Compass Declination. Why it doesn’t matter explained . Impact On Land Navigation

[@stevehoward2850]

the best explanations I've seen yet.

[@danielculpepper9258]

So you put this title “Declination doesn’t matter!” to attract attention to your video and then you rant about what is declination for over an hour?! Well, I disagree! Declination DOES MATTER! In real life you also get really lost! And you don’t know your location every 500 meters or so! You can’t recheck your location too often in many real life situations! Then you need to find yourself and if you don’t use declination, you would be horribly wrong and make a big mistake! Of course, what you are not telling your viewers is that they need real practice and not only watching KZbin videos! You are making the videos for subscribers and money and not to make others, ( people unknown to you), good navigators!

[@ModularPilotJack]

@@danielculpepper9258 For the UK declination doesn't matter. As here it's .0 of a degree change. Pushing up to 1-2 degree in Scotland. So unless of course you're trying to find a f*ing pebble, it has no real bearing (ba dum tis). The point here is that declination depends on your location in the world. Which is a very valid point as have many comments bellow highlighted. As well as the effect the map has on it. Finally, no one becomes a good navigator from KZbin videos. Not once did the video say such a thing, calm down.

[@arty4u]

thank you Very Survival to explain the declination so good. Its really the best explainiton i see on youtube and internet. Helped me out.

[@jwyborny]

I like this video, I will use it to teach scouts about declination, HOWEVER, in the Northwest USA our declination is 20-22 degrees. If you are ignoring declination here, you will be 1 mile off your line after just 3.2 miles. So know your area that you are hiking.

[@timschmidt1001]

I agree this is a good video and quite useful for teaching. However, Magnetic North has been moving very fast over the last 10-20 years (earthsky.org/earth/magnetic-north-rapid-drift-blobs-flux) . So for Portland Oregon, declination is now about 15.4°. Here is a link to a NOAA calculator (www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/calculators/magcalc.shtml?useFullSite=true). I hope that this is useful. I enjoyed scouting too! It taught me a lot about the world and how to figure things out.

[@mudmug1]

Same here in New Zealand

[@zhyvaxxe]

Finally a declination explanation I was able to retain. (They all make sense to a greater or lesser degree, while you’re watching them. The key for me has been difficulty in recalling them once the video stops.)

[@giberthayworth6059]

Ive wondered how critical declination is. Accuracy setting it, pointing at an object, ability to stay on path, hiking east/ west changing declination, the change over time. And one thing i didnt consider, how often we reroute/ recalculate throughout the hike. You're the only person I've heard adress this, and your point at 20 min in was perfect. Thank you!

[@fakecubed]

It may not matter much, but since it's so easy to compensate for, I can't see any reason to ignore it. Why not aim for precision, and then if you're a little off, so be it, but you won't be as far off as if you ignore declination. It's easy enough to plan a route around poor terrain anyway, and if you are very good at precise land navigation, it's much easier to trust your more complicated pre-planned routing. A lot of the problems you describe come down to poor technique. Aim for perfection! You won't quite get there, but if you at least try you'll get a lot closer in the long run, especially with practice.

[@verysurvival]

fair comment

[@cacadores3955]

Yes. The argument, 'it's better to be inaccurate and accept a 260m error when you don't need to' is a little mad.

[@terryc47]

I see the points in his discussion on declination not being overly concerned with. More concerned about his not training people in the utilization of tools like implimenting back-stops or bearing off, and what to do when someone reaches tbese points.

[@spgoo1]

Where I live, it's 11°E, double your problems. In the bush, you'd be right out if you didn't account

[@1mataleo1]

It’s 12 west where I am so I’d be utterly fu*ked if I followed the advice in this video. I’d say that if the magnetic declination is any greater than + or - 3° and you are traveling more than a few miles or Kilometers, you need to do the calculations or you can really end up off course. You already have a deviation if 2 to 3 degrees even if you do the calculations simply due to the margin of inaccuracy in most compasses, so you can get off course by quite a lot if you ignore declination. It must be nice for people living near the atomic line

[@GuzziIan]

Excellent video on the practicality of declination. I used to be involved in the creation of such maps and you did a great job of explaining the Norths (there's also geodetic North but lets not get in to that). One thing viewers might question is why the difference between grid N, and True N and why it has to be adjusted for (though not in a practical way as you have demonstrated) so showing that the grid is a series of perpendicular "square" lines evenly spaced along a baseline (like graph paper) and when you slap that grid on a curved surface (the Earth) you'll see that the further N or S you go from that baseline the more divergence there is from the grid to the True lines longitude. Grids are perfect for the coordinate systems we use. From the grid you can get and calculate coordinates on our maps. lat/Lon is good for navigation. Great job on the video!

[@chriswood6984]

You are the FIRST person who has correctly explained that there are THREE norths, and that grid north is NOT the same as true north. Well done you. 9 out of 10 KZbin sites purporting to teach compass navigation use these two terms (true north and grid north) interchangeably as if they mean the same thing. And they don't. Where I live in New Zealand, the declination from grid north to magnetic north is 21 degrees E. The declination between true north and magnetic north is 24 degrees E. If I follow grid north to visit Santa Claus, I will be many miles off by the time I get there.

