Ranger Beads
Ranger beads were originally
developed by military personnel as a means of gauging distances when traveling
by foot. Also known as “pace beads”, they are easy to make and can assist you
in determining distances that you have traveled. When combined with a good
compass, they make an excellent tool to assist hikers or
the well-dressed survivalist.
Ranger beads are merely a
lanyard (usually made from paracord) that has two sets of beads separated by a
knot. The bottom part has nine beads and the top part has five beads. Moving
the beads helps you to keep track and calculate the distances you have
traveled based on your pace count.
Your “pace count” is
determined by how many steps it takes for you to walk 100 meters. For every 100
meters you travel, you simply move one of the nine lower beads up the lanyard. When
you have traveled 1000 meters, move one of the five top beads up and pull all
of the lower beads back down. This will reset your beads and indicate that you
have traveled one kilometer (or “click”). You can measure distances up to five
kilometers with a set of ranger beads configured in this manner (see above
pic).
You can also visit a friend of mine. Army Ranger Rick at Survival Outdoor Skills has even more survival tips and tricks for you to check out.
Got ranger beads?
Riverwalker
Posts
1 comment:
I've tried them, but I keep losing track of the count. Something of interest distracts me and before I know it "What is the count?"
Comnpletely my fault, I know.
Post a Comment