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People have gone for a 'quick' hike and ended up dying only several hundred feet from their car or the trailhead. This information is incredibly valuable. Thanks man.
I was just going to comment this. You are 100% correct. Learning how to use a compass proficiently should be a priority for anyone who plans to spend any amount of time in the wilderness. When I hiked the Appalachian Trail, it absolutely blew my mind how many hikers had no idea how to use a compass. Hardly anyone I met on the trail even carried one. I just couldn't even believe it. The AT is very well traveled and well defined trail. Yet hikers still go missing along that 2000+ mile long trail every year. Knowing how to use a compass is indeed an incredibly valuable skill.
Agree, I also advice to test your compass so you know you can trust it. If you bought that no name or attic found compass and you are in the thick of it and start doubting if your compass is pointing north you are in trouble. I had it happen in a thick forest in Poland. Was going in a straight line north, was expecting to hit a „road“ running east west. When I did not hit it after the expected time and a generous margin. I thought my compass must be off. But as on any diagonal I should hit that road eventually decided to keep going north. When I finally did hit an east west road it turned out my compass was ok, the road on the map was more a trail and fully over grown so I had missed it. Pace count didn’t really help in this case as it was pure swamp and thick growth so many short steps, side steps. I went by approx. known speed in the terrain (distance per hour about 2km). Mind you this forest was so thick that you couldn’t find the trail as soon as you stepped 10m away from it and would just spin with your eyes closed.
@@Swamp_LadA compass is a valuable tool. But not the only way to navigate. Being able to recognize things is probably the first ideas that people try, and it may work ok if you have good tweaks & strategies behind it. Such as projection of the objects , sense of size & location relative to other objects (,helps you to triangulate yourself, even withiut a map) the important thing is having a simple but solid mental model about this. I've noticed that not all people has this kind of navigation thinking intuitively. If the person has been living most of their lives in cities, they seem to completely lack ability to know "what cues to look for" they usually only recognize places if they are "at arms length". It took me long time to realize that recognizing where a place is ( even if I've never been there, only watched a map once in advance) relative to those distant objects in horizon just by seeing those, is not that common. I am almost blind have only 0.4 field of vision bubcan still navigate "by horizon & senses". I've been able to do this as long as I can remember. I started to lose vision at age 18 by losing nightvision and the field of vision narrowed down by time.
Mr Stoker, that feeling that you are feeling is the need to feel like a person who is on a beautiful planet, not a hamster living in a box! I have felt it my whole life. Thanks for all your educational videos. Great stuff. Have been binge-watching your channel for two straight days.
I'm 62, why did it take me so long to become interested in Navigation?A lot to digest looking at the big picture, but even I can understand this.Very informative. Thank You!
That was so cool! The way you played out where you had traveled and figured out how to get back without having to backtrack your steps....this was so helpful! I am just getting into survival and prepping for possible bugout.
How is your quest going ? Have you used the technique yet....I did it with 7 points, worked perfectly . I did have to go back to point 4 due to losing my pace count, 🤫 but ya, worked mint🍸
adding to his instruction: Measure out 100 meters with a tape measure and walk it out 3 times , preferably in different terrain. You'll get a good idea of what your pace average is. This is helpful in long distance movements of 5 , 10, 15 kilometers
Quickly becoming my favorite channel. I live in the Ocala National Forest in Florida and am way into compasses,maps,and GPS. Love to pick a spot on a topo map and try to find it.Thanks for your excellent info.
Excellent video man. I am a scout in the National Guard and the rabbit hole goes deep when you have to start calculating the radius of a curve and heaven forbid you come onto a bridge. Thats where the engineers handle it lol! The thing I believe is important to have no matter where you go is a write in the rain handbook. Ive used those things for years.
@@STOKERMATIC Absolutely brother. Im coming back stateside next week from my deployment and although it has been one hell of an experience, im ready to see some family and friends!
I wanted to know how to use my compass and you spelled it out better than anyone else I've see so far! Hey, from Australia where we always look where we step!
I’m amazed! I learned reading a compass when I was younger, now that I’m older, it still amazes me on how to get home. The 550 cord trick, ( my younger day’s was nylon string), got me out of a big jam. Good job!
Thanks a lot for the info. I love the idea of recreating the hike with direction and pace notes on the ground with para-cord and sticks. This could come in handy.
