Thanks for watching friends! Make sure you hit the like button and subscribe to stay up to date on future content. You can find gear on my Amazon Influencer Page www.amazon.com/shop/stokermatic
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.
The tragic case of Geraldine Largay is a stark reminder of how important it is to be situationally aware and know how to navigate. She was within two miles of the trail but, ultimately succumbed to exposure and starvation after 28 days…less than TWO miles from the trail.
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.
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!
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
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Great video packed with great information! Well done! I've seen this method on other TH-cam 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
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.
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
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.
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?
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!
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.
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
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!!!
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.
...........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!
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?
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!
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?
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.
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.
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
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
I want to learn how to use a compass with/without a map for land navigation. Recently I bought a Sportneer lensatic compass with a built-in inclinometer, but I'm noticing very few instructors mention the Sportneer compasses. I bought that compass because I couldn't afford the Cammenga GI compass, which sells for about $100 where the Sportneer cost me about $20+. Question: do you have an evaluation or opinion about the Sportneer lensatic compasses? Did I make a good or bad choice? Your videos are excellent and I'm learning gradually. Thanks!
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.
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.
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! 💪
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.
Awesome video! I have a question, when you were laying out your map on the ground with the stakes and paracord and compass, do you have to align the bezel mark with the floating arrow facing magnetic North?
@@STOKERMATIC Thank you! I have a couple more questions. How do I determine my footstep count to the protractor? What protractor are you using? Where can I purchase? Thank you!
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!
Quick question. Honestly a serious question at that. What can I expect to come across in the Pacific Northwest regarding animals? Thinking bears. What do you recommend using for protection?
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!
@@STOKERMATIC thanks. I hike above treeline. Trying to get the hang of map n compass in case of white out up there and need to get back to starting point. Great videos 👍
Yes, but. It directly. It’s an overlay using dead reckoning on paper or a terrain mode. Most of the time it’s done before hand - planning a route. In this case it’s done enroute in order to return.
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. ❤
20:25 I read the azimuth as 229 while you were recording 239. Over 225 meters there was a potential 35 meter east deviation. How close to your vehicle do you reckon you wound up?
Awesome video! I particularly like how you recreated your travel on the ground with the paracord and sticks! Super helpful. Does it matter what the scale is on the protractor you used to measure the ground distance on your way back to your SP? Thanks!!!
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
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.
So say i did drift off course not paying attention or whatever, i get to where i think im suppose to be at but way off course, how do i get back on course?
Tom, great question! Def worth a video or two! In short, you need to first take a break, reorient yourself and then you could use resection, terrain association - shoot you could even use the skills in this video to scout around knowing you could make it back to a known spot. Stoker
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.
Thanks for watching friends! Make sure you hit the like button and subscribe to stay up to date on future content. You can find gear on my Amazon Influencer Page www.amazon.com/shop/stokermatic
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.
People have died on less than five acres of property they've purchased. People do not understand "being a lost ball in the high weeds."
The tragic case of Geraldine Largay is a stark reminder of how important it is to be situationally aware and know how to navigate.
She was within two miles of the trail but, ultimately succumbed to exposure and starvation after 28 days…less than TWO miles from the trail.
I always say 'tis a lucky man who learns at least one thing every day'. Today l learned something. Thank you and well done.
Jason, thanks man! I’m glad it was helpful.
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.
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.
Man, so true! Gotta take some good notes!! I appreciate your service and hope you are doing well!
@@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!
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.
Thanks! Hope you enjoy the content and that it’s helpful! Best to ya on your journey!
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
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!
Tim, better late than never! Hope my land nav playlist helps you out!
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.
Thanks James, man I appreciate that. Keep exploring & stay safe down there in Freedom Florida!
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!
Right on Kevin, thanks for sharing that!
A great refresher. Been a while since I wanted to play with my compass without a map. Thanks
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!
Thank you Sky! I'm glad it was helpful, and I hope some of my other content resonates as well. Hope all is well down under!
Stoker
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
Matthew - I'm stoked the content resonated with you!
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
Sounds like a helluva man.
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!
Appreciate that! 🇺🇸🥃
Very, very informative. This is a life saving tool to have! As an avid backpacker I will be using this technique. Thank you for sharing.
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.
very good technique for mapping YOUR travel. I like how you used the string and cord
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
Brother, that's awesome to hear! Stay strong, and be safe!
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.
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.
Glad it was helpful!
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.
Michael! Glad it kind of worked out - hate it took so long. And indeed - the further you go, the more attention to detail we need to take!
@@STOKERMATIC i think you did a good job with it. My kids & I will be practicing these skills. This is a great skill that all outdoorsman should know.
This was a very cool vid. Just stumbled across your channel. Well done and very informative.
Great video packed with great information! Well done! I've seen this method on other TH-cam 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
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.
👊
@@STOKERMATIC 🤜🤛
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
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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.
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?
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!
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.
Right on Charles, I appreciate it. I'm sure you have some interesting experiences in the woods and on the sea.
Loved your plotting the traverse on the ground. That was brilliant in my book.😊😊
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
Glad you're enjoying the content and getting out to practice!
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!!!
Thanks Mike! That's quite the compliment! Appreciate your service as well!!
Awesome tips! Definitely a great reference to utilize in teaching my kid how to conduct general navigation. Thanks for the video.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. Mapping out using paracord, protractor and sticks on ground w/compass pretty cool.
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.
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Your videos are so informative and the way you present it is so amusing... keep it up and thank you!
Stay safe sir!
I appreciate that!! Thanks!
...........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!
Thanks John! I hope the memory was a find one!
Thanks for the help! Looking forward to seeing what is out in the state park’s hiking.
Best navigation video on youtube
Well spoken and all knowledge. Now I have to get a compass and get it a try. Thank You.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting way of “drawing” the map, thanks for sharing
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?
