Instrumentless Navigation

[Nate]

(Just out of curiosity) for those who have some bushwhacking experience, if you're hiking by yourself, what is the furtherest you'd be comfortable bushwhacking without a compass or GPS unit? I'm sure to an extent it depends on the terrain, how dense the trees are and how much of an obvious vertical climb it is to the summit, and how much of a defined summit it is. I know it's a weird question, but in light of what I thought would be a quick straight forward hike from the AT to Middle Moriah last summer without the GPS (since most of the hiking that day was on trails, I didn't think it would be needed), where my return to the trail took a little longer than I thought it would (by what perhaps turned out to only be by a minute or two longer), I got to wondering how nervous other people would be in that situation.

 

[Chip]

There are techniques, like tracking distant objects or the sun to keep your bearings, but I've gotten "lost" in dense cover areas that probably amounted to less than 10 acres. It's VERY easy to lose your direction when you are constantly being turned by obstructions. I wouldn't suggest travel without using at least a compass to keep you heading in (basically) the right direction.

 

[sapblatt]

I have little to no real bushwhacking experience but I would say that I would be uncomfortable hiking almost anywhere, forest, ridge or trail with out my compass and some basic knowledge of how to use it to get back on track.

 

[peakbagger]

For me its highly terrain dependent and the quality of the map, I have of an area. I tend to follow terrain features and select cross features that I, in theory, have to encounter along my intended route. This works great in mixed terrain. Unfortunately its nearly useless in thick softwoods that tend to carpet a lot of the peaks (probably applicable to Middle Moriah). In those locations, its easy to get turned around and a compass is essential. The Pilot Range north of Cabot and a lot of the summits in Nash Stream are good examples of places where its easy to get turned around and pick a wrong drainage.

Of course as long as its daylight and you have a some sense of the suns location in the sky, its a pretty reliable

 

[dms]

I've been bushwacking for 20+ years, and virtually every time I get "lazy" or "adventurous" by keeping my compass in my pack, and relying on my "internal gyro compass", I end up off course lamenting my own foolishness. ALWAYS use the compass!

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

It's totally dependent on map, terrain, and end-point. If I'm on a ridge, and want to bushwhack down to a trail in the parallel valley, it'd be quite difficult to get lost. Bushwhacking to a summit is easy as long as there aren't numerous false peaks. However, bushwhacking off a summit to a pre-determined point is much more difficult.

Disclaimer #1: I have a very accurate internal compass
Disclaimer #2: I always carry a compass

 

[sapblatt]

I've been bushwacking for 20+ years, and virtually every time I get "lazy" or "adventurous" by keeping my compass in my pack, and relying on my "internal gyro compass", I end up off course lamenting my own foolishness. ALWAYS use the compass!

I loop mine with a cord on my belt and keep it in my pocket - it should be effortless to use whenever you need it - if it were in my pack I probably would not bother taking it off to get the compass out until well after all hope had been lost! I am kind of the same way about eating too - never want to take the pack off (or is it I do not want to put it back on?)

 

[Nessmuk]

(Just out of curiosity) for those who have some bushwhacking experience, if you're hiking by yourself, what is the furtherest you'd be comfortable bushwhacking without a compass or GPS unit? I'm sure to an extent it depends on the terrain, how dense the trees are and how much of an obvious vertical climb it is to the summit, and how much of a defined summit it is. I know it's a weird question, but in light of what I thought would be a quick straight forward hike from the AT to Middle Moriah last summer without the GPS (since most of the hiking that day was on trails, I didn't think it would be needed), where my return to the trail took a little longer than I thought it would (by what perhaps turned out to only be by a minute or two longer), I got to wondering how nervous other people would be in that situation.

I do not understand the point of your question. Why would you not have a compass and knowledge of where you are going under any circumstance in the woods, trail or bushwhack? Distance of bushwhacking is irrelevant if you know where you are at all times or set yourself up so you soon will. If not then don't go. Would I head off into flat featureless dense woods on a cloudy day without a compass? No, that would be foolish and is the reason why there are SAR teams. I've completely crossed the Adirondacks on foot and comfortably (navigationally speaking) bushwhacked in the densest parts. I learned this without a GPS and I do not carry one (I do carry one as a precision aid when on a formal SAR mission). However I'm always uncomfortable without a compass, be it on or off trail.

Using a compass alone does not guarantee success either. Navigating is dynamic, never a single item method or static process. Nature provides many clues to navigating, the more you can use them the higher your "comfort level". It is your job to make sense of the clues and to put them all together in a logical way. Add terrain slope contour for an important aid. Add a ridge or ravine or stream as a "handrail" as an additional aid. Add a "backstop" of a river or long cliff face other linear feature perpendicular to my path as another. Add the sun for another. Even the prevailing wind is useful. Probably most important is an ability to "dead reckon" with compass accurately and a "mind picture" of what lies ahead. I might follow a stream to a known fishing hole at any given distance away, but I would still always want to have a compass. If I did not know the area well then I'd also have a map that I had previously studied. Having a compass and awareness of the terrain is mandatory for any distance into the bush. Having a GPS is of no consequence one way or the other as long as you have a map and compass and the practiced skills to use them.

