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Kchen986
11-08-10, 22:58
All,

Had my first night land-nav experience this past weekend.--It was a completely different experience from day land nav. From wrestling with the light to see clearly, to shooting azimuth's in the dark, I performed below my expectations. It did not help that my extension scale was on 500 meter intervals, either. I'm usually pretty good with day land nav (distance, azimuth, not a problem).

Anyway, I was hoping to secure some tips from some of you more experienced guys regarding night land nav. One of the more experienced guys I was with told me to fold up my map in a plastic baggie for fast reference and terrain association. I also need to mark my extension scale prior to determining distance.

What have you found to help you land nav better?

Thanks,
-K

variablebinary
11-09-10, 02:00
I had night land nav last week, and got 4 out of the 5, but only needed 3 to pass.

Try to avoid dead reckoning. I always use attack points to get me within a few meters of my plot point. This way if you get lost, or cant find your point, you always have a reference attack point that is easy to get back to and start over

Dead reckoning works great during the day, but at night it will get you lost with your last reference being hundreds of meters away, while dealing with METTC in the dark.

100 meter pace count is key. I always do an uneven terrain pace count that matches the METTC of the landnav course. My pace count is balls on accurate, so I rarely overshoot my destination by more than a couple of meters.

Be in good shape so you can move on the quick-ish side.

Get the brightest red lens torch you are allowed to use.

Learn what your natural drift is when you walk. If it is left or right you know where to look first when you get to where you think you want to be.

And don't forget to use terrain association. If your point is on a hill, or in a spur and you aren't near those things, you know right away that you are wrong. I was helping people as I came across them and they would only be thinking pace count and azimuth, without taking advantage of the terrain association of the map.

Wear good boots, have a good watch, bring protein bars, and drink lots of water.

Iraqgunz
11-09-10, 03:56
I agree with variable. Knowing your pace count at night is probably more important than daytime. If you can't trust your count and equipment it's very difficult.

R.E.Schoening
11-09-10, 22:48
Pace count, trust your EQP, and lots of practice.

BattleDrill3
11-10-10, 01:25
Interesting how this thread doesn't garner quite as many responses as gear loadout pics.

First and foremost: You will hear guys use the word "orientate" a lot, as in "Orientate yourself facing north." "Orientate" is not a ****ing word. It's "orient." Sorry. An old pet peeve of mine.

As far as equipment: A good zip loc bag is great for keeping a map. Don't bother with those gigantic map cases. They tend to fog up, are rarely waterproof, reflect too much light when you look at them under nods or flashlight, and are just too bulky. As far as the zip loc: on one corner of the bag, put a strip of duct tape that hangs off the bag. Twist it to make a loop, and tape it down to the same corner on the "back" side of the bag. (That's probably difficult to visualize; let me know.) Then dummy cord that shit to your body with 550. Usually, I put a loop around my neck, and tuck the map into my shirt. Or, just tuck your shirt into your belt, put the map inside your shirt, and live dangerously. Girth hitch the lanyard of the compass around a belt loop and just keep it in your pocket when moving.

Don't use a flashlight. (Sorry to contradict, variablebinary.) It will ruin your night vision, and thus make identifying features even harder. If you have to look at the map, use the dimmest light possible and close your dominant eye so some semblance of night vision remains when you start moving again. If you have time, just stay in place and wait for that shit to return. If you can find one, some book stores sell a reading light. It's simply a piece of plastic about the size of a 3x5 card with a small light in the end, made for reading at night. Works kind of like fiber optics; it spreads a dim light all throughout the piece of plastic. Just put that on top of the map to read it. Probably the least damaging thing for night vision. Otherwise, a shitty Mag-Lite or a headlamp with almost-dead batteries (for dimness) and a red filter is the way to go for preserving night vision.

Next: don't bother with the "compass to cheek" method. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you're better off. Just hold your compass at waist level directly perpendicular to your body, move your gat (assuming you're in the military) or anything metal away from it, point your dick in the direction you want to go, let the compass settle, and read it from there.

Probably the most ignored feature on a compass (a Cammenga military-issued compass), and ironically most useful at night, is the bezel. When facing the desired azimuth, rotate the luminous line on the bezel until it is exactly on the north arrow. All you have to do after that is pull your compass out, rotate your body, NOT THE BEZEL, until the north arrow lines up with the luminous line, and you know you're going in the right direction. (There are some other methods that involve math and clicks, but I wouldn't bother with those. If you must do so, realize that one click of the bezel equals three degrees in azimuth IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. Meaning, if you click it once clockwise, you will have to face three degrees counterclockwise to get the north arrow to line up with the line on the bezel.) Either way, do not touch the bezel in transit, or you're ****ed if you're doing long distance dead-reckoning. Which you shouldn't be doing anyway, unless there are no recognizable terrain features or structures around. But more on that later.