[@fakecubed]

Check out Corporal's Corner. His land navigation video also discussed the three norths.

[@summittaedae2323]

fakecubed I agree corporal kelly and this tutorial are the most clear and accurate navigation tutorials on KZbin 👍🏻

[@mountaingoat4124]

Good points you have made and for sure when mag north is say 12 deg East where I am in Melbourne Australia we cant ignore it. Even more so, when the landscape is featureless for a lot of the aussie bush. A good compass with sighting mirror like the Suunto MC2G makes it a lot easier to shoot bearings. Cheers

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

Dumb question: do you navigate by the Magnetic North Pole or the Magnetic South Pole? Would they be different numbers? This could get complicated quickly...

[@sectokia1909]

​@@PatrickKQ4HBD Always by magnetic north pole. And we have to use southern hemisphere compass, as the magnetic field comes up out of the ground, so we have to have north needle weighted heavier than the south, which is opposite of USA. If we dont have a southern compass, we have to take a USA compass and magnetise the needle backwards, then we use white as north and red as south, this is so we have the weighting on the south, so that when the compass is level it balances.

[@StevanOutdoor]

Nice to see a UK guy talk about kilometers ;). And a very informative video. I do teach declination, inclination and most of all the human mistake factor. Most students use electronic devices now until batteries run out. I usually say, different continent, different compass if you are in terrain where a compass that points accurate is really necessary so in remote areas with few landmarks. Even a button compass that points in the wrong direction but in a constant matter can still be used to prevent you from walking in circles. Because walking in circles is no myth. That's what we do naturally.

[@damiandecandia3086]

Excellent video... I have watch three others that got me more confused about declination and this one was my saviour. Thank you, enough info that you understand but not enough that your left wondering what hit you.

[@trooper2221]

Ive learned how to navigate by watching youtube, Ive watched many land nav vids on here, yours is one of the best, I wanted to brush up a bit and came across your video,, thanks

[@verysurvival]

thats cool to hear, cheers

[@brianipperciel6220]

Watched all the way through. Well presented, very natural. Put me at ease re declination. I love navigating but from one trip to the next I've forgotten what I have learnt but now I can forget about declination and concentrate on other more important aspects. Thank you Humble Trekker.

[@verysurvival]

Welcome mate

[@abstractgroove160]

I’m getting back into hiking having not used a map and compass in 15 years since I was in the scouts! This video and your channel is super helpful in refreshing my memory on loads of things. Nice one mate!

[@verysurvival]

awesome bro have a great time

[@cacadores3955]

Ignore what he says about not bothering with magnetic north. Do that and you could fall over a ravine.

[@glenmo1]

Thanks for info ... Just wanted to mention some compasses have a screw that you can adjust the declination on the compass itself and not have to calculate add or subtract the declination manually

[@thesandman8736]

Great video. I’ve told people for years that trying to walk a straight line can get you lost. Drop into a thicket, climb a steep hill, negotiate around swampy areas etc. next thing you know you’ve drifted and your pace count is off even worse. When possible navigating using terrain association and taking smart paths is the way to go.

[@verysurvival]

Right mate

[@russell2952]

It's a straw man argument that using a compass means you're attempting to walk in a straight line.

[@stuartdrury5990]

Well done, having taught map reading in the RAF Regiment, I found that this guy knew what he was talking about. Yes why get bogged down with heavy compasses and protractors? Silva compass any day so easy and light weight, especially for triangulation,. Well done and get out there folks no excuses .

[@joseph_b319]

I remember my high school science teacher teaching the compass and explaining the importance of magnetic declination and I have always set the declination on my compasses. So before i watched this video i was saying to myself you have to adjust the compass. Now after watching this you are absolutely right as long as you have some sort of line of sight the declination really is not necessary. Great video.

[@verysurvival]

I was a hard believer in declination adjustment and then I met an Instructor in the Swedish Army. He told me he never taught it in classes and he’s taught 1000s and his reasoning which is what I cover in this video is what persuaded me. I argued with him at first but I started doing it his way and after trying it myself I realized getting anal about declination is not worth it

[@joseph_b319]

Humble Trekker my analness will always set the declination though.

[@augreich]

Thank you! This one the only videos I've found that actually explains compass and map nav well.

[@verysurvival]

nice to hear. take care mate

[@theobserver314]

This is by far the best explanation for declination!

[@assabetmetalfabrication6143]

Most impressive explanation bravo Zulu Nice job mate Retired military veteran N

[@verysurvival]

thanks

[@werquantum]

Plain, honest talk. Much appreciated.

[@verysurvival]

cheers

[@BillSaltbush]

You are right - I think. As a new student in these matters, I think the best advice is to take account of and include the declination for your local area. Don't ignore it - do the calculations every time. The more one uses and applies the principles, the safer one will be in navigation. I've been lost (for a week) in a remote area and I can assure you it is not very nice.

[@daltonking3723]

This is a prime video and needs to be popping up first in these types of series.