I learned much of how to travel in the wildernes without trails many years ago from my father. He seemed to have an internal map and compass like no other. Yet he still relied on a physical compass and glanced at it from time to time. I learned to respect but not be afraid of bushwhacking in woods from him, supplemented with my own experience. I ALWAYS carry a compass (plus a spare in my pack), even in familiar territory. In new terrain I will have done proper map study before venturing out. I do not carry a GPS unless I need the precision on a formal SAR misssion, so that item is not a factor with me.

 

[Stan]

I don't think any credible or responsible hiker would venture anywhere without a compass (even if carrying a GPS) and expect that, if such a hiker were to become the subject of a SAR case, would deserve to pay the fine ... not to mention the loss of esteem in the hiking community.

 

[SherpaKroto]

I'll guess that Nate was thinking more in terms or RELYING on the compass rather than solely trusting one's own instincts. I had a very similar experience on Middle Moriah in May this past year. Deep snow, lots of little humps, and I had convinced my self that there was a canister. After floundering around for 20 minutes or so, I found what I felt was the highest summit (since no other was visually higher, and I had already hit a few of the others). After checking my GPSr for the waypoint I "thought" I had set, I headed off in what I felt was the right direction. After 10 minutes I thought "hmmm, the sun should not be in that direction..." Then I looked up through the trees and saw Moriah's summit... to my LEFT. Whoops. Ok, off comes the pack, pull out the compass, pull out the GPS, check what waypoint I was headed to (Bangor Road - what an idiot!). So here I am, crotch deep in snow, further from the trail than I had been all day. Ok, map, compass, estimate distance and bearing, put compass around neck, and start plodding: for teh next 30 minutes

So, answer to your question: not far. I like to follow my nose, but it always seems to lead me in the wrong direction. My brother, on the other hand, has a great sense of direction. He rarely takes a compass out when he hunts, and hasn't gotten lost (yet). Post'rBoy is another with a fantastic sense of direction. Heck - it even led him to Michelle

 

[Nate]

The point of my question was that considering I wasn't traveling that far off the AT, I hadn't bothered to bring any navigation aids, but the downside is that once I failed to return to AT when I thought I should, I grew nervous because I had no instruments to reassure me that I was still heading in the right direction (sure, when I could see it, Moriah remained on my right, but if I'd accidentally strayed too far to the west myself, I would have hit the side of that peak before hitting the AT). Based on that experience I'm certainly always going to bring the GPS on all future excursions off trail (regardless of how short or straightforward seeming), but I was just wondering what the consensus was among bushwhackers on how far they'd be willing to navigate by just dead reckoning and what they could remember off the map.

 

[Mike P.]

I hunted for a number of years (age 12 -25, the first few with Dad) on the same two or three pieces of land & got used to that, never had a compass & pre-GPS.

When I did Brother's loop in BSP (1998) I was solo & wanted to do Fort. When I got to NB, a group of other hikers was thinking about it & we decided to do it together. I would not have done it solo.

First attempt of Flume & Liberty - while this trip was more about doing many things wrong (late Nov. 33 degree rain + cotton clothing + thin snowcover over Verglas on Flume Slide + no crampons - maybe 1 pair of in-steps for 3 hikers) we did two things right. We stuck to a turnaroud time whch kept us only mildy hyperthermic when we reached the car & upon missing the trail from the Flume Vistor lot we ende up at the Flume tourist attaction. We just followed the brook up until it crossed the Flume Slide trail.

Farmer Bob & I after a trip over South & Middle Carter headed into the woods towards Route 16 following a brook, not Cowboy Brook but further down the Imp Trail. Figured we were not too far from Route 16 & brook ran down hill. We ended up in the back of Camp Dodge.

On AT in MA, I've left the AT to summit Mt. Undine which is maybe a 1/4 mile west of the AT in mostly hardwoods.

 

[Double Bow]

The question is sort of a "trick question". There is no answer as to "what the consensus was among bushwhackers on how far they'd be willing to navigate by just dead reckoning and what they could remember off the map" since a knowledgable bushwhacker wouldn't travel relying on their mind.

While I'm not as experienced as dms, dSettah, or post'rboy, I've done a good amount of bushwhacking and I would never go much more than "pit stop distance" off the trail without consulting my compass. It's just too easy to get turned around and let your mind play tricks on you. Everyone doubts their compass at some point but, the compass doesn't lie. Knowing how to use your compass and trusting it are crucial skills for backwoods navagation. That's why, when bushwhacking, mine is always around my neck if not also in my hand.

That said, I do not own a GPS unit and am only considering possibly getting one as a piece of emergency equipment. i would be interested in hearing other's thoughts on whether or not it's worth the investment.

 

[Umsaskis]

I always bring a compass, almost never use a GPS, but I'll sometimes not bother to look at the compass if I'm heading up a mountain that I can go nowhere but up, or I'm coming down a mountain with a very prominant ridge directly across the valley I'm headed for. I once navigated by a single star with my sister when we were following some old trails mixed with some bushwhacking and ran out of daylight on top of Tunk Mountain without headlamps (but what a beautiful sunset it was!), so we picked a bright star directly over a mountain that we knew was across the road, and kept that star in front of us until we hit the road.

