Pace Counting: How Far Have You Walked?
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What you will learn
- 1Count paces by counting every second step
- 2Measure your own pace count on a 100-meter stretch with a grown-up
- 3Keep count of distance with knots or pebbles
- 4Explain why hills, mud, tiredness and darkness change your pace count
- 5Use pace counting with the map scale to know when to reach a checkpoint
Mini Lesson
On a trail it can be hard to know how far you have walked. Navigators solve this with pace counting. You count your steps in a simple way, and the count tells you the distance. Together with the map scale, it tells you when you should reach your next checkpoint.
🌿 The Wild Way (measure your pace)
- WHAT A PACE IS: one pace is two steps. Count only when your left foot (or your right foot) lands - every second step.
- FIND A 100-METER STRETCH: with your grown-up, measure 100 meters (about 110 yards) on a flat path or field.
- WALK AND COUNT: walk the stretch at your normal speed and count your paces. That number is your pace count.
- DO IT AGAIN: walk it two or three times and use the number you get most often.
- IT IS YOURS: everyone’s pace count is different. Your grown-up’s number will be smaller than yours, because their legs are longer.
🌿 The Wild Way (keep count on the trail)
- KNOTS ON A STRING: tie a loose knot in a string each time you finish 100 meters.
- PEBBLES IN A POCKET: start with pebbles in one pocket, and move one to the other pocket every 100 meters.
- UPHILL AND MUD: hilly or muddy terrain makes your steps shorter, so you take more paces.
- TIRED OR DARK: when you are tired or it is getting dark, your steps get shorter too. Expect a higher count.
- CHECK WITH THE MAP: measure the distance to the next checkpoint with the map scale, then count. If you pass that distance and see no checkpoint, stop and tell your grown-up.
Pace counting is a helper, not a replacement for staying on the trail with your grown-up. Measure your pace on a safe, flat path with your grown-up, and on a hike, walk with the group. If your count says you should be at a checkpoint and you are not, stop and tell your grown-up - don’t go off looking alone.
Words to know
pace
Two steps - counted each time the same foot lands.
e.g. I walked 70 paces before the bridge.
pace count
The number of paces you take to walk 100 meters.
e.g. My pace count on flat ground is about 70.
distance
How far it is from one place to another.
e.g. The map showed the distance to the lake.
stretch
A measured length of path or ground.
e.g. We marked a 100-meter stretch in the field.
checkpoint
An easy-to-spot place on a route where you check your progress.
e.g. After four knots, we reached the checkpoint.
terrain
The type of ground you walk on, like flat, hilly or muddy.
e.g. Muddy terrain made my pace count go up.
🧠 Survivor’s Trick: say the count quietly in your head in a rhythm - "one... two... three" - only on the same foot. If you lose count, guess low, then start fresh at the next landmark.
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