[@verysurvival]

Cheers mate

[@PaulMotu]

Great explanations on the three north versions. I concur with other commenters on your excellent coverage of this. However, as to ignoring declination I think it’s dangerous to say you can ignore it or it doesn’t matter. Rather it would be much safer to say you should be aware of what it is so you know which side of your intended target you are aiming for that you will end up. So if you have an easterly declination, you would want to know that so that if you get to the intended distance and you can’t find the object you’re looking for you would know to start looking westerly from your current location. Even if it’s a river you hit or a road etc you would need to know that in the case of an easterly declination that you would be east of your intended meeting point on the road so that you are to head west to arrive at your desired “meeting point”. However, here in Australia and you need to get to a water point eg a windmill pump or a soak or watering point that is on the map you would not want to be ‘ignoring’ the local declination when you could easily be hiking 10km - 23 kms to get there. The error after 5kms here could totally mean the difference between NOT finding that windmill and hence your desired water source. In bush locations you will miss a windmill even it it’s less than 300m away. So my point is readers / viewers - interpret this information carefully for your particular location because I can assure you - here in Australia if you’re out bush and intending to travel to a specific site out bush ON FOOT you do not want to be ignoring declination. The consequences on a 30 -45 Deg C. Day could be very dire. In the least it could just be the embarrassment of having to be rescued because you end up getting lost. Aussies familiar with our outback will know what I am talking about. A significant amount of our country does not afford the pleasures of lots of items to sight or garner a bearing from once you leave the high ground. So perhaps in some countries or regions within some countries (including Australia) perhaps you might be able to ignore it because of the existence of plenty of secondary locator items to help you work out where you are but in some regions (especially outback Australia) you can’t afford to ignore the effects on your navigation of local area declination. I’m not knocking HT and this great video presentation. Just wanting to make sure you do apply a little common sense when interpreting this message and how to apply it to your intended hike / walk location.

[@YouGruff]

He does mention the importance of anything over 10 degrees, also the variances in readings from compass bearing and sighting to landmark etc

[@ipedros7]

@@YouGruff on a mountain ridge, on an unexpected fog, knowing the its 20 metres wide, only 10 metres are safe, but you can't see it and you can't wait it out. Whether the person decides its important to factor it or if it can be disregarded its their decision. Hence, it mattered and was accounted for. Its the same as for the use of a compass. Many times, with lots of features, compass stays in the bag. I wouldn't say it wouldn't matter.

[@cacadores3955]

Exactly. The presenter is from England: we have mist, white-outs and heavy rain that can just roll in from the sea with no warning. The question is, why does he really think risking getting lost is BETTER than half a second twisting a compass ring by the magnetic off-set number? So dumb!

[@cacadores3955]

@@YouGruff 10°? On the moors or in the mountains, 1.5° off can get you killed. What really is the argument for NOT taking a ten-second magnetic bearing? Don't get it.

[@lloydwhite3198]

One of the best explanations I've seen yet. Thank you % Godspeed. Just subscribed.

[@verysurvival]

Thanks a lot I appreciate the feedback

[@mheermance]

In New England we're not that far from the magnetic north pole, so declination is substantial. It's over -14 degrees where I live, and more than -15 in Maine. But here straight line navigation is nearly impossible due to either land being owned, or natural barriers.

[@Billhumphreys3370]

One of best explanations on conversion of azimuth from map to compass and reverse. Most othe videos on this topic don't get to this, the most important part of plotting your track. Thank you.

[@verysurvival]

Thanks

[@verysurvival]

Thanks

[@Databyter]

It does matter. People have died 50 feet from shelter. You should therefore always calculate for declination if possible, and try to be as accurate as possible.

[@cacadores3955]

Exactly.

[@schiaucugabriel6202]

There are many reports of this kind but sadly, compass land navigation does not provide that level of accuracy. And you have to take that in consideration. People died 50 feet from shelter because of improper preparation, terrain knowledge and navigating in poor visibility. If you are susceptible to fall in that kind of situation, the best item for land navigation is a GPS.

[@Databyter]

@@schiaucugabriel6202 Compass Navigation DOES provide you with enough information and accuracy to find the major landmarks, rivers, or roads, mountain peaks, lakes, gullies, unless you are in a blizzard with zero visability, but then as you said, GPS is the best. Compass use in the right hands is fairly reliable and can get you where you need to go, if you understand it and use it right. Databyter

[@cacadores3955]

@@schiaucugabriel6202 But if you take a correct magnetic north bearing you CAN navigate in poor visibility. That's the whole point. Doh!

[@schiaucugabriel6202]

@@cacadores3955 Go take correct magnetic north bearing in poor visibility on the Bucegi plateau where is no landmarks miles around and you are dead. If you get lost in the blizzard there, the magnetic north is as useful as a bicycle to a fish. That"s why people are dead yards away from shelter. Doh!

[@stirlingholloway8112]

Thanks very much. You are very good at making things understandable.

