O’n Down Under in New Zealand
(Navigating in the Southern Hemisphere)
As many of you may know, it is best to purchase a compass that is calibrated for the southern hemisphere. I purchased a Silva compass for my trip down under. I had to laugh at a comment made on Attackpoint’s site. Someone actually figure out, if they ran holding the map up in the air above their head at an angle? It would work. They also mentioned this served as a shade for the intense sun down here. I think it would be a little awkward, not mention dangerous running with the map above your head.
Using the sun for navigation is much different down under. Quite often I use the sun to navigate. In the northern hemisphere at 12 O’clock noon, the sun is south. In the southern hemisphere the sun is north, so if you are heading north and have the sun in your face. This was a little adjustment for me, while navigating without my compass.
