Added: 2 years ago
From: PackRat556
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  • I did know all the stuff mentioned here, but still it's good info for someone who hasn't a clue on using a compass. Very well illustrated!

  • Being a newbie into this, I watched tons of videos but couldn't get it. Then I found this great intuitive video. Thanks man! And to certain anal guys, this is called Map Compass 101 capish?

  • Great help PackRat556! Was able to teach my boy minus all the tech aspects till he's older. Sometimes ya just need a little reminder of the basics to be solid. Thank you...

  • THANK YOU, THANK YOU , THANK YOU! i have a presentation tomorrow and i have to teach the class how to use a compass, you saved my ass.

  • Has anyone noticed that the other compass at the left side of the map was pointing to a different north compared to the compass he was using?? wtf?

  • good day packrat,

    Supose i come to the usa for walking

    and camping in a big national park,

    but loose my maps...

    what could i do with only a compass?

    thanks maiq (from holland)

  • Thanks so much. :) Clear, concise, informative!!!

  • @liquidus2172 Wanted to let you know I had a secondary video in that series to explain the concept of magnetic declination. Map and compass 101 was made to explain the most basic level of compass use for a novice. Map and compass 201 was the next step up. Take Care.

  • @PackRat556 thanks for bringing my attention to it, i suggest you to put that video as a video response to this one.

  • now you just need a notebook with wi-fi connectivity, google maps and thats it XD

  • Thank you so much for explaining the basics...i'm a novice hiker and I bring a cheap little compass with me as a just in case tool, but I never really knew how to use it with a map. It' makes a lot of sense now. I think I'll try it first in places that I'm familiar with just to practice.

  • Overall, this is a very solid video. I teach this material, and refer students to this vid before your classes for a good overview.

    But, as mentioned by others, I do take issue with one thing: you essentially ignore the critical issue of declination. I urge all my students to by a modern compass with adjustable declination. I personally prefer the Suunto M3 model. Adj dec. only adds about $10 to the cost of a compass compared to a plain baseplate model. Don't do math when lost!

  • thanks man you are a tutor!!!

  • Ordered a silva Compass from amazon, it got lost in the post!

  • when using a map and compass, it is important to figure out what declination is for the area that you are traveling in so you can add and subtract accordingly to get a precise bearing

    ground unto map = add

    map unto ground = subtract

    declination will differ depending on weather you are travelling on land or on water, so if you are partial to one or the other i recommend buying a compass with the feature "automatic declination" to make things easier for yourself. i like the brand suunto.

  • Will be hiking in the Sierras and have never had to use a compass. Don't want to depend on a guy to lead, so I am learning. Thank you for the clear instructions!

  • 8 people are already lost

  • Thanks man!

  • Good video, just got a compass and needed a refresher on the basics since I haven't used one in over 15 years. Thanks!

  • *****

  • thanks man... keep it up

  • if u want a gud hike use a gps and geo-cash(think that how u spell it) and it takes you on hikes to find boxes and there will be somthing in them. Its pretty fun.

  • nice tut ;)

  • Really nice video. Thanks for posting.

  • Where can I get topo maps? And what type of map would be good for hiking?

    Thnx

  • @2KARGARAGE Im not an expert on the subject but you can get topo maps at a lot of different places. Im sure amazon.com has lots of them. A good one for hiking is a topo of a the area you will be in. I visit a national park near my house and I have a topo map of that area. It shows me the lay of the land as well as all marked trails and other key features.

  • Finally, a tutorial i can understand. Thanks packrat!

  • 5/5 thnx

  • *******THESE ARE THE BEST COMPASS INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUTUBE*********

  • @HeadDominion "...the Red North compass arrow outline on the compass" this doesn't make sense. i understand turning your body around 180 degrees, but i have no idea what you mean here.

  • brilliant video.simple and easy to understand.im a complete novice and starting outdoor pursuits soon,and just got a compass,so this video has given me a real insight.thanks.

  • where the heck do i buy a compass please tell me

  • @RenegadeQueen you can get one at REI.

  • At 7:59 i have the compas on the left

  • I SAW MANY VIDEOS ABOUT COMPASS! BUT NEVER ONE LIKE YOURS, VERY UNDERSTANDABLE AND CLEAR, I REALLY THANK YOU 4 SHEARING THAT VIDEO IS GREAT! THANK YOU VERY MUCH IT HELPED ME A LOT!