[@verysurvival]

Cheers

[@TheSuaveHarv]

Yes good video, good explanation and I suppose it's all down to preference and your own personal way of navigating. Personally for me if the difference is more than 2 degrees then you need to take adjustments into account. I do a lot of scrambling and go from ridge to ridge often in poor vis and 2 degrees is the max for me. I would definitely recommend a compass where you can pre set the declination for your area but learning to move from map to compass and vice versa is an essential like learning your times table, its there if you need it. Any young guns out there thinking gps is the answer, yes it is good but if your scrambling through rocks and gulleys your gps will multi map and ping you duff locations, big buildings in cities sometimes do this plus if your on the go for a few days you don't need batteries👍

[@ipedros7]

Yep, those 2º over 300m is 10 metres error. Going into a ridge crossing with 10 metres safe pass with unexpected fog or whiteout, where you can't wait it out... indeed, can become a serious problem fast.

[@cacadores3955]

Yep. How long does it take to adjust for magnetic north? Half a second? To ignore it in mountains is dangerous stupidity.

[@wasd007]

Very good vid. Here in NZ declaration is around 22 degree. very hard to ignore especially in misty weather.

[@verysurvival]

Yes mate. That’s a different story

[@barrypanaretou9124]

Man this video has saved me so much headache. Fantastic dude thank you so much. 🙏🏼

[@verysurvival]

Glad it helped!

[@baronedipiemonte3990]

Your's is one of the best tutorials on the compass I've watched. New sub

[@verysurvival]

Thanks

[@44musher]

Nice demonstration, there will be some who nitpick but for the intended purposes your on point. Thank you.

[@verysurvival]

Thanks for watching!

[@butchpierson1515]

Perfect! Thanks for your efforts in making this video. Exactly what I needed to make my decision on the compass I’m going to buy.

[@miguelmaxime8814]

Humble Trekker you are BAD ASS LOVE YA MAN..He is amazing with his craft and very knowledge of what he is doing. What a Great teacher and as real as he can be. I always wanted to learn how to use a map...I am more a car navigation person that when I rent a car. Live in NY so don't need a car ok anywho 😊. Great job. Much Love 💘

[@verysurvival]

Cheers mate. I appreciate the positive vibe . Take care and I wish you success

[@miguelmaxime8814]

@@verysurvival No problem mate same to you love. Have a lovely day. All the best for 2020. Much love

[@leepope1662]

Thank you for making this. This is the clearest explanation that I’ve seen on the subject.

[@verysurvival]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jestrommen]

Brilliant video! Well done😊 This video helped me a lot‼️ thank you👍

[@eddyaruda486]

Great video! Your knowledge of orienteering is very impressive. Unfortunately, most people that get lost in the woods are not as knowledgable as you. Why worry about the map being obsolete if your compass is preset to the proper declination? Most people never need a compass as long as they stay on a marked trail. When you are bushwhacking or lost is when you need a good compass. If someone is lost, tired and not as seasoned as someone like you wouldn't it best to keep it simple? Instead of adding and subtracting in your head while distressed wouldn't it be prudent and more practical to orient the map and compass and triangulate while forming a cocked hat to determine location? Once your approximate location is determined you can then plan a route to get back to the trail and on to your destination. If not, a person could stay lost and compound there already mounting problems. I live in Western Montana, The AOD is 13.5 degrees positive (east). Even if it was less than 10 degrees it would still be important. The area of the Rocky mountains I live in are rugged and have several peaks. If you are bushwhacking in my neck of the woods it is easy to get lost unless you are proficient at orienteering and a seasoned hiker. Many visible peaks are approximately the same altitude or present a false summit. Again, on a marked trail who cares? In a survival situation, I believe in keeping it simple. The best way to avoid getting lost is to stay found! Again, TY for the video and applying common sense.

[@verysurvival]

thankyou Eddy

[@738polarbear]

What an absolutely clear , understandable explanation . Thank you very much.

[@verysurvival]

Glad it was helpful!

[@nickjanczak9665]

Brilliant explanation based on real-life situations!

[@lawsonsimong]

On Ordnance Survey maps the variation / declination of Magnetic north is given from Grid North and True North variation is also given from Grid North. I only ever need to know the variation from Grid North to Magentic north when taking bearing from either land or from a map. Its interesting that the Grid datum for OS maps is 2 degrees west (true Origin) and recently the change of magnetic variation has crossed from West to East start at Langton Matravers on the Dorset coast in November 2022 and is slowly moving north leaving the English Coast at Berwick upon Tweed during August 2025

[@jtr1227]

Outstanding explanation of declination.

[@melissacrewes-hartland4896]

Fantastic explanation- best I have seen. Down to earth and easy to understand

[@verysurvival]

Glad it was helpful!

[@usedpedals]

Very informative. Thorough & well explained. Exactly what I needed. Your video has helped me clarify many questions I had. Thank you!

[@verysurvival]

Great

[@bengunns]

In the Army we used to call it the magnetic variation, we remebered it by the rhyme Mag to grid = get rid, or Grid to Mag= add.

