How to Determine Your Pace Count
Knowing how far you've traveled is key to dead-reckoning navigation and staying oriented in the wilderness. To do it you need to know how many paces you take per 100 meters, and keep a running total of distance covered. It sounds tedious (and it is) - but it works.
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Instructions
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Stand with both feet on the start line of the 100-meter dash at a track near your home.
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Step off with your left foot first and walk casually, like you would when hiking.
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Count one pace every time your right foot hits the ground.
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Count the total number of paces you take to walk 100 meters.
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Repeat the process three or four times and average the results. This is your pace count per 100 meters. Remember the number.
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Tips & Warnings
Your pace count over broken terrain will be higher per 100 meters than it was on the track. Add about 10 percent for simple terrain, more as the terrain gets increasingly convoluted. Tortuous terrain that is steep, brushy, or has deep snow can more than double your pace count. This pace count shift is a "feel" thing - you'll only get it right with practice.
Seize any opportunity to check your pace count over a known distance in broken terrain.
When you have a long distance to pace off, such as 3200 meters (two miles), put 10 small pebbles in your right pants pocket. Every time you pace off 100 meters, move one pebble from your right to your left pocket. When you've moved all 10 pebbles, you've gone 1000 meters. Put the pebbles back in your right pocket before continuing with the next 1000 meters (which will keep you from forgetting which direction to move the pebbles).
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Comments
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Jan 13, 2006
Take about two feet of para cord, 550 cord. Carefully melt the ends with a lighter and tie a single knot in each end. Fold in half. Take 9 small beads and string them down the folded cord. The fit should be snug enough that the beads do not move unless pulled by hand. Pull the beads down to the ends where you tied the knots. This should form a large loop at one end of the beads, with the two knots at the other end. Now tie a large knot about an inch above the beads. This should leave enough room for the beads to be separated and prevent them from being removed from the cord. Now take another five beads and string them down the folded cord above the knot you just tied. Now use the remaining loop to tie a half hitch knot around a key ring. You now have a pace counter. Each time you take enough steps to travel 100 meters separate one of the 9 lower beads from the rest. When you pull down the 9th bead, walk another 100 meters and pull down 1 of the top 5 and push the bottom 9 back up you have traveled 1000 meters. Using this method you can accurately travel 5000 meters. -
Jan 13, 2006
Take about two feet of para cord, 550 cord. Carefully melt the ends with a lighter and tie a single knot in each end. Fold in half. Take 9 small beads and string them down the folded cord. The fit should be snug enough that the beads do not move unless pulled by hand. Pull the beads down to the ends where you tied the knots. This should form a large loop at one end of the beads, with the two knots at the other end. Now tie a large knot about an inch above the beads. This should leave enough room for the beads to be separated and prevent them from being removed from the cord. Now take another five beads and string them down the folded cord above the knot you just tied. Now use the remaining loop to tie a half hitch knot around a key ring. You now have a pace counter. Each time you take enough steps to travel 100 meters separate one of the 9 lower beads from the rest. When you pull down the 9th bead, walk another 100 meters and pull down 1 of the top 5 and push the bottom 9 back up you have traveled 1000 meters. Using this method you can accurately travel 5000 meters.
