I've just this week started experimenting with a watch that has a digital compass and is solar-powered. It's a Casio SPF-70. Solar-powered is a good idea but I'm not sure about the compass part yet. It makes the watch physically big. I imagine it would be knocked out by an EMP, so an ordinary magnetic compass is more reliable and much cheaper. It also has a barometer, which could help with weather prediction, and a thermometer, which I've found mostly useless.

My phone is a SE P900 with a 128 Meg card. It can get and display information off the internet, including maps and wotnot, as long as it has signal. I keep a lot of electronic books on it; it's surprisingly pleasant for reading. I don't store prepared survival info on it, but I should - I should take my own advice. In a pinch the backlight is a better torch than nothing at all. I found room for a half a hacksaw blade in the battery compartment.

That would be past the 3 days.

I talked to an SAR guy tonight. He said if they don't find you in the first 3 days they will stop looking for you. You then are on your own and need to get yourself out. Then you have 3 weeks before you starve to death.

<img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

And lets not forget 3 months without internet.

3 months !!??!! arrghh!!!
Could you ??? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

believe it or not i actually went over 6 months with no internet..be afrain be very afraid...

I don't kow, Craig : "I talked to an SAR guy tonight. He said if they don't find you in the first 3 days they will stop looking for you. You then are on your own and need to get yourself out. Then you have 3 weeks before you starve to death."

Sorry, I don't buy this. I'd like to hear from some of the active SAR folks who hang out on this forum, but I think the conclusion that after 3 days they're not looking for you is apt to get someone killed. This depends on too many things, and we've all read about SAR actions going on longer than 3 days.

If you're lost.. stay put unless you're in a dangerous spot. You ALREADY don't know where you are... how's it going to get better? Actually, IMHO, for a true lost-in-the-wilds experience (and I've had one!) I worry more about signaling than a compass. Moving around burns calories, increases need for water, and probably increases the liklihood of an injury. I'm going to 1)talk myself out of scurring around the countryside making a moving target of myself for the SAR folks, 2)stay calm, 3)stay put, and 4)signal any way I can.

This is the watch I wear. I like it because it's "stylish" enough for the office but still has a very descrete digital compass in it.

Why do you need a digital compass? A real watch can be used for way finding if you can find the sun, and if you can't find the sun, you might want to dig in. :P

ya as long as its daytime and not overcast .. if the sun is out I can find north with a twig and dont need a watch at all <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My phone can also be used for astronavigation. It has the Solun' planitarium software, which can display the azimuth of the Sun or Moon. The azimuth is just the bearing from north, so if the Moon is at 270 then it is due west. Of course if you can see the pole star than you don't need the Moon for navigation, but the UK is often too overcast for stars. And with the sun, it'll be more accurate than the "point the hourhand at the sun" method, especially if you don't have an analogue watch.

You can get the same information from some GPS units, and so get a rough bearing even if there is no signal. Mine has a screen which shows the relative positions of Sun and Moon on a compass rose. For example, stick a twig vertically into the ground so it casts a shadow. Switch the gps to Sun & Moon screen, and place it flat so that the shadow falls onto the screen. Rotate until the shadow falls on the line connecting the Sun and the Earth. Then the compass rose is correctly aligned and north means north.