Outdoor Navigation Tips

By George G. Spearing

Hunting or hiking, particularly in remote areas, is a great experience if approached with due regard for fitness, safety and skill.
One of the major skill categories, is the ability to navigate with or without compass and map. Ideally, no one should head off the beaten track without map or compass, but what if you find yourself in that situation, or you lose or damage your compass?
Here are a few basic ‘skills’ that could one day be of use to you.

Finding direction by using your watch…
If you have a watch that is working correctly, you can always quickly determine the points of the compass as long as the position of the sun is visible.
The method used varies depending upon which hemisphere (northern or southern) that you happen to be living in. The following methods are described using an analog watch, (that’s a watch with an hour and a minute hand) but they can be applied just as well if you own a digital watch – just use your imagination to superimpose the 12 hourly numerals and the relevant position of the ‘hour hand’ on the face of your digital watch.

Northern Hemisphere
Holding your watch horizontally, point the ‘hour hand’ of your watch at the sun.
Note the direction that lies exactly midway between the ‘hour hand’ and the numeral twelve on your watch. This will be south.
Once you have established this, it will be easy to determine the other points of the compass.

Southern Hemisphere
Holding your watch horizontally, point the numeral twelve on your watch at the sun.
Note the direction that lies exactly midway between the twelve and the ‘hour hand’.
This will be north.
These methods will give you a good approximation of compass direction.
If your watch happens to be adjusted for daylight saving at the time, then ‘remove’ the daylight saving for greater accuracy.

Another method of determining compass points can be used if you do not have a watch. This method takes longer and also requires enough sunlight to cast a shadow…

To find North without a watch
Before noon, on level terrain, position a stick of about 3ft upright into the ground.
Mark the tip of its shadow with a peg or stone.
Using the tip of the shadow as a radius, draw an arc around the stick.
The shadow will shorten as it approaches noon, pulling back from the arc. It will then lengthen again – where the afternoon shadow once again touches the arc, place another peg or stone.
Now draw a straight line between the two pegs/stones – this will be an East/West line, with the first peg being in the westerly direction.
You can now draw a North/South line at right angles to the East/West line.

The following (less accurate) method can also be used at any time of the day without drawing an arc…
Peg the tip of the first shadow, then about 20min later peg the tip of the moved shadow. Draw a straight line between the two pegs, and this will be an approximately East/West line, with the first peg again being the westerly one.

A typical error when lost is a tendency to wander off what you may think is a straight line bearing, sometimes even slowly circling back on yourself.
To prevent this, note an object (tree, rock, terrain feature) that lies directly ahead of you in the direction you wish to travel, then aim for it. When you reach it, take another bearing on the direction you wish to head, sight another object directly ahead of you and repeat the process.
In areas of restricted distance visibility, you may have to repeat this quite often over short ‘legs’ to ensure that you are remaining on course.

Keeping a course by the clouds…
What if it’s a cloudy day with no sun visible to get a bearing on, or the bush canopy prevents you getting a clear “shot” at the sun?
Well, if you’re lucky, it may be windy with the clouds moving in a constant direction – note the directional flow of the clouds, and adjust your course relevant to their direction.
e.g., If the clouds are moving from your front from right to left over your shoulders, keep them there, at the same time, sight an object straight ahead of you and head for it.
To retrace your steps in the same general direction, just do an about turn, then keep the clouds moving from behind and now left to right over your shoulders, and repeat the process.

As another example of ‘cloud navigation’, once, when moving inland through dense bush away from a coastal beach, I eventually decided to retrace my steps to where I’d left my kayak. Surrounded by dense undergrowth and trees, I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any idea in which direction the coast lay.
Before entering the tree line, I’d noted that the clouds were moving in a direct line from the trees to the coastline – it was just a simple matter then of looking up and following the direction of the clouds to enable myself to head in the correct general direction and once again access the beach.

Being aware of your surroundings will often pay off, so try to cultivate that habit.

George Spearing is author of, “Dances With Marmots – A Pacific Crest Trail Adventure”
ISBN:1411656180
http://www.danceswithmarmots.com

Nine Survival Tips if Ever Lost in the Woods

By Steven T. Remington

We all enjoy getting out in the woods and searching for game. Our thoughts of coming up victorious are in the forefront of our minds throughout the season, but are we prepared for the worst case scenerio? Usually the times when we are unprepared is when we least expect it. Make sure you hope for the best experiences while at the same time expect the worst. Below are 9 basic survival tips when lost in the woods. If you remember these tips your chances of survival will increase dramatically if ever you become lost while in the woods.

