Compass navigation,keeping in a straight line

[@GODANMEDIA]

My wife and I finally got our basic sylvas with mirrors and we are both using your videos to learn how to navigate. Thank you RBM1 for these very simple straight forward videos that help rookie flatfooters that might get “Lost in the woods” lol

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

That's fantastic to hear that man!

[@barbmorris2160]

I have learned so much from you! I am 69 & have never bushcrafted. Always camped in a camper. THANK YOU! I am getting close to building my 1st shelter & tinder fire.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thats always great to hear Barb! Keep learning, keep doing and keep on living!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Very cool, I was a cub scout leader then moved on to Boy Scouts. Its great to know this stuff. Everyone always talks about being in a "Survival Situation" The number one rule in my book is Know where you are, know how to get out and get home. Navigation is a must. Good luck and thanks for watching my friend.

[@rockfish1000]

I've watched both your navigation made simple videos. I just watch your no compass navigation, and now this one. I can't wait to get out and try this stuff. As I said in previous comments: I'm not sure which I like better, your subjects or your teaching methods. Great stuff.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Nope, this is a Swedish Military surplus pack. I think its from the 60s but its waterproof and thorn proof. I added a belt to it. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@leepetley3974]

David, I think you are so smart. Thanks so much for teaching about using a Compass, I know so much more now. please don't ever stop teaçhing.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks Lee, I'm glad you like what all I do. I often have trouble finding time to make videos but any chance I get to film I will! Thanks for watching

[@wbwilhite]

In Arkansas, I was always outdoors. I loved to hike the woods, and I discovered places that had creeks and ponds for summer swimming. I learned and used this tree technique by the time I was ten. I'd be way out in the woods somewhere, walking for hours, but as long as I kept my wits about me and kept a dead reckoning with trees, I was fine. I didn't know the sticks and shadows method, but I developed a good general sense of direction based upon the sun's position in the sky. I got lost one time and it scared me, so I walked uphill and I found a summit, then scaled a tree. Off in the distance, I could see things that I recognized. I used them to get my bearings and then made my way back home just after dark. Those last thirty minutes of darkness were miserable, but I kept going downhill in the general direction I'd set for myself until I stumbled across a road. I knew this road generally, and I followed it until I came across a road that I knew well. Remember, I was only ten, but if I could be a half wild kid in the woods, so can you. BTW... I carry a compass these days.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks for sharing your story! Very interesting and I pretty much always carry a compass and often times I'll carry two. Thanks for watching my friend

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@Quex01 Absolutlely, Any time I can spend in the wild cooking camping or even just stomping around is a good day. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@sousaville Here where I go, the woods and trees are so thick that you cant see more than 20 feet at times in the summer. Its real easy to get off course here. We have hills and no big mountains here. I gotta get out and see the world one day, ha ha. Take care man and thanks for watching.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Cool! Im glad you liked it. Something like this can come in handy at any given time too. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Yep any machinist or woodworker would have to agree! lol. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@swilliams2482 Its real easy to miss channels on youtube, Ive been here for over a year surfing around and I still find people with thousands of subs and millions of views and have never even heard of them. KZbin is a really big place. thanks for the comments and thanks for watching. Plenty more to come down the road bro!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! I figure the only way to remeber it in a bad situation is to keep it simple. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it and all the other videos brother! Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Man this sure was an old video. I guess its easy to miss one. Thats just padding added to the straps on that swiss ruck. I hated how it dug into my shoulders before. The padding really helped. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! Im glad you liked it, and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@clholsinger Yes, as long as you can pick a tree in exactly the right direction. If your tree is just one degree off, that will add up over several moves. This doesnt matter when you in a clearing or you can see for miles. When youre in thick bush and cant see far, you have to pick out several trees and make several moves. Thats why its good to look back and make sure the object you left is exactly 180 off your chose path. Hope that makes sense. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@UFT1]

i have learned so much from you thank you for the videos. I had no idea how to navigate through woods your explanation helped greatly.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! Im glad you liked it. Yep, its a great way of double checking and, when you do catch yourself veering off course, you can back track and straighten out your path. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Yep, its alot easier than you think to walk in a huge curve. This method has never failed me. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Cool! Im glad i could help. Its amazing how true it is that you really can walk in circles if youre are not careful. simple tips like this do seem to help. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@tnealb43 Ha Ha, I love simple too. All those years that I played around in the woods with my mentors they always said, this is a hobby and fun and ganes for now but, keep it simple. If you are ever lost, cold, weak or hungry, you need a simple way of finding your way. Thanks for the comments Neal and thank you for watching my friend.