[@verysurvival]

Clever rhyme

[@peterevans8194]

Yes, all this talk about declination confuses me! And that rhyme is the same whether your east or west....the way we were taught was that an East variation is a minus (east us least) and a west variation is positive ( west is best,) to if you'd magnetic variation is 5e, and you are going from a mag bearing of say 150 to a grid, it is 150 - -5, which is 155.... If the mag variation was 10w, going from mag to grid it would be 150- 10 =140....the beauty of this method is you do the same thing regardless of whether variation is east or west. ..it also works in reverse for converting from grid to mag...

[@cpuuk]

Love this video, and I get what you are saying about declination not being that important for walkers: A compass with adjustable declination compensate, if it is set before any readings are taken, does it cover for both map to compass\ compass to map back and forth scenario?

[@verysurvival]

If it is set it covers both

[@TyJee28]

Overall good points and good explanation. Especially the bit about west magnetic declination being given as negative degrees (because when you look up magnetic declination online it assumes you are taking a compass azimuth reading to the map, and the amount of west magnetic declination would be subtracted from the compass reading by adding a negative number). A topic that many people seem to have difficulty understanding why west magnetic declination is listed as say - 9˚. However, I would say the only time you can completely ignore magnetic declination is when you are not using a map with the compass, and are only using the compass to keep track of the directions and distances you walk. without reference to a map. But as a practical matter in practice, when using map and compass together, I would agree if mag declination is only ~ 5˚, most of the time mag declination can be ignored. Heck the degree ring on many compasses are only divided into 5˚ divisions. You can only estimate to a couple of degrees in between the marks. Positioning the edge of the base plate on the left or right side of a pencil dot on the map will change the measured bearing by close to 5˚, too. Most good quality base plate compasses are only accurate to 2˚~2.5˚, and can only be sighted to a landmark with about 5˚ accuracy, by most people, using good sighting technique. At best only very slightly more accurately. Probably a little more accurately if using a lensatic or prismatic compass, I have found mirror sighting compasses only slightly more accurate than a base plate compass due to parallax reading the needle alignment in the tilted mirror. Thus as a practical matter, as you pointed out, magnetic declination can mostly be ignored over short distances if mag. declination is only ~ 5˚ +/- a couple of degrees. That supports your opinion that magnetic declination can, most of time, be ignored. However, in dense fog or heavy snowfall conditions, or trying to find a geocache that is difficult to find without precise navigation to its location, adjusting for magnetic declination would, I think, be important to take into account. Errors in azimuth and impossibility to walk laser straight lines also shows why deliberate azimuth off set to a destination target, walking to a handrail & following it to the desired destination and short distances to check points, are practical necessary compass navigation techniques to use. [as an aside - afaik - only the Silva 54 6400 360, Silva 55 6400 360 or the Francis Barker M73 navigation type compasses are accurate to 0.5˚ with degree scales marked with 1˚ divisions. Only some specialty sighting compasses or geographers pocket transits rival that resolution] One can calculate how far off course you will be per degree off accurate bearing (azimuth) by thinking of a circle with a radius = the distance. Calculate the circumference. Then divide it by 360˚. Example: 1 mile = 5280ft. Circumference = 2 * r * pi = 2(5280)pi = 33,175.2 ft. --> 33,175.2/360˚ = 92.2ft/1˚. If ignoring a 5˚ magnetic declination at 1 mile you could be off course by 5 * 92.2ft = 460.8 ft or 153.6 yards. Unless looking for something very small, that's often close enough. I just use a thumb rule of ; 1mile / 100 ft / 1˚, for easy math, which would indicate I could be up to 500ft off course if ignoring a 5˚ magnetic declination, fairly close to the more accurate 461ft. calculated error . . 5˚ off at 5 miles =~ 5˚ * 5miles * 100 ft = 2,500 ft, just under 1/2 mile. Aiming for a point on a road (handrail ) that is 1/2 mile east of where you left your car is a practical navigation method. A similar metric thumb rule would be 1km / 1˚ / 20 meters (rounded up from 17.45 meters). 5˚ off to a distance of 5km (=~ 1 mile) would be 500 meters off target, 5 km * 5˚ * 20 m, fairly close to the actual calculated error of 436.2 meters. But easier math. For correct magnetic declination adjustment. I use an acronym and a phrase of my own creation. I probably recall it more reliably because I dreamed it up myself. WAvES, = West Add v East Subtract. Think magnetic waves. With the phrase -- The Map WAvES to the Compass, and the Compass WAvES back. (WAvES back means backwards ( reverse the math operation), West Add becomes West Subtract, & East Subtract becomes East Add. Meaning, for example, if hiking in an area with magnetic declination of 10˚ west. A grid azimuth measured on the map of 100˚ to a desired target --> the Map WAvES to the Compass, = West Add 10˚ to the 100˚ and set 110˚ on the compass. Or if local magnetic declination is 12˚ east. If on the map you measure an azimuth of 100˚, Map WAvES to compass, East Subtract 12˚, set on the compass 100 - 12 = 88˚. Or if walking a trail, and you want to determine your position, and with the compass read an azimuth (bearing) of 120˚ to a cell tower or distant road junction. "The Compass WAvES back(wards), = East Subtracts becomes East ADD, = 120˚ + 12˚ = 132˚ grid azimuth to be measured on the map. To find your location on the trail within a few degrees of accuracy. It's better to be a physicist than a mathematician. From an old joke about the two professions, both men - when they are given the problem, Can you reach the most beautiful woman in the world across the room IF you can only approach her by taking steps that halves the remaining distance to her? The mathematician says he can never reach her. The physicists says he can get close enough. He's the more practical fellow. Assuming compass land navigation with a standard available compass is only accurate to about 5˚ is a practical thing, I think, too. Anyway, I enjoy many of your videos. Find them informative & practical.