Before you get moving, make a route plan. Make checkpoints on the map at regular intervals, measure distances and azimuths, and write that shit down on paper. That way, you'll be doing a series of short movements, rather than one super-long one. Also, when marking on a map, use pencil, and make the smallest dots possible to get the most accurate azimuths.

Do not place the center of your protractor on the point on the map. It is very easy to have it rotated it a bit without realizing it, and that will affect your azimuth when you measure it. Rather, put the vertical line on your protractor directly on the closest vertical grid line to ensure it's perfectly straight. Then use a 3x5 card to make a straight line connecting the center of the protractor to the point on the map then to the degrees on the protractor. You just have to move the protractor up and down on the grid line to align it. (That's another tough one to explain. Ask me to clarify if you need it.)

Which leads me to my next point. Avoid dead reckoning like the ****ing plague. If there are absolutely no terrain features or structures, then I suppose you must. Pace count is then absolutely essential. Stop regularly to check azimuth. People tend to use trees as points to stop and measure azimuth. If you do, stand on the right side of the tree the first time, then the left side of the tree the next time; keep alternating to counter your natural drift. Probably the most overlooked tool to keep the proper azimuth is the sky. Once you have your azimuth, look upwards, and find a recognizable star in the sky in that direction. Just walk towards that star. Yes, the earth rotates (not trying to insult anyone's intelligence), so only use one star for a few minutes, then re-shoot the azimuth. This becomes tedious, but realizing you drift without reference points, it's necessary.

Terrain associate if you can. Only use dead reckoning if you must, or after your attack point. Terrain association is faster, easier, and less fallible than dead reckoning (once you get the hang of it), and is much tougher to get lost. Pace count, when using terrain association is important simply as a reference. Realize two things: your visual range estimation will always be off at night, and your pace count will vary with the terrain. Eventually, however, pace count will become instinctive; I can't go outside of the ****ing house without a voice in the back of my head counting my steps.

If you get lost as ****, here are a few methods to find yourself on the map. First, try what's called resection. Find two recognizable land features or structures and shoot azimuths to them. Convert to grid, then draw two lines on the map from the two features on those azimuths. Where they intersect is where you are.

If you can't find two recognizable features, but you have an idea how far you've gone (this is where pace count comes in), and can pinpoint some terrain features around you, you can find where you are. At the lower right portion of the map, you'll see a terrain chart for the map sheet. (Unless you're using a civilian map.) Just using that, your pace count, and your surrounding terrain features, you can get a general idea of your position. If you still have no idea, on your map draw a 45 degree triangle from your start point in the general direction you've been traveling. Then start narrowing your options as to your possible location with pace count and terrain features.

Still lost? Look for a road intersection, stand right in the middle of that shit and take azimuths down every road on the intersection and draw a diagram. Don't forget to convert to grid, then look for a road intersection on the map within your "search triangle" that matches the azimuths you wrote down.

Use terrain features like ridges as handrails (boundaries) to walk along. Designate points on the map, from prominent structures to terrain features, as checkpoints. This makes terrain association easier, and helps not to look at the movement as a single eighteen kilometer long movement, but instead a series of one klick movements. Again, keep track of your pace count to give you an idea of how far you've gone keep your head about you.

Use backstops. Those are recognizable features you've seen on the map that will let you know you've gone too far past your target, be it an attack point or the objective itself.

If possible, don't rely too much on bodies of water or roads to gauge your position. (The exception being the intersection trick, or "crossroads orientation" as it's called, that I mentioned earlier.) Water recedes and rises with the seasons, and roads may have changed, been grown over by brush, or have mysteriously appeared since the map was printed. Your best bets are ridges or hilltops. (In the military, there are no such things as "mountains." Just hilltops. FYI.)

Wow. That one really got away from me. Hope that helps.

Kchen986
11-10-10, 13:09
Wow, thanks for the excellent tips.

I will definitely try an index card instead of screwing around with hard-to-see pencil lines in the dark next time. I'll also be sure to strap my map down. During the aforementioned exercise, I ended up losing my map after our group found our final point. I'm definitely going to fold the map up according to my AO next time, and leave it in the baggie with the baggie dummy corded.

