Navigation:Distance& Direction made simple

[@modernmom2005]

Thank you so much for this video and video part 2. we practiced this this last week and we have mastered it!!! This was a mystery to us until your very clear demonstrations. Thank you. Now we cant wait to explore the more "primitive" camping grounds and trails. We can now take our bushcraft practicing to a whold new level, water purification, making debris shelters, snaring, "leave no trace" practicing, etc. Thank you so much again!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I dont know why but, the lensatic compass makes my eyes do funny things. I cant explain it but if I use my left eye, or right eye or both, I just cant see it right. the one with the mirror works perfect with me. I guess its just how all people are made different and their eyes are different too. Ive always used the mirror and have never been off by using one and the main thing, I trust what Im reading 100%. thats pretty important to me. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Cool! I love hearing when this helps. This was the exact method I was taught to learn the compass. I was shocked when I read some books and saw other videos how confusing they were. To me, the most important thing about these methods is it teaches you to trust your readings. Ive met several folks that know how to use a compass but do not trust it for some reason. Now get on them primitive skills and have fun! I'm glad you liked it, Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@MrBushLife Im very happy to hear that this made it simple to understand. Its not exciting but very , very important to learn. Too many folks rely on GPS. You cant go wrong with a compass but, you have to learn to trust yourself. My mentor took me and two others to a football field and stuck a nail in a location. We then paced N E S W until we stopped at the nail in the grass. We all perfected it. He took us in the hills,creeks, rocks and boulders in the forest for a reality check.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! Im glad you like the videos. To me, if youre going to go any distance in the woods, you absolutely need a good compass and you need to trust yourself using it. I live in the Northwest tip of Georgia, near Rome about 15 minutes from the Alabama state line. About the accent, I guess Im just about as Southern as the South gets, lol. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@ReeperzOutdoors I think the issue with using a compass is that people are not comfortable with one. I believe that if you use and test a compass enough you will grow to trust it. To me, GPS units are a fantastic device but, nothing would would be more terrifying than being in the middle of nowhere and having a GPS quit working.These excercises were taught to me many years ago and are great confidence builders. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@DannyWalker1949]

Man, I Thank You for this Update course on using the compass. Its been quite a few decades since I last used an compass....and I've forgot a lot of the right things to do to use it. I do need this Refresher Course to relearn it again. Thanks David.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

You are very welcome Danny. I know theres a lot more to compasses but I try and just keep it simple and use the basics.

[@DannyWalker1949]

Really that is what Most of us need anyway. huh? ;)

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Absolutely. As long as you know the basics youre covered.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@MrBushLife Practice makes perfect and reading a compass and trusting it should be second nature. Im glad this helped. I learned from the best and wanted to pass on what he taught me. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I own and use both types of compasses. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching.

[@johngo6283]

Tip - go to a local high school track that has 100 meters already marked out. Get your pace count on this flat easy to walk terrain. Then, if you want to get fancy about it, get a roll of heavy duty string or twine from the hardware store, use the track to measure out 100m of twine, and then go stretch out that string in different terrain - uphill, downhill, gradual, steep, open grass or heavy brush, and walk your pace count from one end of the string to another in all these different types of terrain. This will give you a real number pace count of what you're going to encounter in the real world when you do this off trail.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I love that idea John! Thanks for sharing bro.

[@jameshutto3047]

Smart

[@lifeofxyco7633]

Hat off to you for using the metric system. It's indeed a lot easier to use in these situations. Thanks for sharing.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

To me metric is actually easiest when dealing with maps compasses and distance

[@lifeofxyco7633]

Reallybigmonkey1 I am very impressed that you actually know how to use both. I can't get the hang of the inches and the pounds. God knows I've tried.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thats awesome! Im always glad to hear when a friend has learned a compass well. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@semco72057]

That is a great technique for figuring out the direction of travel and how to get to your destination and back. I have a good grade of compass somewhere here at home, but do have one like the first one you showed us which came in my survival kits I ordered and they work also so I keep them in my backpack and EDC bag.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked my method. Thanks for watching Sidney