[@thomastammaro693]

This guy's good at explaining the details👍

[@verysurvival]

I appreciate that!

[@schiaucugabriel6202]

In land navigation, the declination become an issue in Northen Canada and Northen Russia where it can go up to 50°. Less but still, in South Africa or New Zeeland, where a proper calibration of magnetic declination is more than necessary.

[@frankteunissen6118]

This is how I’ve always done it. I have got lost a few times in my life, but never using a map and compass and I’ve always done it this way.

[@AirdrieRambler]

I watched this video because of the title. Perhaps it should have been titled 'Compass Declination: Why it matters and when you need to use it' as that is what you demonstrated. There are many areas across the globe where there is a significant Grid Magnetic Angle and where even over short distances it must be accounted for. In my experience I'd only really consider disregarding GMA if it was 3 degrees or less (but that's a personal prefererence) and only over very short legs. Having said that the majority of the time you will require to carry out compass work will be in poor visibility or at night. If navigating in a whiteout in the Scottish Highlands I'd be trying to maintain as accurate a bearing as possible, as even a small variation can be dangerous. Many years ago I trained on Swedish maps which were extremely interesting as those sheets were of an area where on one side of the map the GMA was positive and the other half was negative! So the old adage of Grid to Mag add, Mag to Grid get rid was reversed on the other half of the map. I still navigate using a Mils compass and it was very simple to calculate error as 1 mil = 1 metre at 1km. There are roughly 17 mils to the degree so every degree of error works out at around 17m over a kilometre. With a good sighting compass you can get some really accurate results,though as you say not laser accurate. For those looking for a book on the subject I can recommend 'The Ultimate Navigation Manual' by Lyle Brotherton.

[@verysurvival]

maybe you are right!

[@juanrojo1053]

thank you for the explanations, very clear and interesting.

[@verysurvival]

You are welcome!

[@ThePalmatron]

Excellent video...Really clear and precise....Thanks!!

[@verysurvival]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chiosmet]

Astonishing presentation,magnetic declination demistified,real world navigation apllication.The best map /compass video I've seen on You tube.What else should I ask for?My humble complinents Sir. Subscribed.A new Greek fan.

[@verysurvival]

chiosmet thankyou for the positive comment

[@mohddahlanbinibrahim6853]

Great explanation and very practical for the land navigation. In real situation this absolutely reasonable and practicable. We got your main point on the subject. Great one. 5stars.... Cheers..

[@verysurvival]

Glad it was helpful!

[@DevinAkin]

This is simply fantastic. Thanks for the great work!

[@verysurvival]

Thanks

[@jamestodd2394]

Great vid, thank you very much! I finally understand declination and even better, that I wont ever need it 😁

[@verysurvival]

Cheers

[@DougShoeBushcraft]

Exactly. In the terrain I see in this video, there are trees, brush, rocks, and hills. You can't go it a straight line for 100 yards and probably not for 100 feet.

[@verysurvival]

word

[@temujinadonijah6365]

1st class presentation and breakdown thankyou so much other presenters can learn alot from your method instead of drowning us with jargon as if we all know the terms already.. Thankyou have subscribed to the channel

[@verysurvival]

Thanks 🙏

[@adboroutdoor..7662]

Very good material. Concise explanation and right conclusions. In fact, it would be possible to go in the right direction, indicated by the compass, also by dodging, choosing a better way, but only if you fixed a point lying on our azimuth and kept an eye on it or... keep him in mind - in situation if only we could find this point, even if it disappeared from our sight for a while, for example in a grove. When using a compass, it is also worth looking at the topography of the terrain, comparing it with the map. This allows you to correct the position, move in the right direction. In general, the map is the basis, I use the compass rather in the field, where the destination is not visible (e.g. in the forest) and it is impossible to determine it thanks to the map alone. Greetings from Poland.

[@verysurvival]

Cheers and beers

[@pk3]

One of the best explanation on declination 👍

[@verysurvival]

🙏

[@cypherf0x]

It may not matter to you in your area but In the NE US and into Canada and Alaska the declination is 15°+. It's rather important if you want to actually get to the point you're aiming for. Then you add the forests with limited visibility and you'll get yourself with a loss of orientation and position in a place you really don't want that to happen. The thick tree cover can make GPS reception spotty as well.

[@verysurvival]

So what I exactly said in my video is don't ignore it areas with over 10 degrees Declination. There are also masses of places in North America with zero declination. It is a rule of thumb that works fine all over the world.

