Choice of:

• Fresno: Admission to Adventure Hunt for Two
• Sacramento: Admission to Adventure Hunt for Two
• San Jose: Admission to Adventure Hunt for Two
• Fresno: Admission to Ultimate Adventure Hunt for Two
• Sacramento: Admission to Ultimate Adventure Hunt for Two
• San Jose: Admission to Ultimate Adventure Hunt for Two

Hunt registration includes the following for each teammate:

• Access to the Adventure Hunt Treasure Map and Clue App
• Chance to win GoPros and other buried treasure ($1,000 value)
• Chance to win a free trip to Panama in private, luxury villas, and a free zipline jungle tour ($2,500+ value)
• Exclusive 15% off Promo Codes to KZ, Stance, Mission Belt, Allett and GoScope
• Official Adventure Hunt Daypack, shipped free ($24 value)

Ultimate Hunt registration includes the following for each teammate:

• Everything included in the Hunt, plus the following:
• Official Adventure Hunt Water Bottle with carabiner, shipped free ($24 value)
• KZ Interchangeable Shades with microfiber pouch, shipped free ($35 value)
• KZ Waterproof Cell Phone Pouch, shipped free
• KZ External Solar Charger for phone, GoPro, etc, shipped free ($25 value)

The Compass: A Magnetic Marvel

Anyone can learn to use a compass to find their way through the woods more reliably—but the science behind it is a little more complicated. Read on to find out why.

A familiar tool to any wilderness adventurer, a compass is simply a magnetized needle fixed upon a pivot point that allows it to swivel with minimal friction. The needle aligns with the Earth’s magnetic field, so labeling one end of it allows you to always know which direction is north—sort of. There are two different points on the globe with equal claim to the name: true north, where the longitude lines on a globe converge and Santa’s castle sits, and magnetic north, where the compass needle points.

The latter point has been drifting westward for as long as humanity has been using compasses to observe it. While there’s a lot we don’t yet know about the Earth’s magnetic field, one recent model accounts for this drift by proposing an uneven rate of cooling in the Earth’s mostly molten iron and nickel core, which would distort the rotation-driven gyres that induce the electric currents making up the geomagnetic field. The difference can set you hundreds of feet off course over a 10-mile hike.

Fortunately, most compass models account for this issue. The most basic do so via an adjustable orienting arrow fixed to the compass base. Fresh off the compass vine, it will be aligned with the big N on the dial, but if you’re navigating anywhere other than the line along which the two north poles happen to converge, you’ll need to adjust it, typically by turning a screw. Maps will include the angle of declination for the area shown—that is, the number of degrees you’ll need to adjust for depending on where you are on the globe. Because of the continual drift of magnetic north, it’s important that your map be relatively recent.

For all the trouble the shifting geomagnetic field causes navigators, it’s actually somewhat weak. Pass a refrigerator magnet over your compass and you’ll see how little loyalty the pole commands from the needle. Therefore, when you’re taking a reading, you’ll want to minimize interference and get away from not only other magnets but also steel and iron hiding out in places such as vehicles and jewelry.