Walking straight

by Glade Allred
(Utah)

In heavy Forrest, all things being equal, right handed people tend to make right handed turns and therefore if each side of the tree is equal they will in general go around the right side of the tree. This fact repeated as it is over and over will in then lead them in a direction much to the right of where they thought they were going even though they were following a compass heading the entire time.

The same is true of a left handed person going left, hence left handed people when lost go in left handed circles and so on. The answer being very simple, make a mental note, I went to the right of the last two or three trees and now to the left of the next will now keep you going straight on your compass heading.

Of course none of this is a problem in open terrain or day light where a point on bearing can be established and proceeded toward.

Again thanks for a wonderful site.


Learn more about wilderness navigation, both with and without a map and compass.