Video: Joe Robinet’s Overnight Camping Loadout

Written by

Whenever we've got some down time in the evenings, we enjoy watching YouTube videos from survivalists and bushcrafters. It's a great way to relax while also learning some valuable skills — the more time you spend observing and learning, the more likely you'll be to remember useful tips and techniques on your next outdoor adventure. It sure beats watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians or whatever vapid TV show happens to be on.

One YouTuber we follow is Joe Robinet, an outdoorsman from southern Ontario, Canada. Those of you who watched Alone season one on History may remember him from his brief appearance there. He tapped out after four days on the island, as a result of losing the only fire-starting tool he was allowed to bring (listen to his explanation of what happened). But don't discount Joe's survival skills because of this one mistake — he has many hours of informative content that shows he's the real deal.

Joe Robinet bushcraft camping backpack gear loadout bug out bag 3

A recent video series on Joe Robinet's channel documents an overnight camping trip from this spring. In the first video, he shows his basic overnight kit, and it's not what we'd consider a typical loadout. For example, he doesn't carry a fixed-blade survival knife, instead opting for an ax and a small Swiss Army Knife. He challenges himself by carrying only an ordinary book of matches for fire-starting, and his food supplies are minimal, so he'll rely on catching wild trout or crayfish and gathering wild mushrooms and edible fiddlehead ferns.

In the next two 44- and 51-minute videos, Joe tests out his gear and skills, and records the process. It's relaxing and informative — if you've got some time to spare, check them out below.

New: Hinderer Maximus Folding Dagger

Written by

If you're into high-end knives and EDC gear, you've undoubtedly heard of Rick Hinderer. This Ohio-based knifemaker has been crafting blades since the mid-1980s, and his company makes several extremely popular folding knives, including the iconic Hinderer XM-18 (you can read our review here). These blades are made of top-shelf materials and come at a premium price — most sell for north of $400, and have strong residual value on the used market.

Hinderer Maximus folding dagger knife blade 2

The latest addition to the company's production lineup is the Hinderer Maximus. Rick has designed several folding daggers over the years, and says this is the most refined version yet. We handled one of the first 20 production models at Blade Show 2017, and snapped some of the photos seen here.

The 3.5-inch dual-edged blade has a symmetrical design with finger guards on each side. This appearance may leave you scratching your head at first, since one (and only one) of the guards serves as a flipper lever to deploy the CPM 20CV stainless steel blade.

Hinderer Maximus folding dagger knife blade 6

You'll also want to be extremely careful when closing the blade, since muscle memory may lead you to reach for the spine like you would on a single-edged folder. Hinderer's site puts it like so: “You can’t be an idiot with it or you can cut yourself. Just realize the other side is sharp and one-hand close it using the tab rather than the spine of the blade.”

Hinderer Maximus folding dagger knife blade 1

The Maximus' handle is composed of lightweight titanium, with a frame lock mechanism and textured G10 scales. A reversible titanium pocket clip allows for tip-up left- or right-handed carry. Overall weight is 4 ounces, and MSRP is $425. For more info on the Hinderer Maximus dagger, go to RickHindererKnives.com.

Video: Fire Tinder Comparison

Written by

Tinder is a subject that often comes up in the survival and bushcraft community — and no, we're not referring to the internet matchmaking app. That's not helping anyone survive, unless you're really desperate for a hookup. We're referring to the original analog tinder: combustible material. There's a wide range of tinder types to choose from, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

charcoal-burning-fire

Some tinder materials take a spark easily but fizzle quickly, while others burn longer but are harder to ignite. Cost, size, weight, water resistance, temperature sensitivity, and availability are also worthwhile considerations. Even then, an excellent tinder for arid desert environments may fail spectacularly in the wet rainforest or icy tundra. It's important to consider all these variables when you're assembling a fire-starting kit for your bug-out bag or survival pack.

learn-how-to-start-fires-in-cold-weather-frito-based-fire

Even oily Fritos corn chips can be used as an effective tinder material.

Off-the-shelf tinder materials, such as the resin-soaked fatwood sticks found at your local camping store, often boast long burn times. But how do they fare in the real world? The following video from YouTube channel TinMan Bushcraft compares four commonly-available tinder materials: untreated cotton from a tampon, a petroleum-jelly-coated cotton ball, a strip of natural birch bark, and fatwood.

