If disaster strikes and destroys your community, state or even country's infrastructure, can you find your way without the use of electronic devices such as a Global Positioning System? A disaster can disable satellite communications for days, weeks and even longer in some cases. If this happens and you need to evacuate across country without using highways to determine the direction of travel you will need to use maps and a compass to find your way.
Before electronics took over a person had to use a map to find their present location and to plot a course to another location. The military and others traveling off road used contours maps or sometimes referred to as topographical maps. The maps allow you to view the terrain by using contours lines drawn to represent changes in elevation.
One of the most accurate and reliable means of travel is by using a compass and a topographical map that allows you find your location and plot direction of travel. Using a map and compass, you can plot direction of travel and find specific locations by using a series of grid coordinates, and in some cases, you can plot within 10 meters.
You will need a compass and a topographical map if you need to travel off road or to find a specific location. You will plot your course after you have determined your present location. To get from point A to point B you need to know where point A is, your location. To find your location on a topographical map you would use triangulation. Identify three landmarks or natural features that you can see, and then find them on the map.
Traveling off road on foot means you must know how to get from one point on the map to another. Once you know your present location, you can then travel to another location by using your compass. Determine where you want to travel to and draw a line from there to your current location. Line up the compass along the line and note where the line intersects with the degree markings on the compass dial. For example, the line intersects with 120 degrees and the directions are southwest, so you place the compass in your hands and line the 120 degrees and direction of travel with your body. This is your heading or bearings and to ensure you are walking in a relatively straight-line take a reading if you have to veer around obstacles to maintain your direction of travel.
You can cache supplies then determine your present location and then note the eight digits coordinates for that location. Now you can move from your location to another without veering off course. To move from your location to another find the coordinates of the location you want to move to and then place the compass on the map and orientate the map and compass to true north. The needle will always point to true north, once this is done draw a line from where you want to go to where it intersects with your location then mark the degrees off the compass for example, the line may intersect with 180 degrees and then determine the direction by aligning the compass along the drawn line.
Your compass can be influenced by metal objects so hold it flat in your hands and away from your body. Look down at the compass or use the magnifier if your compass has one attached. In some cases, there will be thin wire for more precision orientation. It is important you do not veer off course.
Before electronics took over a person had to use a map to find their present location and to plot a course to another location. The military and others traveling off road used contours maps or sometimes referred to as topographical maps. The maps allow you to view the terrain by using contours lines drawn to represent changes in elevation.
One of the most accurate and reliable means of travel is by using a compass and a topographical map that allows you find your location and plot direction of travel. Using a map and compass, you can plot direction of travel and find specific locations by using a series of grid coordinates, and in some cases, you can plot within 10 meters.
You will need a compass and a topographical map if you need to travel off road or to find a specific location. You will plot your course after you have determined your present location. To get from point A to point B you need to know where point A is, your location. To find your location on a topographical map you would use triangulation. Identify three landmarks or natural features that you can see, and then find them on the map.
Traveling off road on foot means you must know how to get from one point on the map to another. Once you know your present location, you can then travel to another location by using your compass. Determine where you want to travel to and draw a line from there to your current location. Line up the compass along the line and note where the line intersects with the degree markings on the compass dial. For example, the line intersects with 120 degrees and the directions are southwest, so you place the compass in your hands and line the 120 degrees and direction of travel with your body. This is your heading or bearings and to ensure you are walking in a relatively straight-line take a reading if you have to veer around obstacles to maintain your direction of travel.
You can cache supplies then determine your present location and then note the eight digits coordinates for that location. Now you can move from your location to another without veering off course. To move from your location to another find the coordinates of the location you want to move to and then place the compass on the map and orientate the map and compass to true north. The needle will always point to true north, once this is done draw a line from where you want to go to where it intersects with your location then mark the degrees off the compass for example, the line may intersect with 180 degrees and then determine the direction by aligning the compass along the drawn line.
Your compass can be influenced by metal objects so hold it flat in your hands and away from your body. Look down at the compass or use the magnifier if your compass has one attached. In some cases, there will be thin wire for more precision orientation. It is important you do not veer off course.
About the Author:
Electricity outages can happen at any time due to hurricanes, earthquakes or solar storms. Preppers need to be prepared to find their way without the use of electricity. Learn more about how to prepare for such disasters by visiting The Smart Preppers website.
Luckily we are living in the age of GPS technology when remote vehicle monitoring became an important part of fleet management tracking.
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