If trying something like bushwacking without a map, it would really pay to have a safety observer proficient in navigating with a map. The safety observer would only comment if conditions were actually unsafe and not if you were just going off in a strange direction. There needs to be some way for the person with the compass to communicate to the observer where they are and set some tolerances. I’d say if the person with the compass was more than 500 feet from where they thought they were, the situation is too far out of tolerance to continue with the experiment.

Using Topo Explorer, I overlaid a grid with 500 foot squares. This is 154 meters. Because it’s oriented to true north, I’ll have to convert all my headings to true before making calculations. In the west, truth is greater than magnetism, so I’d add the 8.5 degrees to the bearings.



Now communication becomes real simple. With the form I’m tracking my location on, I can always say my distance north, south east and west. For instance, I’m 500 feet north and 1,500 feet east. Now the person with the map can see if it makes sense using various land features.

If there were a big discrepancy, it would be a good time to take a break and check the numbers. The most likely error is reversing a sign. No second chances though. If it were a formal evaluation, once out of tolerance, the mission is over and now you work together.

This is a hint of where I’m headed with this. The compass work is one aspect, the map work is the other. Eventually both will be done by the same person