navigation

Trail talk: A-Z Adventure Series ‘for walkers’ maps

For those that like to venture out on a long distance path in the UK, be it National Trail or some other route, a physical map, with the trail highlighted through it's centre, is a useful resource. And if that resource comes with Ordnance Survey mapping, it is a match made in heaven, well, almost!

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the Royal Automobile Club ‘scale rule’ bookmark

Simple scale rules were included with some road atlases published by the Royal Automobile Club. These acted as both bookmark and map measure.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Uittokalusto O.Y. Karttamittari

This months measure is a simple brass 'Karttamittari' produced and sold by Uittokalusto O.Y. Finnish word 'kartta', from Swedish 'karta', meaning map. Finnish word 'mittari', from meter/gauge/indicator, or device for measuring.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the Automobile Association ‘scale rule’ bookmark

Simple scale rules were included with some road atlases published by the Automobile Association and acted both as bookmark and map measure.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: George Philip & Son Rotameter

"a small, but sturdily built, wheeled measurer, fitted with a dial and rotating hands which indicate lengths of traverse up to 25 feet or 300 inches" Philip & Son

Gear

Gear talk: five favourite pieces of gear in 2022

As 2022 draws to an end, Three Points of the Compass takes a glance at a handful of items of gear that were especially appreciated on trail this year. Ranging from the cheap and cheerful, to expensive and essential, each of the five were frequent companions on backpacking trips.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: John Hand & Sons “Miledial”

This map measure is a quality instrument from a well-known French manufacturer, but with a twist. The Miledial was especially made for export to the US market, to be sold by one of the premier retailers of nautical instruments

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Harvey Maps 25k and 40k ‘map-measure-go!’ laces

It is not often that a new design of map measure appears on the market. Harvey Maps bucked the trend in 2022 and released a fun little product- boot and shoe laces complete with printed scales to suit their most popular map scales- 1:25 000 and 1: 40 000.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the “Inco” Krzywomierz Turystyczny

This months map measure was manufactured by Polish manufacturer ZZG INCO (Zakład Chemii Budowlanej United Economic Teams INCO-Veritas) for both civilian and military use. It is simple, well made and accurate.

navigation

Trail talk: maps, don’t be afraid to write on them!

While many have made the change to exclusive use of digital mapping, Three Points of the Compass is still using paper maps backed up by digital maps on the phone when on trail. Before I even leave home, there will be annotations on my paper map- phone numbers, arrows, circles, 'tent' symbols and drawings. These are invariably added to on trail. Anathema to some, but maps are a tool to be used and abused.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the Zlatoust curvimeter KY-A

The Russian made KY-A Curvimeter was made for both the civilian market and the Red Army at the fabled Zlatoust watch factory in the 1970s. Cheaply made from plastic and metal, it is a robust and reasonably accurate instrument.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the Hugh Rees “Regent”

The Regent map measurer, sometimes referred to as a map gauge, was a simple and quite robust tool sold by London bookseller Hugh Rees Ltd.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the Minerva Curvimeter C-01

The Minerva Curvimeter, model number C-01, is a beautifully crafted Swiss made map measure with one of the smoothest tracking mechanisms to be found on this type of instrument. This is unsurprising, considering this measure was made by a company skilled in producing high-quality watches.

books

Three Points of the Compass

Lightweight backpacking, gear chat, knife chat, map measures and anything outdoorsy

navigation

Trail talk: A-Z Adventure Series ‘for walkers’ maps

Map measure of the month: the Royal Automobile Club ‘scale rule’ bookmark

Map measure of the month: Uittokalusto O.Y. Karttamittari

Map measure of the month: the Automobile Association ‘scale rule’ bookmark

Map measure of the month: George Philip & Son Rotameter

Gear talk: five favourite pieces of gear in 2022

Map measure of the month: John Hand & Sons “Miledial”

Map measure of the month: Harvey Maps 25k and 40k ‘map-measure-go!’ laces

Map measure of the month: the “Inco” Krzywomierz Turystyczny

Trail talk: maps, don’t be afraid to write on them!

Map measure of the month: the Zlatoust curvimeter KY-A

Map measure of the month: the Hugh Rees “Regent”

Map measure of the month: the Minerva Curvimeter C-01

Trail talk: Harvey maps

Map measure of the month: W&HC navigation dividers

Map measure of the month: HB Curvimètre ‘Model No. 54M’

Map measure of the month: The Oldbury Optical Distameter

Trail talk: “Clues without a Compass”

Gear talk: Pacer Beads

Map measurer of the month- Rotameter (Barker & Son)