I have that verry bracelet it came in a verry taclicool med / first-aid and survival pack and I feel silly that I didn't notice that tip when I did notice my compass didn't work well .Well now I know!🤔
why would i carry a big as compass that’s only a compass when a small one on a utility gear is as good? if they’re placed correctly away from metal they will work perfectly fine.
@@keineahnungdikka8517because oil compasses like those are still unreliable at best and faulty at worst. You can buy a brass compass for like $8 that’s no bigger than an AirPod case
@@keineahnungdikka8517 The smaller your compass the less precise they are. The puny ones shown in the video are very rough and good luck trying to use them with a map. A wrist or thumb compass used for competitive orienteering is not much bigger or heavier, but much more useful. A plate compass festooned with markings is even more precise and useful for distances as well, and still not very heavy.
I cannot tell you how much Girl Scouts-branded navigational equipment I threw away because of that shit. I used to get so mad. I got angry enough that I stopped using compasses entirely and navigated during the mornings. So that I was sure East was where I thought it was. I wish I'd known this!
You can put a stick into the ground straight up and wait five to fifteen minutes to see which direction is north jusy pur stone markers at each point the shadow ends in the span only thing you need to know is how far away midday is
Ultimately a compass isn't critical unless it's an overcast day where you can't see where the sunrise is, or the sunset or the stars. Do you know how to locate Polaris? the north star? (if your southern hemisphere this obv wont apply lol)
@@OldNavajoTricks indeed, mother nature will test all of her children, the ones that arent strong enough will simply fertilize the earth to feed the next generation.
Also, my dad taught me to navigate when I was young and he told me to always keep my gun away from my compass when I was getting my heading. He said to lean it securely against a tree and step away from it. He told me not to hold the compass within several feet of any metal, like a knife or firearm.
One of those 'active lifestyle' stores where designers don't think. By the way, even Victorinox is guilty of this. I've seen Swiss Army knives with a fold-out compass attachment...
This is honestly one of the best tips for survival on the Internet. I've tossed several compasses and never thought about that being the reason they were faulty
This also applies with mobile devices, as there's a lot of ferric material in a GPS unit, mobile phone, or tablet. I was at a shelter in a hikers camp, and saw one fellow with his orientering compass right on top of his mobile device to estimate direction & distance to the next camp. I told him that it was affecting the needle, and sure enough, the needle moved at least 90 degrees when he lifted it off.
I always make sure i have a good phone with a good battery your phone is a good GPS map as long as the map is preloaded into you phone you can use it to find the general direction back since i always map my destinations my map is already loaded
@@travisdonotsuscribegototjs9323Yep me too! If I know I'm going to be in the woods I have the maps in that area pre-downloaded. Also the compass app on my phone is remarkably accurate. Though I would still use a regular compass. A real one though, not that button compass garbage.
One of my best buddies nearly failed Ranger Indoctrination because he got in the habit of carrying a pen in the same hand as his compass. His instructors knew exactly what he was doing wrong and gave him one final shot during one of the land-nav exercises to see if he could solve the problem. He did. Seemingly insignificant things can make or break you in the wilderness. KNOW YOUR STUFF.
People always held their compasses too close to their belt buckle. Or if they were using to the eye to cheek method, if they were wearing glasses , that would be an issue too.
@@olympic-gradelurker oh ya the belt buckle one is super common too. A million things to not die. Don’t wait till its late to learn that attention to detail is key 😂 surprising how many uniformed people don’t know land nav
Exactly! You get what you pay for. And I'd never trust a compass that was on a paracord cord bracelet, or a whistle lol. I use a REAL compass that I can shoot a proper azimuth with.
Thank you for saying that. I canmt stand these shitty compasses on every fucking piece of cheap “survival gear”. I’d rather look at moss on the trees then trust that thing. Also as the other guy pointed out, a decent compass is croucial for walking an azimuth.
@@zancresnar395 LOL yeah, which side of the tree the moss is growing on will tell you more about where the sun rises and sets, hence which direction you need to go, than any of those cheap compasses they glue onto survival gear. I think I was the one who mentioned having a good compass to shoot a proper azimuth lol. Knowing how to properly use a compass, and read a map, and competently navigate the wilderness, are probably the most important skills for any hiker, hunter, bushcrafter, outdoorsman, etc to have. It really surprises me sometimes how many people who spend a good deal of time in the wilderness don't have those skills. EDIT: Also how to use Ranger beads to keep count of your steps, and how far you have gone, is another skill that goes along with proper wilderness navigation.
