Black Scout Quick Tips - Tactical Map Check

In this quick tips, we show a few tips on reading a map in the field without giving away your position.  This can prevent you from getting captured in an escape/evasion situation.  Hope you take something from this and thanks for watching!

Black Scout Tutorials - Urban Tactics II - How to Navigate with a Digital Watch

In this episode, we illustrate how to navigate without a compass with a digital watch or simply knowing the time.  This can be useful if you do not have the essentials with you if a disaster strikes.  Please subscribe and thanks for watching!

Black Scout Tutorials - Pace Count Beads

Here is our latest video tutorial on using Pace Count Beads. If you remember we published an article back in July on how to construct your own as well as instructions on using them (click link here to view article)

Survivor's iPhone App

As many of you know, communication is critical in a survival situation. Cell phones are by far your first line of defense. They do however offer a host of problems like- battery dying, getting wet, no signal, etc.... But about all of us carry a cell phone in our EDC. If your one of the blessed and carry an iPhone you know that it offers a ton of applications that can be used to make your life easier as well as possibly saving your life or someone else's.

My wife told me about this app earlier today and it's pretty awesome. It features a button compass, flashlight, variable speed strobe, and SOS. Ingenious right?

Screen shot of the iHandy Flashlight

This app is from iHandy Inc and is called "Flashlight". With this app you will be able to navigate, signal for help, and find your way in the dark. The best thing about this app is that its FREE!

Just another tool to add to the survival kit!

Tracking Distance: How to use a Ranger Pace Counter

This is a simple technique to calculate and keep track of distance traveled during land navigation. These can be purchased or made yourself. All you need is some 550 cord and some beads. Gut the 550 cord (about 22") and use any beads that will stay put when slid up on double gutted 550 cord. You will place 4 beads at the top and separate 9 beads at the bottom by a knot.

You will use this in conjunction with your pace count.

How to get your pace count:

• Measure out 100 meters
• Walk the entire length (100 meters) counting every time your left foot hits the deck
• Use a normal stride 
• The average is about 65 paces on flat terrain

So how do we use this system. 

• Each of the bottom 9 beads represents 100 meters traveled (when all beads down means you have traveled 900 meters)
• Each of the top 4 beads represents a kilometer traveled (when all 4 beads are down you have traveled 4 kilometers)
• Every time that you travel 100 meters (using your pace count) slide one bead from the bottom section down (the bottom section contains 9 beads)
• Once you have slid all 9 beads from the bottom section down you will then slide one of the top 4 down after you travel another 100 meters. Meaning you have traveled 1 kilometer.
• 1000 meters = 1 kilometer
• So when you have the top 4 down you have traveled 4000 meters

For practice, How far has these beads say we've traveled?

Why is this beneficial? It gives you one less thing to remember during intense land navigation, it will help with you getting closer to your target area, and it makes keeping track of distance during night navigation (distance can become skewed at night time due to limited night time visibility and perception).

Hardcase Survival SERE compass

After talking about button compasses yesterday I wanted to give a more reasonable option for you guys. Hardcase Survival continues to impress with their button compasses. Most commercial survival kits or equipment that includes a liquid button compasses are usually the cheap grade that already has 10 bubbles in it by the time it gets to you.

What sets this one apart huh? It's a AA grade compass, whereas most are A grade. Its really luminous which is hard to find in button compasses (7-8 hours). It also features SE,SW,NE,NW points. It's small, 14mm  x 7.1mm...Water resistant to a hundred ft, w/ a working temp of -20 F to 120 F. And you don't have to buy them in bulk when all you really need is one.

I have this button compass 100 mile an hour taped to the back of my fixed blade knife sheath as a back up compass. It could be hidden anywhere on your person or in your clothes in an E and E situation.

I just wanted to give you guys a lower priced quality option, coming in at $6.00. Take the money you save by buying this compass to put towards something else.

SAS Survival Button Compass

One of my personal favorite button compasses is the SAS survival button compass. This is brass bodied, dry, illuminated compass. This compass has made itself a reputation, being used in WWII by the OSS and RAF pilots. When captured this compass would even be swallowed to aid in escape later on.  Also were sewn into uniforms or clothes to be used later.


What I like about this compass other than its rugged construction, is that its dry and will not freeze or develop bubbles on you like many other compasses. I chose this compass for my Personal Survival kit. One problem I will note is they have no attachment points. Being 15mm about 1/2" it could be lost fairly easily. My remedy to that is I have it in a small plastic bag in my Personal Survival kit. 


The luminous dots are excellent with a quick blast of a flashlight. 2 dots for north and 1 dot for south. I've read it works quite well in both North and South hemispheres which is a problem with other button compasses. The operating temperature is -40C to +55C which is an extreme tempature range.
NSN #6605 99 522 0223. It's a little steep for a button compass. Coming in just at $35-$40. I believe its worth every dime and would bet my life on it.