SFAS Land Navigation Tips

! Basics

!! Map Information
* Hill, Valley, Saddle, Draw, Spur (Ridges, Depressions, and Cliffs aren't really on the course)
[http://panoptic.com/rking/file/up/hilltop.jpg][http://panoptic.com/rking/file/up/valley-and-draw.jpg][http://panoptic.com/rking/file/up/spur-and-ridge.jpg]
* Note the way U- and V-shaped contour lines work these
* Be able to visualize the way contour lines will affect the ground---how the lines translate to a 3D image.
* The course has subtle terrain, but it can still be useful. Sometimes all you know is that the ground underneath you slopes in a particular direction, but that is something you can read from the contour lines.
* Know Index, Intermediate, Supplementary (and know the interval, which is 5m/line in this case)
Colors:
* Know the Green vegetation, White clearing (Yes, they change a little over time, but they are surprisingly constant. If you read them on the map they are probably there in real life.)
* Red-Brown contour lines
Bench Mark (the ones that have actual survey markers)

!! Orientation & Coordinate Scale
Map Orientation
* Usually you orienting according to real life (instead of insisting on always putting North at the top. Orient it so you are walking in the direction you are reading)
* Understand Magnetic North, Grid North, and the G-M angle (which is "Add 8 degrees to go from Grid to Magnetic" for the Hoffman course)
Know and practice with the Coordinate Scale
[http://panoptic.com/rking/file/up/CoordinateScale.png]
* Grid lines, Right Then Up (!) (the 4-digit grid "26 81" means "grid line 26 to the East, line 81 to the North")
* Decimal place, Right Then Up (!) (the 6-digit grid "263 819" means "300 meters East of 26, 900 meters North of 81")
* Same goes for 8-digit grids ("2631 8192" ... "310 meters E, 920 meters North")
* Always make sure the Coordinate Scale is not flipped over or upside down (read the words at the top right)
* Line up the 0's as your crosshairs, ignoring the plastic (sometimes the triangle cutout is too small, sometimes it is too big, but either way you ignore it and reference the "0"s)
* Plot and re-check everything, like the carpenters' "Measure Twice, Cut Once".

!! Compass
* Degrees are in red, on the inner ring. Ignore the mils (in black) on the outside. Those Mils, they Kills!
** If you get momentarily confused, you can use common sense. If you are shooting an azimuth towards the South and it says "32", then you are looking at 3200 mils, not 32 degrees. Instead look for the number closer to 180.
* 3 degrees per bezel ring click
* Use the cheek-hold technique for a more accurate shot:
[http://panoptic.com/rking/file/up/CompassSniper.png]
* Get good at "Compass Quickdraw". There are different ways to do it, but make sure your compass is accessible and that you practice drawing/replacing it quickly to encourage frequent checks.

!! Pace Count
* Understand how fatigue, terrain, load, etc., add steps to your 100m count.
* Use beads (A good way is to by hobby beads (e.g., from Wal-Mart) and thread them over 550 cord that is folded double with the white strings (guts) pulled out. This is just the right amount of tension without being very difficult to thread.)
* d = rt, the "dirt" formula:
** Distance = Rate * Time
** Rate = Distance / Time
** Time = Distance / Rate
** Know your land-nav speed and use it to estimate how long it is going to take you to get to your next point or checkpoint.
** If you don't know it estimate 2km/hr. It sounds slow but it is realistic when you account for map checks, slowdowns, and confusion.

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SFAS Land Navigation Tips