That Stars for azimuth thing was very helpful too. I never thought of using the stars to shoot an azimuth.


Another *very* respected friend of mine gave me these tips: (in case anyone else ever needs Land nav help on this site)


ALWAYS do these things:
1: Carry your map somewhere safe such as tucked into your jacket or it will get lost when you are going through somewhere nasty and you won't notice for an hour...

2: Trust your compass. A lot of people start to second guess their compass at night. "It really seeems like I am pulling left so I will offset a little bit" You aren't. At the same time, when the terrain is open enough don't just bury your head in your compass and walk...Pick a tree or something off in the distance that is on-azimuth and haul ass to that point. Doing this helps keep you nearly exactly on azimuth and saves a lot of time.

3: Keep a pace count backstopped by something to help you remember, such as ranger beads, pebbles in your pocket, etc. Every hundred meters slide the next bead over so when you inevitably forget your count you are not more than 100 meters off.

4: Trust your pace count in a general way...Don't double your distance or whatnot if you haven't seen your point. Do go a couple hundred meters past your pace if the distance/terrain are such that you could have screwed it up. Remember that your pace will get shorter at night (you break your stride instinctively so you don't bust your ass), in rough terrain, and through brush.

5: Use a protractor to get a precise azimuth/distance, make sure you convert it into a magnetic azimuth. Avoid trying to bull straight towards your point (more on that below).

6: NEVER navigate by dead-reckoning for more than 500 meters, preferably much less or not at all. You will screw it up.

Here is what I mean and it is absolutely crucial for doing effective, fast land-nav over long distances (6 plus kilometers): If you try to walk in a straight line for 5 kilometers with nothing but your compass to keep you on azimuth you are absolutely going to screw it up and completely miss your point. You will drift and your pace count will be off enough you won't know when to stop.

Instead, do Land nav like you would give directions to someone: Ok, from here head this way until you see the Super Walmart and then bang a left. Keep the stream on your right. My house will be on the next street..... If you cross the bridge you have gone too far.

Basically, instead of planning a straight on route, find a general route that you can follow quickly because the terrain naturally keeps you on-course. For instance, if you have a ridgeline running off to your side, you may want to simply get on the ridgeline and then haul ass down the ridge....You might not know exactly where you are distance wise, but you know the line you are taking without having to consult your compass. If the ridge ends in something obvious like a big open field, a stream, etc. then you now know exactly where you are again.

Those 'obvious' landmarks are attack points. Something you are not likely to miss which let you pinpoint your location again. They are things like road intersections, power lines, big fields, stream/trail intersections, etc.

Basically, if you look at the map and can say: My point is 3 km generally East of my location and it is 200 meters past the third road I am likely to cross and there is a stream/bridge along that road 250 meters from my point then life is easy: You haul ass generally East (offset just a hair so you know that your reference point will be on one side when you hit the road) keeping a fast pace count because some roads are not on maps and you need to be able to account for that...Don't stop until you hit your 'road.' Then bang a right and run to the bridge.

Now you know your exact location and are only 250 meters from the target. Since you drew this out on your map prior to leaving (using that protractor) you know the exact azimuth and distance you need to walk to hit your point. This way you are really only 'land naving' as most people think of it for the last 250 meters, and you were able to flat out run the rest.

This works best when there is a natural 'handrail' such as a road or stream you can follow to keep your lateral drift within a few dozen meters with solid backstops. Remember that you can simply terrain associate for this as well: "Since my point is on top of the largest ridgeline around I am going to run dead East until I get on top of that ridgeline (loosely verified by pace count). Then I am going to bang a right and run straight along that ridge until I find my point. If I hit a road I need to turn around and go back.

Note: Your attack point that pulls you into a precise, known location CAN be on the other side of the point from you. It is worth using if it is the closest reference point you will be able to find.


When you first start doing this try to plan several attack points along your route and go from known point to known point. It will take a bit longer but will keep you from getting lost and you will still be much quicker than the guys who bury their noses in their compasses.


Again, thank you all for the advice. I really appreciate the wisdom coming down from you senior folk.

Brian1/75
11-10-10, 22:30
Avoid bushes like wildfire. It's a lot easier to shoot an azimuth, see where you want to be, go around, and shoot again. At night, if you get stuck in some thick brush, you'll just waste time and get all disoriented by time you get out.

langston302
11-11-10, 08:54
I shoot an overall azimuth to my target area. then I shoot a series of shorter way points and use them as checks while enroute to my point. I actually adopted this for day nav as well since it worked well for me.

