As campers, we know that we must be at least 200 feet from any body of water before we “relieve” ourselves. And we are constantly trying to find places that are “3.4 miles down that gravel road.” But how, exactly, do we figure out what 200 feet or 3.4 miles is?
Shorter Distances
Let’s start with shorter distances, ones you can determine on foot. For this you will need:
- A tape measure
- Your own two feet (with shoes on)
First, find a spot outside where you can clearly see your footprints. This could be along a dirt road, in fresh (but shallow) mud or snow, or dry pavement where water doesn’t dry quickly. Next, with your shoes on, take several normal steps across the medium you are using. If on dry pavement, get the bottoms of your shoes wet first. Now take a look at where your steps are. They should be evenly spaced. (Tip: If you have to do this indoors, get a long length of freezer paper and paint the bottoms of your feet with finger paint or other washable paint. Get the kids to join you for a bit of fun and learning!)
Grab a tape measure and/or yard stick and measure the distance between the end of the heel on one step to the front of the toes to the next step. In my case, that distance is about 30.75 inches, or 2.56 feet.
Take the distance you are trying to determine on foot and divide by that number you just measured. Now you know how many full steps you should take to travel that distance. If I take 200 feet and divide that by 2.56, I would have to take approximately 78 steps to travel that distance.
Longer Distances
What about distances you can’t (or don’t wish to) cover on foot? How do you know how far you’ve traveled down that gravel road? If you are in a vehicle with an odometer or tripometer, then simply keep an eye on that. You can also download a tripometer app on your smart phone. But if you have neither of those things, here are a few things to know and watch out for.
- Outside of organized towns and cities, most counties and states (at least those within the PLSS, the Public Land Survey System) will build a road every mile (or at least they have the right to). If you’re traveling down a gravel road somewhere and pass by a couple roads going to the left or the right, you know you’ve gone at least a mile.
- Within towns and cities, you can count the number of city blocks to determine the approximate distance you are looking for. In general, there can be anywhere between 8 and 12 city blocks per mile.
- Keep paper maps or an atlas handy. Those will typically give you distances between specified points, and can be used when you don’t have access to any electronics.
Knowing how far any number of things is when you’re traveling is a must. Determining those distances, either foot or by car, can mean the difference between following and breaking the law, and perhaps not missing that turn next time. If you walk 200 feet enough times you’ll eventually know how far that is by sight. How do you determine how far you’ve traveled? Do you have any helpful tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!
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