[@Geraldine6348]

Thank you; I've just started trying to teach myself this stuff here in UK, ready for some hill walking. Your video is really useful.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Geraldine T Sounds great Geraldine! Im glad you found it helpful, Thanks for watching my friend.

[@ewancameron2064]

It's always a good idea to get a contour map of the area you're going to travel through. Plot your course as you go along and you'll never get lost, you won't even need a compass. I've been canoeing days deep into the bush and although I had a compass I never needed to look at it. I always knew exactly where I was within a few metres.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Youre better than me at this stuff then. I can have a topo map but I still need a compass to find my way in and out. I never used a compass when canoeing or kayaking, I just follow the creeks.

[@ewancameron2064]

I doubt it, I haven't been in any really deep bush for a long time. If you do a lot of portages on your journey you can easily tell where you are on the map when you get to them. Doing hikes away from the water is when the map comes in really handy. Just doing the technique you showed of heading for a key spot in sight to keep to a straight line, and also marking your course on the contour map as you go along works fine. When you get to contour point of interest, such as a peak or a valley you'll know your position pretty exactly. Until that point you'll know fairly well where you are by the slope. I wouldn't want to try doing it for days on foot though, and this is also assuming you have a lot of contours. It gets you lost pretty quickly if everything is flat. An interesting experiment about walking in a straight line is to try it blindfolded in a big open field. Preferably mowed so you don't get tripped up. It's amazing how quickly people start to veer off. A bunch of us did it on a training course. The finish line was about 100ft off, by about half way nobody was heading towards it at all, veering off sideways or even starting to circle back.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I hear ya. A lot of folks dont believe we all have a dominant leg that makes us walk in circles.

[@ewancameron2064]

Just blindfold them and send them on their way ;) They'll be back the wiser.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Back before they had them little TVs built into cars, they made a big black bag with straps that you could put a small portable TV in and hang it between seats in like a car or van. I found many of them at thrift stores. That heavy padding came from one of them bags. They dont make them anymore so look out for one at a thrift store or maybe a yard sale.

[@timschrock]

Good vid. Simple thoughts. My son and I are getting ready to go to Boy Scout camp this weekend in which we will be doing some orienteering, so we're getting some pointers. Thanks! Cheers.

[@TheECOChannel]

Awesome video man. I don't know how I've missed your videos. I'm gonna have to keep an eye on your channel.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@MrRocque Thats a good saying to remember that, never heard that one before. Thanks man.

[@paulie4x1]

I second that, I like it, I like it. Seriously David, your videos rock !!!

[@lifeofxyco7633]

Easy to follow and simple to learn. Great videos, David. So far... Hehe (Started with your oldest video and going towards the latest ones.)

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! Only about 140 more vids to go!

[@lifeofxyco7633]

Haha! I'm getting there!

[@sharonk.3107]

I got 'turned' around while in the Daniel Boone Forest and had a crap compass. the way I kept track of where I was going was to pull up some vines and wrapped them as high up the tree as I could reach. I was able to follow my 'cookie crumb' trail back to my truck.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

+Sharon King Thats always a bad situation when you get turned around. Not only do I always say carry a compass and know how to use it but, learn to trust yourself and what your reading AND, know how you go in so you can get out. I hate them cheap crappy bubble compasses. I look at them little 99 cent bubble compasses and ask myself "I wonder how many people have been lost or killed because of these"? Take care and Thanks for watching Sharon.