@@mattjack3983 well the moss on the tree is a very so so tactic of determining north, but moss usually grows on the north side of the tree. But again it’s not a very trustworthy tactic, it’s more of a last resort. Another one is looking at the lines of a tree stump (idk how they’re called in english) where they space out towards south, but that’s only on trees in the clearings (due to the differently dispositioned heat of the sun). Never heard of ranger beads but I’ll check that out. In my case I just developed a sense for how long it takes me to tread 250m which will be 1cm on my DTK25 map that I usually use.
That a needle, a bar of soap/wax, and thread/fishing line makes 2 simple compasses. Waterproofing, sewing repairs, heat the needle, bend it into a hook for fishing.
The fact that not even one of the many 'survival' show's i've seen over the years mention this is mind blowing. Man vs wild, Survivor Man, Alone etc. Amazing bit of info bro
This is what happens when something is engineered and built in two different places. German engineered? Great, but where was it manufactured? China... sigh.
You need to buy a proper dedicated compass like the one from Suunto not the one from a cheap Chinese multi-tool that try to do everything but does nothing well.
It really isn't that surprising tbh, there is a _lot_ of thoughtless crap made to be bought up by the semi outdoorsy/prepper adjacent who don't know any better
The people who designed these products that have this issue literally don't care if the compass works or not. Any tool that is a two in one or three in one etc is a piece of shit.
@@-pyrosef- I don't know if it is an issue where the designers don't care, I think it is more of a don't know factor. The designer is tasked with designing a new company product that they don't use or have any knowledge of. Most of the products shown in this video are really just outdoor toys. Someone who is going out into a real survival situation would/should research the product before betting your life on it.
@@bobbic3011 how in tf did you make this comment without holding a compass? Either you’re ignant asf or stupidly oblivious to the capabilities of every electronic device with a computer.
My son has that exact same survival bracelet, and I had to specifically teach him not to use the compass when it's clasped shut for this reason. I think most people would figure that out, but it's good to tell people anyway. Sometimes you don't notice the little things when you're in an emergency or stressed...
Just a quick note...watch out for flashlights!! The battery drain from the light induces a field of magnetism at a distance of less than 6 inches for a AA light. Keep this in mind for night travels (source personal experience doing survey work in a cave)
Great vid! Might want to add that over time, a magnetic compass can be permanently ruined with an opposing field that sits too close. Even removing the affecting field/steel may not fix it.
My scout leader told us a story that when he was young in like the 70s, he was on a hike with some older kids and he was made to navigate cause the older kids were getting high. They got so lost because he had these toy metal beads in his hand and apparently on the third night they finally reached the campsite they were meant to have gotten to on the first night.
Being high. I had a work mate who came out of the pub, drunk. Rode home on his motor bike but stopped halfway for a piss.. He then couldn't find the bike but he could hear the engine running. Eventually he found the road and worked from there.
Did a SAR exercise a few years ago and one of people had a horrible time with the compass. Turns out their convertible mitten/glove (mitten fingers fold back to free fingers) had a magnetic clasp. So they were holding a magnet right beside the compass without knowing it.
I was in a great volunteer Search and Rescue team in Manitoba Canada. I moved this summer with work and sadly it was too far away to be with the group. The exercise was being run by the province (state) for multiple teams and the person who had the issue was brand new (first time out). The weather was brutally cold (below -30) so everyone was wearing cold weather gear. There was no issued clothing so there was quite the variety used. Each person was responsible to navigate a leg of the route with others providing the double check. When this individual pointed in the very wrong direction we had them swap compasses. Their's worked fine in someone else's hand and the other compass they held was incorrect so this narrowed it down to something on them. We then started examining their kit. Nothing like a big knife/saw/hatchet on the vest, no large watch on the wrist. We were all stumped till they adjusted their mitten because the fingers were getting cold and there was not the tell tale ripping sound of Velcro, as most of these convertible mittens use a small hook and loop fastener but they had a "fancy" pair that closes with a magnet. In the end no harm was done as the error was found, a great lesson was learned and shared (purpose of the exercise and training and I guess even forums like this), the importance of knowing your kit was reinforced and it proved that having double checks pays off.
On big old sailing ships there were binders balls, and I may be saying that wrong. but it looked like two cannon balls, one to each side of the helm. at a known location, the ship would line its keel up to north. then adjust the iron balls on their rod to compensate for what ever on board was causing the compas to deviate.
@@TheLZempir3 Cheap ones can also get stuck pretty easily. A nicer compass is still not very expensive, even like $10 is much better than one of those, although obviously in a pinch you'll use what you've got.
this is the exact reason I find the compass keychain on my dads snowmobile amusing and I tell him to never rely on it, it sits right below the handle bars with a ton of wires, right behind the engine with an electric rotor, and its ok the key ring, so yeah, it no worky
If your compass has metal interference, just remember the sun rises in the east, sets in the west and moss grows on the north side of trees. Happy trails!!
