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Pacing Distances / Determining your PaceA cross-country navigator needs to know how to pace distances. Pacing distances is important when you need to travel to a specified distance cross-country to reach your destination. We measure distances so that we know where we are, where we've been, and how much farther we have to go before we reach our target.Paces vary between individuals and with different types of terrain that is traveled. Pacing uses a natural stride for traveling that is equal to 2 steps. To determine your pace, you first need to accurately measure out a course that you will travel over several times. You will use the number of paces that it took you to travel the course to figure out how many feet your pace is. A course 200 feet in length is a good distance to pace. Start with your right foot and count every time your left foot hits the ground as 1 pace. To figure out how many feet are in your pace, divide the length of your course by how many paces it took you to travel it. For example: 200 feet/40 paces = a 5 foot pace. You can use your pace to keep track of your distance while navigating in the woods. A person with a 5 foot pace will have 528 paces in 1/2 mile. Be aware that your pace will vary with the terrain. You will have the least amount of paces on flat ground. Your paces will be longer going downhill and shorter going uphill. It is desirable that you measure your pace for different kinds of terrain. When you know your pace, you can take a bearing from your map, set your compass, and head toward your destination. |
