Compass

Yea its kind of important to know where you are going and what's around you. My Mom taught me that when I was little. She also made sure I had a pocket knife when I was 8 and I could shoot a rifle when I was 12.
 
Terrain assocation, attack points, not staring at the ground as you walk!!!! I love watching people stare at their compass while they walk through the woods. It's even funnier if they trip and fall.
 
Well -- I suppose you could become so involved with your stuff, (even in the planning stages) that you could miss most of the trip and the enjoyment of it.
 
beefangusbeef said:
Terrain assocation, attack points, not staring at the ground as you walk!!!! I love watching people stare at their compass while they walk through the woods. It's even funnier if they trip and fall.
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This reminds me of a guy who could not understand how he got lost because "I followed the needle so I was always going north." :D

(He also had an Optimus [model 8?] stove he had purchased in Europe that he did not know how to operate. When he opened the box for the first time -- there in the mountains, he found the instructions were in several languages - none of which were English. "What is this "benzine" business." The wonderfulness of gear without knowledge and experience!)
 
oops time to break out the rubbing sticks i got on ebay its getting cold out!!! lol
 
xbxb said:
Yea its kind of important to know where you are going and what's around you. My Mom taught me that when I was little. She also made sure I had a pocket knife when I was 8 and I could shoot a rifle when I was 12.
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We need more mothers like that. Much more helpful to their kids than doing Million Mom marches. Think what we would be like if a million mothers taught their kids like yours did you. What a different world it would be.
 
Compases are good if you pay attention to the terrane and can see landmarks. I would get a good one and at least one of the ziper pull variety (I like silva) (in case the good one gets trashed).

Here in the rockies its more important to keep track of whicn drainage or canyon that you are in than to actually know which way is north.

I am amazed at the people that only look at the map after they are turned arround.
(This really happened) " Can you help? I'm really lost" Yuppie with new rei equipmment pulls out his expensive compas and map.
"sure" I says and point generally west "the Tarryall is two ridges over that way and you can follow it north about a half mile to the confluance of the south platt river."
The lost one looks confused " can you show me on the map?"
After a couple minutes of study I point to one of the surrounding peaks " this is here on the map and that places us about here". I ask a question " where did you park?" He didn't know.
Eventually I took him back to my jeep and after a long question and answer period, and some searching, we eventually found his car.
It just proves (again) that you gotta look at a map and orient it with a compass when you know where you are (before you get confused).
Enjoy!
 
Here in the rockies its more important to keep track of whicn drainage or canyon that you are in than to actually know which way is north.
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Terrain Association is key no matter where you are. I hear you in alaska it's pretty much the same way if you know what side of the mountain you're on you're usually good.
 
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