Also the sun travels slightly towards the south (north face of mountains is always the coldest/iciest because of this) as it goes east to west. At night, locate the big dipper and on the end of its handle is the North Star
Well, where the sun rises and sets depends on where you are on the planet and time of the year. I think it can vary from southeast to Northwest the long you get from the equator the more it varies throughout the year
Rises in the south east during autumn and spring, goes in circles at summer and never rises in the winter for me and trees are covered in moss on all sides. I'd die trying to navigate that way.
Yep, it gets really interesting on a larger scale such as say a crab boat, you have to compensate when using a compass based on where your compass is positioned on the boat, and how much metal is around it (including the boat itself)
True story. US POWs in Germany back in WW2 were given US rations. Among those rations would be snacks. Specifically, Cracker Jacks. And yes, if anybody knows the history of Cracker Jacks they know where this is going. The prize in the Cracker Jack boxes included in the rations was skewered to more likely be the toy compass. To help them in their escapes. I'm not quite sure when they stopped the practice. In my youth, I never once got the compass as a prize.
As a kid I always thought that compasses just didn’t work or I only had access to cheap faulty ones. I am now questioning how many of those compasses had that little steel ring riiiiiight next to them….. 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
I wonder how many souls wondered to their death cause of this? Thank you for posting this. I’ll remember this as a survival tip to never forget. ‘When using a compass make sure all metal objects are not close’
Yessss! I came across this issue years ago. You'd think manufacturers would keep this in mind. But they don't. They just make stuff. They're not outdoors people. This video will help many people.
i swear to this - When mushrooming season comes along in southern washington state, my family & i always go out shroom harvesting with my aunt who lives right outside the Pinchot National Forest. And it's like every single time we go out in those woods she brings a compass & she still somehow gets us lost. Next time we go hunting for chanterelles, i'm gonna check if that compass has a piece of steel attached to it.
Fellow PNW dweller, love that forest. Small tip for not getting lost during area searches, map out the area you plan on being in first and identify easily seen/identified terrain features that border it. Essentially know where that box is and know if you're leaving it. That way you'll always know generally what direction you need to go to get back to your vehicle quickly. Good hunting!
This is why you shell out the extra money for a good lensatic compass. One made from plastic is good, and one made from aluminum should be OK. Not only will the compass be pretty accurate since there should be very little steel within the compass, it also lets you plot your near exact location if you have a map.
You just explained why in my archeological field school I was always off when we had to walk quarter mile latitudinal transects with our compass to guide us. Me and my professors could never figure out why my compass was “lying to us”. I just wet to inspect it and there’s a steel ring attached. Ugh, I feel so stupid.
BRO!!!! I've been a hiker all my life, now I never have needed a compass (hope I never do) but I never thought about this. But Brother, you saved some lives! God Bless!
Yeah understanding how electricity, Magnetism and how they work together can change your life forever... probably one of the most vital things to learn .
I knew other sources of metal could mess with compasses - especially if they were close to the compass - but I was always thinking about crap on the ground - not crap like literally right next or attached to it LOL - so thanks for this!
There was a news story, I think in the 90s, about a couple of guys getting lost in the Brazilian rain forest and wandering in circles for maybe a few weeks. One of them had a compass, but he'd had the clever idea of using the stock of his rifle to lay it on. I'm sure he thought he had an amazing sense of direction when he was able to point due north every single time.
That's actually kinda dangerous 😳 For example, if you went off a trail in the direction of east, then West would be back to the track. But with compass going everywhich way then could easily get lost in the middle of nowhere
I remember I put my compass on some concrete one time. I was so confused because I would walk in the direction it would point when it was set on the concrete, but then it would point north, and it would have me return to the concrete. My dumbass didn't realize there was rebar in the concrete.
Good point. Personally I would carry a GPS and a satellite phone. However, having old school skills like being able to read a paper map and plot line of position to find your exact position, or using a sextant and the position of the stars or sun are valuable too. No batteries are needed.
Also, Learn multiple ways to tell North without a compass Sun Stars Tree growth direction Moss Typical front direction (clouds) There's also a theory that this concentration of iron in your nose can help you orient yourself. Usually works for me, once you realize how your nose feels lol Once I kept getting thrown off while randomly practicing one day and realized my nose was orienting toward the two freezers next to me in the warehouse lol
As a former child, I am now furious at every company that gaslit me into thinking I was dumb as shit
😂
What, did you find out you were actually DUMBER than shit???