For those who can't watch the whole video at the moment, here's a recap of the burn times:

  • Untreated cotton tampon – 1:03
  • Petroleum-jelly-coated cotton ball – 2:10
  • Shredded birch bark – 1:38
  • Fatwood shavings – 1:40

It also appears as though the Vaseline-soaked cotton burned most energetically, followed somewhat surprisingly by the birch bark, then the fatwood, and finally the cotton. While the petroleum-jelly-coated cotton looks great on paper, it's also not a naturally-occurring item you can find in the forest, and it requires a bag, bottle, or tin to prevent the Vaseline from getting all over your gear. The reviewer says he prefers the birch bark for these reasons.

We'd like to see this format applied to an even bigger comparison test, including off-the-shelf tinder blocks, ranger bands, cattails, char cloth, and other common tinder sources, but for now this provides a good baseline. What's your favorite tinder material? Let us know in the comments.

TECC Guidelines: Simple Steps to Save Lives

Written by

If you were out running errands at the mall, and a truck careened into a crowd of pedestrians, would you know what to do? What about in a mass-shooting scenario, a structural collapse, or a residential fire? Would you immediately know the steps necessary to save the lives of those around you? These are difficult questions, but necessary ones.

Medical Trauma Treatment car truck crash first aid 6

As prepared individuals, we must know how to assess injuries and how to stabilize life-threatening cases during a disaster. That's not to say you need to be military, law enforcement, or a medical professional, or even have any kind of formal training in trauma care — learning the basics is something anyone can do.

Trauma kit tourniquets first aid 1

You might have a tourniquet or trauma kit, but do you know how to use it?

However, emergency medical care can seem imposing, and the use of complex tools and technical jargon can make it seem more difficult than it needs to be. This is why we're always glad to see emergency medical care guides that keep things simple. The Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) guidelines are one of the best examples we've come across in this regard.

Surreptitious entry and exit infiltration escape bug out tools 13

Without proper on-scene care, innocents' lives may be lost long before they can reach a hospital.

These TECC guidelines are produced by the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (C-TECC), a not-for-profit (501c3) organization composed of medical experts who volunteer their time in order to prepare urban areas for major mass casualty events. The TECC guidelines is “a set of evidenced-based and best practice trauma care guidelines for civilian high-threat pre-hospital environments.” You can view the guidelines below, or click here to download or print a copy.

These TECC guidelines cover what to do during direct threats, where your life and the life of the casualties may still be in imminent danger, as well as indirect threats, where the risk of continued bodily harm is low. Each of these steps is presented in simple layman's terms, and in order of importance — controlling life-threatening blood loss, clearing the patient's airway, monitoring breathing and circulation, and so on.

If you're not certain you'd know what to do during an emergency medical situation, we'd suggest studying these guidelines, and possibly printing them out for future reference. Building this knowledge now could help you save lives when seconds count.

Hat tip to Andy Schrader for letting us know about these TECC guidelines.

Backcountry Cell Phone Land Navigation

Written by

Some survivalists like to throw shade on using modern technology when survival techniques are involved. You’ll never find a power outlet in the woods! Your satellites can’t triangulate your position when they just got smoked by an EMP-filled nuke, they say.

Absolute doomsday scenarios aside, there are lots of times when technology can be used to get you out of a terrible situation. Or in the case of using your cell phone to navigate, maybe keep you from ever getting into a terrible situation in the first place.

Cell phone land navigation GPS map compass orientation 1

There are a few obvious challenges to using your phone in a place without free Wi-Fi, wakeup calls, or complimentary continental breakfasts. These would include powering your phone, accessing maps of your area, and actually pinpointing and tracking your location. We’ll address some of these concerns here.

Map Download and App Selection

Rule #1 for using your cell phone as an off-the-grid land navigation device is to make sure that it’s in Airplane Mode as much as possible. This will help prevent unnecessary apps from running in the background, and stop your phone from pointlessly draining your battery by searching for a data connection that's unavailable in the backcountry.

Cell phone land navigation 13 airplane mode plus location

This screenshot shows how to activate airplane mode without disabling location on Android.

You may be thinking, “How can I access maps if I don't have a data connection?” The trick is to download maps to your phone ahead of time so you can pinpoint where you are, even when there's no signal.

This doesn’t mean download the map at the trailhead or after the apocalypse hits, because you probably won’t have service at that point anyway. It means to download the maps of the area you leave before your trip, or at least before you get off the main highway. The doomsday version of this tip would be to download maps of your intended bug-out region before mass panic over a random “covfefe” tweet inadvertently leads to thermonuclear war.