This was very helpful! Thank you for putting this together
Glad it was helpful!
Thank You Very Much! This is exactly what i could not figure out on my own.
Excellent Video Brother !
Thank You Sir.
It's been decades since I was in the Boy Scouts.
Right on! One more thing we share in common - I made Eagle about 20 days before I turned 18! lol.
Awesome video! Just added more knowledge to my arsenal. Thank you!!!
Thanks!!
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!
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?
Right on! 👊🏴☠️
Thank you, the map on the ground to nav back to your jump off point was great.
Glad it resonated!
Awesome explanation!! Very easy to understand…
Glad it was helpful! 🇺🇸👊
This was a fantastic demo. Nice Subaru too.
Glad it was helpful brother. And thanks!
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.
9:10 it's like a cinematic take, breathtaking
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.
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
I appreciate it amigo! Working on more all the time. Check out land nav playlist too.
Stay stoked.
@@STOKERMATIC Again, thanks and stay safe!
Very impressive many thanks and greetings from the Uk
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. Hope all is well!!
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
Awesome!
Clear and informative
I want to learn how to use a compass with/without a map for land navigation. Recently I bought a Sportneer lensatic compass with a built-in inclinometer, but I'm noticing very few instructors mention the Sportneer compasses. I bought that compass because I couldn't afford the Cammenga GI compass, which sells for about $100 where the Sportneer cost me about $20+. Question: do you have an evaluation or opinion about the Sportneer lensatic compasses? Did I make a good or bad choice? Your videos are excellent and I'm learning gradually. Thanks!
Haven’t used it TBH.
I’m sure it will do you well until you’re ready to make it your second one.
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.
Whew! Scary moments for sure! Thanks for sharing that Ron!
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.
They do have a 1:50 scale on it!
Great video.. This is what I like about using a compass
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! 💪
Nothing wrong with farm land Mark! Glad you enjoyed it!
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.
Awesome video! I have a question, when you were laying out your map on the ground with the stakes and paracord and compass, do you have to align the bezel mark with the floating arrow facing magnetic North?
Rotating bezel will preset compass for moving out for quick reference to aid in keeping the right direction.
Not needed when setting up string.
@@STOKERMATIC Thank you! I have a couple more questions. How do I determine my footstep count to the protractor? What protractor are you using? Where can I purchase? Thank you!
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!
For the fun of it I worked it out mathematically. The precise numbers are 174.8 metres at a 228.1°.
Quick question. Honestly a serious question at that. What can I expect to come across in the Pacific Northwest regarding animals? Thinking bears. What do you recommend using for protection?
Excellent video! Very useful.
PERFECT for every occasion, thank you sir
You're most welcome Nick!
Awesome video! Lots of important life saving information for sure. Well done! Thank you for the video!
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!
Thanks for this! Love real world examples. Subscribed!
Right on Robert!
Really good video. Do you have a video for obstacles in the way when traveling?
Have a couple - check out my land nav playlist.
@@STOKERMATIC thanks. I hike above treeline. Trying to get the hang of map n compass in case of white out up there and need to get back to starting point. Great videos 👍
Loved it!!! Great example of fieldcraft. Cheers from Alberta!!!
Thanks Paul, glad you enjoyed it! Cheers from Washington state! Glad to have ya!
Where do I find a flat protractor that that has a 50meter reading. Which one do you have because I can’t find it?
Good lesson, I'm going to try it out soon. Have you ever thought of using a Fitness Step counter, for distance, if not do you think it would work?
I’ll have to work up a video that explains why I don’t use those things
Very nice! Did you learn this while in the military? The technique is very similar to a book I read about the P.A.U.L. method.
Yes, but. It directly. It’s an overlay using dead reckoning on paper or a terrain mode. Most of the time it’s done before hand - planning a route. In this case it’s done enroute in order to return.
Thanks you lerning me a soo much ! , will put and try it
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Nice that you finally got to the point. Good job
Thanks!
Even without a map its counting distance, is it possible to use a compass just for bearings?
Hello, very good explanation and easily understood. I learned something from this video.
Thanks,
Shine on
Right on! Thanks for the feedback Louis!
Stay Stoked
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. ❤
Great video! Thank you sir!
Sir it was very helpful.. Keep on adding up this informative stuff it's very helpful.. Thankyou..
Thank you!
20:25 I read the azimuth as 229 while you were recording 239. Over 225 meters there was a potential 35 meter east deviation. How close to your vehicle do you reckon you wound up?
I found it.
That was great thanks so much 😀👍🏻
Good demo, thanks
Awesome video! I particularly like how you recreated your travel on the ground with the paracord and sticks! Super helpful. Does it matter what the scale is on the protractor you used to measure the ground distance on your way back to your SP? Thanks!!!
Great show I'm learning slot ty
Are the military issue lensatic compasses available to civilians?
They sure are. Check out my Amazon Influencer page - link in description of video
Great video!!!
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Enjoyed the vid. Would have been complete with one example of circumventing an obstacle on your trail line and picking up the correct azimuth again.
That was well done, learned a lot….
Thanks Sir.!!! From Mexico
Right on!
Very informative thank you
Glad it was helpful!
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
Wow - quite the story Alec! Glad it turned out okay for you both. Thanks for sharing!
Very useful man. I like the protractor too.
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.
Nice job illustrating how to mark measure and azimuth your way back.
So say i did drift off course not paying attention or whatever, i get to where i think im suppose to be at but way off course, how do i get back on course?
Tom, great question! Def worth a video or two! In short, you need to first take a break, reorient yourself and then you could use resection, terrain association - shoot you could even use the skills in this video to scout around knowing you could make it back to a known spot.
Stoker
Great video! Thanks
Stay Stoked!
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.
There you go!