[Teufelhund]

Here are the wayfinding tools that I find myself using the most, nothing really fancy or innovative just the proven standards.

The Silva Ranger is my "stock-in-trade" compass and the one I use the most since it does the job of both a base plate orienteering compass and a GI lensetic. The base plate compass without the sighting mirror is a Suunto "GPS Plotter" that is an outstanding tool for working with a GPS and topo map. The scales that run 90 deg. are scaled for the most common UTM grids on various maps that use them.

The clear overlay is a "Multi-Scale Waypointer" and is used the same as the Suunto compass, with some extra scales. I used it alot more before I got the Suunto. The silver tool in the corner is a map distance scale, it has a little wheel that rolls on the map and gives you a very accurate distance. Quite essencial for accurate scaling of map distance, since rarely are you travling in a straight line. The opposite corner has a standard set of Ranger beads for pace counting, very handy at night or in country that doesn't lend it's self to terrain ossociation.

The GPS is my trusty old Garmin 12, it's bigger that the new Garmin "Trex" models but is still a good GPS and does all that needs to be done. Some notable things that didn't make the picture are my Brunton Pocket Transit and my new Trex GPS that was out in my "real gear". I like the pocket transit (a militry issue model) but it's really too heavy and alot more compass than you really need for wayfinding and I find myself rarely using it.

 

[Garand]

I was issued my Silva Ranger in 1974 and its been on my webbing ever since.

 

[TM123]

Good old lensatic compass here, and I have a silva and a brunson as back ups.Good topograhic maps in 1:100,000 scale, and a protractor.Since my retreat sites already established, as well as several back up sites, I carry maps for those areas and on the areas between them.I have several other maps on likely areas that may be good for possible retreat sites, or that have areas where salvage ops may come into play.No I don't carry 500 maps on me all the time, but I carry a set of em for my retreat ssite and the areas between where I live and it.(Less than 50 miles btw).

 

[andy]

if shtf, there will be damned little that you will know to USE a map for. You guys just ASSUME that there's gonna be some certain place to go to, or a certain way to get there, or some big hurry to do so. I don't. The map won't show you where the enemy is, where the food is, etc, and THOSE are the sorts of things that determine how and where you go. To a great extent, they also determine how long it will take, IF you EVER get there, actually. As I have said many times before, there will be LOTS of lames like you guys, inadvertently "bringing me" supplies. So I can go pretty much any direction I want to or need to.

 

[Garand]

If you repeat the fantasy often enough, you might begin to believe it! Keep thinking we are "lames". Your attitude towards others makes you an easy kill.

 

[TODD 3465]

The resident moron can't read a map or use a compass, so what's new.

I've got a Silva Ranger and a Swiss Army compass plus one Silva wrist model, both good gear.

 

[RIKA]

Mine is a GI lensatic compass and a Swiss Army model backup (slide out box with the drop down mirror. A GPS would be nice but I don't travel that much or get far enough into the woods that I would really need it.

RIKA

 

[Teufelhund]

Your right JD, just hold that thought.

if shtf, there will be damned little that you will know to USE a map for. You guys just ASSUME that there's gonna be some certain place to go to, or a certain way to get there, or some big hurry to do so. I don't. The map won't show you where the enemy is, where the food is, etc, and THOSE are the sorts of things that determine how and where you go. To a great extent, they also determine how long it will take, IF you EVER get there, actually. As I have said many times before, there will be LOTS of lames like you guys, inadvertently "bringing me" supplies. So I can go pretty much any direction I want to or need to.

It will make it that much easier for folks to deal with you. LOL

Teuf,

 

[Teufelhund]

I like GI compasses, they are rugged and great for shooting accurate bearings, but prefer to have an adjustable declination scale in my general purpose compasses, also the scales on GI compasses are goofed up for civvy map scales.

Rika it would be worth your time to understand GPS if for nothing more than the ability to take advantage of the UTM grid system. Almost all maps have "ticks" in the margin now for gridding the map into 1000 meter sections. You don't have to have a GPS to take advantage of them.

They are a great for referencing and recording location. For instance if we were going to hook up on Barebottom Creek for some skinny dipping. I could give you the exact location as a 8 number cordinate on the phone or radio and you could do all the wayfinding on your kitchen table before you left, noting distance between controlls and actual bearings, so if you got too drunk on the drive, you wouldn't have to do much thinking to get there.

Teuf,

 

[RIKA]

Perhaps I can find instructions on the net that will tell me how to use one.

RIKA

 

[Teufelhund]

Rika

Here's a good link to the trimble site, they have a nifty GPS tutorial. It covers the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) gridding system now in place, pretty cool stuff.

http://www.trimble.com/gps/what.html

Teuf,

 

[RIKA]

Thanks Teuf, I'll look at it as soon as the thunderstorm passes. Don't want to fry my old computer ... yet.

RIKA

 

[Dorobuta]

if shtf, there will be damned little that you will know to USE a map for. You guys just ASSUME that there's gonna be some certain place to go to, or a certain way to get there, or some big hurry to do so. I don't. The map won't show you where the enemy is, where the food is, etc, and THOSE are the sorts of things that determine how and where you go. To a great extent, they also determine how long it will take, IF you EVER get there, actually. As I have said many times before, there will be LOTS of lames like you guys, inadvertently "bringing me" supplies. So I can go pretty much any direction I want to or need to.

actually a map can show you all those things, if you know how to use it. The map lets you evaluate lots of option for getting to or from a location. They don’t force a time table.

they absolutely can be used to determine likely places for enemies, ambushes, etc. they will give you ideas on where game could be found, sources of water, and other foods.

again, you show a basic lack of comprehension.

 

[BigEd]

The resident moron can't read a map or use a compass, so what's new.

I've got a Silva Ranger and a Swiss Army compass plus one Silva wrist model, both good gear.

As I said Melvin's a moron when it comes to map and compass use.

He'd rather do it the Fawkawe Tribe way.

 

[Terry G]

I can't understand how anyone who proposes to know how to survive in the outdoors or even an urban environment never learned how to use a map and compass. My Children could do basic land navigation before they were 10. GPS's are great, wouldn't be without one, but compass's don't need batteries or satellites. Melvin uses the "don't need one" excuse because the great outdoorsman doesn't know how to use a compass or read a map. Since he can't do it no one needs to. I wonder if he realizes how completely ignorant this makes him look.