Just when in the heck do you need a compas for?

[+Renegade Knight]

While caching I've only used a compass on one cache. It's one I set and you need the compass to determin the angle of the offset.

 

So I guess I don't get it. With my GPS I can get within a few feet pretty easily. So other than a orientering type cache what purpose does the compas serve?

[iryshe]

Here. Try this scenario:

 

1. Go deep into the woods.

2. Take the batteries out of your GPS unit. Fling them as hard as you can.

3. Get home.

 

Now seriously. You're in a city park. There's not much to worry about. So keep things in perspective.

 

For my Garmin V, however, I use it to determine the direction of the cache when I am stationary. With no internal compass you can turn the gps unit so the N of the compass matches the N on your GPS. And Voila! It points at the cache.

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

[+unclerojelio]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

So I guess I don't get it. With my GPS I can get within a few feet pretty easily. So other than a orientering type cache what purpose does the compas serve?

---

 

I guess I've just got a lame GPS because when I get under tree cover or down in a creekbed I sometimes get goofy signals. Thats when I backoff to a better reception area and then whip out the old compass and shoot a bearing.

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by, ...

 

unclerojelio

[+unclerojelio]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

So I guess I don't get it. With my GPS I can get within a few feet pretty easily. So other than a orientering type cache what purpose does the compas serve?

---

 

I guess I've just got a lame GPS because when I get under tree cover or down in a creekbed I sometimes get goofy signals. Thats when I backoff to a better reception area and then whip out the old compass and shoot a bearing.

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by, ...

 

unclerojelio

[+Markwell]

Click here

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocachers

[+Clan Ferguson]

Besides the Obvious reasons(of course with the talk of getting lost while having a working GPS, maybe it isn't so obvious),

 

When you get with in about 30 ft of your GPS's zero. It's better to take a bearing with a compas and notate what is in front of you then a few minutes later do the same and compare. this should give you a better idea of where the Cache hider's Zero really is.

 

For us this works about 75% of the time.

 

Cache On!!

 

James

"Big Dog"

-Clan Ferguson

[+Clan Ferguson]

It appears we post at the same time.

 

Cache On!!

 

James

"Big Dog"

-Clan Ferguson

[+geospotter]

RK,

 

I always have a compass with me, but I have yet to use it. So I understand your question. A compass, BY ITSELF, is a pretty useless tool. Sure, it can tell you where magnetic North is, but without additional information that's useless.

 

BUT...

 

If you have a map with you, or you remember you would be entering the area from, say, the Southeast, or you know that home is East of you, and you combine THAT knowledge with a compass, it can be a life-saver!

 

As for using it to find a cache, I haven't found the need. Even when the GPS gets loose bearings I can match the sun symbol on my GPS dial to the sun in the sky (Mag315) and the arrow still points to the cache (similar to Jeremy's method above). When I get within 50 feet I can usually SEE the area of the cache and walk in that direction without the need for a compass.

 

Now, if I cache on an overcast day (can't see the sun or can't find a shadow) and I get loose bearings...I'm screwed! I'll probably have to pull out the compass, but I find that the distance indicator is just as useful for me. Keep walking straight as long as the distance decreases. When it increases turn around.

 

Keep that compass with you. The one time you may need it you will be glad you have it.

[+Markwell]

quote:

---

Originally posted by geospotter:

I have yet to use it.

 

Actually even though I tout that method on my FAQ page, I too have only had the need for a compass thrice in my 89 hunts.

 

The first time I was on a cache hunt for Saw Wee Kee back in my very early days of caching. It was the first time I ever lost a signal due to tree cover, and the trails wound every which way - never in a straight line. I had my then 5 yo son with me, and no compass. Luckily, I could use the sun to tell me which way was west (I knew the car was on the north side of the forest and there was an EW road that ran along the north edge). That feeling of being lost made me swear I'd never be without a compass again.

 

On one cache (Beverly), I had been to the site before and was returning to place a Travel Bug. Heavy pine tree killed the signal. Shot two bearings and found the cache.

