Pace count is seriously important. When i was in, I cheated. I went to the industrial supplier and got myself a hand counter. Every time my left foot hit the ground i pressed the button. No memory involved. Saved my a** . Kept it tied to my sleeve button. Just in case.
This is an excellent video. As a mineral exploration geophysicist, I have been counting my pace in the field using this method since 1987. I'm astonished to find younger generations heading into the field while depending on just a GPS and not even taking a compass. In open terrain, navigating on foot with paces can be significantly faster than using a GPS. The problem will become serious, though, when one doesn't have GPS, for whatever reason. The old timers who taught me to pace made the point 'Don't take long steps when learning to pace.' When you are tired and navigating difficult terrain, that long pace will be a distant memory. I'm 6'1", and if I take comfortable paces on hard flat ground, I will probably pace 54 or 55 for 100m. But that isn't my working pace for irregular ground or when I'm carrying gear. I usually expect to pace around 61 in irregular terrain, and my pace will become significantly shorter under more arduous conditions. Mostly, where mining exploration people work cannot be described as hard, flat, or open. So practice and learn how your pace changes under different conditions.
If it helps lift your spirits, I'm not the youngest Geology grad from my class but being prior service, I also use this method when in the field. I can also say that my geophysics professor also gave a graded lesson in pace count so no all hope is lost lol
Completed the star couse like 2.5x lol. Was super easy having been in boy scouts in Wyoming. Basically got extra sleep every day and a nice warm fire to dry my boots and warm my little feets in January
A pace is two steps. My pace is 16 paces to a chain (66') on flat ground. I was a timber cruiser who prided myself on my orienteering skill. The real skill is knowing how to add or subtract from your pace when maneuvering around obstacles and over changing slope angles. I'd often flag the far end of my line, then the next day I'd check the distance between my lines, and the length of the line as opposed to the actual section lines. I considered a deviance of 50' per mile to be pretty good.
I was doing this even when I took scouts on camp outs and sometimes I would give pace counters to them as part of our orienteering courses I taught it also gave them something to kind of do and keep their minds busy on long hikes
SGM Karl, love your content. Cannot stress the need to know your pace count on level versus difficult terrain enough. Up here in the mountains of Colorado, my level pace count with ruck is 64/100m. Going up or even traversing steep terrain, that number easily goes up to 100/100m. 👍
“Pace Count? Watch the Friggin Video… That’s why I made it. Then get outside…” 💥🙌😂 Awesome video Karl. Thank you for a great explanation of this skill. It’s very new to me and your explanation made it clear for me.
I got lost hunting as a 22 yr old in the woods behind my house with my brother in law who lived a mile from me. This literally was our own backyard... thousands of acres of forest service and potlatch with old logging roads throughout. No compass, no map, no GPS, just two idiots who thought they knew everything. We eventually heard his dog barking in the distance and followed it home hours later. If we'd had this skill and a bead counter, we would've been home hours earlier. When you finally realize and accept you're lost, you can get a mild panic that sets in. Adrenaline rises and you don't rationalize things well. Then you tire, get hesitant and start slowing down because you don't want to get more lost. We kept thinking we had traveled much further than we actually had. If we had this skill, we would've picked a direction towards a known highway and been able to pace off the actual distance to where we would've crossed it. But thinking you've gone six miles but it's only been two, that's a major problem. It's worse in water swimming or rowing a boat, learned those two lessons the hard way too not long after this goat show. Got lucky on the swimming "lesson" and didn't drown.
You practice on up & down terrain. Then adjust that number on the fly depending on if the terrain you are currently in is gentler or steeper than what you recorded in.
Also when they send cadets from West Point to Bragg why don't they ever do land nav? Had a CO in my rifle company that was from West Point couldn't navigate anywhere without a garmin. Wasn't always like that. Seen some LTs from the other academy training centers like Virginia ROTC college that never had issues.
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Pace count is seriously important. When i was in, I cheated. I went to the industrial supplier and got myself a hand counter. Every time my left foot hit the ground i pressed the button. No memory involved. Saved my a** . Kept it tied to my sleeve button. Just in case.
This is an excellent video. As a mineral exploration geophysicist, I have been counting my pace in the field using this method since 1987.
I'm astonished to find younger generations heading into the field while depending on just a GPS and not even taking a compass.
In open terrain, navigating on foot with paces can be significantly faster than using a GPS. The problem will become serious, though, when one doesn't have GPS, for whatever reason.
The old timers who taught me to pace made the point 'Don't take long steps when learning to pace.' When you are tired and navigating difficult terrain, that long pace will be a distant memory.