[@farklestaxbaum4945]

Excellent explanation and I agree with most of your points, however it seems to be largely due to coincidence, that the Zero declination lines happen to run right through the middle of the US and Europe right now, which is another question in and of itself...

[@verysurvival]

The also go through the middle of asia, India, South America, the Pacific Ocean , Oceania , Africa and Western Australia.

[@TimSikma]

Good explanation of the different norths. However, magnetic declination does matter for lots of situations like heavy forested areas and to make sure you are doing a bearing suitable to hit a catching map feature The easiest way correct for magnetic declination is to just draw magnetic north lines on your map and just take all bearing using magnetic north on map and on compass, then there is no adding or minus calculations required. Or alternately purchase a compass in which you can adjust the base plate north arrow for the magnetic declination.

[@verysurvival]

In my experience in dense forest since it is impossible to travel in a straight line for more than a few meters trying to navigate with precision is a thankless task, it takes too long and makes your journey slow and more tiring and at most you can do it for a few hundred meters. much better to aim for a large and hard to miss waypoint and move fast.

[@fevergaming1]

When I am using a compass I a m usually going to a very precise spot eg waterfall cave entrance ect. In the area I frequent if you are off by 10 to 20 meters you could miss what you are looking for. So I'll follow the USMC manual for use of a lensatic compass. Why would you think you have to walk in a straight line to properly use a compass. When I have to go around something I use a point along my bearing that is past the obstacle as a place to take a new bearing once I get there.

[@TimSikma]

@@verysurvival Look ahead in dense forest and line up a tree and aim for that and when near that aim for the next on bearing (if too dense for spotting then use sun orientation, which could be limited in dense forest, or use compass to provide direction). Or use contours to travel contour features. Then tick off (recognized) map features along the way and correct bearing as needed. In places like New Zealand where Magnetic North declination is 23 degrees from Map North you can be a long way off course if you are not using declination. Suggest people go to their local Rogaine or orienteering club to learn good map and compass skills

[@timothyorendorff7642]

Even I could follow you here, good to know.

[@ianbell5611]

Thank You. Brilliant Video

[@verysurvival]

Thanks

[@jackchinproperty]

many thanks... now i understand

[@John-rr4zz]

Good explanation of practical ground movement. You only have to look at a footpath on an ordinance survey map to see the pathways. Also see a sheep track across a field. it wanders. Human beings do not like travelling in a straight line.

[@verysurvival]

great mate

[@ding174]

What I use for underwater navigation works just as well for me on land. I leapfrog from landmark to landmark on fixed objects along my chosen route. In bad visibility or thick brush it helps to have a partner who moves ahead of me at my direction and then stops and waits for me to join him and then we take another bearing and so on. If I come to an obstacle it avoid it by taking right angles around it till I’m back to my original line. Having a tall visible fixed object that I can re take my bearing helps or I use a pace counter.

[@verysurvival]

interesting to compare to diving, cool

[@lightyagami5776]

I think the easiest way to remember would be to rotate the bearing to the left if you have an easterly declination and to the right if you have a westerly declination. Please tell me if this approach fails in any case whether from the compass to map or map to compass?

[@verysurvival]

this works for going from map to compass. and simply do the opposite for compass to map.

[@desertsurvival8235]

Good video bro, really enjoyed it .

[@verysurvival]

Glad you enjoyed

[@keeblem1]

Very useful. Thanks!

[@shadowscout9872]

Declination error plus lateral drift could be very significant. In my area the forest is so dense that you cannot often see far in the distance plus there are so many hills and valleys that look similar so as it would be hard to differentiate one land mark from another though I do see your point in alot of situations.

[@verysurvival]

In dense forest following a straight line for more than a few steps is impossible. Therefore navigation over a distance that magnetic declination would be important is impossible. You should learn how to navigate in dense forest by using back stops and and hand rails.

[@cacadores3955]

@@verysurvival Hand rails? Right. Next time I'm in a forest I'll look out for hand rails rather than doing a watch-bearing on the sun. Do you even know what that is? Please stop giving advice - you could seriously injure someone.

[@col8179]

Awesome video thanks man you’re the best seriously

[@verysurvival]

I appreciate that!

[@738polarbear]

Best explanation I've seen on you tube me old mucker. Time for a brew now.

[@verysurvival]

738polarbear cheers

[@codydowney9494]

This is a fantastic explanation. Subscribed and look forward to more!

[@verysurvival]

Awesome, thank you!

[@scottscotty36]

One of the best descriptions of declination I have seen - thanks so much. One concern I do have though is you dismiss its importance but I am in New Zealand where our declination is on average 23 degrees E. So I believe it’s important to take the declination into consideration when taking a map bearing to a compass bearing when selecting the path of travel on a hike. Would you agree? Or am I being too fussy.?

[@verysurvival]

I say in the vid if it is more than 10 degrees don’t ignore it ;-) in New Zealand adjust for declination

[@goosegog47]

Very well done by someone who really knows what he is talking about. I have been in areas where declination has been 25 degrees then it becomes really important. But in the UK and especially when walking just about anywhere I believe you can safely ignore it as the declination currently is so small. There is no such thing as a cheap compass however.

