COMPASSES

[grundy53]

this is definetly a great thread.

[boneaddict]

My 10 cents....I got lost with a gps in my pocket becasue with the heavy overstory it couldn't aquire a satellite.   If I'd have had a compass in my pocket life would have been just fine.

the only time I had trouble with my compass was around packwood with magnetic rock....

[Alpine Mojo]

I've been getting around in the mountains just fine for years with a map and compass.  Adding a GPS would only mean more weight in my pack.

[follow maggie]

I love my compass.  I use the Brunton 8099 lensatic.  I only navigate by compass- I use my Garmin 12XL  to find my bearing and set it into the compass and go.  I love the old Garmin, too.  It locks onto satellites more reliably than any of my freinds with new models.

[SFD2015]

We used to call "Pluggers" (early GPS units in the military) cocaine sticks. Because people would get addicted to them, and would lose their ability to read a map and navigate with a compass.

My preferred compass is my old Military Lensatic compass. I learned how to read maps and navigate with this, and it is still in my pack today. These are great units (kinda expensive though).

A great book on Land Nav, if you can find it is FM 21-26 Map Reading and Land Navigation (US Army). It is a basic level map reading and orienteering book that is invaluable!

Great post and Great info here!

[jeepasaurusrex]

I used to teach Land Nav in the Army. I still have my Lensatic military issue compass. Wont ever trade it for a GPS.