Contributor

Rob Speiden

Articles from Contributor

map and compass skills

SAR Expert: Using a Map and Compass Together

A compass is an amazing tool to have — and there is much that can be gleaned with a compass alone — but its value is amplified when used in conjunction with an accurate and detailed map. Insert any cliché you’d like (“goes together like…

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map-reading-skills-steveestvanik

SAR Expert: Learn How to Excel at Map Reading

The colors and lines on a good wilderness topographic map can be overwhelming if you don’t have a lot of experience with map reading. There is so much information to process on these kinds of maps, and being in the backcountry, when you’re tired or…

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map_and_compass_skills

SAR Expert: Guide to Understanding Magnetic Declination

Probably one of the most difficult things for a compass user to understand and apply in a real-world situation is magnetic declination — because even if s/he understands the overarching concept, it’s critical to know how to actually deploy the technique to your wilderness navigation.…

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map-and-compass

SAR Expert: Selecting the Best Compass

We all possess some sense of direction, but amid the valleys and trees and, sometimes, in rain or snowstorms, it’s easy to get turned around. You need something more substantial to help you stay on course. Rarely is anything more practical — and more basic…

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boot footprint

SAR Expert: Track for Fun While Out and About

Finding and interpreting the tracks and sign left by the passage of people or animals is enjoyable, regardless of where you go, and even if you do not go anywhere. A proper knowledge of the tracks around you can help keep you safe in the…

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