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@eltenda Absolutley. To me, the most important part of being in a "survival situation" is knowing where you are and how to get out. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@kan-zee]

this is Fantastic, knowledge. it is incrediby easy to learn, with simple walking..but it is so easy to set up , with markers around like (boulders, certain rock formations, watering holes..etc), and use in locating CACHES , fish holes, game sites, camp a- camp b..Awesome knowledge. thank you. I never could understand how my elders could so quickly locate the location of certain medicine plants, food resources...untill I learned this recently. thank you for sharing.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@eltenda Its a audio technica ATR series. I dont recommend it because its not in stereo. I can film a video with it and the audio only comes out on one speaker.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@medicjimr Thank you friend. It was hard trying to learn from a book till someone taught me to do the excersices I show in the video. It made it easier to learn it and start to trust myself and I made sure to remember everything I was shown.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Any good compass will be affected by being near metal. Also, two compasses being held together too close, will go crazy also. Dont chuck it, just keep it away from metal when you read it. Sliva makes a very good trustworthy compass. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@drillsgtlangdon]

Perfect demo. Learned the same in the military. Good stuff

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks Harry! That's great to hear

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Well, Sometimes he goes with me and sometimes he doesnt. Especially during the school year. I sometime have to film when hes at school. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@davidwelsh1487]

learn from this…! … from an old man from Alaska …. still breathing..

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Great to hear that Brother

[@kan-zee]

@Reallybigmonkey1 I definitely will practice these exercises regularly and put give the tablet GPS a long break. I would use a compass, but my mathing skills are beyond terrible. lol..but with a bit of practice and focus, I should be able to master the basics. I get tired of fallen off track, and restepping and spiral circling for items..I don't enjoy tree marking my items of stash with ribbon, cause others always find them. Thanks again, greatly appreciate your sharing

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Well it's all about paces if you dont have a map, heres how I do it. Where ever you want to designate as respawn, face the direction you plan on traveling and record it.. Move in your chosen direction keeping up with your paces for distance. When you change direction, add the paces for the new direction. Any movement is recorded distance and any turns are direction. You have to keep up with all of them and reverse them to get back to respawn. That is the only way I know how to without a map.

[@sdwh1963]

Love your videos. This one especially. I am going to buy me a good compass. I have a button compass only. But I do need to learn to use one. I heard you say you live in Georgia, I do as well. Where at? Love the accent. Keep up the good work.

[@SurvivalSkillExperts]

So Excellent as always thank you Dave

[@amydickerson2145]

Dave, Magnetic declination doesn't affect direction of travel, nor does it change the position of the cardinal points on the compass? Magnetic declination is only used when dealing with maps. I wanted to make sure that I understood what you were saying.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

You are correct, it only matters when navigating by map. With compass only just follow magnetic North. Thanks for watching Amy

[@stanl.5248]

Great tip with the sticks and stone if you don't have pacing beads!

[@eltenda]

good lesson and video bro...navigation it's basic 4 survival!

[@Pawoodsman]

Great job explaining I try to practice my map n compass skills but not enough need to leave my gps at home sometimes .

[@sipapito]

Great videos man,thanks to you are learned how to use a compass!

[@cindyneely6087]

rained a lot here the mtns nc thank u 4 the great vid

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

We have rain coming our way. Thanks for watching Cindy

[@eagleone8270]

I like to use the Ranger Beads for pacing.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@huntersouth345 They are just trolls I guess. Thanks for your support brother.

