i'd like to add a pace counter to my collection of cool stuff i take hiking, but it seems to me that a pace counter is only as accurate as all else is consistent, which doesn't happen too often in the woods, i.e. stride length changes as does terrain. is there a thumbrule or trick to keep a more accurate pace count or am i just entertaining myself by wanting to count to myself on the trail?

Practice, practice, practice!

Yes, pace count does change as the terrain changes.

While it may be 69 paces for 100m on flat terrain, as you go up a steep incline, you will be taking a lot of shorter steps and your pace count increases. Downhill, its the other way around. Practice.

You should have a good compass and topo map with you as well. You can compare map distances with your pace count distances. Practice.

If possible, you should go with someone who is already comfortable with their pace count. Practice. This also helps you compare distances, and will help you get comfortable with your count.


US Army Field Manual 21-26, chp 5, para. 5-3 (Map Reading and Land Navigation):

2) Certain conditions affect your pace count in the field, and you must allow for them by making adjustments.

• (a) Slopes. Your pace will lengthen on a downslope and shorten on an upgrade. Keeping this in mind, if it normally takes you 120 paces to walk 100 meters, your pace count may increase to 130 or more when walking up a slope.
  (b) Winds. A head wind shortens the pace and a tail wind increases it.
  (c) Surfaces. Sand, gravel, mud, snow, and similar surface materials tend to shorten the pace.
  (d) Elements. Falling snow, rain, or ice cause the pace to be reduced in length.
  (e) Clothing. Excess clothing and boots with poor traction affect the pace length.
  (f) Visibility. Poor visibility, such as in fog, rain, or darkness, will shorten your pace.

Did I mention practice? <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

When you are familiar with your stride length and pace counter it might increase the accuracy if keep a log for navigation. When the terrain or heading changes you note the count, type of terrain and heading. If you use this technique, it would be good to set the length of one double step to one unit. That way you get just the plain count and you don´t have to worry about the setting.

I would like to coment that in the dark your pace is about half.This is without a head lamp of course.I have used pace counter beads with very good results.Army Rangers started using them and is a common practice now.The thing is you have to use them religously to get proficient with them.
Boatman

While pace counters are a great tool, they (just like any other tool) shouldn't be counted on to do the job all by themselves with no practice. A GPS will do a much better job, unless the batteries go dead. Triangulating with a compass on a topo map can show you just where you're at, unless you don't have visibility (fog, dark, terrain, etc.). Used alongside any of a number of nav. methods, a pace counter can be an invaluable tool, but as already stated, practice, practice, practice.

Yes, and if you're doing dismounted land nav (through bush, not hardball), in the dark, with no NOD's, and only a red lens flashlight ("to be used sparingly"), it gets even better! <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I was in the field one time in Germany, doing a night land nav training exercise. Basically you are given azimuths and distances and have to move from point A to B to C, etc. . . under the cover of darkness. No map, no night vision, only your compass, a red lens flashlight, and pace count.

While we were out beating bush, I heard a blood curdling scream for about a minute, and then it was abruptly cut off. WTF!

The next day, I see a female soldier with a black eye, her hand bandaged, and her arm in a sling and swath. I asked her what happened.

Well, as part of the safety briefing the night before, we were told that there are wild boars in the area. She had never done dismounted land nav at night before, so she was kinda nervous. When she heard something moving in the bush (could have been a field mouse) she thought it was a either a snake (in Germany in October?) or wild boar. She panicked, started running, ran straight into a tree, and got knocked out. <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I agree, lots of practice in a known area. If you know where there is a 100 yds uphill, take a count, flat area, take a count, downhill take a count. The problem is, that unless you really varify the distance with the map, regularly, you will soon be off considerably!
Some of the stories here reminds me of SFQC phase one, land nav, I was running to make up time and tripped over a log and fell face down. A small tree was next to me and the tip just brushed my eye as I fell. One inch to the left and I would have at least lost an eye!!
Good luck with the pace counting, it is a valuable skill. BTW, I used beads in the military but now use a little metal counter that you click once to advance the number. It does have an audible click so it would not be very practical in a military environment! I prefer it to the beads for civilian use though. Stay safe!!