@@giantdad1661 compass manufacturers:you can buy our stuff and then you burn them down
YES
Now this, this is a real Dr. Doofenshmirtz villain plot moment.😂
dead ass i just thought i was a dumb ass and didnt know how to work my compass 😂😂 thank you so much for this video
I have that verry bracelet it came in a verry taclicool med / first-aid and survival pack and I feel silly that I didn't notice that tip when I did notice my compass didn't work well .Well now I know!🤔
Same @sgsocks2425
Nah ur just the dumbass who kept steal near your compass (no offense intended just a play on your words)
LoL!
You bought a cheap ass compass... Just like that jackwagon in the video.
Best thing to do is carry a dedicated, high quality compass that doesn’t do anything other than be a compass.
why would i carry a big as compass that’s only a compass when a small one on a utility gear is as good?
if they’re placed correctly away from
metal they will work perfectly fine.
@@keineahnungdikka8517because oil compasses like those are still unreliable at best and faulty at worst. You can buy a brass compass for like $8 that’s no bigger than an AirPod case
@@keineahnungdikka8517I don't know on which planet you live but a dedicated compass isn't that big
@@keineahnungdikka8517 The smaller your compass the less precise they are. The puny ones shown in the video are very rough and good luck trying to use them with a map. A wrist or thumb compass used for competitive orienteering is not much bigger or heavier, but much more useful. A plate compass festooned with markings is even more precise and useful for distances as well, and still not very heavy.
thanks
I cannot tell you how much Girl Scouts-branded navigational equipment I threw away because of that shit. I used to get so mad. I got angry enough that I stopped using compasses entirely and navigated during the mornings. So that I was sure East was where I thought it was.
I wish I'd known this!
You can put a stick into the ground straight up and wait five to fifteen minutes to see which direction is north jusy pur stone markers at each point the shadow ends in the span only thing you need to know is how far away midday is
Ultimately a compass isn't critical unless it's an overcast day where you can't see where the sunrise is, or the sunset or the stars. Do you know how to locate Polaris? the north star? (if your southern hemisphere this obv wont apply lol)
Well that's a potentially deadly oversight.
Good.
"Sometimes what you don't know can kill you, and sometimes what you do know can get you killed"
Goddamnit Life, it's like you WANT us to die lol...
@@codyneitte9801 whos an edgy little boy? you are! yes you are! :D
@@OldNavajoTricks indeed, mother nature will test all of her children, the ones that arent strong enough will simply fertilize the earth to feed the next generation.
@@c6sper alot of weak people find the strong to be terrifying. Dont worry, i wont hurt you without a good reason.
Northern Minnesota be like
Okay north is this way, nope, just a literal hillside of iron
Hahahha
Accurate
I don’t know if I’d be pissed or kinda happy but damn
At least you know where the iron is, grab a shovel lol
@@mortache bruh you use a pickaxe to mine iron, shovels are for gravel
Also, my dad taught me to navigate when I was young and he told me to always keep my gun away from my compass when I was getting my heading. He said to lean it securely against a tree and step away from it. He told me not to hold the compass within several feet of any metal, like a knife or firearm.
Pro Tip: Before using the compass pivot. See if the needle follows "you" or the earth.
Whoever approved that bottle's compass placement, man...
One of those 'active lifestyle' stores where designers don't think.
By the way, even Victorinox is guilty of this. I've seen Swiss Army knives with a fold-out compass attachment...
That might work if it were removable..?
--China---
@@jonathantan2469pfft! Worst place to have a compass 😂
Does it matter? It sold.
This is honestly one of the best tips for survival on the Internet. I've tossed several compasses and never thought about that being the reason they were faulty
cuz designers r dumb
This also applies with mobile devices, as there's a lot of ferric material in a GPS unit, mobile phone, or tablet. I was at a shelter in a hikers camp, and saw one fellow with his orientering compass right on top of his mobile device to estimate direction & distance to the next camp. I told him that it was affecting the needle, and sure enough, the needle moved at least 90 degrees when he lifted it off.
I always make sure i have a good phone with a good battery your phone is a good GPS map as long as the map is preloaded into you phone you can use it to find the general direction back since i always map my destinations my map is already loaded
@@travisdonotsuscribegototjs9323Yep me too! If I know I'm going to be in the woods I have the maps in that area pre-downloaded. Also the compass app on my phone is remarkably accurate. Though I would still use a regular compass. A real one though, not that button compass garbage.
There's more than one yacht that has been "navigated" with binoculars resting beside the compass, too.
Gilligan!!!!!!
