Just spent the weekend with 5 Boy scouts, two of whom crossed over from cubs last month, my son being one of them. As part of the weekend the boys had to light a fire. we started them out with a ferrocerium boy scout fire starter, and some lint. that didn't work (they were not allowed to use matches or lighter only as a last resort.) next I pulled out my PSP and let them try the spark light. within a couple of spins he has the fire going that managed to keep us warm all night. now each boy evenb the three eagles we had with us wants one of them. I was looking on the site and I thought there uses to be a way to buy the PSP as a kit. that way each boy will know what is in the kit and will know how to use it. We also had a visit from either a mink or a marten that the boys got to see up close.

REI sells PSP's: http://www.rei.com/product/708135 as do several other stores and on-line retailers.

You can buy the kit from the link on the main site. Just go to the sidebar (left) and click on the kit picture. It is pretty easy from there. I have also seen them at some of the outdoor superstores somewhere. Locally try Eastern Mountain Supply. I just online they have them.

I have a local store that sells them, and have thought many times about picking one up, but here's my dilemma.

Does the compass work inside the bag? And I literally mean 'inside' the bag.

Every time I pick up one of the kits, and roll it around, the compass points to some place different. (And not North).

Is this a sign that it is being affected by something in the kit itself, or has it somehow been destroyed in shipping?

Dave

Compasses do not work consistently around ferrous metals. I think you have to take it out of the bag away from your car or other metal objects to really see how well it's working. Typically they're not accurate inside a building for the same reasons. Just for fun, take a knife or other metal object and run it back and forth in front of the north needle on your compass.

Believe it or not, your question is a good one.

Hikin_Jim is right. Proper compass use dictates that it not be around/influenced by ferrous materials. That is a part of the skill/knowledge set when you are learning about this stuff. Every one-in-a-while a bit of information comes up that makes you rethink and re-evaluate your assumptions.

From what Doug has published about his kit, he has taken great pains to ensure each item is a quality piece. He is a very plain spoken person. His frankness has been a great help to me, and I'm sure the others.

Again, your question is good and the discussion will help others.

It's pretty hard to get a good compass readin if you live in a steel house.

Well, you can learn to rely on a magnetic compass if you are on a steel ship, although this is no longer often done. When you are working with a tiny little compass that's held by hand, the differences are probably not going to matter. But as much as you can, learn about checking your compaass and do not move the metal you carry around too much. And learning the variation for your area should be relatively simple.

Deviation would be the error that's due to what you have on or around you. When steel ships were first constructed, there were issues, because the compass readings changed, because of the steel in the ship. Sailors learned how to correct for this error, and you will see near compasses on ships a deviation card. the card basically states that the last time it was tested, the compass had so much error when on various headings due to the magnetic influences of the ship. The ship is a big hunk of steel and that steel does not for the most part move that much (although, cargo moves). So, if you have a certain deviation today on a certain heading, you are likely to have the same deviation on the same or a similar heading in the future. However, if is important to regularly check your deviation and variation.

Variation is due to changes in where all magnetic compass point to from true north. It changes across the surface of the Earth. If you looked at a navigational chart, it would have a circle indicating true and magnetic directions. Also, it would state the variation and how much that variation changes by each year.

Edit: For simple ways to check your compass for errors.

1. Sunrise. The sun comes up in the East. The further it is from the Equinox, the less true this is, but if you hold you compass at sunrise and turn slowly around checking to see how the headings change. The heading of north, east, etc. should not change. It should always point to what it seems is north, any changes shows a change in the error, so that's deviation.

2. Same, but at sunset, and using west not east, obviously.

3. Noon, or Local Apparent Noon ("LAN")as you would hear in a celestial nav class. At the time of day when the sun reachs its zenith, the highest point it is in the sky all day, the sun must be either directly north or south of you. Now, if you do not know the time of LAN, you could waste time sitting to figure it out, but if you do know it roughly, it will tell you due north or south.

4. Polaris. It's pretty much due north. So, if you can see it, you can tell how much a compass is off.

If you want to read about compass correction: http://www.irbs.com/bowditch/pdf/chapt17.pdf

Bass Pro Shop in Fort Lauderdale carries both Doug's and the Aeromedic kits.

Stocks do vary a bit from store to store, but I think that this is mainstream enough to be in most Bass Pro Stores.

Look in the Camping Section. YMMV

Regards, Comanche7

I thought "variation" was declination.

Same thought, different words?

The two words are used to mean the same thing. See:
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/declination.shtml

Declination is also be used to indicate the position of celestial bodies. When so used, it is used in the same way that latititude is used on the surface of the Earth. If the sun has a declination of 18 degrees south, then it is going to be right above 18 degrees south latitude.

I got a Doug Ritter PSK from my local Dick's Sporting Goods. When I got it home the first thing I did was to unpack it, familarize myself with the contents and check everything out. To my dismay the compass wasn't even close to north, more like 25 degrees off to the east. I double checked it against my Victorinox "go that away" compass/ruler/thermometer. Then double checked it against my LC-1 Cammenga military compass......it was just plain off. So back to Dick's I went. They cheerfully exchanged it, although I was sure to check the compass out first. They can work in the pouch, but not overly reliable. Have to make darn sure the button compass is level in relation to orientation to the ground vs. in the pouch otherwise the card will hang up giving a false reading. Overall well pleased with the PSK, god knows I cannot disipline myself to make one that small and functioal. My hats off to Doug on that one. Saved me the hassle/heartbreak. Now I can just concentrate on making a cargo pocket sized small kit and trust Doug's PSK for true pocket carry.

-Bill Liptak