Super helpful with a good practical example on how to continue to expand compass skills. Really appreciate your time in prepping these videos. Always looking for advanced land nav instruction. Thanks
My Grandfather was a timber cruiser. Lumber companies hire them to walk land and come back with accurate information on tree types & board feet of lumber yield. Area could be a section or 100 sections. He often mentioned a “compass man”. So, I guess on those big 100,000 acre cruise’s, one of the men would keep track, and probably map the area. Besides cruising the timber, he recommended where roads best go for economical timber harvest. You’d be a good timber cruiser or a good compass man. Thanks for passing on your knowledge
He was born in 1889 and except for a year or two in the Army during the Great War, he worked in the woods cruising timber and land surveying into the early 1950’s when I knew him. Much different than men today. He cruised in Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia, Guatemala, British Honduras, Wisconsin
I'm just now getting into learning this stuff and I must say I appreciate your enthusiasm my good man. You would make a great teacher if you aren't already one. Subscribed!
Good Ole cammenga. My favorite. Has been since 1970-74. You mentioned reasons why people get out in the woods. Whatever the reason do it while you're young. It's damned hard at 71 with severe spinal stenosis and a bum ticker. Doctors told me don't do it. I say I'll do it till I can't. Four years in the Seabees taught me to rest when the job is done, not when I'm tired.
Best video ever. I'm using your Technique in the deserts of Southern Nevada and it works perfectly. We've been going out an 8th mile ,quarter mile ,and a half mile points and then coming back and it works. Going to start zip zagging and criss crossing and see how close i can get with that also ...thanks for sharing
Absolutely value your wisdom. I grew up in forestry and marine areas and never been lost but I know pure talent when I see it. I was never as good as you. Much respect sir. I'm watching closely to learn better skills.
...........it's just a thing! Hadn't heard that since Vietnam and you can add to that......don't mean nothing! Excellent job and continue to march......all the way!
I've been working on map and compass skills since I was working on my Eagle Scout back in the 60s. I'm still working on those skills and your videos help.
Hi, I’m learning about bushcraft, wild camping along with general map and compass navigation but in this video without the map! I liked the way this all came together with the visual representation with stakes and 550 towards the end. Great video. Keep it up... from Paul in Plymouth England.
Paul! Awesome!! Glad our paths crossed / and happy you enjoyed the video. Hope your able to check out some other content and if you have any area you think could be explored in a future video let me know!
Thank you Stoker for another great video. This is a great response video to the hunting scenario I presented. " I'm out deer hunting and park my truck (point Alpha). I leave and hit points bravo, charlie, delta. I recorded my asmuth & pacecount, but do not want to backtrack to hit my truck." I can see with this technique that having a proper pace count and an accurate bearing is super important when creating our map. The further we are away from our truck, the more accuracy matters! if we're off by 3 degrees that's going to be amplified over a greater distance.
Get a line on your target (azimuth), turn the dial until its line is inline with the magnetic north arrow and note the degrees, maintain that heading until you get to where you were wanting to go, then repeat. But hey, the banter alone is still worth the video. Cheers.
Another excellent vid. Worth saying that if you get turned around / lost, this is how you get un-lost: as you expand your scouted area, you will find trail or signal ;). If the environment is permissive, coloured flagging tape (or as we call it here, mine tape) can help mark camp and waypoints.
When I was 18 me and a friend were on a trip. We stopped at a place called cat creek. I decided to go for a quick hike before it got dark took nothing but my compass. This is in Montana plains. When I was traveling back it seemed like I had gone farther than I should have. And like you said the panic started in. And I was doubting if I read my compass right had direction of travel right ect. Had to stop. tell my self to take a breath. And trust your compass. So once I did that. (instead of running in circles like a scared rabbit) I had to walk about another 200 yards when I crested a hill. And there was the fire rd and the car about 75 yard away. And a big sie of relief. Ever since then I make sure that I and my compass are oriented correctly.
Enjoy your vids. My health is pretty much done and I'm an old military guy. People like you remind me of the Green Mountain Boys of Revolutionary lore - America is safe and sound. Airborne!!!
I got lost a few years ago in a Swedish forest, having left my backpack (compass, GPS, torch, knife, food etc) in the car before returning along a 2km trail to retrieve one piece of equipment left behind. I thought it would be a matter of fifteen minutes or so. It was getting dark and began to snow lightly, covering the tracks. I managed to get back to the car 2 hours later thanks to the pages of a notebook, which I used to mark breadcrumb trails until I found some of the flags we had left on a few trees. Since then I always carry a compass, knife and torch on my person as well as a Rite-in-the-Rain notebook & pencil.