ShootinRN
11-11-10, 22:31
Along with the great info previously posted, I always changed hands when following my compass after some distance, it seemed to help with drift.
Terrain associating and resection have saved LLMF ass more than once...great resources that I still use to this day out in the woods etc.

Pace counts are diff uphill and down...

I still remember my night land nav for my EIB, the moon was so bright I could TA like it was daylight.

Great skills to have. You always knew the moment of reckoning had come when the GPS batteries were dead and left in someones duffel bag and WTF now looks came out...classic.

chuckman
11-12-10, 21:07
Battledrill summed it up pretty well. The only thing I would say, and it's been said, is "know thy pace count."

bkb0000
11-12-10, 21:19
we used to keep the mini chemlights in our cheeks during night movement. just enough red light to get an azimuth, check the time, or peer down into a pocket/pouch, etc.

that's my weak little "tip" :laugh:

mkmckinley
11-12-10, 21:28
Pacecount, backstops, and keeping track of where you are are the basics. A lot of people overuse flashlights. You actually only need a little red light to read your map. Unless it's pitch black you ou can get used to moving without one actually have better SA than if you were using a light everywhere.

My biggest tip, though, is eye protection. Clear lenses will save your eyes from brush. It's one of those things you think is gay until you have a stick poking into your eye. Ask me how I know. I use Oakley half jackets and just snap in the clear lenses if I'm packing around at night in the woods.

Kchen986
11-12-10, 23:35
Pacecount, backstops, and keeping track of where you are are the basics. A lot of people overuse flashlights. You actually only need a little red light to read your map. Unless it's pitch black you ou can get used to moving without one actually have better SA than if you were using a light everywhere.

My biggest tip, though, is eye protection. Clear lenses will save your eyes from brush. It's one of those things you think is gay until you have a stick poking into your eye. Ask me how I know. I use Oakley half jackets and just snap in the clear lenses if I'm packing around at night in the woods.

It's funny, because I have a cut on my face from walking straight in to a branch during night land nav. Luckily (or unluckily), I have BCGs, which cover about 40% of my face. :lol:

Big_Mark
11-13-10, 00:05
we used to keep the mini chemlights in our cheeks during night movement. just enough red light to get an azimuth, check the time, or peer down into a pocket/pouch, etc.

that's my weak little "tip" :laugh:

Me too, I got my EIB in Germany, boars were part of the terrain. :laugh:

VMI-MO
11-13-10, 06:16
clear eye pro


PJ

K.L. Davis
11-16-10, 21:14
Lots of good stuff here...

One thing I will add: TRUST YOUR COMPASS!

I have seen hundreds of people get in trouble with this one... "something must be wrong with the compass, we should be heading in that direction" :sad:

spartan09
11-17-10, 18:55
Interesting how this thread doesn't garner quite as many responses as gear loadout pics

Are you suggesting that the usefulness of a thread is inverse to the number of responses? :D

This is a great thread.

murphy j
12-04-10, 20:52
I don't think he was suggesting that at all. I took it as more of comment on how some threads have that so-called 'cool guy/gear queer' factor and tend to elicit more responses because of it. Land Nav, while an essential and perishable skill, has more of a boring check the block air about it. I personally love land Nav and haven't gotten to do it near as much as I'd like to. My personal opinion, and I was raised 'old school' Army, is learn how to do the basics first then move on to the GPSs. Unfortunately there's gotten to be such a reliance on technology that it doesn't seem like there's as much emphasis on the basic skills anymore.

To the OP.... As has been mentioned before know your pace count, trust you compass and have your plots right. The first two will do you absolutely no good if you haven't plotted your points correctly.

Are you suggesting that the usefulness of a thread is inverse to the number of responses? :D

This is a great thread.

R.E.Schoening
12-04-10, 23:25
Spend more time in the woods at night...night land nav is intimidating simply because it is dark...just being out in the woods at night can help your skill level.

Judging from the my limited exposure to land nav courses, most "failures" or "VW's" come when the sun sets.

- Rob

Ak44
12-05-10, 01:17
clear eye pro


PJ

Yep nothing like walking into a branch to ruin your night.

Jakal
12-06-10, 20:38
Get a star chart and know where Orion, the Big and Little Dippers are you can usually plot courses around that. Get the star chart that moves and will show you what the stars look like at each hour of darkness. They make them for the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
2 star charts and you can navaigate anywhere in the world.

http://www.skymaps.com/

http://www.skymaps.com/store/cat04.html#firefly_deluxe



Get into a big field with no city lights or obstructing tree-line. It takes a little but if you pratice with it, you will see what I am talking about.


and wear eye protection.