[@timgrant8729]

Great video! Thanks!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I'm glad you liked it Tim, thanks for watching

[@davidwelsh1487]

good stuff !! pay attention !!! and replay ..!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks David

[@johngo6283]

The sticks and rocks technique is a great substitute for ranger beads, which you may not always have. Also, you commenters who are criticizing his pacing techniques are overly critical. He did clearly state that is every OTHER step counts one pace, not every step, that's the important thing to know. Whether you begin a pace count on your right foot left foot does not matter in the slightest.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thank you for your comments and support John. Sometimes folks just watch a vid to point out what all I did wrong. LOL. Thanks for watching my friend

[@johngo6283]

RBM1, you are welcome. While I firmly believe that people taking the time to post an instructional video on any topic should do so clearly, correctly, and concisely, viewers also have a right (and maybe an obligation?) to post corrections or clarifications to information that is presented and an unclear or incorrect manner. This can be taken a little too far, when people make a comment themselves that is incorrect or overly nitpicky, because their ego gets involved. The unfortunate fact is, the vast majority of wilderness navigation videos on KZbin are of poor quality, questionable advice, or flat out wrong. Yours is solid all the way through, and I thank you for posting it.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Very well put John!

[@ReeperzOutdoors]

Nice job buddy! To many people rely on gadgets like GPS's. Those can fell. Everyone should know how to use a compass. I don't use mine as much as I should. U tend to forget things.

[@bewarethesasquatch6248]

Dave, what’s the make and model of that compass?

[@lynderherberts2828]

Hey, Dave. It's me, Linda Lee. I'm watching your navigation videos. Does the term "dead reckoning" have anything to do with navigation? Hugs.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Hello Linda! Yes, that a navigation term. Dead reckoning is where you pick an object or feature off in the distance and walk to it instead of staring at a compass the whole time. It keeps you in a straight line. Take care and thanks for watching Linda

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Ha Ha, dude, you are mental. I like the safety circle method. Never lost,lol. My old mentors made a huge deal about knowing where you went in and knowing where you are. Even on the few times when we took to established trails he expected us to all have compasses out and to know where we were. He thought it was that important so I never questioned him. Take care brother, dont get lost, ha ha. And thanks for watching my friend.

[@itsumonihon]

good baseplate compasses are easier to use with a map, you can place them right on top of the map for alignment which isn't possible with a lensatic compass

[@chantastic9199]

This was really helpful. I got a compass just in case I get turned around while camping. I forgot to follow my direction of travel arrow but still came within 100 yards of my destination. I feel pretty silly now.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

+chan tastic Ah dont feel silly about it. It takes a lot of practice to hit your direction exactly with a compass. You have to be used to doing three things at once. 1.looking at the compass 2. walking in your direction 3. looking up from the compass at your direction. All these things have to be done at once so its sometimes easy to be off. Take care and Thanks for watching

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

No big deal on the dog tags , rings or any of the metal objects. You can hang the compass near them just dont take your readings near metal objects. Metric is easier but all the maps I have are standard inch scales.

[@eltenda]

100% agree...i must be doing more training indeed bro' i need to find a nice mic. b.t.w. it's always windy at the range... tnxs and godspeed!

[@trooper2221]

love this! good video!

[@jamescrowe7892]

👍👍

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks James

[@James_Bowie]

Pace count for 100 metres should be determined while carrying your usual backpack. You'll be slightly slower (i.e. use more paces) under load than when walking free of the load.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Good point James

[@Echo4PapaBravo]

Not trying to be a troll or anything, but why don't you use a lensatic compass? Personally I learned on them in Boy Scouts and then again in the Marine Corps., so I'm partial to them because I know them so well. I also think they seem a little easier for people to learn when they have never picked up a compass before. Purely opinion, but I was just wondering why you choose to use a mirror compass over lensatic compass. Or if it is just what you happened to have.

[@davidmashburn9243]

Have you ever heard the term "Predominating" foot. Only one in one hundred thousand people can walk in a straight line. The rest of us favor our left or right foot. There is a simple way to figure whether you are a left or right drifter. It is really helpful to know this so that if you navigate to a certain point, you are going to have a good idea that you are to the left or right of that point

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Mykel Hawke has a great idea on how to deal with that. He says if youre predominately right footed, anytime you approach a tree or bush, force yourself to take a step to the left and vice versa for the predominately left footed. That way, straight walking leans you one way and approaching objects will lean you in the opposing direction

[@jakebarnes28]

Reallybigmonkey1 I saw this on tv - a survival show I can't remember the name of, but they mentioned a trick for staying in a straight line - throwing a branch in front of you. Think walking stick length and maybe 10 paces in front of you. Apparently you'll throw straighter than walking. I imagine there are quite a few methods.