Thanks so much. I recorded your examples of degrees and distance as a training method EXAMPLE for my own land navigation in the near future. I noticed i had the same note book you used. That was cool. The plotting distance of degrees on the ground was so very cool. You’re the first ever to show me that. I really enjoyed your video. Do you have a video specifically showing how to know one’s pace count?
Good stuff. This is good knowledge to have when out and about in the field , wherever that may be. Very practical skill to use & enjoy the great outdoors with. Thanks for the refresher & it's also a good confidence builder too. Trek on my friend.
Best detailed info on how to use a compass I've seen not an expert compass reader just a bowhunter used it for years to go in and out but the paces and laying out a map and measuring the distance badass I like it
I didnt realize how good your land nav videos were until i tried to watch a few others....DAMN !!!! Thanks for all of the land navigation stuff , it really has unlocked a ton for me. I have my Compass, I ordered a ton of maps ( I mean a ton), I have my protractor and Lord knows I have the Eglin Reservation and surrounding outdoor areas to practice. Since I have I-10 , HWY 85 and HWY 87 as barriers , I know I cant get too lost, lol. Im having fun and a lot of success with land nav now. I bought so many maps that link together , I could walk to Tennessee if I had to....might buy some Arkansas routes , that place is awesome off the beaten path.
Tried out a little bit of land nav based on a simpler state park map with a small tape measure and a cammenga. Tried cutting through the terrain from node point to node point of the main trail intersections. Not bad for the first time out. Very difficult to keep a pace count when the kids are asking questions while attempting to walk through a field of thorn bush. Hahaha Got the overall understanding. Can't wait to go and try this method. Thanks
Great video packed with great information! Well done! I've seen this method on other RU-vid channels & they refer to it as the "PAUL" method (Positive Azimuth Uniform Layout). You are right, if this is used correctly you can find your way back to not only your starting point but to any of the other azimuths previously taken. The only thing I would add to what you showed so well, would be azimuth accuracy. In your video the longest distance you traveled was 225 meters, with the other azimuths being shorter. The azimuth accuracy in the shorter distances doesn't matter to much, you would probably be close enough to see where your trying to go. But on longer treks, each degree off could put you way off course & miss your destination altogether. I would be proud to tag along with you in the wilderness any day! Thanks again for a great video!!
No doubt that a few degrees off will put you off your mark over a greater distance. That’s why I always recommend presenting your compass. Could have shown how and why that’s important. Appreciate your insight and time! Stoker
Brother man, wished I had some cool places in Nebraska to do some hiking. Things are pretty flat and boring, mostly farm land and golf courses. Thanx for the cool vid! Semper Fi Brother! 💪
Thank u, I can navigate pretty good, but this techinque u showed with the paracord, and the sticks was always kind of a mystery to me, I never looked in to it much. but thanks , I got it now
If you have a notepad you can have it as a map for your tracks. Paces/meters representation in millimeters (1:1000 scale when using meters ) and bearing is sketched right from the compass. When scouting for good berry & mushroom places, you can just sketch "as you go & scan" , then in retrospect you can optimize the tracks on your notebook by connecting/removing/lines in the noteoad depending on your findings.
You cought yourself when you should have tied the compass off to yourself at the same time I thought the thought. And nice job using and showing the paul method on the return. ❤
I remember as a child getting lost on a wooded lot, probably a little more than an acre in size. I knew what side the road was on and which direction from the road back to my house. So not a big deal but it does show how you can get turned around and lose your sense of direction even in a small patch of woods.
I live in New Hampshire. I gohikikingbut often you end up on switch back and squirreltrails thru the mountains. What you do seems to work good and whew I grew up in Nebraska but not so much here. Not complaining. Love your videos. Good advice in the right Terrance.
Good stuff Joseph! I have a video coming out on the 20th about map reading and terrain association - hope you have a chance to let me know what you think. I think the technique in this one is probably better for mapping an area - day you have 40 acres and you want to draw a detailed 1:5000 map to scale. I’m rambling.:..thanks for your comment Joseph!
Electronic pace counter would be helpful . I sort of rely on spacial awareness it’s hasn’t done me wrong . I’ve been lost on Mt. Tamalpias ( Marin County California) it was at night I was by myself and 17 years old, I panicked, that was my first mistake.
