Welcome to the dark side.

How did you get into cache hunting? You were probably a muggle who stumbled upon a site on geocaching or saw one of those new-fangled GPSrs and thought it might be a neat toy and someone told you about cache hunting. You missed the “Boy Scout” experience and never learned how to use a map and compass or do a “lost hike” for a second-class scout. You have probably done caches in your local city park or that microcache behind your neighborhood Starbucks. While pulling up lists of caches in your area, you notice some in a nearby forest or wilderness area. You have also been told that aside from a cool way for kids to trade the Happy Meal toys they got for the ones they wanted that there is educational value to cache hunting. You may have done a little camping or other outdoor activities but aren’t comfortable with more adventure, yet you see opportunities.

What is happening is that you are being tempted to cross over to the Dark Side. We have all seen Star Wars and know that there are dangers to the Dark Side. But if you mitigate those dangers the Dark Side can be good. What this article is about is using a compass with the GPSr for cache hunting and pointing you in the right direction to enjoy all the Dark Side has to offer.

How do you know if you are hunting a cache on the Dark Side? If your GPSr stopped working and you would feel lost or disoriented (“Where are those fresh batteries?”); if you are using topographical maps instead of city maps looking for the cache, you are probably flirting with the Dark Side.

Using a compass with GPSr for cache hunting

Most of the newer GPSr units have a digital compass so why would you need a separate compass? First, you may find yourself hunting a Dark Side cache and the GPSr malfunctions. Knowing how to use a compass might save your life. While you may not want to hand your GPSr to your seven-year-old, a compass is relatively cheap and indestructible for giving the bearing to your Happy Meal hunter. It is also a good opportunity to teach math and geography. Finally, by improving your land navigation skills and learning to use a map and compass with the GPSr, you can begin to explore those Dark Side caches.

What is the best compass for cache hunting?

The best models to use are orienteering-style base plate compasses made by Silva, Suunto and Brunton. These have a base plate for ease of use with a map and are liquid-filled so the needle settles quickly and reliably. Several models have magnetic declination adjustment while others have a magnetic declination scale. Examples with magnetic declination adjustment are the Brunton Classic 9020G ($10-$13) and the Suunto M-3DL ($25-$30). These are probably the best compasses to use for cache hunting. Another is the Silva Polaris 7 ($10). It only has a magnetic declination scale, which is not as good, but this compass is easier to find. It is available at most Walmart stores. A sighting compass with a mirror is probably not necessary for cache hunting.

Compass basics

The first thing you need to know when using a compass is magnetic declination. Magnetic north and true north are not the same. For example, in Denver, Colorado, magnetic north is 10 degrees east of true north. This can be dealt with in several ways. Most GPSr units can either be set to true north or magnetic north. If you set it to true north you must compensate with the compass by using the declination adjustment. If you set the GPSr to magnetic north you may use the compass without compensating. It’s a matter of preference how you do it, but it must be taken into account. To use the compass with the GPSr, get the bearing from the GPSr and set the compass to that bearing. Check the distance to the cache on the GPSr and estimate how far you have walked with the compass, periodically checking the GPSr to adjust. Often paths or trails are not a bird’s eye path to the cache, so how often you check depends on the situation. This is also where a map will help.

The other use of the compass is when you are very close to the cache and the GPS bearing is floating around. Back off from the location in two directions, sighting with the compass to triangulate on the exact location. This will help pinpoint the cache.

Most orienteering compasses come with an instruction manual or pamphlet. Read these and practice them. Even better, get a book on maps, compass and GPSr use. There is some suggested reading at the end of this article.

Land navigation

Land navigation is the art of using tools such as GPSr, map, compass and altimeter to navigate in the woods. By developing skills in land navigation you will be able to pursue those Dark Side caches. It will also increase safety. There are many good books you can purchase or find at your local library on the topic. Some are suggested at the end of this article. A good rule of thumb in finding out if it is a Dark Side cache is if your GPSr malfunctioned would you have confidence to find your way out without the GPSr? Add in a fudge factor if you are cache hunting with children. By improving your navigation skills you will increase your “comfort zone”.

Another related sport to cache hunting is orienteering. Usually courses are set at varying levels of difficulty and are great fun for kids. This is a good way to hone land navigation skills. There are suggested links at the end of this article.

Join me on the Dark Side!

Suggested reading:

Staying Found: The Complete Map and Compass Handbook – June Flemming. A good book written at a practical level with a lot of practical information. Does not cover GPSr and the method of drawing magnetic declination lines on a map is a bit awkward.

Be Expert with Map and Compass – Bjorn Kjellstrom. This is the classic text - a bit more technical and oriented toward sport orienteering but very useful information. Does not cover use of the GPSr.

Wilderness Navigation: Finding your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS(Mountaineers Outdoor Basics) – Bob Burns, Mike Burns. Integrates GPSr with other navigation tools.

GPS Land Navigation – Michael Ferguson, Leah Tucker. Covers GPSr with other navigation tools.

Useful Web sites:

www.us.orienteering.org This is the website for the US Orienteering Federation. It has useful links to local orienteering clubs, places to purchase compasses, GPSrs, etc.

www.thecompassstore.com This is a good online site to purchase compasses and GPSrs.

www.rei.com This is the website for REI, a general outdoor store with camping and hiking equipment as well as GPSrs and compasses.

www.aeorienteering.com This is a good site for navigation and orienteering supplies.

*Note: These are not endorsements but starting points for getting information on land navigation and some basic sites to buy supplies.