What Maps to Take Hiking
In a recent map & compass class, one of my students asked me what maps I carry into the backcountry when hiking or hunting. In[Read More…]
Post Tagged with: "Blake Miller"
Pre-Trail Maintenance for Your GPS Receiver
Summer is a great time to head for the trail and practice with a GPS receiver. There are several things hikers can do before leaving[Read More…]
Navigation In Darkness
Navigation in darkness and reduced visibility is a serious issue for the hiker. Important geographical and trail features (e.g., mountains, roads, forest, etc.) can be[Read More…]
Magellan Echo GPS Watch Review
The Magellan Echo GPS watch is a light weight “smart sports running watch.” The Echo sports watch is linked to the user’s smart phone through[Read More…]
Calibrating The GPS’s Electronic Compass
Most of the top of the line GPS receivers come with an electronic compass. The electronic compass moves and operates seemingly like a traditional magnetic compass.
Taking Good Care of Your Compass
If a hiker is willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of boots why not spend a bit more for a decent compass; it can make a huge difference.
Monitoring the Weather for Hikers
In 1857 Dutch professor Christopher Buys Ballot postulated that there was a relationship between wind direction and air pressure. Buys-Ballot’s law provides a rough approximation of the location and direction of the low pressure system as it tracks through a region.
Selecting a Magnetic Compass
Compass navigation is a perishable skill; it takes practice. In my compass classes I suggest that, as a minimum, two weeks before your next outing work with that compass frequently.
Hiker’s Tool Kit – Ultralight Ranger Bands
These bands are a larger homemade variant of the common rubber band. Strong and versatile, they are handy and straight forward to use. They can be cut in various sizes and lengths and band diameters will range from that of a touring bike inner tube to that of a motor cycle. Possibilities abound.
Weather Forecasting in the Backcountry: Thunderstorms
The dark clouds of a thunderstorm provide a strong sense of mass and energy. They can be seen a long way off. Avoid them when possible. As a storm develops you will notice that the clouds may change shape, grow taller and darker. In many cases an anvil shaped cloud growing tall and developing a distinct leading edge maybe observed. This is a sign that a storm is on the way.
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