Nowadays, when satellite navigation devices have become quite commonplace, it would seem almost impossible to get lost in the forest. However, in practice this is not so. Every year, especially in the season of picking mushrooms and berries, EMERCOM employees have to look for missing people in various regions of Russia - not only citizens, but also those who consider the forest their home.
A GPS navigator is certainly a useful thing. But anything can happen in the forest: the
battery is dead
, dropped, broken, etc. Therefore, the simplest magnetic
compass will come to the rescue
. This is a device that has been known to mankind for centuries. The main thing is to know how to use a compass in the forest.
The magnetic compass is the simplest but most reliable device. Its principle of operation is based on the interaction of the Earth’s magnetic field and the magnetized arrow, which, rotating around its axis, is always located along the magnetic field line.
In principle, using a compass is not difficult. One has only to release the magnetic needle, and after a couple of seconds it will turn north with its blue end, which usually resembles the arrowhead. The back end of the arrow (red) indicates the direction to the south. Accordingly, if you face the north, then to your right will be east, and to your left - west. It should be remembered that near the power line or railway (as well as in areas of magnetic anomalies) the compass readings may be distorted.
Anyone, regardless of gender or age, may well be in a situation where it is necessary to determine their location and direction of movement, and therefore knowing how to learn how to use the compass will not harm anyone.
Checking device performance
Going outdoors and repeating how to use the compass in the forest, you need to make sure that it is working. To do this, you need:
- Place the compass on a flat horizontal surface.
- Let the arrow calm down.
- Bring any metal object to the compass to bring the arrow out of balance, and then sharply remove the object.
- Make sure that the arrow has returned to its previous position. If this does not happen, you should not use such a device.
How to use the compass on the ground
Before heading to the forest:
- First of all, you should choose for yourself those landmarks that will help in the future find the way back. In other words, you need to "attach" to the area.
- As landmarks, it is necessary to choose linear objects (road, clearing, power lines, etc.), from which you can go in any direction, but only at right angles.
- Moving a certain distance from the landmark so that it is within line of sight, you need to turn to face it, pick up the compass and release the arrow. After it stops rotating, rotate the instrument body in a horizontal plane so that the arrow points with its blue end to the inscription “C” (“N”), and in red - to “U” (“S”).
- On the compass scale, determine the direction in degrees to the selected landmark (can be done visually or with the help of some object, say, twigs). This is the direction in which later it will be necessary to return - it must be remembered. Now you can enter the forest in a direction different from that measured by 180 degrees.
How to use a compass in the forest to return to the landmark:
- Expand the compass in your hands so that the conditional line of sight passes through the center of the compass and the specified azimuth.
- Free the arrow and, rotating around its axis, achieve its coincidence with the direction "north-south".
- Move in the direction where the gaze is directed.
In order not to get lost, it is best to do periodic clarification of the route course - both when moving into the forest, and when leaving it.
Even if you know how to use a compass in the forest, you should follow a simple rule - before you go to an unfamiliar area, you need to think in advance how to get out of it. In no case should you deviate from the intended route. If this nevertheless happened - do not panic. You need to calmly understand the situation and make the right decision.