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How to Read a Compass

How to Read a Compass
Navigation by way of compass may seem daunting at first to a beginner, but this trepidation shouldn’t stand in the way of learning to use one. In fact, once you learn how to read a compass, it will be a valued friend in the back-country — one you can always count on to help guide your steps. This guide is meant to be a general overview of the basics of learning how to read a compass, with or without a map. There are only a few key things to keep in mind, and once you have grasped these fundamentals, the realm of compass navigation will be open to you forever. Compass Basics First of all, what exactly does a compass do? In addition to the floating compass needle, a compass may have a myriad of other features, but only a few are really relevant to basic orienteering. Let’s say for example that you know your home base is in a southeasterly direction, ~120 degrees of azimuth. Magnetic north or Geographic north? There is one catch, though. How to Choose a Compass

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Navigating Without a Compass - Part 3 - Brian's Backpacking Blog This is the third post in my three-part series on navigating without a compass. In part one I described how you can use easily identifiable constellations to locate the north star, Polaris. In part two I showed how you can use an analog watch and the sun to quickly determine North and South. The Urban Survival Skills Everyone Should Know It's your word against his.. If he ain't talkin, your word pretty much wins. Also, don't try draggin him back in your house after he's dead.. The cops will be able to tell he was shot inside your house. As soon as you're involved in a shooting like this, call the cops, then a lawyer.. You are so bad ass. Survive Nature - Techniques for Surviving in every Natural Environment When you find yourself lost in the forest, you should be alert to the fact that there are predators and they are dangerous. Try to fashion a spear or knife out of branches to use as protection. Among the many predators to watch out for, bears are the most dangerous (especially Grizzlies): Black Bears: If you see a black bear 50 yards away or more, then keep your distance and continue hiking always making sure to not get closer. If you happen to come across the bear and it doesn't see you, then carefully walk away and talk loudly to alert the bear to your presence.

Navigating Without a Compass - Part 1 - Brian's Backpacking Blog This is the first post of a three-part series in which I want to share with you some easy ways to successfully (and accurately) navigate without the aid of a magnetic compass. There are many different and well proven methods of navigating without a compass, but I’m going to focus on the three techniques that I have found to be the easiest to remember and simplest to actually use. In my opinion you should have a compass with you at all times when venturing outdoors and know how to properly use it.

Land Rover Edible Desert Survival Guide While Land Rover vehicles can take on any obstacles in the desert, it cannot be said the same of their owners. Scorching temperatures, deadly animals and sinkholes are just a few things they might encounter. And when they venture deep into it, even the most experienced drivers can quickly succumb to the harshness of the desert. Land Rover in the United Arab Emirates worked with Y&R Dubai to create a survival guide explaining the basics for staying alive in the Arabian Desert, packaged it in a way that would spur the attention of our target audience.

Guest Post: All Dogs Matter Invites You to Our Annual Valentines Dog Walk! Share the love with all four-legged friends this Sunday (February 15th 2015) and come along to enjoy a morning of furry fun in aid of All Dogs Matter. [Credit: Mike Coles] The morning begins at the very dog-friendly Garden Gate pub, Hampstead. Dogs and owners meet and head off across the Heath for a romantic stroll. Using a Compass - The Basics - Brian's Backpacking Blog I quite often run into fellow backpackers during my hikes and enjoy chatting with them about where they’re from and what they’re doing, the usual trail chit-chat. A lot of the time our conversations include discussions about the current hike and conditions along the trail, where to find water and areas to avoid if necessary, sharing information with fellow hikers is one of the best parts of meeting people along the trail, in my opinion. However, on more than one recent occasion (too often, in fact) the conversation has included the seemingly innocent question of “so, where are we on the trail – any idea?” To which I am always shocked and usually ask, “don’t you carry a map and a compass?” This elicits several knee-jerk responses, the most frequent being, “yes, but I’m not exactly sure how to use the compass,” along with a sheepish grin. Inside my head I’m thinking, “then why are you carrying it and how on earth do you navigate your position?”

DIY Inspiration for Up-cycling Throwaway Materials If you’re a tradesman, problem solving forms a part of your daily job, and considering the price of raw materials, you are constantly aware of reducing unnecessary waste in order to cut on costs. Next time you’re at work, inspect the site and look for gems such as unused pallets, wood cut offs and piping. These materials are often foregone and taken to dumps after a specific project has been completed, but can be transformed into something both beautiful and functional – with some crafty work of course! 8 Amazing Inexpensive Countries To Live In For A Year Terms and Conditions Welcome to www.ewao.com (the "Website"). By using the Website, and the products and services of EWAO Limited ("EWAO") to view, upload, download, transmit or publish content (“Content”) available on or through the Website (referred to collectively as the "Services") you irrevocably agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and the EWAO’s Privacy Policy (collectively the "Terms"). These Terms apply both to third-party contributors and viewers of content (“Content”) displayed on the Website.

The Pre-April Showers Home Fix Checklist April showers are just around the corner which means you may want to start thinking about getting your home in check before things get wet and muddy. It’s important to start now so that your property is in tip top shape by the time Summer arrives. The up-coming Easter weekend is a perfect opportunity to get started on your repair projects! Klepper's solar-powered E-Kayak gives your arms a rest - Images Paddling lakes, bays and rivers by kayak is a rewarding experience, but it can also be quite tiring. That's why Klepper offers paddlers the benefit of a solar-powered electric drive in its E-Kayak kit. The paddler can kick back and let the small motor take over the forward-floating load. The design adds a little modern-day technology and convenience to Klepper's classic folding kayak. View all In 1905, a German architecture student named Alfred Heurich built a folding wooden-frame kayak he named Dolphin.

Why Do It Yourself? Digging into the Value of DIY A few days ago, I spent more than two hours dismantling and reassembling the guts of a toilet tank. There were some issues with flushing, and I wanted to see if I could diagnose it myself (I did, actually; there was a small broken part that was simple to replace). A plumber could have done it in ten minutes and probably would have charged me $25 or $50 for the service (in our area, anyway; it would likely be more in other areas). On another recent day, I spent about four hours building a small electronic spider that could walk under its own power. I was doing this mostly so I could learn how to use Arduino (an open source electronics platform) because I intend to use it to build some animated Christmas light displays for our family and perhaps some day sell them. I earned nothing from this except my own knowledge.

Foil Packets, Dutch Oven & Gourmet S'mores Recipes Ever since our first camping trip when we threw foil packets of cubed steak with roasted rosemary potatoes, carrots and peas on the campfire, finding great camping recipes has been a top priority. That’s why we’ve created this section of the blog dedicated to our favorite camping recipes. Breakfast Main Dishes Side Dishes

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