Teh One Who Knocks
04-17-2013, 01:05 PM
By ROBERT McAULAY - The Sun
http://i.imgur.com/6LI5Dkj.jpg
WOMEN hikers have been told to ditch their under-wired BRAS — because they make compasses go wonky.
Experts say metal-lined undies send the navigation aids haywire and lead to climbers getting lost.
And they are warning females to dump the garments — along with any other items that create a magnetic field — before heading for the hills.
Mountaineering Council of Scotland safety officer Heather Morning said “reverse polarity” caused by everyday objects can temporarily make compass needles point south instead of north, sending people out on peaks in the wrong direction in foul weather.
She added: “The catalyst for a substantial number of rescue call-outs is navigation error. Is that error always the fault of the individual or is there some insidious problem causing havoc with the compass?
“Magnetic fields exist around many items we commonly carry on hills.
“The compass needle may be partially or totally reversed when in close proximity to mobile phones, radios, cameras, car keys and even belt fasteners and under-wired bras.”
Fourteen people have died on Scots mountains this year and there have been scores of other incidents where walkers have been rescued after losing their bearings. Ms Morning said climbers should ensure before setting off that nothing they’re carrying can interfere with their ability to navigate.
She added: “A compass is a precise measuring instrument and should be treated accordingly.”
http://i.imgur.com/6LI5Dkj.jpg
WOMEN hikers have been told to ditch their under-wired BRAS — because they make compasses go wonky.
Experts say metal-lined undies send the navigation aids haywire and lead to climbers getting lost.
And they are warning females to dump the garments — along with any other items that create a magnetic field — before heading for the hills.
Mountaineering Council of Scotland safety officer Heather Morning said “reverse polarity” caused by everyday objects can temporarily make compass needles point south instead of north, sending people out on peaks in the wrong direction in foul weather.
She added: “The catalyst for a substantial number of rescue call-outs is navigation error. Is that error always the fault of the individual or is there some insidious problem causing havoc with the compass?
“Magnetic fields exist around many items we commonly carry on hills.
“The compass needle may be partially or totally reversed when in close proximity to mobile phones, radios, cameras, car keys and even belt fasteners and under-wired bras.”
Fourteen people have died on Scots mountains this year and there have been scores of other incidents where walkers have been rescued after losing their bearings. Ms Morning said climbers should ensure before setting off that nothing they’re carrying can interfere with their ability to navigate.
She added: “A compass is a precise measuring instrument and should be treated accordingly.”