Many mapping services, such as Roam, offer offline map downloads.

Many mapping services, such as Roam, offer offline map downloads.

The good news is you have a choice of apps for this purpose. Google Maps and its offline download option is arguably the most popular, and it’s free. It allows you to download maps on your phone for offline use, although it’s not really designed for wilderness areas, so it can be hard to locate trails.

The Gmap4 app is also free, and includes automatic conversions to United States National Grid (USNG) coordinates. This would make it simple to convey your location to other people or potential rescuers. It includes access to detailed topo maps, and can even function without the internet, although that trick requires a multi-step workaround that’s easy to do wrong. This is not the most user-friendly mapping system, but it’s free, so even if you decide you hate it you’ll only have lost some time. For someone who likes to tinker and spend some time exploring an app’s hidden functionality, this is not a bad choice.

USNG App US map

With proper training, your Gmap4 coordinates can be converted to the standard USNG grid format.

Over the past few months we’ve been using Roam by onXmaps. This modestly-priced app uses a $10-per-year subscription service to seamlessly download location maps (choosing high or low detail), easily record where you’ve been, and draw out a planned path ahead of time which you can follow along during the hike (or drive).

We really liked the Roam app for the variety of maps we could download in advance, including national park maps and specialty topo maps with National Scenic Trails (such as the Florida Trail and the Appalachian Trail) clearly outlined. We were also able to easily compute the distance between where we were and where we wanted to go, by simply drawing a line with our finger on the map.

Cell phone land navigation 21 Roam GPS

We used the app on backcountry hikes in Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, as well as Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. We found that we could download the low-resolution maps for the entire state in order to have a guide for driving, and then with just one more press of a button download high resolution maps for the areas we wanted to hike. Or alternately, if we had an idea of where our base camp would be, we would download that surrounding area in high-resolution ahead of time.

Cell phone land navigation GPS map compass orientation 6

The suggestively-named Nipple Hill in this photo provided a target for plotting our location and course.

Click through the screenshots below to see how we navigated towards the visible landmark aabove and tracked our progress using Roam.

 

The subscription service is only required to download new maps. So in theory, if you downloaded all the maps you needed and kept your phone in perfect working order you could cancel the subscription. In our case, however, we’re always exploring new locations so the $10 yearly subscription makes sense.

Phone Protection

Cell phone land navigation GPS map compass orientation 11

It sounds obvious, but it’s worth mentioning that a durable case will help keep your phone from breaking during use. We use Thule kayak racks on our trucks, so we were glad to find the Thule Atmos X3 cell phone case available for use. The tough polycarbonate case with inlaid rubber grips made us feel much more secure knowing our cell phone navigation device could make it through the backcountry and then back home safely.

Power and Mobile Charging Stations

If using your phone for navigation, conserving its power should be the foremost thought in your mind. It’s a lot easier to maintain power when you have it as opposed to trying to recharge a dead phone. To accomplish this, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Cell phone land navigation GPS map compass orientation 8

  • If you’re confident that you’re in the right place and will be heading in the right direction for some time, try to turn the phone off if you can. This will reduce your urge to constantly check the phone for your updated position, and allow you to focus more on your surroundings and situational awareness. As long as you have the maps downloaded already, your phone can easily find your location when you turn it back on. Just make sure that the GPS or Location Services setting is on and the phone is in Airplane Mode to preserve the battery life.
  • If keeping your phone on because you need to frequently check your position, at least make sure that the brightness is down as far as possible. In daylight the screen can often be turned to the bare minimum and still be legible. Again, this helps conserve the battery.

Depending on the duration of your backcountry land navigation needs, it may not be possible for the phone to last on just one charge. In this case you can use pre-charged power sources and/or supplement those charging stations using solar power or alkaline batteries.

Cell phone land navigation GPS map compass orientation 12

On our backcountry trips, we first tried out the Moji Charging Station and Lantern from Black Diamond Equipment. This ruggedized device offers up to 250 lumens of illumination and an SOS flashing mode, as well as a thoughtful lockout feature to prevent it from accidentally being turned on during storage or transport. It includes a rechargeable internal battery in addition to AA battery slots, and charges portable electronics using a USB output. So when the internal battery cuts out, you can simply drop in some AA batteries to continue charging your devices.