 

Lastly, on my hunt for A Bridge Too Far, the coordinates are apparently about 60-70 feet from the actual cache location. I shot my bearings 6 times from different locations and different distances. The cache was supposed to be over there. It wasn't until I substantially widened my search area that I found the cache.

 

I may never use the compass again, but I sure like to have it. Same thing with the whistle I keep in my backpack.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocachers

[+Markwell]

quote:

---

Originally posted by geospotter:

I have yet to use it.

 

Actually even though I tout that method on my FAQ page, I too have only had the need for a compass thrice in my 89 hunts.

 

The first time I was on a cache hunt for Saw Wee Kee back in my very early days of caching. It was the first time I ever lost a signal due to tree cover, and the trails wound every which way - never in a straight line. I had my then 5 yo son with me, and no compass. Luckily, I could use the sun to tell me which way was west (I knew the car was on the north side of the forest and there was an EW road that ran along the north edge). That feeling of being lost made me swear I'd never be without a compass again.

 

On one cache (Beverly), I had been to the site before and was returning to place a Travel Bug. Heavy pine tree killed the signal. Shot two bearings and found the cache.

 

Lastly, on my hunt for A Bridge Too Far, the coordinates are apparently about 60-70 feet from the actual cache location. I shot my bearings 6 times from different locations and different distances. The cache was supposed to be over there. It wasn't until I substantially widened my search area that I found the cache.

 

I may never use the compass again, but I sure like to have it. Same thing with the whistle I keep in my backpack.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocachers

[+ClayJar]

Whenever I come to a fork in the trail, I don't bother trying to zoom in or out or whatever to see the track and the waypoint and... Rather, I simply lift up my trusty compass and go, "Oh, *that* way."

 

If I had a GPS receiver with a built in 3-axis electronic compass (in other words, a MeriPlat... those 1-axis garmin compasses just don't cut it ), I wouldn't use my trusty compass so much, but frankly, I enjoy it thoroughly. (And in the occasional off-trail excursion, it's a heap of a lot easier to sight on the run with a compass than holding up the GPS receiver while trying to still read bearing and distance to cache.)

[+ClayJar]

Whenever I come to a fork in the trail, I don't bother trying to zoom in or out or whatever to see the track and the waypoint and... Rather, I simply lift up my trusty compass and go, "Oh, *that* way."

 

If I had a GPS receiver with a built in 3-axis electronic compass (in other words, a MeriPlat... those 1-axis garmin compasses just don't cut it ), I wouldn't use my trusty compass so much, but frankly, I enjoy it thoroughly. (And in the occasional off-trail excursion, it's a heap of a lot easier to sight on the run with a compass than holding up the GPS receiver while trying to still read bearing and distance to cache.)

[+pater47]

Not only does it have its primary function as an emergency back-up in case the GPS breaks or gets lost somehow, but when I get about 150 feet from ground zero, I prefer to switch to a manual compass. This not only helps me to avoid the spinning needle dance, it also lets me practice a little orienteering. Fun to see how well I estimated distance through terrain.

 

Ever notice everybody is willing to give THEIR 2 cents worth but only offer a penny for YOUR thoughts?

[scooterj]

I needed mine yesterday and was very glad I had it with me. I was hiking in rugged terrain under a very thick canopy on a winding, seldolm-used trail. I eventually reached a point where the trail had become so overgrown (as in brush 8 feet tall) that it became indistinguishable. The canopy was so thick that a GPS lock was virtually impossible. If I didn't have my compass with me I could have easilly gotten turned around and spent hours (perhaps until dark) going in the wrong direction. With my compass I was still able to find the exact spot I was trying to reach originally and re-found the trail when I got there.

[YesDear]

Long Before I began Geocaching, I had afixed a compass to my hat and thus it was always available when I was a field or a sea, (and Back then I had LORAN so It was essential as the coverage aint what we have now), BUT when I am geocaching in heavy brush or slugging through deep water (ie moving slowly), my GPS doesnt accurately indicate heading changes nearly as well as my wet compass pinned to my Pith Helmet. That $2.00 compass has moved from hat to hat as they deteriorated and since I have it, and always have, I still use it frequently, and likely always will - Old dogs ya know.

