought out the compass to double check his heading and first bearing. But after aligning the compass, the compass heading was 13° off. The hiker correctly held up his movement until he could resolve the issue.
by Blake Miller
Get a foolproof survival firestarting kit
A combination of treatments works best in viagra on line order to restore the erectile function. Erectile dysfunction in young sale of viagra men sounds bit unbelievable. In his five volume autobiography ‘ My Life and Loves’, he describes his decrease in firepower with age. ‘My Creator – when I was wholly without experience and had only just entered my teens, gave me, so to speak, a magazine gun of sex, and hardly had I learned its use and enjoyment when he took it away viagra generic for sale from me forever, and gave me in its. Which medication should be preferred? One must use only those pills which are best suggested to him for the problem and no other pill from his own cheap viagra canadian point of view.
So, just what could have caused a 13° degree error? What can the backcountry traveler do?
Remember that the correct operation of the compass is dependent on the action of the magnetic needle to guide the hiker through the backcountry. A lot of items in a pack and clothing can affect the needle. Most understand that ferrous objects such as a belt buckle, and car keys will deflect the magnetic needle. Still, take a good look at what is in a pack. The batteries from the GPS receiver and a flash light may cause a compass needle to move too.
Check out your settings before ever leaving the trailhead.
High tension power lines and a vehicle’s electrical system may also cause a magnetic needle to deflect. Moving a few steps from the vehicle should be sufficient. One may have to move over one hundred feet from the power lines to avoid deflection. (GPS Made Easy, Michael Ferguson.)
Some locations will have a high concentration of iron near the surface. This is known as “local attraction.” Such concentrations will cause the needle to move too. Unlike declination, moving away from the immediate area may cause the deflection to stop. The local Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service Office should be able to identify areas affected by local attraction.
I recommend a compass be stored away from electronics (e.g., GPS, radios), batteries and many metallic (knives, saw) objects found in a pack. The hiker need not go overboard on this, but a compass could simply go in an exterior compartment, a shirt or coat pocket. Attaching a brake away lanyard to a compass so that is worn around the next is a viable option. This would apply during the off season too; a little separation is a good thing.
It is possible for the magnetic needle to lose its polarity. This is a function of time and manufacture. With research, one can learn how to restore the magnetism. That said, with the modern liquid filled compass this is probably more trouble than it is worth. Occasionally, check the alignment of the compass. In the small town where I live, residential streets are aligned true north and south. Standing on the curb on such a street provides a quick verification of how the compass is working. To me verification means that the compass direction will mirror that of the street; if the street tracks true north then the adjusted compass should provide a bearing to true north.
Invest in a good compass.
At the end of the season take a look at the compass. Flush away dirt or sand that may be on the baseplate or sighting mirror. Look for bubbles that may appear internally and adjacent to the compass needle. A small bubble may not be something to worry about but a large bubble may impact how the needle swings and moves. A compass with a large bubble should be permanently removed from the hiker’s kit. Contact the manufacturer.
Lastly, keep in mind that a quality compass will retail for $20 or more. Also, a quality compass can be mechanically adjusted for declination. Such a compass is a precision piece of equipment. This is especially true of the Silva Ranger style or the Brunton Eclipse models. Note that I am prejudice (won’t buy them) towards the cheap stuff found on the racks of the major box sporting goods stores. If a hiker is willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of boots why not spend a bit more for a decent compass? It can make a huge difference.
Blake Miller
Blake Miller has made a career out of staying found and knowing where he is at all times. His formal navigation training began when he joined the U.S. Navy in 1973. He served as an officer aboard several Navy ships over his twenty-year career; many of those tours included the duty of Navigator. Blake began working with satellite navigation systems at sea in 1976, culminating with the then-new Global Positioning Systems aboard the Battleship WISCONSIN in early 1990.
In 1998 Blake started Outdoor Quest, a business dedicated to backcountry navigation and wilderness survival. Blake has taught classes to wild land firefighters, state agency staffs, Search and Rescue team members, hunters, hikers, skiers, fishermen and equestrians. He regularly teaches classes through the Community Education programs at Central Oregon (Bend) and Chemeketa (Salem, OR) Community Colleges.
As a volunteer, Blake teaches navigation and survival classes, to students in the local school district and conservation groups. He is a member of a Search and Rescue team.
Contact Information :
Website: www.outdoorquest.biz;
Phone: 541 280 0573;
Email: outdrquest@aol.com
