Map and Compass Techniques Videos!!!

Brian Andrews

Brian Andrews

Joined
Dec 11, 2006
Messages
1,659
I have decided to make a couple videos because there have been a lot of posts lately about map and compass navigation. Some of the most widely used and taught methods have lots of drawbacks that are easily overcome. I have explained a different ways to do things here on the forum, in words, several times. However, I don’t think explaining is quite as effective as seeing it. So, that is what the videos are for.

I would also like to comment that this is not intended to be a full tutorial on navigation. One of the most powerful navigation tools that you can learn is terrain recognition. Learning what the contour lines are supposed to represent, and relating that to the real world. In doing that, you will also get a good understanding how ground speed relates to distant on the map. That takes time and practice and I can’t show that in a 5 minute video. So, that is your homework! :) Practice terrain recognition :)

I was only going to cover a couple concepts, but I figured while I was doing this, I would take it one step further and cover declination too. Since it is technically being used in the first two videos anyway. So, here its:

Orienting your map:

[youtube]ErS56MfncQs[/youtube]

Taking a bearing from your map:

[youtube]bnGzAUgplgM[/youtube]

Dealing with declination Part 1:

[youtube]67wKnViZWvw[/youtube]

Dealing with declination Part 2:

[youtube]xEQBhjQMcF4[/youtube]

Here is an online source for finding current declination for your location:

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomagmodels/Declination.jsp

Educated choice is the whole reason I did these videos. How do you choose a method, when you don’t know the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

If you want me to do more videos on bisection (resection), triangulation, etc, I can. It just won’t be real soon.

B
 
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Thanks for taking the time to make and post these videos.
They were extremely helpful in my quest to learn these skills :thumbup:
 
Hey, Brian.

Great stuff. Map reading has always been a weak point of mine. I've always used dead reckoning and boxing my compass, but mostly just landmark recognition (which has failed me a time or two--especially when I go in the the deep woods).

Would you mind if I downloaded these and added them to my collection?
 
Fantastic info...thanks for taking the time to post it! I thought I recognized your map...I have been hiking, hunting, camping around the Waterloo Rec Area for 25 years! Great spot!
 
It is appears my "Declination" video is too long for youtube. I will have to re-edit it, break it up, and will edit the first post when I am done. Sorry about that.

B
 
In Map Bearing, the second part. Where do you grab the number from? I understand the concept fine, but where do you read the number from?
 
Always at the index line, which on the particular compass I was using was a little "triangle" at the top of the dial. Some compasses actually have a line there. It is the same spot where you would look to dial in a bearing is where you would read it back from.

Where you read the bearing on the compass is no different in either method actually. You read the bearing from the same spot on the compass.

B
 
I'm going to enjoy these on the weekend Brian. Looking forward to this one as I had a blast from your personal instruction.

Ken
 
just curious as to what brand of maps you are using there brian,

thanks

JC
 
Nice job Brian, thanks for putting the vids together. Triangulation would be a good one.
 
great stuff Brian.. thanks for the video's man...:thumbup: they're definately good reference...
 
Brian Andrews said:
Always at the index line, which on the particular compass I was using was a little "triangle" at the top of the dial. Some compasses actually have a line there. It is the same spot where you would look to dial in a bearing is where you would read it back from.

Where you read the bearing on the compass is no different in either method actually. You read the bearing from the same spot on the compass.

B
Click to expand...

Thats what I though, I just couldn't see your line in the video and assumed it was somewhere else.
 
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