  • Comment removed

  • hmmm a couple of comments. a friend said something about magnetic north and compass north being different - how does this impact taking bearings etc. ???

    also if you wanna back track, rather than turn the compass dial and possibly lose the bearing, just turn yourself so that the white compass needle aligns with the Red North compass arrow outline on the compass. i'm no expert, but i think that makes sense.

  • I've seen hundreds of compasses on ebay. Ones that look similar to the one you have except these ones range in the $2-$10 range. Some even say military compass. Then I see ones that are $20-$70. Are compasses that are less than $10 still good? What's the least I should pay for one? I'm a noob

  • Hi, great video. I learned more from this than any other compass video that I've found on youtube, so far. My only advice would be to drastically shorten or eliminate the intro. It's way too long and unnecessary. Also, the music in the intro is very loud and much louder volume than your speaking volume. I nearly blew out my ears. Than when you started talking, I had to turn up the volume a lot. Your instruction is so good that you could completely cut out the beginning, just say hi and begin.

  • 5:13 did he not notice the huge needle swing when he picked it up.

  • thanks man, great video.

  • An excellent explanation of compass use.

    When tracking back, you mention pointing the direction arrow back on yourself. I'm not sure what you meant by that? Wouldn't it be pointing the direction arrow at your last camp or stop then adjust north?

  • 4 blind people hated this

  • Big thanks to PackRat. Awesome video. I watched the first 6 minutes and ran out my front door to a local state park and practiced. Hit it on the first shot! Thanks for the help

  • GREAT video - clear and precise. Thank you.

  • Really clear - thanks!

  • Thanks for the great video!

  • whats the music at the start?

  • i bought a lil compass today, just for fun and with so much curiosity to learn how to use one , SUPER USEFUL VIDEO! thanks =)

    pd. i ke barra Song..... DOUBLE THANKS

  • i bought a lil compass today, just for fun and with so much curiosity to learn how to use one , SUPER USEFUL VIDEO! thanks =)

  • this is a dumb question but the red part is the direction u want to go write?

  • @Ryan101695 Red part is North. White is South.

  • i thank god every single day for the fact you didnt show your face in the video.. either that or i cannot be stuffed to see your ratty mug

  • I am on a tight budget. What compass would you recommend that is priced very cheaply.

  • THANK YOU!

  • This is by far the easiest to understand 101 I have found. thanks!

  • protractorandcompass. com

  • I fight the romer tables in my mind!

  • Awesome man thanks a lot, I now understand how to use it. I bought a binocular 20x50 I believe so I don't remember but it might come from the mail like in 3-10 days and it comes with a compass and some other kit for a good price. Is a 20x50 good?

  • Very clear, easy to understand instructions, thank you very much!!

  • Thank you for sharing!! I am planning a simple orienteering course for a camp with different bearings and paces. I am not very familiar at using the compass and this video really helped. THANX!!!!

  • nicely done video! very clear and easy to follow. thanks for putting it up on youtube.

  • excellent video and a very good refresher. Thanks a lot !!

  • good video good clear instructions i enjoyed it

  • Awesome video. Planning go to backpacking in Yosemite so this will help out a lot. Thanks

  • you should always figure out true north from your area. maps are made true north not magnetic

  • thanx

  • Nice simple clear video - Well done

  • Great video, thanks from Toronto, Canada.

  • Excellent video, many thanks. Just what I was looking for!!!!!!!!

  • Thanks for showing how a simple compass is likely all one needs. That Silva is available for around $10.

  • Very good. Excellent training video on basic magnetic compass usage. Regards. AI4QT in Huntsville AL.

  • I as well appreciate the video Packrat. informitive ! but i liked th lantern lol and the music as well. Thanks.

  • I guess backtracking - 'doing a 180' - needs no actual compass adjustment - just point magnetic South - and follow the arrow as usual

  • I agree,best one yet.I got it the first time.Thanks PackRat.

  • best compass vid I've seen yet

  • VERY FCK HELPFUL

  • good video loots of help

  • Comment removed

  • thanks, very useful video

  • VERY HELPFUL! thanks.

  • Where can I buy a compass like that? and how much does a quality one like the one in this video cost?

