Thread: Map and Compass Night Navigation

I tried, by necessity, to night navigate off trail in Pureora in ‘82. I’ll admit that apprehension but not panic was setting in, so rushed to transfer bearing from map to compass. Problem was, the needle was fluorescent at ‘wrong’ end, so I took off in opposite direction. Soon realised the mistake and corrected it. Felt a damned fool.

Originally Posted by XR500

Paces and bearings. As long as you practice regularly it becomes second nature. Lots on here who did military time well before the advent of chemical glow sticks, led headlights, gps etc etc will have managed on nothing more than the tritium glow from their prismatic compass and possibly a clicker counter.

That is back in the time of having an old school sheep clicker to know where you were for immediate support. Old school, to most, too hard to explain. Have you tried to do a resection with a modern device and seen the price of a prismatic compass. Not necessary today. I'm happy with the new technology, so much easier with a battery that is not flat.

Bloody hell, I find it hard enough to walk through the bush up here in daylight, I try very hard not to do it in the dark! Navigation is not the issue, it's the supple jack etc.

Park up for the night, you've got survival gear right. Wait for dawn and work it out.

Originally Posted by MB

Bloody hell, I find it hard enough to walk through the bush up here in daylight, I try very hard not to do it in the dark! Navigation is not the issue, it's the supple jack etc.

Same, the number of holes and tomos I've fallen into in the daytime hidden by swathes of kiekie! I wouldn't be keen to try at night.

As many have said knowing your paces to 100m and following a bearing will get you there.

Just be aware of where your natural bias leads you weither it be left or right, just choose the other side of trees to your bias to help negate your drift.

Also keep your compass away from your rifle and bino harness if it has magnetic close!

If I havan't got my dog to take me back I set my compass before I leave the truck and just reverse it to head back , has worked so far but probably
not the right way to do it .

Originally Posted by HILLBILLYHUNTERS

If I havan't got my dog to take me back I set my compass before I leave the truck and just reverse it to head back , has worked so far but probably
not the right way to do it .

If it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid

Have done a few over the years... the most epic was heading up the pike to lake wilmot, I wanted to get across the upperpike and out to big bay before a forcast deluge... pitch black, lots of mud , a few stumbles and had lost the route. Worked out well and got to the lake as sun was coming up.

A key factor in the decision to do it was knowing it was flat country no bluffs or sinkholes to fall victom to. Had I been in trecherous bluffy slippery country where straying from the path could be perilous then I would avoid it... Suggest you also avoid country where Tanawha are know to stalk the foolhardy who venture out at night... all alone, in the scary dark bush.

Did not make it to Big bay, spent three sodden wet nights camped by the "Dry Awarua River" which wasnt!

Originally Posted by MB

Bloody hell, I find it hard enough to walk through the bush up here in daylight, I try very hard not to do it in the dark! Navigation is not the issue, it's the supple jack etc.

Many many many years ago a family friend took me for a hunt in kaimais. It got dark and going ok but I having shit of time in the supplejack,then found a large hole in front of me so called out for help.Phil came back to get me and strangely enough he was in bottom of hole...for some time I had been clambering through vines like demented Tarzan and was now 20 feet off the ground.

Reminds me of taking some guys for a hunt on my farm at Whangamomona. We got caught by dark and had no torch. There was a 700 meter bush ridge we had to navigate and half way along it was a razor back only a meter or two wide and straight down 40 meters.
I felt confident in my memory despite not being able to see my hand in front of my face and was leading the way from tree trunk too tree trunk, step by step, keeping to the highest piece of ridge and remembering the dips and turns in my head.
I got to a certain part and thought I must be close too that bluff. looked at my feet and thought, I cant remember a pool of water? But there was this pool of water reflecting the stars. Looked up and no stars to see. Looked down again and realised it was the bluff edge and was looking at glow worms. Another step and I would have been gone.

That is scary shyte!. Wake up call basically.

In that last half hour of twilight youve got to hoof it to get back onto a big track or your camp.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

In that last half hour of twilight youve got to hoof it to get back onto a big track or your camp.

Or....make call it's not going to happen n use the last light to get your shit sorted to spend night out.gather big pile of ferns to sleep in and get fire going etc.

Originally Posted by Magnetite

Is night time navigation with a map and compass possible in NZ bush? Can it be done safely and successfully?

A few scenarios:
On a poorly maintained track.
Completely off track.
In a known area vs unknown.

For those who have tried it, how did it go?

Some good examples in this post.

To do 'safely' and effectively with balanced risk requires considerable layers of experience. If you wish to build this capacity (without being a liability), become well skilled on map to ground, plotting grid bearings, converting them to mag, walking on them to easily identifiable features, whilst developing your experience in pace counting. To become effective with regards to pace counting, start with no load easy terrain, then load, then harder terrain etc etc. When you start practicing at night, do so in a similar fashion. When your doing this, learn how to make up nav data sheets, this will aid you through the learning process and decision making on the ground.
I've only just touched the surface on this.
There's considerable dangers which you can not always mitigate, for example water ways that may show up on the map, may only be 1m wide with vegetation hiding its presence (as you approach), they can be a 5/10m deep trench with the sound of rushing water absent in summer or low rain fall, add to the fact you could be tired under load etc etc.