During testing, we were impressed by how durable and well-made the Moji lantern seemed. This is in part due to its weight—nearly ¾ of a pound without the AA batteries inside, so it’s maybe not the best choice for lightweight backpacking. But of course the weight is in part because there’s a internal battery.

We liked how the lantern held a charge for weeks and months at a time while being stored. Additionally, the lantern is IPX4 rated for water resistance so a little bit of rain won’t hurt it. The only thing we didn’t appreciate was that while charging our phone, the charging function seemed to turn off after 10 minutes or so of charging. When this happened, we’d have to unplug the phone and plug it back in to so the charging function would kick back on. Our phone would eventually charge, although it was inconvenient that we couldn’t just let it sit.

Cell phone land navigation GPS map compass orientation 9

The second system we tried was the Nomad 7 solar charger and Venture 30 charging station and flashlight from Goal Zero. The Venture 30 is a rechargeable portable battery pack  similar in some ways to Black Diamond's Moji Charger. It’s more compact and half the weight of the the Moji, although its power capacity and light output isn't directly comparable. The Venture 30 cannot hold AA batteries, although it warrants an excellent water resistance rating of IPX6 which means it can be absolutely blasted with rain, but not submerged.

Cell phone land navigation GPS map compass orientation 10

The Nomad 7 solar charger can be paired with the Venture 30, so it can be recharged even if you’re 50 miles away from the nearest wall outlet. During our testing, we noticed that the solar panel only worked in bright sunlight when directly pointed at the sun. So although the concept is fine if you’re going to be stationary in an exposed position, don’t plan on just randomly attaching it to your backpack and thinking it will charge while you’re hiking. At the same time, if you were going to be in a remote camp for months at a time, the solar panels would probably be preferable to packing in 1,000 AA batteries.

All in all, both charging systems were good although both of them required compromises and pre-planning — just like a lot of backcountry hikes we take with our own families.

It's always wise to have a backup navigation tool on hand, preferably a good analog compass like this vintage 1960s Brunton model.

It's always wise to have a backup navigation tool, preferably a good analog compass like this vintage 1960s...

For more information on backcountry land navigation, check out some of our other stories including where to get free USGS topo maps, find a free USNG geo location tool, or gawk at the latest GPS innovations from Garmin.

About the Author

Andrew Schrader is a licensed professional engineer and is certified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Structures Specialist. His company, Recon Response Engineering LLC, advises state and federal government organizations on the subject of urban search and rescue and building collapse. He recently assisted the U.S. Department of State’s Italian Consulate in the development of their post-earthquake response and rescue protocol. You can follow him on Instagram at @reconresponse.

Ranger Bands: Tough Rubber Bands for the Outdoors

Written by

We've all had the experience of stretching a rubber band, only to have it snap in our hands, instantly becoming a useless strand of rubber. It's a mild annoyance when that rubber band is preventing a bag of tortilla chips in your pantry from going stale; it's a major headache when the band is retaining an important piece of gear in the field. Even heavy-duty rubber bands become old and brittle over time, so they're not entirely dependable.

Ranger band rubberband gun gear strap tool 8

These flimsy rubber bands may be fine around the house, but they don't belong in your emergency gear.

Enter the ranger band. These tough stretchy bands are far stronger than the rubber bands you'll find at WalMart, and they weren't originally designed as rubber bands — they're actually just rings cut from bicycle inner tubes.

Ranger band rubberband gun gear strap tool 5

Photo: Wazoo Survival Gear

Supposedly the “ranger band” name came from the fact that these first saw use by U.S. Army Rangers and other military personnel to lash together gear, but they have a wide variety of uses in any survival setting.

Ranger band rubberband gun gear strap tool 7

Photos: Gearward

So, what makes ranger bands so much better than normal rubber bands?

First, they're far stronger, providing more tension and durability. Second, they're often wider, resulting in better coverage for gear — they can even be used to wrap the seams on a container or Zippo lighter for waterproofing. They also burn energetically for about 3 minutes, so they're a good tool for fire-starting. Gearward founder Mark Greenman writes, “I've used ranger bands for many years now, and I find they are up there with duct tape and cordage in terms of versatility. There's really so many things you can do with a really strong rubber band.”

