updated 02/18/2021 While you might regularly go on a day hike or venture on a weeklong backpacking trip, it is always advised to be prepared for the unexpected. Weather can quickly change, you can lose your way, run out of water, or even slip and get hurt. A survival kit is key. Here are a few suggested essentials: 1. Map & Compass Technology can be a great tool, especially with GPS, however it’s important to not solely depend on your smartphone when you’re lost in the backcountry. Packing a map and compass in your survival kit can help ensure that you find your way back to the trailhead ..read more

If you love rocks, you probably love camping. Rocks and walls aren’t just meant for climbing, they’re also meant to explore and understand. Here are some cool destinations where geologists by trade and hobby can camp, hike, and take in these geological treasures, on or off trail.      Rock on at these cool camping destinations: 1. Devils Garden Campground, Arches National Park, Utah Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. Courtesy of Dyrt camper John M. Home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, this national park boasts 65 million years worth of history. These geological ..read more

Rocks, natural formations, mountains, volcanoes among other natural phenomenons, are some of the core characteristics that make up the backcountry. But how did all of those things come to be? There is infinite information and knowledge surrounding geology, and while it might be hard to digest it all, here are some podcasts that can get you started, as you explore the backcountry and all it has to offer. 1. Don’t Panic Geocast Geoscience and technology are the basis of discussion for this weekly podcast. Hosts John Leeman and Shannon Dulin, both PhD students interview guests, conduct product re ..read more

With smartphones and GPS right at our fingertips, getting from one place to another has never been so easy. Also, it can be good to encourage your brain to develop its “mental map” skill. No matter what you use to navigate, here are the basics to getting started with the good old fashion map and compass. Finding Your Way on a Map Paper maps are a reliable way to find where you are and where you plan to go. There are all sorts of maps available of various areas that include roads and trails, but the best ones to purchase are topographical maps. A topo map will show you the different features of ..read more

Welcome to the first of a new series of posts focusing on our professional products and their uses in the field – all designed for geology, forestry, guiding, and military/tactical professions.  Stay tuned for more posts and hopefully videos about measurement methods, new product developments, and the science behind the use of Brunton products in various field professions. Where do compass needles point?  As kids, we’re all taught that compass needles point north.  But technically, Earth has three “north poles” – and compass needles are subject to a more three-dimensional magne ..read more

A map and compass (and how to use them) often tops the list of backpacking essentials. The Brunton Basic Compass Clinics are the first in an ongoing series of bite sized lessons that will make compass and map use easy and accessible. Our goal is to address any negative stigmas or anxiety around using a compass and map that is often a roadblock for both new and experienced outdoor explorers. We hope to remove these barriers and help people navigate outdoors with confidence. In the fourth installment of the Brunton Basic Compass Clinics, we’ll discuss declination and h ..read more

So many options and features, which baseplate compass is best for you? The features you need and the features to want, the option guide will help you find the compass that is right for your next adventures.   Mirrored Baseplate/Sighting Compasses If you need more accuracy or additional functions, the Mirrored Baseplate Compass, otherwise referred to as a Sighting Compass, offers a mirror for precision navigation and a clinometer for measuring height and slope angle. Baseplate Compasses The simple design of a Baseplate compass makes it a popular choice for outdoor navigati ..read more

The are proud to sponsor Brunton Awards for the Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) - created to promote the future of field mapping and data acquisition for the upcoming generation of women geoscientists. This award goes to female geoscience students at the senior level or in her early graduate studies who has been a summer intern, excelled at field camp, or performed field data collection that leads to a senior or graduate thesis. This year we are proud to award Priscilla for her work in California. Read more about Priscilla's work below. As an undergraduat ..read more

by Gary Albyn TE·O·TWAW·KI (Noun) /ˌtēəˈtwôkē/ INFORMAL: A catastrophic event that destroys the existing institutions and norms of society. (An acronym deriving from ‘The End Of The World As We Know It.’) As clichéd as it may sound, there can be no doubt that the world is going through a great period of upheaval. Whatever the outcome, it’s a sure bet that life on our mortal coil has been turned on its head. While no seer, futurist or clairvoyant can possibly foretell what’s in store, I sense there’s still more to come.  If that is indeed the case, what contingency plans have you made for ..read more

A map and compass (and how to use them) often tops the list of backpacking essentials. The Brunton Basic Compass Clinics are the first in an ongoing series of bite size educational facts to make compass and map use easy and accessible. Our goal is to address any negative stigmas or anxiety around using a compass and map that is often a roadblock for both new and experienced outdoors people. We hope to remove these barriers and help people navigate outdoors with confidence. In the third installment of the Brunton Basic Compass Clinics, we’ll look at the anatomy o ..read more