One of my best buddies nearly failed Ranger Indoctrination because he got in the habit of carrying a pen in the same hand as his compass. His instructors knew exactly what he was doing wrong and gave him one final shot during one of the land-nav exercises to see if he could solve the problem. He did. Seemingly insignificant things can make or break you in the wilderness.
KNOW YOUR STUFF.
plastic mech pencil for the write in the rain note pad
@@generatormikeeven a plastic oc mechanical pencil will most likely have a steel.spring inside for the action. Golf pencil ftw
Nice of them. The compasses in the army are super sensitive as well
People always held their compasses too close to their belt buckle. Or if they were using to the eye to cheek method, if they were wearing glasses , that would be an issue too.
@@olympic-gradelurker oh ya the belt buckle one is super common too. A million things to not die. Don’t wait till its late to learn that attention to detail is key 😂 surprising how many uniformed people don’t know land nav
A perfect example of why you shouldn't cheap out on litterally one of the most important parts of your kit.
Exactly! You get what you pay for. And I'd never trust a compass that was on a paracord cord bracelet, or a whistle lol. I use a REAL compass that I can shoot a proper azimuth with.
Thank you for saying that. I canmt stand these shitty compasses on every fucking piece of cheap “survival gear”. I’d rather look at moss on the trees then trust that thing.
Also as the other guy pointed out, a decent compass is croucial for walking an azimuth.
@@zancresnar395 LOL yeah, which side of the tree the moss is growing on will tell you more about where the sun rises and sets, hence which direction you need to go, than any of those cheap compasses they glue onto survival gear. I think I was the one who mentioned having a good compass to shoot a proper azimuth lol. Knowing how to properly use a compass, and read a map, and competently navigate the wilderness, are probably the most important skills for any hiker, hunter, bushcrafter, outdoorsman, etc to have. It really surprises me sometimes how many people who spend a good deal of time in the wilderness don't have those skills.
EDIT: Also how to use Ranger beads to keep count of your steps, and how far you have gone, is another skill that goes along with proper wilderness navigation.
@@mattjack3983 well the moss on the tree is a very so so tactic of determining north, but moss usually grows on the north side of the tree. But again it’s not a very trustworthy tactic, it’s more of a last resort. Another one is looking at the lines of a tree stump (idk how they’re called in english) where they space out towards south, but that’s only on trees in the clearings (due to the differently dispositioned heat of the sun).
Never heard of ranger beads but I’ll check that out. In my case I just developed a sense for how long it takes me to tread 250m which will be 1cm on my DTK25 map that I usually use.
That a needle, a bar of soap/wax, and thread/fishing line makes 2 simple compasses. Waterproofing, sewing repairs, heat the needle, bend it into a hook for fishing.
Imagine designing that water bottle for like a year, getting the go ahead to roll out production, then that happens
The fact that not even one of the many 'survival' show's i've seen over the years mention this is mind blowing. Man vs wild, Survivor Man, Alone etc. Amazing bit of info bro
they don't mention it because they use actually good gear and not dollar store compasses
@@phillipanselmo8540 Good point. Imaging Bear Grylls pulling out a cracker jacks trinket 😂
@@WillBravoNotEvil i mean…he pulled out elephant shit and proceeded to drink the ass water from that.
Well at least with Survivorman there not a compass in sight.
But those guys denied mexican homosexual special rights ?
You would think manufacturers would know this little piece of info. Truly incredible
Yes, but once they have your money it's not their problem anymore.
This is what happens when something is engineered and built in two different places. German engineered? Great, but where was it manufactured? China... sigh.
@@flashgordon5987chinese common sense.
heh, that's cute you think that anyone actually put more thought into these things then "it's for survival? slap a cheap compass on there!"
You need to buy a proper dedicated compass like the one from Suunto not the one from a cheap Chinese multi-tool that try to do everything but does nothing well.
That's enormously unprofessional of those companies. Making a compass that doesn't even point north because there's metal next to it.
It really isn't that surprising tbh, there is a _lot_ of thoughtless crap made to be bought up by the semi outdoorsy/prepper adjacent who don't know any better
Man may have saved a life and he 100% saved us frustration by making this video.
The device designers should know this.
It's a similar problem in game design; not thinking about the small issues, and having them slide by un-detected.
The people who designed these products that have this issue literally don't care if the compass works or not. Any tool that is a two in one or three in one etc is a piece of shit.
@@-pyrosef- I don't know if it is an issue where the designers don't care, I think it is more of a don't know factor. The designer is tasked with designing a new company product that they don't use or have any knowledge of.
Most of the products shown in this video are really just outdoor toys. Someone who is going out into a real survival situation would/should research the product before betting your life on it.
