How to find your way when the compass doesn’t work? Get out your panties!

Here’s the story at Gizmodo,
Panties Help Guide 700-Mile Arctic Expedition When GPS, Compasses Fail

When compasses and GPS fail the Catlin Arctic Survey expedition, they go with a low tech “gadget” to help them navigate the freezing wastes and find their bearing: A lacy pair of panties.

The panties serve as a wind sock of sorts, as the team attaches them to a ski pole and uses wind as a guide to the North Pole, where they will measure just how thin the ice shelf is these days. They can’t use a compass because of their proximity to the magnetic North Pole. GPS is apparently useless because the frigid temps freeze the equipment. The team also navigates using the sun, but when it’s cloudy they pull out the lacy panties.

I checked the calendar and it’s not April 1 yet, and the Telegraph is also reporting on the story, including a semi-scientific explanation:

Speaking from the Arctic via satellite phone, he said: “It an entirely genuine situation. If you can get gossamer thin material and attach it your ski pole it is particularly useful for this project because we can cannot use the compass as we are so close to magnetic north and it is too cold to use the GPS.

Prince Charles is supporting the expedition.

Cross-posted at PoliGazette