Avoid Fatal Compass Mistakes

A magnetic compass is an extremely important tool used to find direction and regain your orientation when you realize your surroundings don't look like you thought they should. Most people that die in the wilderness die because they get confused about the directions. Often traveling in circles, but just as likely they travel away from security because they have been, as they say, turned around. LOST!

A compass and the knowledge on how to use it could save countless lives every year if only people would take the time to understand how to use it and actually have one handy when in the wilderness.

I may be preaching to the choir with that introduction, so what else do you need to know. Is there some tidbit of information that even experienced people might miss?

Well, yes, yes there is and it boils down to making sure that your compass is working properly.

A compass needle can have its needles polarity reversed. If this happens to even a seasoned survivalist it could spell disaster if he or she is unaware. Being fed wrong information is much more deadly than not being given any information at all. If a compass has its polarity flipped it will point South instead of North, potentially sending you in the exact opposite direction that you need to go.

So what are the things that can cause a compass to lose its polarity? Electronic devices such as cell phones are the number one culprit. But anything that has a magnet or can cause an electric field to develop can cause the polarity flip. Things such as radios, phone cases, PLB, GPS units, car keys, etc.

So always be sure to keep your compass away from electronic gadgets, hold a foot and a half away from your body when using it so that anything you are carrying will be far enough away to not affect it. Remember a compass is really nothing more than a magnet. And a magnet is affected not only by magnets but by any metal near it.

Take the time to pull out your compass and check that it is working when on known ground to see if it lines up the way you think it should. Once you have traveled to unknown ground it is too late to check the validity of your compass.

If a compass has had its polarity altered, it is possible to get it back to correct polarity with magnets. Place the North Pole of one magnet so it attracts what was the North end of the compass needle, which now points South. Then, correctly place the North Pole of another magnet to the South end of the needle. This will begin reversing the polarity of the much weaker compasses polarity. Gradually move the first magnet away with the second keeping the now correctly polarized South end of the needle pointing at the North Pole of the magnet. Leave for 15 minutes then place the South Pole of the first magnet correctly to the N end of the needle and leave overnight to give the needle a stronger polarity.

Happy Exploring, Navigating and Orienteering!