Night Land-Nav Tips?

[Kchen986]

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]

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]

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]

Pace count, trust your EQP, and lots of practice.

[BattleDrill3]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Battledrill summed it up pretty well. The only thing I would say, and it's been said, is "know thy pace count."