Interesting.

[WelshGas]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-43063365

 

[andyinluton]

The satellite finder compass we used for the TV in the old motorhome always used to point to the leisure battery charger - took me a while to work out why I was struggling to find a signal.

 

[GrannyJen]

At least they had a compass.

Half the people I helped haul off wouldn't know what one was

 

[Amarillo]

At least they had a compass.

Half the people I helped haul off wouldn't know what one was

I once tried to navigate my way off Carrantouhill in thick mist and nearly walked over a cliff edge. It took me a while to discover that some joker had hauled a gigantic iron cross to the summit and dumped it there, upright, ruining anyone's chances of navigating down using a compass.

Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[SimonB]

In the Blackberry leather storage pouch that makes the device "sleep" is a magnet so strong it can pick up 1 & 2p pieces. A friend from work ruined his VW car keys by having them in the same pocket as his Blackberry.

 

[jqp]

I was a scout leader once. It amused me when the lads said they couldn't get lost because they knew how to use a map and compass. Of course, a compass doesn't tell you where you are, unless you have good visibility and the ability to take a couple of bearings and transfer them to the map. But usually, you are lost because you are on a hill inside a cloud with 10 metres visibility at most.
I am slightly ashamed to admit that these days I rely (almost) on a smartphone loaded with OS maps and its GPS. It's a Chinese phone so it receives Chinese and Russian satellites as well as the US constellation. Seems to be remarkably accurate even in complex mountainous terrain.

 

[MickyTwoPints]

I do a bit of geocaching so my handheld GPSr is always with me when I'm out and about in remote parts of the world.

 

[Velma's Dad]

I think they should name and shame the numpty outdoor gear manufacturer stupid enough to put magnets in clothing intended to be used up a hill (and hence with a compass).

But schools doing Duke of Edinburgh don't seem to teach compass usage these days anyway. Every bank hol weekend here in the Chilterns we bump into bunches of DofE teenagers going round in circles.