Kchen986
12-06-10, 21:13
Yea, I definitely need more practice finding constellations and identifying the North star.

This past weekend, there was sufficient ambient lighting, so I shot really really short azimuth's (5 meters or so). This really helped keep me on track in the dark. Ended up walking right on top of one of my points. Going to need more practice, though.

RogerinTPA
12-06-10, 21:44
Lots of great tips in this thread.

Along with trusting your pace count, compass, plotting a course encompassing terrain features you can recognize (with your feet and center of gravity), and using a backstop, I used a "deliberate off shoot". Shoot an azimuth left or right of your target to a good terrain feature, then you know which direction the target is in relation to that terrain feature. It made tactical land nav a breeze for me and help with setting up OPs and Rally Points on patrols. For lighting, we used a glow stick or red/blue lens flashlight under a poncho, to plot courses.

mikeross506
12-07-10, 17:11
Yep nothing like walking into a branch to ruin your night.

I can handle the branches. It's the unseen spiderwebs that cause my stress.

WillC
12-07-10, 18:22
Big +1 to the "deliberate off shoot", eye pro and Backstops ... maybe a +2 to the Backstops, they will save you, or i'll give you your money back.
You don't truly realize the value of the Backstop until you dive at night, and I brought that mentality to LandNav, dark makes your senses deceive you and nothing looks like it should.

If you have the ability I also think an altimiter works awesome for doing contour nav'ing... not a bad way to do Backstops either.

Then again, a GPS is pretty good too :p

QuietShootr
12-07-10, 19:03
Pacecount, backstops, and keeping track of where you are are the basics. A lot of people overuse flashlights. You actually only need a little red light to read your map. Unless it's pitch black you ou can get used to moving without one actually have better SA than if you were using a light everywhere.

My biggest tip, though, is eye protection. Clear lenses will save your eyes from brush. It's one of those things you think is gay until you have a stick poking into your eye. Ask me how I know. I use Oakley half jackets and just snap in the clear lenses if I'm packing around at night in the woods.

****in' A on all counts. A few things I used to do back in the day -

I used to use an ASP LED keychain light in red that could be activated by biting down on it. I kept it on my field dogtag chain. When I needed to look at the map, I would just cover my head and shoulders with an old OD plastic/cloth poncho and get down in prone, and I had a little light-tight hood to do what I needed to do.

Eye protection is a VERY good idea. I started using half-jacket clears also after nearly losing an eye one night.

Another (stupid) safety tip: don't use spray DEET next to your face in the dark:blink:

QuietShootr
12-07-10, 19:05
Me too, I got my EIB in Germany, boars were part of the terrain. :laugh:

GRUNEY PIG!!!!!

reccerecon
12-17-10, 10:10
Use a yellow highlighter to draw over your route, and have a blue light, the little Gerber lights work nice. It makes finding shit on your map a bit easier. I got this form the Ranger Rick books at the PX, there's a lot of good landnav tips in those. Something else I learned from them is put some white med tape under the numers on your protractor, and put a small hole through the center of the protractor then tie in a 10" piece of strong string. The string should lay on top of the protractor not the bottom when your done. This is handy from plotting, but not as good as the card idea at night. Practice landnav as much as you can, not only when you have to.

johnpuga1982
10-21-12, 22:48
Before you get moving, make a route plan. Make checkpoints on the map at regular intervals, measure distances and azimuths, and write that shit down on paper. That way, you'll be doing a series of short movements, rather than one super-long one. Also, when marking on a map, use pencil, and make the smallest dots possible to get the most accurate azimuths.

I really like this tip. I'm gonna try it this weekend.

Wake27
10-21-12, 22:56
Make small dots, but circle them large enough to spot easily. And stay calm, that shit can be like drowning.

a0cake
10-24-12, 21:20
Old, but good thread. The only other thing I can add is "don't be that guy."

Which guy you ask? The guy who collaborates with his buddies and comes up with an elaborate way to beat the system such as making animal sounds by points to help each other out -- then gets caught and the whole thing gets re-cocked after I've found almost all my points.

Rage.

Kchen986
10-24-12, 22:10
Yea, FWIW, when I did the practice and the test, I handrailed a lot, and used the fading daylight to plot my points.

