pace count

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partisan1911

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Nov 8, 2010
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I have been to a few survival and evasion schools back in the day but never had the pleasure of attending the Randall course so I started to look around their website some. I read through the pace count section and it makes sense. At the bottom it says the average pace count on flat terrain is 65.

My actual pace count with no weight on flat terrain is 65 but that is counting off of one foot or every other step. So does the article intend you to count off each foot or one foot as you are walking?
 
partisan1911 said:
I have been to a few survival and evasion schools back in the day but never had the pleasure of attending the Randall course so I started to look around their website some. I read through the pace count section and it makes sense. At the bottom it says the average pace count on flat terrain is 65.

My actual pace count with no weight on flat terrain is 65 but that is counting off of one foot or every other step. So does the article intend you to count off each foot or one foot as you are walking?
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Paces are generally always considered every other step. For example every time your left foot hits the ground. Or your right foot if you prefer. :D
 
That is how I was taught as well. I must have missed it in the article?

Interesting read about the water filters. I have been issued both of the ones they mentioned. I always had doubt with the miox so I never carried it. I always carry my pump and a small amount of swimming pool shock for the bigger containers.
 
A pace is every time your left foot hits the ground (2 steps). I guess I need to correct that and make it clearer in the piece. This was actually a cut and paste (with permission) from someone else's site. We've had some guys on our course that counted every step (so 130 steps) for 100 meters. Pace count is pretty damn accurate.
 
:thumbup: ... It is pretty accurate Jeff.
A lot of good info on the site also....thanks. :thumbup: :)
 
I'm not really a leftist so can I use my right foot? I don't like making left hand turns, either. :D

I have a miniature set of Pace (Ranger) Beads that you can wear on your wrist if yanto.
 
R.A.T. said:
Sorry, Don. Only Socialists can use this method of determining distance.
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lol! that's good, Jeff!

ranger beads, for the small size/weight they take up, should be in more peoples bags I think. Mine is on my packstrap tucked under some Molle.

Never saw on one the wrist, Don - does yours still have the two sets of beads I guess?
 
many times while doing land I have stopped and had to think....was that four hundred or five hundred? Stupid little task like counting can throw me for a loop sometime.
 
R.A.T. said:
Sorry, Don. Only Socialists can use this method of determining distance.
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I wonder how many paces it is from one side of the "isle" to the other in Congress? Perhaps we would know how many paces it takes to get to Socialism then. :D

solocanoe said:
Never saw on one the wrist, Don - does yours still have the two sets of beads I guess?
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Uh-yup!

I'm surprised with this crew of miscreants that no anal bead jokes have been loosed, ooops! I just mentioned them! The Brigg's & Stratton Technique. :D
 
partisan1911 said:
I have been to a few survival and evasion schools back in the day but never had the pleasure of attending the Randall course so I started to look around their website some. I read through the pace count section and it makes sense. At the bottom it says the average pace count on flat terrain is 65.

My actual pace count with no weight on flat terrain is 65 but that is counting off of one foot or every other step. So does the article intend you to count off each foot or one foot as you are walking?
Click to expand...

Also understand that this serves as a baseline. Lots of things will change your pace count, and you should establish these as well:

Terrain (soft, paved, broken, underbrush,etc.)
Load (basic hiking load, heavier portage load)
Limited Visibility (dusk, twilight, moonless night and full moon all often have a few paces off)
Grade (uphill/downhill)
Weather (people tend to trudge in the rain)
Energy level
Threat level (are you trying to move tactically? Silently? "Speed-is-security?")

If you're doing a good job marking off your 100m paces, a few here or there won't make a HUGE difference if you've got good navigational handrails and are comfortable where you're operating, but add a little drift, a little fatigue, darkness, rough terrain, and a few KMs worth of movement can end up quite a bit off.
 
My pace count for the last 20 years or so has not changed. I have one for running with boots and minimal gear, and one for walking (includes weight). I leave all others for the experts. My last big hike was three years ago. It was a 40 mile through the Talkeetna Range. It was a blast. Places like that it doesn't help to have a pace count. Darn mountains are big enough you can't get lost, only die tired.
 
tarditi said:
Also understand that this serves as a baseline. Lots of things will change your pace count, and you should establish these as well:

Terrain (soft, paved, broken, underbrush,etc.)
Load (basic hiking load, heavier portage load)
Limited Visibility (dusk, twilight, moonless night and full moon all often have a few paces off)
Grade (uphill/downhill)
Weather (people tend to trudge in the rain)
Energy level
Threat level (are you trying to move tactically? Silently? "Speed-is-security?")

If you're doing a good job marking off your 100m paces, a few here or there won't make a HUGE difference if you've got good navigational handrails and are comfortable where you're operating, but add a little drift, a little fatigue, darkness, rough terrain, and a few KMs worth of movement can end up quite a bit off.
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This is very true.

One thing I have learned is to not expect to be right at the location I'm supposed to be at when I reach the end of my pace count, unless it's a short hike of just a few clicks. I have learned that at that point is when I will be coming up on it in the next few minutes or so. Very few times have I actually reach my location at the same time my pace count ended.

Basically, don't be afraid to walk a few hundred extra meters and take off your horse blinders, and keep your eyes open to the left and right for what ever it is you're looking for. In fact start really keeping your eyes open to the left and right a few hundred meters before before you get to where you want to go.

If you still haven't found it after going an extra 500 meters or so, shoot a back azimuth to your end point, and then shoot an azimuth to the 3 o'clock and walk say 500 meters to see if you were off track. If not shoot another back azimuth to your start location and do the samething to the 9 o'clock.

You will find where you want to go.
 
If you've got good handrails then you can ditch the maps, compass and pace count for the most part.
 
R.A.T. said:
If you've got good handrails then you can ditch the maps, compass and pace count for the most part.
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Very true Jeff. Going through all my land nav courses at Camp Pendleton there's a lot of hills, short, tall, ranges, and TONS of viable dirt and paved roads. When you learn to use these as integral parts of your navigation as either handrails or backstops they really become your most important "friend".
 
average 12-15 paces per 25m for me (~12 = average winter in snowshoes, 15 average summer flat bush), it's surprisingly accurate.

when doing a lot of dead reckoning pace and compass work I use one of these:

001-2.jpg
 
First Post, thought I would weigh in. Pace counts will change heavily depending on terrain: uphill, downhill, rocky, etc. Less is always more when it comes to doo-dads dangling, instead of beads, I count pace on my left foot and count the hundreds place on my right. No dealing with bead placement at night. When the voices in your head get used to it and cooperate, it becomes natural. Just two cents from a new guy.
 
333rm said:
Very true Jeff. Going through all my land nav courses at Camp Pendleton there's a lot of hills, short, tall, ranges, and TONS of viable dirt and paved roads. When you learn to use these as integral parts of your navigation as either handrails or backstops they really become your most important "friend".
Click to expand...

One of me brothers was an Armorer on Edson Range and used to go out running in the desert all the time. :D

mckrob said:
when doing a lot of dead reckoning pace and compass work I use one of these:

001-2.jpg
Click to expand...

I have one as well. Used to use them when I worked concert security and other venues part-time as well. Use it to count pace. The voices in my head won't cooperate so I need a few more doo-dads than most people. :D
 
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