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    WAAS, GLONASS, and Your GPS

    WAAS Most (if not all) newer hand-held GPS units offer a WAAS (for Wide Area Augmentation System) option. Basic GPS signals alone do not meet Federal Aviation Administration accuracy standards, especially for precision flight approaches. As a result, WAAS was developed. WAAS is a network of...
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    Choosing a GPS

    When it comes to selecting and using a GPS, I take what I imagine might be described as a minimalist approach. If you wish to spend $400 to $600 on a GPS, you are, of course, at liberty to do so, but you certainly don’t have to - a good GPS that sets you back $100 to $150 will do everything a...
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    A Handy Declination Converter from Decades Past

    In order to carry out good position plotting with map and compass, magnetic bearings taken on identifiable landmarks in the real world must be converted to grid bearings before they can be transferred to the map. This is due to magnetic declination, the difference between magnetic north and true...
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    Choosing a Backup Compass

    Carrying a backup compass is important for anyone doing serious back country navigation work. I have long recommended three compasses for the back country – the Silva/Brunton Expedition 54, the Cammenga Model 3H or M27 lensatic, or the Francis Barker M73 or M88 prismatic. It would be a simple...
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    An Outstanding Combination Map Tool

    Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) has, for well over half a century, proven itself the standout map grid system for back country navigation. It’s simple, easy to use, and provides for wonderfully precise position plotting with United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps. Whether...
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    Buying a Compass On the Internet - Silva Expedition 54

    In an earlier post titled “Choosing a Compass,” I talked about the three compasses I consider the best choices for the serious back country navigator. In order of expense they are the M-73 or M-88 Francis Barker prismatic, ($350 and up for the M-88 and $450 or more for the M-73), the Silva Model...
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    Buying a Compass on the Internet - Cammenga 3H or M27 Lensatic

    In an earlier post titled “Choosing a Compass,” I talked about the three compasses I consider the best choices for the serious back country navigator. In order of expense they are the M-73 or M-88 Francis Barker prismatic, ($350 and up for the M-88 and $450 or more for the M-73), the Silva Model...
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    Buying a Compass on the Internet - Francis Barker M-73 or M-88

    In an earlier post titled “Choosing a Compass,” I talked about the three compasses I consider the best choices for the serious back country navigator. In order of expense they are the M-73 or M-88 Francis Barker prismatic, ($350 and up for the M-88 and $450 or more for the M-73), the Silva Model...
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    Choosing a Compass

    I’m a detective with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming, and I’ve trained hundreds of fellow law enforcement officers, search and rescue teams, firefighters, and outdoor recreationists - especially hunters - in back country navigation over the course of the last two decades. I’ve...

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