Navigating tips for beginners

[Guest cache_only]

This may be old hat to some, but I'm posting it here for those fairly new to the sport.

 

Why you need a compass:

 

If you are not finding a cache because your GPS "GO TO" graphic display starts going crazy (arrow keeps pointing all over the place), then you are very near the cache. At this point, cancel the "GO TO" feature. Refer to this cache's waypoint page and remember the last three digits of both the LAT and LON. Now, bring up the page that gives the *current* LAT and LON display. Take out your compass. If your coordinates show you are currently north of the cache, then shoot an azimuth of 180 and move until you reach the desired LAT, or, if you are currently south of the cache, then shoot an azimuth of 360 and move until you reach the desired LAT. Stop. Now for the LON: If your coordinates show you are currently east of the cache, then shoot an azimuth of 270 and travel until you reach the desired LON, or, if you are west of the cache, shoot an azimuth of 90 and travel until you reach the desired LON. At this point you should be right on the specified coordinates of the cache. In this method you are moving a strict N-S and then a strict E-W, thereby isolating one variable at a time. It is much easier this way.

 

Also, a compass is valuable in the event your GPS fails while on the hunt. When I dismount my vehicle to begin my search, I always walk a few paces to get an initial track and bearing. I write the *bearing* to the cache on a piece of paper. If my GPS fails for any reason on the hunt, I refer to the bearing from my truck to the cache and add (or subtract, it doesn't matter) 180 degrees to get a back azimuth to my truck. Follow this back azimuth and it should lead you to your vehicle (or place of origin, whatever the case may be).

 

If you do not have a compass (or even if you do), *ALWAYS REMEMBER TO MARK (STORE) THE LOCATION OF YOUR VEHICLE WHEN BEGINNING THE SEARCH.* Do not rely on that awkward, awful , MOB (Man Overboard, or, "breadcrumb") feature. The EXACT path you took to the cache isn't important, but the location of your vehicle is! I've gotten turned around a few times (forgetting my compass at home), and it gets downright scary when it starts getting to be dusk and you find you lost your orientation to your vehicle. If you stored your vehicle location into the GPS, then just hit the "GO TO" feature to take you back to your vehicle. The MOB feature is difficult to use and unreliable. I programmed mine to mark every minute, and one time I tried to use it only to find out it saved two points: one a mile from me and another 22 miles from me. I was in trouble. REMEMBER TO STORE THE LOCATION OF YOUR VEHICLE!

 

If you want a real good compass, get one from a maker called Stocker & Yale. They are located in Beverly, Massachusetts. They make the compasses for the military and they are available to civilian sales. I have the one with the radioactive tritium for use at night. It is self-illuminating. You do NOT need to shine a flashlight on it to get it to glow at night (as with phosphorous types of illumination). It is about $100. The non-radioactive (non-glowing) one costs about $80. They are well worth the money.

 

Hope these tips help. Good luck and take care. Rob.

[Guest metro]

This is most likely a very dumb question, but how do I tell if I am north or south/ east or west based on the coordinate readings?

 

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metro

[Guest jeremy]

If you are in the continental United States, it is always North and West.

 

North is positive, South is negative

West is negative, East is positive.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Jeremy

[Guest cache_only]

oo* detailed or simplified.

 

Good luck and take care. Rob.

 

[This message has been edited by cache_only (edited 19 April 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by cache_only (edited 19 April 2001).]

[Guest metro]

Thanks for the info guys! I have a partially free weekend for a change and will use your advice accordingly.

 

bill