  • This Really Helped Me,

    Thanks =)

  • Very Helpful Vid Man, thanx!

  • koo

  • Great help for this beginner. Thanks.

  • this is a great video. most importent thing in this video is it is easy to understand. thanks!!!

  • Dude, awesome video! This has helped me a lot in refreshing my memory for the Boy Scout compass requirements. Very useful video and well described.

    Thanks!

  • thanks for sharing, very useful video of all time.

  • how i use it with those green ones the "fancy"ones

  • as usual very good vid

  • fuck "expert"village.

    expert my ass.

  • thanks mate great video

  • what brand off compass is that and are all compass work good in cold weather?

  • @paulwilliamsd Silva brand.  I have never had any problems with mine, however, I have never been in sub zero temperatures with it either. Only in the teens. That is about as low as it gets in my area, and that low is rare.

  • I have the same compass and live beside lake superior. It gets down to (-13 F) at times around here. I have camped in (-5 F) and had no problem with mine. Just keep it close like in your pocket and you should be good.

  • what kind of compass is it? I need one never had one since I was a kid..... I am afraid it will break easy, get water inside, etc?

  • Its a sylva. May have misspelt it. Mine is the GPS version as in it has the grid square measurements on it. But any model they make is good. Just get the one that best suites your needs. I like marking way points on my maps and trail cards so I can return to the same spot later if wanted.

  • @paulwilliamsd A liquid filled compass has its ups and downs. Liquid-filled compasses are more stable while air-filled compasses wiggle a lot more. A liquid filled compass can potentially freeze in the cold or leak out in extreme heat. You just have to check the temperature rating on the packaging.

  • @paulwilliamsd I use an Outdoor Products compas and it works wonders. It even glows in the dark.

  • @wkgm11 I used a homemade that had very basic details for illustration purposes. I thought it would make it easier for a beginner to understand.

  • yeah dude that me I the guy who didnt have a map to begin with

  • @PackRat556 I agree PackRat556

  • YouTube states video can't be found.

  • cool video,. I had to learn this in boy scouts, I have since forgotten it. so its good to review and learn again

  • Excellent video and easy directions on how to use it.I think GPS is cool, but there are many drawbacks ie.. battery life, dense woods , weather and the fact that modern technology is not always the way to go.

  • thankyou so much! I have an exam on this in a week and had no idea how to do all this! thankyou so much!!!!!

  • Thank you. I thought i knew what to do before i watched any of these videos, but after watching other videos I actually got more confused, until YOUR vid. Thanks for making it simple to understand.

  • Thanks alot! This video has been so much more helpfull than those "Expertvillage" videos. They do not know what the heck they are talking about. :D

  • 99.9% of everything on expertvillage SUCKS!! lol

  • Expertvillage on Youtube is an absolute mess. If you go to their website it's not so bad since they organize their content so you get a series of clips that actually go together, but youtube they just dump 1000's of clips with no rhyme or reason...

  • @Darkarch87 haha agreed maybe 100%

  • okay if you don't have a map how would you use a compass? like how do you make one and then use the compass based on the info you just shared. which was awesome but i don't have a map of my area yet

  • You will need to acquire a map to get the best results with your compass. Without a map, you can use the compass to track your direction but you would need to have some idea of which direction you will want to head. There are other uses for you compass, but for navigation, you will need at least a bearing in degrees or a map to help you get to a specific location.

  • thank you for responding. i have been practicing without a map but i will be getting one veyr soon. are you good at drawing your own maps? or was that just for illustration. seems like you have a military bakground

  • maybe i just need to watch it again

  • thank you for making this video. I really needed that refresher. I'm going to practice tomorrow. is this the only one you did on compass use? Can you make one with drawing a map and then using the compass? like starting from the beginning. I've never had to use a compass before

  • Very well done, I am trying to learn as much as passable about wilderness survival, I live in alaska, this has helped me alot, Keep up the good work

    -In His name-

    CameRon

  • I would love to visit Alaska someday! I am glad this was helpful for you. Take Care!

  • very helpful,great video and great explanation

  • Thank you!

  • Nice vid. Nice and clear.

    Great to refresh sometimes

  • Thank you! I appreciate that!