 

[Nessmuk]

Dead Reckoning definition

Just as a point of clarification here as the term tends to be misused...
Dead Reckoning is not wandering about based on some "internal compass" or upon "instinct". Dead Reckoning is the process of estimating your position by advancing a known position using course, speed, time and distance to be traveled. In other words figuring out where you will be at a certain time if you hold the speed, time and course you plan to travel. A compass is the usual means of knowing course with DR navigation. Experience on how fast you personally travel in different types of terrain gives your estimated speed.

DR can be amazingly accurate if you have no other clues to use, especially in flat nearly featureless terrain. It becomes more difficult with rougher terrain, which is just when nature provides other means to add accuracy to the method. DR is by default the primary navigaton method but is most often used in conjunction with other forms of navigation, most likely terrain feature knowlege/following in the hiker's case, but could also include celestial (knowing direction by stars, moon or sun) or any other external means of adding information.

 

[SherpaKroto]

..Everyone doubts their compass at some point but, the compass doesn't lie...

Two spots that I can think of: BSP and MT Hale (or in Arm's case: while leaning on a car ) Compass readings in BSP can be a bit odd: I'll bet Spencer, Nadine, Turnbill and quite a few others can explain a lot better than I can. ALos: Mt Hale's summit area has a slight magnetic pull: try it and you'll see what I mean.

GPS: it's kind of like having one extra arrow in the quiver. I use it a lot, but not exclusively. Mine has an electronic compass, and I can mark a waypoint that I am headed to. It helps me move a bit quicker (so I can get lost faster )

 

[dms]

SK, that reminds me of a bushwack I did in NH, Deer Mountain, we had the map laid out on the hood of my truck trying to plot our direction, the compass was acting very strangely! We finally figured it out and promised each other to never tell anyone, so I shall remain silent as to my cohorts on that fiasco!

 

[mavs00]

Disclaimer #1: I have a very accurate internal compass
Disclaimer #2: I always carry a compass

Ditto. Actually, that's not true. Here in western, NY, we have a local woodland park that is about 4000+ acres that is bounded on 4 sides by roads and whose terrain is widely varied due to glacial activity (i.e. steep eskers, drumlings, ect), that I regularly bushwhack without any navigational aides in both winter and summer). It's primarily open hardwood forests and most parts of it I know like the back of my hand. I actually will occasionally TRY to get lost as I use this area to hone my OBSERVATIONAL NAVIGATION (ObNav) skills. I've found it very helpful.

In the Adirondacks, I would NEVER consider venturing without a map/compass and my GPS. While actually whacking, I generally attempt to use ObNav primarily, backed up by mostly GPS (occasionally compass if I must). I find the less I use these aides, the better feel I get and more comfortable I get. Also, type of terrain is huge, open hardwoods is way more reliable for ObNav than thick conifers.

I been able to successfully navigate a small peak (Cellar) which was about a mile total (up and down, 750' feet) both to the summit and back down completly using ObNav (though I had the other aides with me, just did not use them). I made the summit and returned to my car and came out of the woods within 30-40 feet from where I parked. I never wondered where I was, and not once felt the need to consult the other aides.

OTOH, I've also gotten so turned around using ObNav that I "bent" my mental map so much that I almost refused to accept the reality of what my compass and GPS was telling me was true.

So, I guess the answer to your question would have to be: DEPENDS

 

[arghman]

Absolutely no way would I venture off-trail w/o either a compass or a GPS. (except in the small forestland behind my house where I quickly run into a known boundary)

There are two pieces of property in my town that I frequent, I've been to one of them at least ten times and the other at least 25. I still get lost from time to time on both of them.

A few weeks ago Double Bow & I went snowshoeing one of these places. We were heading north, then we got to an east-west forested ridge, turned left, climbed up the ridge, and followed the ridge. Somehow my sense of direction got turned around, we were heading east when I thought we were heading west.

 

[grasshopper]

The compass can lie

to quote double bow" the compass doesn't lie. Knowing how to use your compass and trusting it are crucial skills for backwoods "true unless you teach a navigation class and then throw your old trusted compass into a bag with a strong magnet.In that case the compass did lie when I pulled it out to check on some terrain discrepancies in the middle of a bushwack.I had been navigating by terrain and map features.I ended up deciding to believe the sun rather than my compass and had to convince a freind that the sun was correct.another time after 3 hours navigation in a white out I put my compass away because my hands were too cold.That time someone turned around a whole mt and a drainage or I had to choose the compass and admitt that I had gone in a large 180 circle for 1/2 hr since I had put the compass away.That time I decided that the compass was right and found my way back to my own footsteps.would I leave home w/o compass-never but one must also look at all the facts or clues and match them up with terrain.Both mavs and nesmuk give great advice and nesmuk had a great post on henderson mt. thread about how to match map and terrain.