Getting Lost in the Bush

Most of us pride ourselves in knowing where we are so we can get back to our vehicles. Do we need a GPS - no way we are smart yet-----

Last weekend was the second time I have gotton lost in the bush - the cause - whipstick. In fact four members of the club got lost at various times. Whipstick are thin clumpy trees about as thick as your finger that grow profusely in some areas of the goldfields and when you go into them to detect, every way looks the same. They are about 8 feet tall or around abouts, and I have found them south of Homebush at Lamplough and at the Whipstick north of Bendigo.

When you walk out of them, you walk onto a bush track that you havent seen before and which way do you turn left or right. Yes it can be quite dangerous and something to think about. We are all human so make sure you either go with a mate and have a two way so they either blow the horn of the car (if they have the keys) if you get lost or take a GPS

Jeff

yes definitely a gps and a compass, silva type and spare batteries for the gps. a map would be handy, small one of the area you are in.

just make sure your compass is for the southern hemisphere,ones for the north can put you in deep mire.reg

gof2 wrote:just make sure your compass is for the southern hemisphere,ones for the north can put you in deep mire.reg

How so? I bought a silva gps compass from the US. And a couple of carbiner ones from Hong Kong.

perhaps i'll leave that to skookumchuck to tell you,if he's around.

Have a look at the photo I have posted to my gallery. It will give you an idea of what whipstick looks like.

Jeff

Jeez Jeff, not only getting lost, I don't know if I'd bother detecting in bush like that after our open country over here. We're spoilt methinks.
cheers
Brett

Ah yes Jeff. Excellent advice. Best everyone stays out of Bendigo's "Whipstick" region. That way all the gold in there will be found by my wife and me. We got lost on a daily basis when we first arrived there but after 15 months in that SH#T we know every track, hill, mullock heap and ant hill. Many people died there in the gold rush days due to becoming lost and having no water supply.
If you want some really BAD whipstick, try parts of Talbot.

Robert

G'day,
yes apparently having a compass geared toward the southern hemisphere is a factor worth considering. About a year ago, I was looking around on ebay for an Iris 50 Plastimo prismatic compass (having heard they're the proper job for picking up a fast bearing so long as you're not looking for the Silva type with the built in protractor and declination scales). Having located one for sale in the UK, the seller specified that the compass was not 'calibrated for use in the southern hemisphere'. Not understanding what this meant (after all, doesn't the compass needle point to magnetic north regardless of where the user is standing in the world?) I left it alone. Eventually I located a wholesaler in Florida, USA, who on being queried re this point, specified that there would be no problem given Florida's geographic placement in the world and further calibration with the Plastimo was not possible. I've owned a number of good compasses and there has been no possibility of calibrating any of them - with the possible exception of the military issue and very heavy prismatic job. I went ahead and purchased from the Florida based company and have been more than pleased with the Plastimo and use it constantly in preference to the Silva. It can be used lying flat on the map to orientate or calculate declination if using without the GPS receiver as well as at eye level in the prismatic role. Incidentally, as the seller indicated, it DOES point to magnetic north without fail when checked with other compasses.

Mike

G'day again,
it looks as I passed on duff information re calibration of the compass. On checking internet sources it seems that some calibration is desirable due to a number of factors. Firstly declination (or magnetic variation between true north and magnetic north is a factor to be considered (just as it is here in Oz, particularly when working out a magnetic bearing in relation to the topo map). Also there is a tendency for the compass needly to dip at its tip due to the magnetic north pole not really aligning with the surface of the earth but through the globe, whilst it apparently rises in the northern hemisphere. I'm informed that good compasses feature a 'deep well' beneath the compass needle and the compass face or compass card, allowing for the dip in the compass needle.

So if this is fair dinkum, then I've learned something today. Still not sure why declination is relevant to calibration though because, as I said, we have to take heed of this variation here in the southern hemisphere. On most topo maps I've come across, including Ordnance Survey, included in the data margins is the 'wedge' diagram laying out the difference in degrees and minutes between True North, Grid North and Magnetic North.

I normally use my GPS to give me my bearing then march on the given compass bearing, occasionally checking with the map for high ground etc according to contour lines, and at intervals with the GPS. Sounds as if carrying a load of gear is necessary? Not really, both compass and GPS unit tuck into the same belt pouch and the map goes into a thigh pocket.

MikeW

i wonder if cook magellan columbus and co had their compasses tuned for the southern hemisphere when they ventured towards the ends of the earth south of the equator?

Gophergood wrote:

gof2 wrote:just make sure your compass is for the southern hemisphere,ones for the north can put you in deep mire.reg

How so? I bought a silva gps compass from the US. And a couple of carbiner ones from Hong Kong.

Hi all,
I"m pretty sure the only diff between northen hemispher compass and a southern hemispher
compass is the red paint on the needle is at differant ends. e.g southern hemispher has the
painted end of needle magnatised and northen hemispher compass has the other end magnatised.

so if you got a northen compass in aus and followed the painted end of the needle you would be
heading south,
i have seen this happen, once the bloke realised what was going on he just followed the other end
of needle and all was good.
cheers

yes the needle compass is okay in both hemispheres. you just follow the blue or red part of the needle. the problen is with the floating face compass like the military ones. they will show the opposite north and south pole if you change your hemisphere.

............'Compass will show different directions between northern and southern hemisphere.' What a load of rubbish. The fundamental principle of a magnetic compass is that the needle will ALWAYS point to magnetic north from any location on the globe. That's the whole basis of navigation. The needle always points in the same direction - north (magnetic).

I can only backup any comments on carrying a compass, small map, and GPS if you are going to be a distance from your Vehicle, (distance = you can't see it clearly).

20 Years in the military, I believe I have a pretty good ability to know where I am on the ground compared to veh location, ground features ect, but I still carry the above even if only walking 400m away. It only takes one bad day for it to turn ugly.

And as per GPS's, always remember they are an aid to navigation, nothing beats the ability to read a topo map and use a compass.

Here's to all, always getting back safe from every trip....

Hi Jefgold.

From my personal experience,I would recommend carrying a good compass or even better a good GPS to every prospector.If one intends traversing klms through thick scrub mallee or forest,swinging a coil,you can easely get lost.How so you might say,simple.Prospectors are not like Bush walkers or Hikers,although they do both while prospecting.Having head down arse up all the time continuously meandering,looking for the next likely spot for gold,doesn't leave one much time to concentrate on all the natural features that surround you,which can be used as markers of some kind,to get you safely back to your home base.Even bush walkers and hikers carry some form of map,compass,or GPS to get them to and fro their destination. So unless you're a brilliant back tracker,or have a photographic memory of some sort,which most of us don't,take no chances.I assure you your hide is worth more than a couple of hundred bucks


Happy Prospecting