  • just wondering if you can help....

    say you parked you car at a certain spot...went wondering around in a 2000 acre land every which way and now lost and no map just a compass. any suggestions on how you would find you way back to your car.

  • Sorry, even a map and compass would be of no help.

  • Correction:  A compass could help you walk in ever increasing circles until you found the car.

  • Thank you for making this video.

  • Absolutely! Glad it helped.

  • This is great, thank you very much!! Helped me out alot.

  • Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.

  • Great vid thanx a lot.

  • Absolutely! I am glad it was helpful!

  • Great stuff, thanks for the refresher. I'm off to Yosemite for a week...rock on!

  • Nice! wish I was. Hope you can use this on your trip!

  • great video and great explanation, I am a beginner and this video was totally informative! Thanks!

  • I am glad this was helpful. Mission accomplished! Thanks for watching!

  • Packrat, I can't thank you enough for this fab video - was totally clueless before. Thanks again!!

  • I am glad that this was helpful for you. I appreciate you watching and commenting.

  • Excellent job! It's great to have a visual instead of just reading about it. Thanks!!

  • Absolutely. I am a visual person as well. I am glad this was helpful for you.  Thanks for commenting!

  • nicely done. am a beginner and this helped a lot

  • I am glad that this was helpful for you. My goal was to keep it simple and practical. Thanks for watching and commenting.

  • Nice work, thanks.

    A video on how to triangulate your position would be great too. There are some out there, sure, but you explain it well.

  • Thank you. I am in the process of working on more compass related videos. Hope to post very soon...

    Thanks for watching!

  • Really good easy to understand video explanation...thanks!!!

  • Thank you!

  • good vid, already know how to use a compass, but by far the easiest explanation i have heard, like all of your vids keep up the good work

  • Thank you very much! I appreciate your kind words. Take Care.

  • Thanks, man. I finally learned something. Very clear made it simple and practical. If I had to rely on all those how-to superexperts' rambo admirers' post I would have never used a compass. So many thanks again for taking the time to post this, and keep up the good work.

  • LOL! Thank You! I appreciate you watching!

  • yeah, I agree, very informative and right to the point, great video!

  • Thank You!  I appreciate it!

  • I learned this in Scouts, but that was a while ago and I completely forgot. Thank you for the refresher! I need to get myself a compass or two for backup when my GPS goes out. I have become to dependent on that beautiful invention (that can lose power). I need to get back to the "off the grid" mentality. GPS satellites could be turned off, and cell coverage too. All by my lonesome, bugging out (God forbid) and no sense of where I am or where I am going. Thanks again!

  • I am very glad this helped! I have never owned a GPS! Imagine that. I have looked at them many times, but have not invested in one. I should do a little research into them I guess...

  • Fantastičan video! Puno hvala!

    Fantastic video! Thanks a lot!!!

  • Absolutely!  I appreciate that!

  • Wow Thank you so much I was looking for the same info which you did illustrated very well.. Keep up the good work.

  • I am glad this helped. I appreciate you commenting and your support!

  • Hello can you tell were I can get topo maps at, any help would great thanks

  • Good clear easy to follow video. Thanks

  • Thank You! I appreciate your support!

  • This video is more better than those stupid ass "expertville" ones. Good job

  • lol

  • LOL!  Thanks, I appreciate it!

  • you have been a great help thanks for all the info.keep up the good work on all your videos.

  • Thank you for that. I am glad the videos have been helpful. I appreciate your interest and time.

  • you make it real easy to understand....u teach well. and i like the atmasphere u create with the lantern in the video. nice touch.

  • Thank You! I like the lantern as well! I use it in the shop at night sometimes, it gives such a warm and soothing glow! Take Care.

  • Thanks for making these.

  • If was a pleasure. I appreciate your time in watching it.

  • thanks very helpful

  • Thanks, glad you found this useful!

  • I appreciate your support!

  • Thanks for the info, great video. You have a great knack for explaining things in a clear and understandable way.

  • Thank you, I appreciate that very much.

  • Damn good job, going to get my family to watch your vid.

  • Thank you.

  • Thanks a lot, I want to go out and buy a Silva compass to replace my crappy fake GI compass.

  • They are one of the good ones out there, but there are other good options too. The one in this video is the bottom line Silva. Sometimes simplicity is the best policy. Good luck with yours!