[@verysurvival]

As I say in the video don’t ignore it if it is more than 10

[@christiaanopperman3247]

This is exactly how we trained in the military for the bush war in South Africa. 10 out of 10

[@verysurvival]

cheers

[@ARMORRIS9]

Hi I think the video is very informative and well presented. Will use in presentation for cadets to aid there use of a compass and route cards.Thanks

[@verysurvival]

Thanks .

[@jostavadventures2626]

You are absolutely right! Actually you don’t even need a compass (or a map for that matter). Just follow the traffic signs or ask a kind local...

[@verysurvival]

Just never get out the Uber

[@ka2pbo]

Awesome explanation ! How many meters per degree of declination error is there in a kilometer?

[@verysurvival]

17.5 meters

[@ka2pbo]

@@verysurvival Thanks

[@MichaelR58]

Thanks for sharing , great information !

[@verysurvival]

Cheers mate

[@sonofmaniam]

I suppose if you are walking in approx 1km legs in between known waypoints and correcting your bearing each time, you could get away without correcting for declination. But that can come back to bite if you are trying to locate yourself on a map and your only good known landmarks are in the 2-4km range (mountain tops, hill tops, large manmade structures, etc). Because that error will also be present and will cause pretty significant error in your position triangulation when plotted on your map. Why that matters significantly is because if you are using features for handrails, you might very well be thinking you are just east of a handrail (when if fact you are actually just west of the handrail) and you will work west thinking the handrail is surely coming up. And it never does. Or worse, you keep going west, and you find a similar handrail feature and misinterpret it as the one you were looking for and you end up following the wrong handrail for a couple/few kilometers. Last weekend we had a difficult time finding our camp (with manmade structures and vehicles) from only 300 meters away. So errors of .5 km would make me pretty uncomfortable. Statistically, many people who get lost and end up spending a night(s) in the woods unprepared are less than 1500m from their parked vehicle. To be fair, I live in an area with a 12.5 declination. So I can't really ignore it. But with the triangulation error I mentioned, even 5 degrees could be problematic (depending on the distance to visible landmarks).

[@stephenmcvay5368]

Good video. Thanks.

[@matthewrandall9833]

Awesome video dude

[@verysurvival]

Cheers 🍻

[@sully4875]

Thanks Man great info 👍🏻

[@verysurvival]

Any time!

[@Thymallus1965]

Great video - superb explanation about a difficult subject . Cheers Torben, DK

[@verysurvival]

Thymallus1965 cheers mate

[@PaulStephenOutdoors]

Nice and clearly described. Thanks

[@woutervangelder]

There are 4 norths. Map-north and grid-north are not the same for most mapprojections. When using UTM grids instead of "national grids", like we do in Belgium, map-north and grid-north can be quite far off.

[@АндрейАндреев-б6щ5я]

Perfect explanation.

[@verysurvival]

Glad you think so!

[@dennis2376]

Interesting information, but I will still set my magnetic declination. :)

[@theminer9038]

Ty im doing my project on this its so h elpful

[@BaroudeurAventure]

2° between grid north and geographic north + 5° magnetic declination + 2° compass magnetic and mechanical tolerence + 2° reading and adjusting approximation, if we are unlucky and one approximation doesn't compensate the other one might end up 10° off while taking magnetic declination into consideration keeps us in a more acceptable range of error. Bearings of one or several km on a straight line are not unusual for people canoeing huge lakes in canada, scandinavia and so.

[@alexblue6991]

Thanks from Alec from SCOTLAND

[@verysurvival]

Alex Blue cheers mate

[@rocinante666]

Very interesting video, and you are completely right on not "over-acting" on declination. Indeed, where I am in Spain, I calculated it and on a 3 kilometer track the declination error would result in only about 50 meters... PS I have just subscribed to your channel :-)

[@verysurvival]

Thanks . Nice to meet you

[@cacadores3955]

And 50 metres could send you over a cliff edge. Great.

[@forrestgreene1139]

What about Celestial North? Also, the UK is how many miles wide? Ignore declination at your own risk in the western US.

[@duskhunter3803]

This is excellent. I’ve never bothered with adjusting for declination - just check and recheck your position every 500 paces or so.

[@cacadores3955]

"Check". Against what? When the mist or rain comes down?

[@pengiethebird]

Declination is so easy to adjust for. Why would you deliberately introduce an additional 1 - 22 degrees of error into an already imperfect navigation method? If you're triangulating your position on a map based on distant landmarks and a magnetic compass you would be way off plotting your location. It's just good habit to take everything into account every time even though it's not a perfect system. 300 meters out is enough to miss your tennis court several times over.

[@verysurvival]

As I said in the video my recommendation is that it can be ignored in most cases when it is under 10 degrees only. So from 10-22 degrees is not on the table to be ignored. when it is below 3 degrees it is probably below the average persons precision anyway so that leaves a grey area from 3-10 degrees that is debatable. My main point is that it is perfectly possible to accurately navigate in the sub 10 degree range without considering declination in most circumstances