Discussion: Looking for a training aid

Hello,

I am a Scouting leader and with others teach map & compass basics and basic land navigation. Last fall I attended an adult training program that used a training aid that was really cool, but nobody knew where it came from. I've searched on tne web for something like this several times over the months and haven't found it.

The training aid was basically a 100 foot tape measure that was very wide and marked in one foot increments. We then used cards with distances and bearings to complete triangles from one point to another. Any ieea where to find something like that? Or where to get an extra wide 100' tape measure?

This is different, but from your description, I'm assuming similar
http://www.iupui.edu/~geni/lsort/schoolyardcompass...

That exercise is described in Be Expert with Map and Compass. A great book. We used it in my sons' Scout troop, too.

^getscused at my school for an introduction to compass bearings

If I recall, you could purchase packages of these cards at the local scout shop. The 100 foot tape was probably custom made, but maybe you can find something on amazon. I have found that kids really enjoy the circle-game that fletch listed, especially if you make it a race for speed. That said, I've never seen an orienteer use any of these compass games outside a scouting context. You'll find that the focus amongst orienteers is much more on the physical challenge and on the map reading. Scouts tend to neglect the map reading, since it's historically been really hard to get a quality map for teaching purposes (the USGS maps were top of the line, but still tend to be woefully innacurate, with miles between decision points). But if you contact a local O-club and get yourself a ISOM, ISSOM, or even just get a gmap photo of the local park, you can set awesome scavenger-score-o type events for the kids.

Thank you all for the replies and advice. Appreciate it very much. The school yard game is just the ticket I have been looking for. And the book sounds like it'll be a great help translating compass/orienteering concepts for the minds of the youth (and adults) in tne troop.

Roger

I have two Sokkia fiberglass surveying tapes (that come with a wind-up reel mechanism). Both of mine are combined metric and Imperial/English---One side is metric, the other feet plus 1/10 feet (which is a surveyor thing, and often easier than inches.) Mine are 15m/50ft and 50m/165ft.

For orienteering, I'd recommend teaching using meters because it makes understanding scale so much easier. The problem is how difficult it is to find metric tapes.

Here’s the cheapest “metric for sure” one I’ve found, but the delivery time is 1-2 months:

http://www.amazon.com/Komelon-6622IM-Measure-Fiber...

Grainger has a variety of combined and metric-only long tapes, such as:

http://www.grainger.com/product/LUFKIN-Long-Tape-M...$

Home Depot has eight that claim to have a metric side:

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Hardware-Hand-Too...

When I set up a compass activity, I usually use a measuring wheel. Mark increments (10 meters or whatever you want to use) with pin flags. On pavement, you can use chalk or drywall chunks to make very temporary marks that will wash off in the first rain. To leave marks for longer term, survey marking paint is good.