[@DannyWalker1949]

I'm going back over these navigation video's you made David. Just to refresh my 0l' Memory. I know this stuff but, it's been A While for me. he-he.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Sounds good Danny. Its very easy to forget a lot of this stuff if you dont use it often.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@todddguillory Hey man, been there, done that. At the worst possible time too, I was about 10 or 11 or something and got lost for almost 24 hours. I stayed out of the woods for a few years after that. Fun in the woods is way better than lost in the woods, ha ha. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@HARDYSFISHINGADVENTURES]

yup thats great info when i walk the massive central ill need to know where i am up on the mountains ty your friend and student hardy

[@kchamp33]

I like the reverse bearings method, i great way of double checking.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Glad I could help my friend.

[@MrRocque]

easiest way to check your back bearing...instead of 'red fred in shed', line up the south needle (generally white if north is red) in the orientating arrow (or shed; or whatever your compass uses). Works the same as turning the compass 180 degrees. A little rhyme for this is Red/head, White/flight (head=where you're going;as in HEADing, flight=where your going away from). If you are where you intended, when the south needle is oriented to the arrow...you should be facing where you came from.

[@FREDSTER1012000]

Liked the video, measure twice cut once, great pack,Thanks

[@CJRLinCO]

Appreciate the video. Simple is just my thing!

[@npkiddo5372]

Remind me of basic army training... nice video...

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks!

[@snaponjohn100]

Great video man. Good info. God bless. John

[@MeyersCTR]

Honest question:. Why can't we just shoot a new (the same one) bearing from the tree and forget the tree before. My thinking is the same direction is the same direction and if it is carefully as taken and the target tree is right isn't it kind of a waste of time to recheck? Is an error really that likely to creep in? Are you checking that you've walked to the right target?

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Yes, you're checking back to make sure you've traveled to the correct target. Some places I go to all the trees look the same so it's easy to get confused. It's really bad in a pine forest.

[@Ivanat0r]

Hi David, I had missed this video, I think I have seen them all now. :-) I see that we have the same Swiss army rucksack . Did you change the shoulder straps or is that added padding? Regards Iván

[@Ivanat0r]

Did you make the padding yourself or can you buy it? I am interested in getting them for my pack.

[@flowerchild777]

Hey thanks. That's actually useful information

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

You are very welcome and I'm glad you liked it Angela

[@johnnaylor4348]

Never use your compass if you have your rifle or shot gun in your hands or on your shoulder...... Trust me I did and spent the night in the Adirondacks for it... Put anything that is iron 10 feet away from you when reading your compass you will not regret my heads up.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

+John Naylor Oh I agree. Not only will iron or steel screw up a compass reading but having two side by side too close will screw up the magnetisim too.

[@outdoorman7425]

Thanks for the advice I'm going to learn how to use a compass so when I'm in the woods won't get lost while hunting are you familiar public land. Now I know to make sure I don't have my firearm a rifle anywhere near me when using the compass.

[@Smegger]

nice n simple the way i like it .

[@n8fun1]

Well Done.

[@jamescrowe7892]

This is where flagging tape would come in handy, if you have it. Today's tree huggers would have the squealing heebee jeebees if you marked trees like Daniel Boone.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Lol, good point James!

[@tzimm6972]

Cool!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks for watching!

[@RAYANDERS-w4t]

THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks for watching

[@unicron24]

thanks man

[@Chrisi-z1p]

I know tree moss always grows on the same side so touch the tree with your hand and that will always guide you true

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Not in all areas. In some of the hot arid humid climates in the southern U.S. moss often grows 360 degrees around a tree. In that case it's better to follow the shadows of trees

[@johnnaylor4348]

New York Grey sky can't see the sun............ Have to rely on a compass.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

+John Naylor Its always sunny in the south. LOL.

[@REAPERMILITIAOUTDOORS]

I still suck at navigation lol.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Lol, ah man that's bad

[@richardtisher5375]

LOL CLEAR AS MUDD BUTT IMMA WORKIN ON IT

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

LOL, Kepp trying Richard, it will come to you.

[@AlteredBridge]

They shoulda used this method in the Blair Witch Project.

[@todddguillory]

Lost in the woods, no fun, Trust me....LOL!!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Cool! I'm glad you liked it, The more simple it is, the easier it is to remember it. Thanks for watching my friend.