As anyone who has been rear-ended on a highway knows, judging distance by sight is a useful skill. However, it’s one that’s been steadily disappearing ever since we started buying meat in a grocery store instead of hunting it ourselves. Borrow a few tips from big-game hunters and golfers to learn how to gauge distances a little more accurately.

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===Use yardage markers===

Keep your environment in mind. Some highways are marked at 10-yard intervals, while power poles are usually set at a standard distance of 100 yards apart. Remember that your environment can also play tricks on your mind. Dense brush will make objects appear closer than they are, while open space makes objects look farther away than they actually are.

Many putting greens have yardage markers to help golfers gauge the distance of their hits. In cases where they aren’t visible, you can pace off footage to set your own practice yardage markers.

Practice, practice, practice. As with everything worth having, judging distance by sight is a skill that takes time. Happily, there are many opportunities for the diligent to practice.

===Cheat by using a rangefinder===

A standard digital rangefinder, used by hunters and Army snipers alike, sells for anywhere from $50 to $300. Simply point the rangefinder at an object, push a button, and voila! Springing for a rangefinder with angle range compensation (ARC) capabilities can also handle extreme uphill and downhill sights with aplomb.

===In the future===
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Within the past year, a bewildering bevy of golfing apps have become available for the iPhone. These caddy apps use GPS to judge distances on the green, as well as keep score and download courses. While these apps are slightly less accurate than a dedicated golf GPS unit, convenient distance-measuring apps for the non-golfer don’t seem very far behind.

[[Category:Future]]
[[Category:Survival]]