Ranger band rubberband gun gear strap tool 9

A ranger band shown on a BCM Mod 0 stock, retaining a sling for vehicle-borne operations. Photo: BCM

Ranger bands are often used to lash gear together, such as temporarily strapping a flashlight to a gun barrel, holding a P38 can opener on a paracord bracelet, or keeping the lid on an Altoids tin survival kit firmly sealed. They can also be used the same way as rubber bands to bind items to MOLLE-compatible bags or packs:

The cheapest way to get your hands on some ranger bands is to find an old punctured bicycle tire, strip out the inner tube, and cut it into segments. Failing that free option, you can purchase inner tubes from a local sporting goods store or bike shop, or buy pre-cut packs of ranger bands for $10 or less from companies like Wazoo Survival Gear or Gearward. Some of these purpose-built bands are said to be thicker than inner tubes, and they're available in a variety of sizes.

If you're already an experienced user of ranger bands, what roles do they fulfill in your bug-out bag or survival kit? Let us know in the comments.

New: SureFire Scout Weapon-Mounted Flashlights

Written by

In the split seconds as you shoulder your rifle to defend yourself and your family, clear visibility is crucial. Many home-defense scenarios occur at night, so you'll be flying blind without an external light source. That's why it's often advisable to have a bright and reliable flashlight mounted to your bedside gun.

Surefire auto-adjusting Intellibeam flashlight 1

We've previously written about the SureFire Scout Light series, which are designed for weapon-mounted applications. The company has recently announced the expansion of this line with seven new Scout Light configurations.

Surefire scout light flashlight gun rifle weapon 1

Each of these lights includes a dual switch tail cap, which allows for both standard push-button activation and activation using the included remote pressure switch. The new lights also feature included rail mounts, either a standard M75 thumbscrew mount, an RM45 offset mount, or an ADM quick-disconnect mount.

Surefire scout light flashlight gun rifle weapon 2

Here's a list of the seven new models for 2017:

  • M312C – 3 Volt Scout Light with DS07 Switch Assembly and RM45 Offset Mount
  • M322C – 3 Volt Scout Light with DS07 Switch Assembly and ADM Quick-Detach Weapon Mount
  • M603V – 6 Volt Vampire Scout Light with DS-SR07-D-IT Switch Assembly and M75 Thumbscrew Mount
  • M612U – 6 Volt Scout Light with DS07 Switch Assembly and RM45 Offset Mount
    Surefire scout light flashlight gun rifle weapon 4
  • M612V – 6 Volt Vampire Scout Light with DS07 Switch Assembly and RM45 Offset Mount
  • M622U – 6 Volt Scout Light with DS07 Switch Assembly and ADM Quick-Detach Weapon Mount
  • M622V – 6 Volt Vampire Scout Light with DS07 Switch Assembly and ADM Weapon Mount

Surefire scout light flashlight gun rifle weapon 3

The Vampire light models provide can be toggled between white and infrared (IR) light for night vision applications, while the standard models produce white light only. For more info on these new SureFire Scout Light flashlight models, go to SureFire.com.

Unconventional Weapon: Powder Flamethrower

Written by

Outside over-the-top action movies like Mad Max, you won't see flamethrowers very much these days. Liquid- or gas-based flamethrowers were used extensively in WWI, WWII, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. But due to restrictions from the Geneva Convention and the extreme danger associated with wearing a large tank of flammable fuel on a battlefield, these incendiary weapons are no longer a part of conventional military warfare.

Creamer cornstarch flour flamethrower fire weapon 6

However, that's not to say that they're no longer effective. As we've said before, prison inmates often invent deadly improvised weapons from limited resources, and these aren't just limited to shanks. Believe it or not, inmates have reportedly fashioned crude flamethrowers which don't run on liquid or gaseous fuel. C.T. O'Reilly, the Assistant Warden of Darrington Prison in Texas, once told a reporter, “The inmates would roll up a piece of paper, put Coffee-Mate in it, put a cigarette lighter in front of it, blow it out and it's just like a flamethrower.” This apparently led to all powdered creamer being removed from the commissary at Darrington.

Creamer cornstarch flour flamethrower fire weapon 5

You might not look at this and see “flamethrower fuel”, but necessity breeds invention.

These powder-based flamethrowers disperse a cloud of combustible material — such as flour, cornstarch, or coffee creamer — and enhance its ability to burn quickly. It's the same principle which sometimes leads to deadly dust explosions in industrial environments, and was demonstrated on the Mythbusters TV show “Creamer Cannon” episode.

The video below shows a creamer-based homemade flamethrower in action.