When I absolutely had to, I shot short azimuths on my compass--and when I thought I found my point, I'd use my surefire w/ red lens to see if I could pick up the point marker.

tb-av
10-24-12, 22:35
First and foremost: You will hear guys use the word "orientate" a lot, as in "Orientate yourself facing north." "Orientate" is not a ****ing word. It's "orient." Sorry. An old pet peeve of mine.

Orient is usually associated with east. Orientate is to familiarize yourself and as you say one might choose north or a landmark. They are both words though. It must be a regional thing where you are.

a0cake
10-24-12, 22:41
Orient is usually associated with east. Orientate is to familiarize yourself and as you say one might choose north or a landmark. They are both words though. It must be a regional thing where you are.

Yeah, both are established words and functionally mean the same thing. "Orientate" apparently came into usage much more recently, mostly in Great Britain ( http://www.wordwizard.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?t=6986 )

Also, if you think about it -- we use the word "orientation." If "orientate" wasn't a word, we'd say "oriention" instead of "orientation," and "oriention" is not a word.

trackmagic
10-28-12, 03:34
Great thread I learned a lot. The only thing I can add is if you look at the "scoop" of the Big Dipper you can normally look up from there to find the North Star. This can be a quick north reference, backup or sanity check.

lunchbox
10-28-12, 04:55
Great thread I learned a lot. The only thing I can add is if you look at the "scoop" of the Big Dipper you can normally look up from there to find the North Star. This can be a quick north reference, backup or sanity check.Scoop points up to North Star, which is 1st star in handle of Little Dipper..If Moon rises before the sun sets, the illuminated side will be west. If Moon rises after mid-night, its illuminated side will be east..And if Moon is a crescent, draw a line through ends of cresent down to horizon. If in northern hemisphere, the point where it touches is south(roughly) and vice versa for southern hem.

taliv
10-31-12, 13:34
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orientate

according to websters, it means to turn or face east.

and it was first used in 1848

scoutchris
11-12-12, 08:24
clear eye pro


PJ

This!

tb-av
11-12-12, 09:52
What do you guys mean by "backstop"

Wake27
11-12-12, 10:55
What do you guys mean by "backstop"

Without double-checking the context, I'd guess a reference point to tell you if you've gone too far.

Karabiner
11-12-12, 19:20
Yep nothing like walking into a branch to ruin your night.

Truth. Managed to cut a cornea during some night land nav a few years ago. Not the best of times. +1 for good eye pro.

ckc5022
12-01-12, 00:20
Planning and prep is very important to landnav. Take your time before your head out to plot and double check your plots then find a good route that minimizes distance between points and allows to you to use attack points, handrails and backstops.

Also take a PT belt with you. Besides having the ability to repel bugs, find water, and fight velociraptors, it is useful if you arrive at your destination and cannot find your point. Use the belt to mark where you think to point should be and do a clover leaf from there. It will help keep you from drifting off center as you bust brush searching for the point.

+1 for clear eye pro

Dano5326
12-01-12, 13:13
don't get lost

Tortuga
12-07-12, 22:04
Lots of great info in this thread!
*I can't over-emphasize breaking the movement into small bites with collecting features to either a) get a warm fuzzy feeling you're on the right track or b) jacked up and need to check your nav plan.
*Practice, practice, practice! Confidence in your abilities and tools makes all the difference in the world.
*In addition to eye protection, a hat with a visor is a good idea. I prefer having a piece headwear as my leading edge rather than my nose.

johnpuga1982
12-16-12, 18:58
Who makes a good red light headlamp? I use a Surefire HL1-C-TN with a cheap $10 light from Academy. Looking for something with more lumens.

Tortuga
12-16-12, 19:07
Who makes a good red light headlamp?

Petzl Tikka is a good choice. I've also been known to take a map pen and color my Princeton Tec or Black Diamond head lamps green or red depending on my needs.

Keydet08
12-16-12, 19:31
A good stick about three feet long to hold out in front of you so you don't catch a spider web to the face.

johnpuga1982
12-17-12, 00:02
Petzl Tikka is a good choice. I've also been known to take a map pen and color my Princeton Tec or Black Diamond head lamps green or red depending on my needs.

The Princeton Tec Remix Pro MPLS is looking like a winner.

http://princetontec.com/remix-pro-mpls

http://youtu.be/9Ep6L7IoEvE

gau5guy
01-01-13, 16:53
If your map has any type of relief be aware that as the contour lines get closer together the land gets steeper, i.e. cliff or dropoff!