Great shortcut to find back azmith called Move the 2. If the first digit is a 0 or 1, ADD a 2 and then SUBTRACT a 2 from the second digit. If the first digit is a 2 or 3, SUBTRACT 2 and ADD 2 to the second digit. For example: the reciprocal of 040 degrees? As the first number is 0, add 2; and then subtract 2 from the second digit. The result is 220 degrees.
Great video, seems like simple and potentially life saving info to get you back to your starting point without a map. How are we saying the full length of the protractor is scaling fifty meters or are you just using the length of the protractor as a general guide?
You are right about believing in your compass. I was hunting one time and I was at least 1 mile in from my truck when I decided to sit down and rest. Of course I fell asleep. I was in a big stand of white birches all about 4-6” in diameter. It was an overcast day so I couldn’t look at the sun. I pulled out my compass and took a bearing and of course I didn’t believe it. The next thing you know I was running through the woods with a loaded gun in my hand. Luckily I came out to my truck about 2 miles down the road. I even fired my rifle 3 times and no one responded. That was very scary!
2nd time watching this one. Excellent content, invaluable in fact. I just added 10 , 6" nails . One nail has 5 feet on heavy back line wrapped around it.😉 No map needed to hike around ,or tree stand hunt ...and find the car at the end🤣......Perfect ! Wish they taught us this in boy scouts,but that was 40 years ago...... Now I have to look up the local bsa , make sure they are teaching this type of land nav.🍻 P.A.U.L system right?
A few years ago my wife and I went for our usual Sunday forest walk with our dog we were so confident that we knew our way we didn't take compass or mobile phone but on this occasion heavy snow storm started everything look so different covering all the paths back to the car we got lost for a few hours Alec from Scotland
Yo! This is probably THE best on-hands demonstration in practical compass usage. AGAIN, not using a map or adjusting magnetically. If you can present more complex applications of compass usage in the same manner, serious students as myself would greatly benefit by your supurb instrction. Thanks! BM3 Burden USCG
As a reference you can tie off a piece of string from your last points of exit incase you may have to retreat back to it as a survival stand point but a combat situation is understood not to leave a stace.
Great videos. Im a wildland firefighter pilot and fly over the Everglades we protect. Always hike in there and also love the Northwest! I like keeping up with all the survival and training vids. Keep up the great work!
That's fine for hiking etc, what happens when you are searching around or chasing something, you can't count paces or get bearings. My solution is I just tell my dogs to jump in the truck and they go straight to the vehicle. Keeping up is the only problem but they come back and find me. Works in the dark as well with an led on them. I don't use collars because they get hung up in brush
We hike a curve to the Right because of driver's leg. The off course curvature is worse with people who drive for a living like truckers or commuters. It works like this: When we sit for hours behind the wheel our right leg hovers over brake and accelerator. This causes the psoas muscle up in the hip core (runs from inner thigh to pelvis and anchors to low back) so we never really completely straighten out on that side, creating a kind of shortened leg on the right only. This causes the foot to drop down in your shoe to make up for the slight length difference so you don't fall over, and bunions form on the right foot because it's always flexed to stand upright. When we walk, we lean down on that short leg and it leads us into a wide arc circle in the woods without a compass to bring us back to true. The only way to get rid of that - and those right foot bunions - is to regularly stretch the psoas muscle after driving so both feet rest equally flat on the ground. Other than that, we have to compensate for the arc as we go to get back to a straight line :)
Sir I find your videos exceptionally educational and benefit from them enormously. So I try to replicate the skills that you are imparting. This may sound churlish or my technique is wrong but recreating the compass bearings and distances in your video, around the 17 minute mark, my calculations is the return leg is 226 degrees for about 176 metres. However, I'm using a baseplate compass and graph paper and obviously the technique demonstrated by you on the ground will be less accurate. Your prediction was 239 degrees for about 225 metres. That said, an excellent technique, and the purpose of theses comments is merely to flag up risk UNLESS I've mucked up!!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I haven't plotted it on paper, but you could be right. There certainly is increased risk when working quickly or using instruments that don't allow for precision. Hopefully in these scenarios, there are other features that help mitigate risk such as major/minor terrain features, hand rails, back stops, etc. Appreciate it!
I've done some land now through the military but I've never seen this technique used before. Great knowledge. What about dropping protractor out, and use the side of the compass for distance.