[jfitzpat]

I think that a compass is rightfully one of the '10 essentials' and should almost always be carried in the great outdoors. However, I would warn that just having a compass, or even compass and map, is not enough.

 

Compass navigation is not complicated, most people can learn the basic principles in an hour or two. But, the techniques require practice to master. Like CPR, roped rescue, etc., compass skills must be practiced from time to time if you want to be able to use them when the you-know-what hits the fan.

 

-jjf

[+leatherman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ClayJar:

If I had a GPS receiver with a built in 3-axis electronic compass (in other words, a MeriPlat... those 1-axis garmin compasses just don't cut it ), I wouldn't use my trusty compass so much, but frankly, I enjoy it thoroughly.

---

 

I have the Meridian Platinum. Even though it has the magnetic compass, I still carry a real compass. I find it inconveniant to switch back and forth from the compass screen and the coordinates screen.

 

I use a compass about 60% of the time.

 

Preperation, the first law to survival.

[+leatherman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ClayJar:

If I had a GPS receiver with a built in 3-axis electronic compass (in other words, a MeriPlat... those 1-axis garmin compasses just don't cut it ), I wouldn't use my trusty compass so much, but frankly, I enjoy it thoroughly.

---

 

I have the Meridian Platinum. Even though it has the magnetic compass, I still carry a real compass. I find it inconveniant to switch back and forth from the compass screen and the coordinates screen.

 

I use a compass about 60% of the time.

 

Preperation, the first law to survival.

[+Alan2]

quote:

---

Originally posted by leatherman:...

I have the Meridian Platinum. Even though it has the magnetic compass, I still carry a real compass. I find it inconveniant to switch back and forth from the compass screen and the coordinates screen.

 

---

 

I found that switching screens all the time was also a problem with my Vista until Garmin updated their firmware. Now both coordinates and the magnetic compass are now on the same screen along with distance.

 

Alan

[+leatherman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alan2:

 

I found that switching screens all the time was also a problem with my Vista until Garmin updated their firmware. Now both coordinates and the magnetic compass are now on the same screen along with distance.

 

Alan

---

 

That would be nice. The GPS V has a rotating bearing dial on their coord screen. Even that would be nice.

I would give up the secondary coord half of the screen to make room for the compass.

 

Preperation, the first law to survival.

[+apersson850]

Maybe the cache locations you are referring to in the States are more remote than the 40+ I've visited here in Sweden, and in France. I've yet to come to a place, where finding your way from the cache area back to the car would require anything but "manual" backtracking.

 

Now it should be noted that I've competed in orienteering (the conventional way) since 1972, so I have of course practiced a general sense of where I am and where I'm going over the years. Or perhaps that gives a feeling of regarding the forest as a friend, not an enemy. Which I could assume someone born and raised in a large city could feel different about.

 

But still, I assume that you other cachers must have some liking for being in the woods, or you would hunt for urban "I can drive all the way" caches only?

 

Are caches in the US frequently of the "you have to walk for five hours" type? Or is it like here, that there are a few of that kind, but most of them require only a few minutes of walking (when you go back to the car, i.e. when you've found the cache and know where to walk)?

 

So far, I've not brought any of my compasses with me. I have had spare batteries for the GPS, though. And I've also set a waypoint at the car, when I've thought that the area looked confusing.

 

Anders

[+Alan2]

anders: You use a Vista like me so you have the on-board magnetic compass. Only the Vista, Platinum and 76S have these. Others use a separate magnetic compass to assist them to the cache.

 

Regarding caches, must I've gone too you probably do not need a compass or a GPS to get back but enough I did without taking a chance of getting lost. SO a separate compass even for Vista users is useful just in case the GPS fails. Of cource one would have to note which direction they went in going in or have a paper mapwith them though to have the compass help find their way out again.

 

Alan

[+apersson850]

It's correct that I use the Vista. The Summit has an electronic compass too, if I don't misremember completely.