1) Stay Together!
DO NOT separate if you are with a friend or even a pet. A friend or a dog can provide body heat for one another in colder temperatures. You are able to cuddle up and stay warm. Do not let a dog loose, but keep them close by. Companionship is also important. A lot of times people act strange while alone and lost and are quicker to make irrational decisions. You and your friend have a better chance of surviving by keeping each other in check and bouncing ideas off each other.

2) Stay in one place or area.
DO NOT WANDER! This is the most important rule. If you can walk away from reading this list and are able to remember just one of these survival tips, please remember this one. When you wander around you are almost impossible to find. The reason is that those searching for missing people move very slowly while searching for clues and if you are constantly on the move then it becomes difficult to catch up to you. Sometimes surviving depends on hours, or even minutes. Another reason for not wandering is the great possibility of falling and getting hurt. When you are lost and then become hurt you can become hopeless and it is quite a tragic event.

3) Keep Warm.
Keep warm with the clothes you are currently wearing. Never shed any clothes! Look for exposed skin such as fingers, neck, and even your face. Try to find ways to cover these parts even if they don’t feel cold at the time. This strategy is not to “become” warm BUT to “remain” warm. If you are wearing a jacket, make sure it stays zipped. Though you may feel more warm than desirable the heat may save your life in near future encounters with changing weather temperatures and conditions.

Try to keep moving by collecting brush, branches, and leaves. Later it can be used to stay warm while you sleep. Try not to over exert yourself. The key is to keep moving so you keep your blood flowing through your body so you can remain warm, and at the same time not tire yourself. Make sure to keep your eyes open for any possible searches if you choose any little projects.

A good tip learned the hard way is to watch out for shoe laces. Branches have a tricky way of sticking into the tied laces and undoing them. Double knot your laces. If you lose a shoe for just a few seconds, your toes may never find warmth again until you are found. The most important article of clothing is a hat. If you do not have a hat try to find something that will cover up your head as best as you can. Over 70% of all your body heat escapes through your head.

4) Find a Cozy Waiting Place, Not a Hiding Place.
A cozy waiting place means, a warm place out of the wind and rain but not a place where people searching for you can not see you. Find a large tree and remain still. If you jump into thickets or bushes it is quite possible searchers will walk right by you.

5) Put Out Something Bright.
While you sit and stay warm, put out something bright to make searchers aware of where you are. We don’t expect you to create an entire camp from scratch but make a flag using what you have. Try not to take off any clothes to make your flag. It is important for you to keep your clothes on to remain warm. Some suggestions offered by trained search and rescuers are white paper, money, hair ribbons, a strip from an orange garbage bag, etc.

Also what has helped in past situations is spell the word “HELP” or “SOS” on the ground using rocks and sticks or even make a large arrow with them, pointing to where you are. Do anything that will attract attention to where you are.

6) Look For Searchers.
In previous situations people who become lost give up hope and forget people are searching for them. Always expect searchers to be coming and begin looking for them. If possible, your waiting place should be near an open space. When you hear someone coming, move to the middle of the clearing and call. Never run in the direction of the noise. Let them come to you. If it is an aircraft you heard, lie down so the pilot has a bigger target to look at. Then wave with both your arms and legs, like making an angel in the snow. Stand up immediately after the aircraft has passed because the ground can be very cold.

7) Do Not Lie on the Bare Ground.
The only exception to this rule is when an aircraft is flying above you, so laying on the cold ground for a very short period of time, attracting attention, will be more beneficial. Being in direct contact with the ground for any length of time is dangerous. The cold ground will steal your body heat from you. Build a mattress using available materials such as branches, moss, leaves, etc. Try to make the mattress as thick as the one you sleep on at home! After the mattress is completed, gather the same amount or more, of the same material and use it for the blankets. This is called a survival bed.

Do Not Eat Anything you are not sure of.
Do not eat any berries, mushrooms or anything else unless you are 100% sure what they are. Being hungry is not as bad as compared with being violently sick. Even field experts have made mistakes by not properly identifying wild berries. In turn, this can be fatal. If it doesn’t directly kill you, it can inhibit your chances of staying warm, being found, and making rational decisions. And remember, there won’t be anyone there to look after you. You can go without food for a long time, but you cannot go without water.

9) Stay Away from Large Rivers and Lakes.
You must have drinking water to survive, but be careful where you get it from. Do not go near any large bodies of water. Instead, drink from a water supply that is smaller than you are, so you can not fall in. Another source of water can be found on leaves in the form of dew.

By Steven T Remington