http://artofmanliness.com/2010/11/15/the-10-essentials-for-outdoor-adventures/
The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Adventures
by CHRIS on NOVEMBER 15, 2010
*** begin quote ***
Navigation: As mentioned above, the navigation system could include traditional forms of orienteering such as a good topographic map of the area you are in and a compass, or it could include a GPS unit. Just remember, should you choose to rely solely on GPS, you put yourself at risk of poor signal coverage, dead batteries, water damage, and other mishaps that could leave you without a navigational aid.
*** end quote ***
In the tin foil hat TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) crowd, there is a very relevant expression:
“Having one is really having none.”
First heard that in the USAF Survival School. And, having done that two weeks of hell on earth, I can attest that in every field exercise, every man had TWO compasses. True the secondary one, your eye sight better be good to read it. But there was TWO.
Two ways to make a fire. Two knives — one big and one small. Two canteens — one which was required to always be full and secured to your personal belt. Your only excuse for losing that belt was to be sawed in half.
And, you certainly didn’t want to fail that course and have to repeat it if you were lucky. Otherwise, you were scratched and sent back to “personnel”. Euphemistically call “Human Resource Assignments”. There was always a need for garbagemen, grease trap cleaners, or “weeds ‘n’ seeds”. (We were told that one flunk out was sent to do gardening at “Than Sue Nutt, VeitNam, Republic of”! But we thought that was a fairy tale to scare us. Since we all had our next stations assignments, it did. If I’d have flunked, I’d have lost my gig in Maryland. Sweet.)
SO I have a quibble with the navigation advice, one GPS and TWO compasses and one analog watch, are the minimum.
# # # # #
Reinke Faces Life 