 

I do use the GPS to find the way back to the car, but that's more for the fact that I have the unit in my hand, than that I actually have to to find the car. After all, I bought the GPS just because I wanted one, not because I knew what to use it for. So now I have to use if for everything, to motivate the expense. Good thing they included the calculator in the firmware!

 

If I would have to go very far into the woods, I'll probably use a compass as a back-up too. But around here, you can't walk very far before you reach a road again, so it seems somewhat overkill.

 

Anders

[+apersson850]

It's correct that I use the Vista. The Summit has an electronic compass too, if I don't misremember completely.

 

I do use the GPS to find the way back to the car, but that's more for the fact that I have the unit in my hand, than that I actually have to to find the car. After all, I bought the GPS just because I wanted one, not because I knew what to use it for. So now I have to use if for everything, to motivate the expense. Good thing they included the calculator in the firmware!

 

If I would have to go very far into the woods, I'll probably use a compass as a back-up too. But around here, you can't walk very far before you reach a road again, so it seems somewhat overkill.

 

Anders

[+majicman]

When I go in the woods, I like to wear very powerful magnets. Then, most of the geocachers wind up finding me!

 

--majicman

 

(Always trade UP in both quantity and quality and Geocaches will be both self-sustaining and self-improving!)

[+majicman]

When I go in the woods, I like to wear very powerful magnets. Then, most of the geocachers wind up finding me!

 

--majicman

 

(Always trade UP in both quantity and quality and Geocaches will be both self-sustaining and self-improving!)

[give-n-takes]

In my case I don't have a GPS, so I have to find cache's by hints and compass w/topo maps. It's not always easy, but it works! Plus for an emergency it's a great tool to have! Enjoy

[lost&confused]

I always carry a compass when I'm in the woods and espically in unfamiliar territory. Once in Glacier National it kept my head together because what I thought was north wasn't and it was getting dark. Also you have to watch out because even though the GPSr's are fun, they will make you stupid......everyone should know how to use a compass.

[+Renegade Knight]

Thanks everyone. By and large since I can get within 15' even clibming a hill before my GPS gets what seems to be called 'loose bearings' I've been using the GPS as the guide. In other words right before it goes nuts and points all over I've been paying attention to where it's pointing. It's a habit. However the trick of using the compass when you lose your lock to find north would have come in handy on one cache. Glad to see the suggestion.

 

Thanks everyone for the input. It really sounds like a matter of preference, and back up. And a little of "if carry a compass you will tend to use it".

[+headmj]

When my merigreen gets the "loose needle" syndrome I take the bearing to the cache from the display and put it into my compass and site the line. Although the needle swings funny the bearing to the target in the bearing readout is correct. It has worked twice for me to help reduce find time. I have modified my compass screen to also show me the bearing readout.

[+Alan2]

quote:

---

Originally posted by lost&confused:

I always carry a compass when I'm in the woods and espically in unfamiliar territory. Once in Glacier National it kept my head together because what I thought was north wasn't and it was getting dark. Also you have to watch out because even though the GPSr's are fun, they will make you stupid......everyone should know how to use a compass.

---

The magnetic declination in Glacier National Park is 24 degrees. Could this extra heavy deviation from true north up there in Alaska account for your problem?

 

Alan

[+WalkinJake]

Twenty two years ago, while deer hunting as a teenager miles into the backwoods, I shot a buck at sundown and trailed him into the night. I was so intent on the blood trail that I totally neglected to pay attention to my compass. When I realized that I was lost (and that I had followed a totally random trail through the woods), I became quite scared. I'd used a compass and a map to get to the point at which I'd shot the deer, but that was of little use to me after getting lost. Luckily, I was able to follow the blood trail backwards until it started to rain. By that time, my friends were looking for me, and I finally saw one light in the distance. This is the reason I bought my Garmin Legend, and it is the reason I never enter the woods without a compass. You won't HAVE to use a compass very often, but you'll be glad you had it (and knew how to use it) when you do need it.