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Your home away from home. For the outdoorsy type, the home away from home is the tent. And it is, for so many reasons. It provides shelter whatever the weather is, it gives you comfort after an exhausting day hiking or trekking, rappelling or crossing a rough river. It provides privacy when you want to change clothes, or contemplate. Camping and tents are like the wheel and the motorized vehicle – one can never be without the other.
The use of tents date way, way back. In fact, tents have already been in use during the pre-Christ era. Moses and the rest of the Israelites used tents while traveling from Egypt to Canaan. During the rise of the Roman Empire, knights and the common soldiers lived in makeshift tents when at war, away from Rome.
Yes, you as a camper can be likened to these people, utilizing the tent to ward yourself from the elements. As such, choosing the right tent for camping is imperative. An important bit of advice, an expensive tent does not necessarily mean better, but cheap one may pose some serious issues as time progresses. So please, pamper yourself and buy a tent with a brand to back it up. Believe me, at times, nature can be very unforgiving, and you might find yourself in dire straits if you purchased an unreliable tent.
Take into consideration that the canvass you will be using is about to be exposed to extreme heat, extreme cold, branches falling off from trees, perhaps animal attack, storm, strong wind, and sometimes snow. These conditions, when blocked by a weaker material, will certainly destroy the tent, so choose a very resilient and tough tent. Remember, at home, you use bricks and wood to fend of nature.
So, now we are off to get a new tent for you. Take into account the type of camping adventure you want to delve into, and the places you would be camping at. You may want to choose a decent one with full insect proofing, to restrict the entry of our friendly flying bugs. A thing also to be contemplated on is the number of people that will occupy the tent. Will it be your personal property? If it is, get one that will fit two people, because you will never know when a fellow camper would need an alternative shelter, because he opted to risk price for quality.
You might want to consider getting a tent with extra insulation for the relentless ultraviolet rays of the sun. Choosing the right tent for camping is not an easy chore, and you have to consider a lot of things before you finally decide on what to get.
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True North & Magnetic Declination – A Trick to Make it Stick
Magnetic declination is an essential principle to understand when navigating your way through the wilds with map and compass.
Yet its a tricky thing to remember, at least the way it has traditionally been taught, using an addition / subtraction method. Just when you think youve grasped it, the concept floats away, like fog in the morning light.
Well there is a simple, practical approach to adjusting for magnetic declination when finding your bearings. The whole explanation begins with a definition of north.
There are 2 Norths
A lot of people know that there are 2 norths in terms of maps and compasses. A map shows true north, or the Geographic North Pole where all lines of longitude meet. The earth rotates around an imaginary axis that runs through the North and South Poles.
A compass needle points to magnetic north, which is determined by the earths magnetic field. The location of magnetic north moves over time, at about 5 miles per hour. Right now it is slowly creeping around somewhere NW of Hudsons Bay in Canada, about 450 miles away from true north.
Magnetic Declination
The angular difference between true north and magnetic north is known as declination, or variation in the aviation world. Declination is different for different parts of the globe. In Washington State, the angle of declination is 20east. This means that magnetic north is 20 east of true north. In Tennessee the angle of declination is 0, and in Maine, its 20 west.
Declination values can be found in the margins or legend on topographic maps. Because the point of magnetic north is constantly moving, it is important to have a recent topo map for finding your way in the woods.
A similar point to remember is that compasses are calibrated for different parts of the world. So when you purchase a compass, be sure that it is intended to be used in the area of your big hiking vacations.
How to Find Your Bearing
Follow these steps to find your bearing:
1. Place the compass on the map with the arrow on the base plate pointing in the direction you want to go.
2. Turn the dial face of the compass so that north on the compass is parallel with north on the map.
3. Place your compass level in the palm of your hand and turn yourself until the needle in the compass aligns with the North marking on the face dial.
4. The big arrow on the base plate is now aligned with your bearing.
Declination Value and Bearings – A Trick to Make it Stick
If you walked 10 miles through the woods in Washington State, without factoring declination value in your bearings, you would finish over 3 miles off target. Thats too much!
To avoid confusion in finding bearings, keep the central principle in mind:
Make map bearing = magnetic bearing.
You will achieve this in the field by adjusting your bearings to compensate for magnetic declination. There are 2 ways to account for magnetic declination in finding your bearings: an adjustable compass and marking your non-adjustable compass.
The easiest way is with an adjustable compass. Simply turn the declination adjustment screw on the compass to the correct value and all readings are automatically converted to true north. If its available, its always best to have an adjustable compass on your walk.
The next best way to account for declination is to mark the declination value on your non-adjustable compass at the beginning of your journey.
Thats simple to do. For example, when the map indicates a declination value of 20 west, you will mark your compass dial at 340. If the map indicates a declination value of 10 east, you will mark your compass at 10. Make the mark with a permanent marker and erase later with rubbing alcohol.
Now when you take your bearings in the field, place your compass level in the palm of your hand and turn yourself until the needle in the compass aligns with the declination marking on the face dial. Then the big arrow on the base plate will point toward your bearing and automatically compensate for magnetic declination.
Outdoors Adventurer, Writer and Webmaster Will Robertson lives with his family in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Explore the best hiking vacations and gear on the planet at: http://www.hiking-vacations-and-gear.com
