A collection of my Reddit posts. cleaned up and expanded, with thoughts on how maps, compasses, and GPS all work together in the field. It’s not about which tool is “better,” but how they complement each other. Read More ...

Continue reading Map, Compass, GPS: Not Either/Or, But All of the Above at PMags.com.

Don’t have a compass that where declination can be adjusted? Here’s a quick and dirty way to pre-set it!

For proper navigation in the backcountry, a compass is needed.

Note: If these terms I’m about to write sound odd, review this old, but excellent, site first. 🙂

Does not have to be anything fancy. Any base plate compass will work for the general navigation most backpackers will do.

If you would rather not futz with declination, a Suunto M-3 or similar is great. If you backpack in areas spread over a wide geographic area, this type of compass works really well and is versatile. At ~$35, not really that expensive.

But what if you have a compass that does not have the ability to be pre-set for declination? Perhaps it is a compass you were given, or you’d rather adhere more to the KISS principle or perhaps you are simply more frugal.

Continue reading Quick Tip: Easy declination on a compass at PMags.com.