I've held a compass maybe two times in my life, but whenever I did it always was changing directions and I didn't know why, now I do thank.
no it changes direction when you do lol
@@ClaytonBigsby01 not what I meant
I know you didn't mean it this way, but it sounds like you are the iron man, that's why your compass want working😁
@@bobbic3011 how in tf did you make this comment without holding a compass?
Either you’re ignant asf or stupidly oblivious to the capabilities of every electronic device with a computer.
I remember when first learning about using a compass, my Scout Leader told me that if there's a lot of iron in the ground it might affect your compass
My son has that exact same survival bracelet, and I had to specifically teach him not to use the compass when it's clasped shut for this reason. I think most people would figure that out, but it's good to tell people anyway. Sometimes you don't notice the little things when you're in an emergency or stressed...
Just a quick note...watch out for flashlights!! The battery drain from the light induces a field of magnetism at a distance of less than 6 inches for a AA light. Keep this in mind for night travels (source personal experience doing survey work in a cave)
Great vid! Might want to add that over time, a magnetic compass can be permanently ruined with an opposing field that sits too close. Even removing the affecting field/steel may not fix it.
Who knows how many lives you saved with this (seemingly insignificant) tip… thank you
I'm so glad that you're bringing this to people's attention. You could be saving somebody's life
My scout leader told us a story that when he was young in like the 70s, he was on a hike with some older kids and he was made to navigate cause the older kids were getting high. They got so lost because he had these toy metal beads in his hand and apparently on the third night they finally reached the campsite they were meant to have gotten to on the first night.
Being high. I had a work mate who came out of the pub, drunk. Rode home on his motor bike but stopped halfway for a piss..
He then couldn't find the bike but he could hear the engine running. Eventually he found the road and worked from there.
Did a SAR exercise a few years ago and one of people had a horrible time with the compass.
Turns out their convertible mitten/glove (mitten fingers fold back to free fingers) had a magnetic clasp. So they were holding a magnet right beside the compass without knowing it.
Oh my gosh!!
Hey man cant pass you if you dont have common sense. Recycled
This blows my mind. Anybody whos too stupid to understand magnetism. Shouldnt be in charge of a compass.
are you in a SAR team or did you just do a SAR exercise?
I was in a great volunteer Search and Rescue team in Manitoba Canada. I moved this summer with work and sadly it was too far away to be with the group.
The exercise was being run by the province (state) for multiple teams and the person who had the issue was brand new (first time out). The weather was brutally cold (below -30) so everyone was wearing cold weather gear.
There was no issued clothing so there was quite the variety used.
Each person was responsible to navigate a leg of the route with others providing the double check. When this individual pointed in the very wrong direction we had them swap compasses. Their's worked fine in someone else's hand and the other compass they held was incorrect so this narrowed it down to something on them.
We then started examining their kit. Nothing like a big knife/saw/hatchet on the vest, no large watch on the wrist. We were all stumped till they adjusted their mitten because the fingers were getting cold and there was not the tell tale ripping sound of Velcro, as most of these convertible mittens use a small hook and loop fastener but they had a "fancy" pair that closes with a magnet.
In the end no harm was done as the error was found, a great lesson was learned and shared (purpose of the exercise and training and I guess even forums like this), the importance of knowing your kit was reinforced and it proved that having double checks pays off.
Thanks for this.
I was wondering why I’ve been lost in these woods for 27 months!!
I always just thought this was a problem with cheap compasses.
On big old sailing ships there were binders balls, and I may be saying that wrong. but it looked like two cannon balls, one to each side of the helm. at a known location, the ship would line its keel up to north. then adjust the iron balls on their rod to compensate for what ever on board was causing the compas to deviate.
Some good points. Another good point is not to use a crappy little compass in a whistle for navigation
Compass is a simple tool. A cheap one works too.
@@TheLZempir3 Cheap ones can also get stuck pretty easily. A nicer compass is still not very expensive, even like $10 is much better than one of those, although obviously in a pinch you'll use what you've got.
if your proper one gets damaged somehow, that crappy whistle one suddenly looks really good
@@chrisdavidson911 just have a spare for your proper compass, they aren’t expensive
@@TheLZempir3 but one with poor forethought by the manufacturer doesn't.
this is the exact reason I find the compass keychain on my dads snowmobile amusing and I tell him to never rely on it, it sits right below the handle bars with a ton of wires, right behind the engine with an electric rotor, and its ok the key ring, so yeah, it no worky
A compass water bottle? Interesting...
