Map and Compass Techniques Videos!!!

IUKE12 said:
Nice job Brian, thanks for putting the vids together. Triangulation would be a good one.
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I will try to do a couple more in the future. Probably not for a bit though.

Toucan Oasis said:
Fantastic videos.
Those videos should be included when you buy a high end compass.
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The methods work with cheaper compasses too. A lot of manuals detail both methods. But reading about that stuff can be pretty boring. I was hoping that actually seeing it would make it more fun :D

B
 
Brian Andrews said:
Hi JC,

It is the Suunto M-3G with global needle.

http://www.thecompassstore.com/51m3gl.html

I have others I like to use as well (such as a sighting compass) but figured that one would be more representative of what folks might be using, and is good for showing stuff with.

B
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thanks brian,

i was actually curious what brand of maps you were using... i've got that exact same base plate compass at home already :o
 
Sorry JCA......totally blew that one :o

I will try not to get too wordy here, but at least cover the important stuff. If I don't provide enough info, ask more and I will let you know.

In general, I use software to create my maps. The one in the video was created with Delorme Topo 8.0. However, as you can tell, it looks like a USGS map, which it kind of is.

Delorme ships with a "base" set of data, that in my opinion, is really insufficient for terrain-based navigation. I think it was intended to supplement GPS users for the most part. However, with Delorme, you can get a subscription for $30/year that will let you download all the USGS quads you want, along with aerial imagery, NOAA charts, etc. Cool stuff.

Where the Delorme software gets really cool is that USGS maps tend to be old. Delorme has a lot of "updated data" like hiking trails, etc. You can set it up to view a "Hybrid" map which will view the USGS quad, but let you put whatever Delorme info on it you want as well.

Besides that, it will also let put any type of grid you want (UTM, or Lat/Long), do measurements, route planning, elevation profiles, topo shading, etc.

There are other sets of software out there too. For example, I use Terrain Navigator as well. That software if very basic, but uses very nice High Res scans of USGS maps. The only downside is that you have to buy it by the state, and if you travel a lot, it can be expensive. I decided to live with the Delorme subscription because I like a lot of features the software has.

If you go with a different set of software, I would make sure that it is USGS map capable as I suspect many might have the crappy "base" data like Delorme shipped with theirs. That data really looks like a small sampling of USGS data, but I am not sure.

Now that I have said all this.......you are up there in BC :D I am not sure what software you guys have available for this sort of thing.

If there is something you want me to help you with, let me know.

B
 
thanks again brian,

i believe delorme does make a canadian version of its maps and i have the ibyscus topographic maps which provide access to the canadian government topo maps.

thanks i'll be looking into this one for sure.
 
Awesome, thanks Brian! :thumbup: I just picked up a Suunto M3 recently, so added bonus for me you used the M3G :)
 
I just found these video's and watched them.

Very good information and well thought out.

Thank You for doing them.
 
AWESOME STUFF BRIAN!!! I NEED TO REPLY to your email! You are the orienteering man!!!!!!!
 
Fantastic vids! Really helpful as I'm terrible at following manuals for this kind of thing. I subscribed to your channel.
 
Wow! It is been so long, I will have to go back and watch them to see what I put in them :)

Seriously, it is great to have some feedback on those. Sometimes it is hard to tell if it is worth the time and effort of doing something like that, and it appears it is :thumbup:

B
 
Brian, it's well worth it in my opinion. I did some time searching on youtube and didn't find anything close to being as useful.

Yesterday I went to an orienteering competition I listened to what they had to say and tried their methods, than I tried to explain your method of taking a bearing from the map without orientating the map to north and no one would listen. Granted I most likely did not explain it perfectly, but they didn't even want to entertain the idea of a different method. It was a good exercise in map reading and terrain reading, but not the type of experience I wanted. Everyone there was interested in racing.

Another humorous thing was, based on what I read here, I bought a Suunto MC2-G compass. I was told at the event "get rid of that thing and buy a $14 compass for orienteering."

Thanks Again,
John
 
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