Orienteeting MB

[JRTroop270]

Ill be taking Orienteering this summer at camp. I was wondering if its hard. It doesnt said hard from the requirements.

[deweylure]

Orientering is not that hard I urge you to read the book and parctice a little.

Jr I personally think you are putting to much info on your post . Name troop and council.

deweylure

[616kayak]

I would learn what the different colors on a map mean and anything requiring memorization like that.

[Chief J]

read the book and practice with a good topographic map and compass will help.

It should not be that difficult, but there are some tricks to doing it well.

Best of luck,
Chief J

[JRTroop270]

thx everyone

[coneyraven]

JRT...

...It is now almost a year later, how did you do? Did you find it to be easy, average, or hard.......Personally, this MB is my favorite.

[scubascout]

I did it this past summer and it wasn't the funnest but it was really easy. While we were on our hikes the instructor talked about computers and laptops to some whiz kid the whole time and just dropped back and let us take the lead it was pretty boring

[Quailman]

When you're out on your hikes, the instructor should just be making sure you come to no harm. You guys should navigate for yourselves. Now if the whiz kid was there to earn the badge and wasn't finding his own way, then he doesn't deserve credit.

A good MBC can lay out a challenging course, with a reference point across a stream (such that you measure the distance to it and get a bearing from it but don't actually cross the stream), or give a distance in terms of "five times the height of the flag pole", etc.

[scubascout]

he didnt do any of that. I felt that i didnt know anymore when i left then when i started the class

[WeeWillie]

Scuba

Sorry to hear your MB experience wasn't very enjoyable or educational. You might try a formal orienteering meet. Here is a website for info.


http://www.us.orienteering.org/

[Lynda J]

In March we have Spring Orienteering. It is an event that takes place at our Sid Richardson Scout Ranch. But it is actually sponsored and set up by the North Texas Orienteering Association and sanctioned by the US Orienteering Federation. We have teams from ROTC, schools and Orienteering CLubs. It is really great. Our troop has always done well. Last year we had one single and two two man teams that placed in their skill and age group.
Orienteering can be loads of fun and a great learning experience. You just need to find the right events and instructors.

[Ridge Runner]

he didnt do any of that. I felt that i didnt know anymore when i left then when i started the class

Sorry to hear that. However, this is not one of my favorite MB's since it's coming out in the 70's. And over the years, it hasn't improved much. Land Navigation would of been the better choice, being the more useful.

None the less, I'll give you a few land navigation tips that won't be found in Orienteering...

- To find declination set the compass to North then aim it at Polaris. The needle will swing to Mag North, giving direction and degree.

- The three stars that make up the belt of the Winter constellation of Orion sets in the West.

- When the head of the Scorpion stands up (i.e. Scorpio, a summer Constellation) you'll be looking due South.

- A fast way to find due North when these two Constellations are at the 3 and 9 o'clock position is to place one hand on the Big Dipper, and the other on Cassopeia. When they are at the 12 and 6 then it's an automatic north.