Oh man….this was so valuable! I feel kind of dumb for not realizing this already…but I had all but given up on my parachord bracelet! Hahaha…
Those don't seem very reliable
Thank you for the info! I never would’ve thought about the dang spring in the water bottle!!! Crazy!!
I’d never look at the compass in a fucking water bottle
If your compass has metal interference, just remember the sun rises in the east, sets in the west and moss grows on the north side of trees.
Happy trails!!
Also the sun travels slightly towards the south (north face of mountains is always the coldest/iciest because of this) as it goes east to west. At night, locate the big dipper and on the end of its handle is the North Star
Well, where the sun rises and sets depends on where you are on the planet and time of the year. I think it can vary from southeast to Northwest the long you get from the equator the more it varies throughout the year
@@niclas8777 🤡🤡🤡
Rises in the south east during autumn and spring, goes in circles at summer and never rises in the winter for me and trees are covered in moss on all sides. I'd die trying to navigate that way.
Moss doesn't just grow on north side but on whichever side has the most shade. Seen many trees with moss on east or even south
Looking at the position of the moss on the rock I was gonna tell you were North is quicker than your compass 😂
czcams.com/users/shortsmKEp3uTfCJg?feature=share
Also when holding your compass hold it away from your belt buckle.
Seen that screw a few people up.
I had a pocket knife with a tiny compass on it and it never worked right, i just now realized it was the entire knife that made it not work.
Like those 80's Rambo survival knives? Hollow metal hilt with the compass? Those were useless.
No it was a radom gas station pocket knife i had, it was equally as useless.
@WK_Explored lol... gotcha. Yep, I had a few of those too.
that's why i actually carry a stand alone compass and I sure ain't gonna bet my life on something with a battery
Learned that as a Boy Scout. Was doing a compas course and one of the points was next to a dumpster. I got lost
Yep, it gets really interesting on a larger scale such as say a crab boat, you have to compensate when using a compass based on where your compass is positioned on the boat, and how much metal is around it (including the boat itself)
I knew some cheap looking compasses never pointed north but I never thought of the little metal bits but now it seems obvious that you point it out
True story. US POWs in Germany back in WW2 were given US rations. Among those rations would be snacks. Specifically, Cracker Jacks. And yes, if anybody knows the history of Cracker Jacks they know where this is going. The prize in the Cracker Jack boxes included in the rations was skewered to more likely be the toy compass. To help them in their escapes. I'm not quite sure when they stopped the practice. In my youth, I never once got the compass as a prize.
The video I didn't know I needed.
Thank you
As a kid I always thought that compasses just didn’t work or I only had access to cheap faulty ones. I am now questioning how many of those compasses had that little steel ring riiiiiight next to them….. 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Finally an explanation to all those “toy” compases I threw away 🥹
It's basically like they are trying to get you lost
When “get lost” takes a new meaning
But yeah
I can deal with 'out of nowhere'. Life's got me used to that.
It's 'out of bloody nowhere' that still gets me every time.
uh your pfp..
I wonder how many souls wondered to their death cause of this? Thank you for posting this. I’ll remember this as a survival tip to never forget. ‘When using a compass make sure all metal objects are not close’
Carry a good compass, Use those button compass' as a last resort.
Yep, don't forget to check your clothes also, steel snaps in your cuffs etc.
I’ve always wondered why all the compasses I grew up with did this. Thank you!
2LT : "Okay we have our pace man. I'm making you the point man."
The guy carrying the M240B : ... .-.
Also be aware of magnetic dip which causes turning errors. The further north you are, the worse the errors become
Yessss! I came across this issue years ago. You'd think manufacturers would keep this in mind. But they don't. They just make stuff. They're not outdoors people. This video will help many people.
i swear to this - When mushrooming season comes along in southern washington state, my family & i always go out shroom harvesting with my aunt who lives right outside the Pinchot National Forest. And it's like every single time we go out in those woods she brings a compass & she still somehow gets us lost. Next time we go hunting for chanterelles, i'm gonna check if that compass has a piece of steel attached to it.
Fellow PNW dweller, love that forest. Small tip for not getting lost during area searches, map out the area you plan on being in first and identify easily seen/identified terrain features that border it. Essentially know where that box is and know if you're leaving it. That way you'll always know generally what direction you need to go to get back to your vehicle quickly. Good hunting!
Or a ring on her finger that is close to the compass when she is holding it
So, what was the result?
@@lukelblitz3627 we're still lost out here in the woods 🥺
God damn
This is fantastic knowledge!
People putting compasses and their products with steel is like somebody raising their hand even though they don't know the answer to look smart
Dont carry the compass in the same hand as your apple watch. Learned the hard way
I thought Apple Watch has a compass (and many other things) too?
