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Compass and Map course

Lynne

Lynne

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Has anyone taken the Reading a Compass and Map course? Ed and I are signed up for it in April. This one's being held in Westminister (geez! that's a long drive!! We'll have to leave at o-$hit-early to get there) from 8AM to 5PM. If you have, what did you think?
 
I am currently undergoing training as a search and rescue tech. When the training is complete I will be SARtec2 certified. Land Nav is a major component of this course.

Have fun and remember your pace count[grin]
 
quick land nav story, Was doing the Night Land Nav course down at Camp Edwards, about 5 years ago (for those who dont know, Night LN they just give you a paper with distance and direction, no map). Found my first point OK, a little cloverleaf search pattern and I hit the post, next point, 900 meters, on such and such azmuith, off I go.....pretty dark now, plus the cape sucks with all the scrub, tough on the Pace.... 800 meters, getting close.....right around the end of my pace, I stop and am looking around the get my bearings for the inevitable search soon to follow....sigh, no post......I take a half a step to get around this little sapling, BAM, there it is, Right on time, on target. wish they were all like that.

Next time Ill tell you guys the story of when I crapped my pants trying to keep a pace count.
 
centermass181 said:
quick land nav story, Was doing the Night Land Nav course down at Camp Edwards, about 5 years ago (for those who dont know, Night LN they just give you a paper with distance and direction, no map). Found my first point OK, a little cloverleaf search pattern and I hit the post, next point, 900 meters, on such and such azmuith, off I go.....pretty dark now, plus the cape sucks with all the scrub, tough on the Pace.... 800 meters, getting close.....right around the end of my pace, I stop and am looking around the get my bearings for the inevitable search soon to follow....sigh, no post......I take a half a step to get around this little sapling, BAM, there it is, Right on time, on target. wish they were all like that.

Next time Ill tell you guys the story of when I crapped my pants trying to keep a pace count.
Click to expand...
You sir are accurate. [smile]
 
Lynne said:
This one's being held in Westminister (geez! that's a long drive!! We'll have to leave at o-$hit-early to get there) from 8AM to 5PM.
Click to expand...

Treat yourselve to dinner at the Old Mill. I have'nt been there in a few years but it use to be pretty good and great location.

And Westminster isn't THAT far... Some people actually LIVE out here!

Matt
 
centermass181 said:
quick land nav story, Was doing the Night Land Nav course down at Camp Edwards, about 5 years ago (for those who dont know, Night LN they just give you a paper with distance and direction, no map). Found my first point OK, a little cloverleaf search pattern and I hit the post, next point, 900 meters, on such and such azmuith, off I go.....pretty dark now, plus the cape sucks with all the scrub, tough on the Pace.... 800 meters, getting close.....right around the end of my pace, I stop and am looking around the get my bearings for the inevitable search soon to follow....sigh, no post......I take a half a step to get around this little sapling, BAM, there it is, Right on time, on target. wish they were all like that.

Next time Ill tell you guys the story of when I crapped my pants trying to keep a pace count.
Click to expand...

We used to do those in the Scouts when we were kids.

We would have a route, with distance and direction. All we would get was our compass. We would have to try to find the items at each point, then get to the final location.

I used to love those.
 
Did mine in the Army. Alan can tell you about leaving the city boys who were arguing about it. He an the southern country boy made it through, but the only problem was they left the city boys and you're not supposed to leave anyone behind. Di's were amused smoked them for a bit, then made them go back in and get them. They repeated for the night land nav. too and had to go back and get them also. He said the Di's then just made them go back and get them. Nothing like city boys not believing country boys who grew up in the woods.
 
Cross-X said:
If you think doing this at night is hard, try doing it underwater.


Whee, splat!
Click to expand...

Damn right! Doing the courses at night was one thing. When you try doing the same thing in 45 degree water with about 2 feet visibility, while monitoring your depth and air and trying to estimate just how far and in what direction the current is pushing you, life tends to get really interesting. BTDT

Ken
 
I've done the Army Compass Courses in Boot Camp, and Leadership Courses. I tended to drive them nuts every time, except for my Reserve Component Advanced NCO Course. Of course, that was done by the Guard in my state, and they made up a decent challenging course. The one in Boot Camp was almost a joke. Some folks still don't understand how I navigate without a compass (I use terrain association).
 
Well this thread went to crap fast. [laugh]

Matt - I've heard the Old Mill is really good. We might just do that. And no, it's not that far, however, I live 10 miles or there abouts, as the crow flies, from the ocean so it is a bit of a drive for us. [wink]
 
Land nav is not that difficult to learn and understand. It's not difficult to remember to read or plot a 4, 6, or 8 digit grid coord. by reading right and up. It's not difficult to remember to use LARS when converting from grid north to magnetic north. It's not difficult to remember to use LAMS when calculating a reverse azimuth, etc.

It does, however, require a technical, precise discipline to accomplish all the steps necessary in plotting a course, knowing and maintaining a pace count uphill, downhill, on flat ground, and in dense forage, maintain a compass heading when no fixed sighting objects are available, and the ability to hit all way-points when navigating around obstacles.

The hardest part, in my opinion, is being able read a topigraphical map and being able to locate yourself by triangulation.
 
TonyD said:
Land nav is not that difficult to learn and understand. It's not difficult to remember to read or plot a 4, 6, or 8 digit grid coord. by reading right and up. It's not difficult to remember to use LARS when converting from grid north to magnetic north. It's not difficult to remember to use LAMS when calculating a reverse azimuth, etc.

It does, however, require a technical, precise discipline to accomplish all the steps necessary in plotting a course, knowing and maintaining a pace count uphill, downhill, on flat ground, and in dense forage, maintain a compass heading when no fixed sighting objects are available, and the ability to hit all way-points when navigating around obstacles.

The hardest part, in my opinion, is being able read a topigraphical map and being able to locate yourself by triangulation.
Click to expand...

easy to learn, just as easy to forget. Perishable skill, I believe its called.
the only way to get good is to practice, in my opinion.
 
centermass181 said:
easy to learn, just as easy to forget. Perishable skill, I believe its called.
the only way to get good is to practice, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Learning all the appropriates is really not a perishable skill, however, being able to apply all of those definately requires practice.

Like they say in poker, "Two minutes to learn, a life time to master".
 
i dunno, depends on who teaches you.....like intersection, and resection, unless your out somewhere learning it with some good terrain features, and a good teacher, some people just dont get it. We usually just gave them the Tripod and told them to count ever other step.
 
centermass181 said:
easy to learn, just as easy to forget. Perishable skill, I believe its called.
the only way to get good is to practice, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

It's like riding a bicycle. It will come back if you understand the basics.
 
centermass181 said:
fm 21-75 IIRC


thats pretty sad.
Click to expand...

That's the old number. The system has changed.

Also, you commented on Intersection and Resection. Both are a waste of time. Learn to use Polar Coordinates. Accurate enough for calling Artillery or Mortars and close enough to navigate.

New FM Number is FM 3-25.26. Bad news is that it's restricted to Gov't Agencies only. Good news is the key items are in STP 21-1-SMCT Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks. It's NOT restricted.

STP 21-1-SMCT

I'll add it to the downloads forum.
 
Of all days, today was our practical training day for the SAR tech 2 class. So, there we were in the woods ,maps and compasses in hand, in the snow.
This kind of weather misfourtune is typical for our team, If we are training outside the weather is going to suck. It would be worse if we were on an actual mission.

We have come to the conclusion that the weatherman hates us.
 
I almost forgot. I saw this at the last Marlboro show and it became an impulse buy.

FM21-26.jpg
 

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