The video below shows a creamer-based homemade flamethrower in action.

While we definitely would not recommend trying this at home, it's possible to make a flamethrower by simply blowing a cloud of flour through a tube and across an open flame. If no other weapons were available, this could provide a last-ditch improvised means of self-defense. Or, the concept can be taken to the next level as shown in the video below:

These guys cobbled together a leaf blower, a hand-crank powder dispenser, some PVC pipe, and a blowtorch to create an incredibly effective improvised weapon. It might not be a military-grade flamethrower, but we'd be willing to bet no attacker would want to get anywhere near the business end.

The Survival Uses of Potassium Permanganate

Written by

For many of us, chemistry wasn't exactly a riveting subject in school. After all, knowing everything about covalent bonds, stoichiometry, and endothermic reactions probably isn't a necessity during your daily routine. However, a basic understanding of chemistry and chemical reactions can be helpful in survival situations. Don't worry, you won't need to whip out your lab coat and Erlenmeyer flask this time.

WARNING: This chemical is highly corrosive and burns violently, so be careful when handling and storing it. Follow all safety precautions and only use it at your own risk.

When added to water, potassium permanganate creates a bright pink or purple solution.

When added to water, potassium permanganate creates a bright pink or purple solution.

Potassium permanganate, or KMnO4, is one chemical which has many survival applications. This purplish-black crystalline powder can be found in bulk at pet stores, pool supply shops, and hardware stores. It doesn't cost much, and a tiny amount goes a long way.

Potassium permanganate fire starter water purifier disinfectant 3

In powdered form, potassium permanganate is an effective fire-starting tool. You just need to add a few drops of glycerin (from a drug store) or ethylene glycol (found in automotive antifreeze and some brake fluids) and the powder will energetically burst into a white-hot flame:

The powdered form of this chemical will also work as a preservative for fruit. One study showed that by placing bananas in a sealed bag with KMnO4, the shelf life of this fruit was extended by two weeks. While interesting, this use is a little obscure — but the chemical has many other survival-oriented functions.

file3901256719466

Mixing just a few small crystals of potassium permanganate into a glass of water creates a bright pink solution. This may work as an improvised water purifier if no other options are available, though the CDC does not recommend it “for primary water disinfection at low doses in the field”. We'd agree with the CDC that carrying a purpose-built water filter or purifier is always the best option, but KMnO4 might work in a pinch.

Adding more KMnO4 to water creates a darker purple solution, which can be used as an antiseptic for wounds or sores. The World Health Organization includes it on its list of Essential Medicines, and recommends diluting it in a 1:10,000 ratio. Stronger solutions fight fungal infections such as athlete's foot, but be careful not to go overboard — excessively-concentrated solutions can burn your skin.

Potassium permanganate fire starter water purifier disinfectant 1

Finally, a concentrated solution will stain items purple, and you can use this to your advantage. Strips of stained cloth or splashes of purple liquid in snow could be used to signal for rescue, since this unnaturally-vibrant color will stand out against a natural backdrop.

Video: How to Use a Lensatic Compass (U.S. Army, 1966)

Written by

A lot has changed since the mid-1960s. We landed on the moon, developed powerful microchips, invented the internet, and mapped the human genome. But despite all these innovations, certain principles remain the same. Basic land navigation is one such concept — it's still done essentially the same way today as it was back then.

Lensatic compass map navigation orientation azimuth 4

Today, we have an advanced network of GPS satellites and portable navigation devices, and these tools can be an excellent resource. However, you'd be foolish to rely wholly on this modern tech in a disaster scenario. It's wise to have a magnetic compass and know the basics of navigating the old-fashioned way.

The U.S. military M-1950 lensatic compass shown in this video is still in use today.

The U.S. military M-1950 lensatic compass shown in this video is still in use today. Photo: Wikipedia

The following 30-minute U.S. Army training video from 1966 shows how to find your direction, orientation, and location with a mil-spec lensatic compass. The narration and imagery may seem old-timey in this era of high-def computer graphics, but the lessons are still relevant today. It addresses how to orient a map, compensate for declination, and shoot an azimuth to a landmark.

This may seem like a lot to digest if you're not familiar with land navigation. The best way to get comfortable with these concepts is to go out and practice, preferably with a friend who has some experience in this area and can correct you if you make mistakes. With a little patience, your lensatic compass can become an invaluable resource for survival.