This is why you shell out the extra money for a good lensatic compass. One made from plastic is good, and one made from aluminum should be OK. Not only will the compass be pretty accurate since there should be very little steel within the compass, it also lets you plot your near exact location if you have a map.
You just explained why in my archeological field school I was always off when we had to walk quarter mile latitudinal transects with our compass to guide us. Me and my professors could never figure out why my compass was “lying to us”. I just wet to inspect it and there’s a steel ring attached. Ugh, I feel so stupid.
BRO!!!! I've been a hiker all my life, now I never have needed a compass (hope I never do) but I never thought about this. But Brother, you saved some lives! God Bless!
I had no idea! this could save my life as a new camper, I can't thank you enough
I used to have a dumb compass with STEEL SCREWS.
Learned this at 6... Always used plastic-only compass. This was grade 3-4 science as well.
That why I got lost, confused 7 miles off course.
Bro this man is a legend good fk thing to know
As a lifelong compass user, North is whatever direction I deem it to be
Yeah understanding how electricity, Magnetism and how they work together can change your life forever... probably one of the most vital things to learn .
I've had that exact Paracord bracelet, never new there was ferro rod in it till now.
some have a small blade woven in as well
Also fishing twine and maybe a hook or three.
😂😂😂
What brand of bracelet is it?
Why buy something without knowing what it is/how it functions?
I knew other sources of metal could mess with compasses - especially if they were close to the compass - but I was always thinking about crap on the ground - not crap like literally right next or attached to it LOL - so thanks for this!
Thank you for the advice I had no idea. I'm glad I now know Incase I ever need it.
I just commenting to say thank you, this little tip helped me and probably loads of other people.
Have a blessed day.
Hmm, how did I not figure this out when I was wondering why the compas in my sons bicycle bell is so bad at telling north.
That’s why you don’t go backpacking in a scrapyard
Johnny the idiot: *I seem to have had a lapse in judgement*
Finally someone is bringing this up I've been complaining about this for years since I was in the scouts
Speaking of bad design. Can we sue them for being dangerous? I mean, if your life depends on it...
I’ll put that in the part of my brain that I hope I never have to use.
There was a news story, I think in the 90s, about a couple of guys getting lost in the Brazilian rain forest and wandering in circles for maybe a few weeks. One of them had a compass, but he'd had the clever idea of using the stock of his rifle to lay it on. I'm sure he thought he had an amazing sense of direction when he was able to point due north every single time.
Such great info!!! I've been calling compasses liars for DECADES and never knew why. My apologies to all the compasses I've maligned over the years...
Omg that is why every compass I had when I was kid would never be consistent driving me nuts!!
I learned long ago by an old man not to hold my compass at my waistline because of belt buckles
Facts. Thanks for sharing so others will know.
Bro you might have saved so many lives with that information
That paracord bracelet is nice.
That's actually kinda dangerous 😳
For example, if you went off a trail in the direction of east, then West would be back to the track. But with compass going everywhich way then could easily get lost in the middle of nowhere
I remember I put my compass on some concrete one time. I was so confused because I would walk in the direction it would point when it was set on the concrete, but then it would point north, and it would have me return to the concrete. My dumbass didn't realize there was rebar in the concrete.
that explains so much thank you
i remembered learning this on school (that i now forgot till i saw this video) and remembered how my mind was blown
Good point. Personally I would carry a GPS and a satellite phone. However, having old school skills like being able to read a paper map and plot line of position to find your exact position, or using a sextant and the position of the stars or sun are valuable too. No batteries are needed.
Lean too heavy on high tech and suddenly you are stuck when the batteries go dead.
How you can tell the engineer doesn't get out of the office much.
a simple video, that will save LOTS of lifes, thanks sir
Who designs this stuff? 😂
Also, Learn multiple ways to tell North without a compass
Sun
Stars
Tree growth direction
Moss
Typical front direction (clouds)
There's also a theory that this concentration of iron in your nose can help you orient yourself. Usually works for me, once you realize how your nose feels lol
Once I kept getting thrown off while randomly practicing one day and realized my nose was orienting toward the two freezers next to me in the warehouse lol
Not moss. Seriously. Stop pushing that old wives tale.
Hello from Oklahoma! Good Video! Another compass hazard, laying it on rock. This can cause a deflection too.
Granite especially
Igneous rocks in particular.
Kidney stones aswell..
@@fernandogarza4231 I've never heard that one. For real?
Thank u for this it may save a life!!
Engineer designing water bottle: Y'know what would be a great addition to this compass? A solenoid!
I had a compass that was built into a metal carabiner
Woeked exactly as well as youd think it would