[@eltenda]

wich microphone do you use b.t.w..?

[@aranha9365]

Compass, this what made me to consider the Earth could be flat, with a Magnetic Center, much more reasonable than a compass works in a globe.

[@jif7474]

First let me say Dave you always make great videos thanks for sharing Not sure if I missed something but how do you know your position on the compass when you drop your gear ? Keep up the great work my friend

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

john Last Thanks John, Im glad you like em. In this kinda situation, I dont have a compass position, I have a compass direction. I dropped the bag, then walked over it in my direction. After making equal paces between 90 degree intervals, I know I I left the bag at 180 degrees from my starting direction. I cant do a position without a GPS unless I have a topo map to go with my compass Then I can sight off known features. I hope that makes sense.

[@HARDYSFISHINGADVENTURES]

thanks for this lesson il try it tomorrow

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

You are very welcome my friend and enjoy the method!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@1620416204 Ha Ha, yes my son is running the camera about half the video, then he wandered off doing his own exploring.

[@collinb7326]

What’s that compass called? I’ve never seen one in that color before.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Its a Silva Guide. I think they still sell them but stopping making them from what Ive heard.

[@Chrisi-z1p]

If you put your left hand on the left side of a tree and the moss always stays to the left you can walk in straight lines and keep precise direction

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I usually use dead reckoning to keep in a straight line

[@dougfreeman4174]

Can't find part 2 of navigation. Compass and the pace count deal

[@scruffydude1]

you have great vids bro but I would like to say I have learned 1 pace is every time your right foot hits the ground that is 1 pace so what I meant to say id if I start walking with my right foot every time my right foot hits the ground that is 1 pace ..keep up the great vids bro

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

scruffydude1 Ive heard that before, makes sense. More videos in the works my friend.

[@huntersouth345]

@Reallybigmonkey1 your welcome dave

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I'd rather you carry some pace beads.

[@ReeperzOutdoors]

@Reallybigmonkey1 I agree totally! I should start leaving my gps at home more.......lol

[@curraheetnwoodlands3000]

I usually just draw a circle on the ground when I'm lost. I step into the circle and then I know that in that circle is exactly where I'm at. I almost starved to death in the circle once. I wasn't lost though.LOL. I know I'm mental. CURRAHEE!

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

Why do some people have more difficulty building muscle as they age and others don’t?

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I have no idea man but it also occurs at any age. I knew guys that worked out all their lives and never built up. And some guys can just look at weights and build muscle. LOL.

[@acewhizbang8724]

Great video as usual David! Thanks for all you do. But you know if God would have wanted us to be on the metric system, Jesus would have only had 10 disciples. 8-)

[@cdofm]

I wrote my pace count on the cover of my compass mirror

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thats a good place to keep up with it

[@johngo6283]

or with a sharpie pen on the back of your compass baseplate, that's a good place too (if, as I do, you choose not to use a mirrored compass.)

[@furkids4ever]

How often are you spose to recheck your pace - yearly? Hope it's true rubbing alcohol takes sharpie off of need be.

[@annajaneparker6017]

Why wouldn't you measure in good old American yards, feet & mile(s)?

[@annajaneparker6017]

Metric system stinks for we older people.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Because most maps are metric nowadays.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I know, I prefer standard units too.

[@MultiPowerlifter]

so you want me to fill my pockets with sticks and rocks while hiking,,,ok,,I may never get home

[@tikkidaddy]

Dave I watched most of these before and YT ate the likes! Soooo...I thought I'd mention that and here we go again!😁

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Really? That's a shock! Thanks for the support Mark