How to Estimate Distances in the Outdoors

There might be an occasion when a hiker lost out in a remote region won't have the tools available to calculate distance. While some might say it's negligent to not prepare for such a problem with GPS or other digital tools, all you need to calculate distance is your own body. It all comes down to using your arm, thumb, your two eyes and a simple mathematical formula to determine how long it'll take to get to a particular far-off location.

Things You'll Need

  • Your arm and thumb
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Instructions

  1. Estimating Distance

    • 1

      Locate a particular landmark off in the distance of your outdoor environment. Close your left eye and hold your arm out with your thumb extended upright so the thumb is right over your view of the landmark.

    • 2

      Open your left eye and close your right eye while you keep your arm and upright thumb in place. Look toward the landmark and you'll notice your thumb moved slightly to the right.

    • 3

      Estimate the distance between the landmark to the left and where you thumb is at the right by equating it with the height of trees or distances between other objects in proximity.

    • 4

      Multiply that estimation by 10 to get an estimate of how far you'll have to travel to the landmark. The multiple of 10 is based on the 6-degree angle between the angle of your eyes to your thumb.