I'm 6'1", and if I take comfortable paces on hard flat ground, I will probably pace 54 or 55 for 100m. But that isn't my working pace for irregular ground or when I'm carrying gear. I usually expect to pace around 61 in irregular terrain, and my pace will become significantly shorter under more arduous conditions. Mostly, where mining exploration people work cannot be described as hard, flat, or open.
So practice and learn how your pace changes under different conditions.
If it helps lift your spirits, I'm not the youngest Geology grad from my class but being prior service, I also use this method when in the field.
I can also say that my geophysics professor also gave a graded lesson in pace count so no all hope is lost lol
Completed the star couse like 2.5x lol. Was super easy having been in boy scouts in Wyoming. Basically got extra sleep every day and a nice warm fire to dry my boots and warm my little feets in January
You might also have adjust you pace count on hilly areas. Korea land course was hell at night. 😂
Great video. Please do more on navigation with a Lensatic compass. An important skill to have especially if and when it hits the fan.
A pace is two steps. My pace is 16 paces to a chain (66') on flat ground. I was a timber cruiser who prided myself on my orienteering skill. The real skill is knowing how to add or subtract from your pace when maneuvering around obstacles and over changing slope angles. I'd often flag the far end of my line, then the next day I'd check the distance between my lines, and the length of the line as opposed to the actual section lines. I considered a deviance of 50' per mile to be pretty good.
THat's pretty accurate. Very awesome.
Can't get enough of mil nav. Cheers!!
I was doing this even when I took scouts on camp outs and sometimes I would give pace counters to them as part of our orienteering courses I taught it also gave them something to kind of do and keep their minds busy on long hikes
Merry Christmas Karl and all the TR fam.
Thanks buddy. Merry Christmas to you too
Thanks for the video Karl; solid building blocks.
SGM Karl, love your content. Cannot stress the need to know your pace count on level versus difficult terrain enough. Up here in the mountains of Colorado, my level pace count with ruck is 64/100m. Going up or even traversing steep terrain, that number easily goes up to 100/100m. 👍
“Pace Count? Watch the Friggin Video… That’s why I made it. Then get outside…” 💥🙌😂 Awesome video Karl. Thank you for a great explanation of this skill. It’s very new to me and your explanation made it clear for me.
Thanks appreciate you sharing your professional experience
My pleasure!
I got lost hunting as a 22 yr old in the woods behind my house with my brother in law who lived a mile from me. This literally was our own backyard... thousands of acres of forest service and potlatch with old logging roads throughout. No compass, no map, no GPS, just two idiots who thought they knew everything. We eventually heard his dog barking in the distance and followed it home hours later. If we'd had this skill and a bead counter, we would've been home hours earlier. When you finally realize and accept you're lost, you can get a mild panic that sets in. Adrenaline rises and you don't rationalize things well. Then you tire, get hesitant and start slowing down because you don't want to get more lost. We kept thinking we had traveled much further than we actually had. If we had this skill, we would've picked a direction towards a known highway and been able to pace off the actual distance to where we would've crossed it. But thinking you've gone six miles but it's only been two, that's a major problem. It's worse in water swimming or rowing a boat, learned those two lessons the hard way too not long after this goat show. Got lucky on the swimming "lesson" and didn't drown.
Ranger beads are the bomb
They work in the dark too
Awesome discussion, thanks 🙏🏻 been a while since I measured mine.
Awesome.. Jay has taught me some about land nav. Merry Christmas my friend
Hi Karl, could you explain how this applies to traversing up a hill or down a hill, how do you keep the pace count accurate?
Great question, this is the part that gets me too
You practice on up & down terrain. Then adjust that number on the fly depending on if the terrain you are currently in is gentler or steeper than what you recorded in.
@TacticalRifleman thanks
Love this.
Definitely some useful info. Thanks Karl!
Also when they send cadets from West Point to Bragg why don't they ever do land nav? Had a CO in my rifle company that was from West Point couldn't navigate anywhere without a garmin. Wasn't always like that. Seen some LTs from the other academy training centers like Virginia ROTC college that never had issues.
Love the video, but who's skull did you bring home from combat that you left on the table with the hat. 😂
THat's my candy dish. What, you don't collect Skulls? Don't judge me.
Seems that i have more training to do and need to learn fast. Yall stay safe, stay frosty out there
Why not just let the LT lead?
Oh, that’s just wrong
Shared
Believe it or not the knot system works for pace count a knot usally 1yd 2 ft so 5knot 10ft
I'll just say GPS + EMP = Dead GPS.
That was always my weakness
The first 300 meters were no problem, but after that I was always so distracted
I felt like Homer Simpson
Yeah, you need Pace Beads
I have a love hate relationship with maps, and transitional spaces.
Its all about that fat tipped red marker while staulking other land navers and still finding your points. Whooah
Average is 60 steps, left foot.